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What’s News at Bethel

By Paul | January 16, 2007


3rd Week of January, 2007

What are the primary roles of elders at Bethel? 

In no particular order….. (1) provide overall leadership and direction in all areas of church life, (2) shepherd the flock, and encourage and pray for our co-shepherds (staff, ministry leads, and small group leaders), (3) pray for members of the body, (4) exercise church discipline, (5) establish budget and spending priorities

What’s the most difficult responsibility that elders have to do, in your opinion?

Church discipline

Ok, give the “human side” of elder meetings. What do you guys laugh about? 

We laugh a lot!  Our collective sense of humor is quite good.  We try to find the “up side” in the things we deal with, recognizing that the sovereignty of God is real, and that remembering that He is in control.   We understand each other pretty well. So, we can lock horns over issues, without attacking each other on a personal level.

What do you feel the elders are excited about as they look ahead into 2007 and beyond? 

We are excited about NOW, and how it will play out in the different areas of our overall ministry, the lives of the people, and the unbelievers we interact with, both here and abroad.

If you were leaving today, and you had only one message to communicate to the lay leaders of Bethel, what would you say?

Never lose sight of God’s priorities for you: (1) becoming conformed to the image of His Son over time, and, (2) investing your time, talents and treasures in furthering the Kingdom.  This means more than giving God a “tip”.  It means giving Him your all, and working closely with Him to invest all you have wisely.

Krisheena Mason’s Takeaways

o  What was the focus of the conference in Urbana?
1)    The focus of Urbana was “Live a Life Worthy of the Calling”, how to reach people in cross-cultural settings, and loving people no matter what.

o  Why do you think God wanted you personally to be chosen to go on this trip?
2)    I’m still trying to figure out why God wanted me to go, actually. I didn’t know why I was supposed to go when Kent [Ladendorf] told me about it; I just knew that I really felt like God was telling me to go.

o  What did God stir up inside of you while you were there?
3)    The conference challenged some of my views on the world and church. And while I was there I feel like I beginning to get a clear calling of where God wants me to go. I originally went because I was curious about missions around the world and I love to serve people. However, I came away with a lot of new things.
For instance, instead of just trying to reach out to people, you need to cross in to their culture in a way. Like Paul said in one of his letters about becoming like the weak to the weak, and that stuff. We have to find ways to reach people on their level. One thing that God’s slowly starting to lay on my heart again is my generation. I have wanted for years to find some way to reach my generation, but I’m not called to be a pastor and I was home schooled most of my life. So I have felt like I don’t really know this generation’s struggles and stuff. And I’ve been feeling for a while that there’s something that needs to change in the way we reach out to this generation. I’d love to help start a place that is a safe, fun environment for people to come and hang out. A place where relationship evangelism could happen. A place that would change this generation’s view of the “boring” church to a community of people.
I also realized while I was over there just how much I love my job here at Bethel. I really love doing this type of work to help God’s ministry. I was actually really excited to come back to work after the trip and during the trip. I got over feeling guilty about not feeling like I was called or even wanting to go over seas. And realized what I feel called to do is work in the capacity that I am now here at the church. I also found out that there’s a huge need for this type of work in missions and ministries today.

o  Who went with you and what did you talk about with them, regarding what you heard?
4)    Noah Holt, Emily Holt, Shannon Winn, Heather Egger, and Rob Barrnet.
Most of us didn’t really have time to process things while we were there, so we didn’t talk about a lot as a group. There was a lot of talk about what each person felt their calling was, or if they didn’t know for sure just the general area they felt God was leading them toward. And just a lot of trying to get to know one another. We talked some about some of the basic stuff we were learning from Urbana. And on the drive home, Rob, Noah, and I talked about how we really think that things like Food for the Hungry and other organizations like that are good. However they’re just a patch for the problem, so instead of just sending food somewhere, we’d like to see place start to try and create jobs and business and things that would work more toward the root of the problem.

o  Based on what you gleaned, what’s the message you’d want to communicate to this generation if you could stand in front of them all at one time?

5)    That Christianity as we’ve been raised in needs to change some. We need to learn to reach people on their level and have an attitude of willingness and servanthood. Our motto towards God needs to be “Whatever, Whenever, Wherever.” (Rick Warren) And we need to truly start finding a way to understand what faith is and what our faith means to us about our lives. People need to quit just talking the talk and need to put action behind their words/beliefs. Most of the time arguing a point doesn’t work. And you can serve God no matter where you’re at.

The next Leadership Learning Lunch, prepared for workplace or ministry influencers, will be again on the 3rd Friday of the month: January 19 at noon in the fellowship hall.  This month’s speaker is the CEO of the local chapter of the United Way: Beverly Weber, who candidly shares the reality of leadership.  RSVP to Paul Casey or Krisheena Mason if you are coming and which of your colleagues will be joining you.

Small group leaders of Bethel, it’s time to link arms on Thursday, January 25 at 6:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall for a night of direction, connection, and equipping.  Joseph Christopherson will be teaching a portion of the meeting on effective prayer life of the leader and how that translates into personal and group transformation.  Dessert and childcare is provided (RSVP if you need childcare).  There will be a time to build community with your ministry leaders, and you’ll experience a rare “speed huddle”!

An entertaining, marriage-building couples night at Bethel on February 9 and 10. Stay tuned for details and sign-up.  Pastor Dave and Linda Bechtel will be emceeing the event.

Reflect on this question, “When did Christ come up in a discussion that you’ve recently had with an unbeliever?”

“Good plans shape good decisions. That’s why good planning helps to make elusive dreams come true.” –Anne Frank

Have you taken the time to ask God for His vision for your life, and to scope those plans out your personal 2007?

  • Teri Pearson: the high schoolers who have stepped up well to be children’s ministry shepherds.
  • Chip Roebuck: Music ministry teams who have really picked up the ball and run with excellence
  • Dave Dawson: a portion of Mexico opened up to the gospel
  • John Schultz, Joseph Christopherson, Michelle Hopp, Karen Phillips, Laurie Thompson, Lenise Brauer, Jennifer Brayton, and Jonelle Whitney hired
  • Dave Hilliard: Community service now a part of Bethel’s DNA
  • Fall Frenzy with outreach focus
  • Church plant exploration
  • 141 Baptisms; 93 new memberships
  • Easter bridge-walkers, and the 1-on-1’s that followed it up
  • Ron/Denver’s visit
  • After a kickoff class,100 people now in Financial Peace University
  • What’s my personal mission statement, and personal vision statement, on which to base my personal decisions?
  •      What are my greatest strengths/assets?
  •      What have I not yielded to God?  
  •      Who is on my personal board of directors?    
  •      How am I managing my priorities?
  •      How am I taking care of and improving my health?
  •      What’s my gratitude quotient?
  •      Am I pacing myself well?
  •      What can I let go of and get off my plate?
  •      What are my energizing passions and am I doing something in line with them every week?
  •      Do I take regular time to reflect/think/dream/plan?
  •      What do I do for fun on my own time, and what do I do at work to make it fun?
  •     What do I need to learn from the painful situation I’m currently in? Negative patterns?
  •       If I have gotten angry or irritable or in a negative funk recently, what’s behind it, and what’s my next step toward resolution?
  •      What is the “elephant in the room” that I’m not dealing with?  What do I fear?
  •      What are my boundaries, and how well do I enforce them?  Whose side of the street am I on?
  •      Where am I going?

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