The Bethel Buzz
ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING: Bethel held its annual congregational meeting on January 20, 2008. Reports on ministry activities were given by all the ministries of the church and goals for the new year were shared. Let's praise God for all he is doing through the ministries of his Church here at Bethel.
MISSIONS DINNER: On February 2 Bethel enjoyed a very special evening of food and fellowship. The Wright family, home on furlough from Uganda, gave an informative and exciting report on their work among the Karomojong.
VALENTINE DANCE: Bethel held its fourth annual Father/Daughter Valentine Dance on Saturday, February 9. This special event remains very popular, and both fathers and daughters continue to share how much they treasure this magical evening.
DATE NIGHT: On March 7, a large group of "newlyweds at heart" met at the home of the Taylor's for Bethel's annual Date Night. This was a wonderful evening with great food and a special time for couples to enjoy each other's company and the fellowship of other couples.
BABY BOTTLE FUNDRAISER: During the months of February and March Bethel again participated in the Baby Bottle Fundraiser for 1st Choice Women's Health Center, our local ministry to mothers and their unborn babies.
MEMORY MASTERS: The two Classical Conversations communities which meet at Bethel each September through April have completed their academic year. This year Caleb Gozé, TJ Gozé, and Trey Hammond earned the prestigious Memory Master title. In order to earn the title of Memory Master, a student must memorize over 500 pieces of information in the areas of Bible, History, English grammar, Latin grammar, Math, Geography, and Science, and must demonstrate mastery of the material through three levels of proofing and a final examination. Congratulations to these three young men!
PASSION WEEK EVENTS: As Bethel commemorated our Savior's death and resurrection, a communion service was held on Good Friday, March 21, and a special Easter Sunday worship service on March 24 which included special music from the Bethel Ensemble, the Bethel Adult Chorale, and the Children's Choir.
NEW TABLES! Bethel just completed a successful special collection to replace our aging tables. Thank you to all who contributed to the $1220 collected to purchase the new tables.
GREEK 3 COMPLETED - In April Pastor Hammond finished teaching Greek 3: Translation and Advanced Greek Grammar. In the fall he will be offering Greek 4: Seminar in New Testament Exegesis. The purpose of this class is to instruct students in sound principles of exegesis and hermeneutics, allowing them to make and correct mistakes in class so that the mistakes are not made in the pulpit. The class is open to pastors, licentiates, men under care and seminarians who have had elementary and advanced Greek grammar (usually taught over three semesters). Pastor Hammond's classes are being accepted for full credit to fulfill the Greek language requirements at Reformed Theological Seminary.
Our current study is in the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew has been called "the most Jewish of the Gospels." In the early second century Papias spoke of Matthew as an "arrangement of the oracles in the Hebrew dialect" by which he meant literary style, not language. Though written in Greek, Matthew borrows a structural style that is seen in the Book of Genesis. Matthew's main purpose is simple: In Jesus the anointed one (meshiach in Hebrew, christos in Greek) has come. In him converges the offices of prophet, priest, and king. Jesus himself is the new Israel, and from him will come a new Israel. In him, all the prophecies of the first covenant are fulfilled, and the promised kingdom of God has dawned. 
The Christian Valor Society is an organization open to all the men of Bethel Presbyterian Church. It exists to foster and encourage valor, courage, manners, etiquette, and gentlemanliness in all spheres of life in those who join it. It seeks to promote the biblical idea of covenant, and impress upon its members their spiritual, moral, and physical responsibility to their wives, families, church, communities, and country. CVS's goals and aims are accomplished through monthly breakfast meetings, and other gatherings as may be helpful. In a day when the societal ethos stands against responsibility and courage to do what is right, CVS endeavors to produce men that will stand as a lamp for Christ in a dark world, its motto standing as a polemic against the mistaken and deceived notion of the age: virtuti nulla ignavia - cowardice is not a virtue. CVS typically meets the third Saturday of each month.
During the week, Bethel Church offers two opportunities to grow in our knowledge of God, to study His Word, and to build strong, close-knit relationships with one another. Our current groups meet in Sterling/Ashburn and at the church. The study at the church meets at 6:00 pm on the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th Sunday of each month. The Sterling/Ashburn group meets at 6:30 pm on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month. Call the church office for more details.