About Bethel

Throughout the years the churches of the world have stood through trials, tribulations and persecution. Bethel is no different, it has had it’s hard times and struggles. But through it all, it still stands, and according to the word of God, it will continue to stand. As it is written in Matthew l6: l8—And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And so may we pray that the people at Bethel will stand, being firm in our beliefs in Christ and shining as a light in a dark world to be a witness to Him. The hymn, "How Firm A Foundation," written by John Francis Wade in l740-43 puts it so beautifully: "Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed; For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid: I’ll strengthen thee help thee, and cause thee to stand, Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand, Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand. The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, I will not, I will not desert to his foes; That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I’ll never, no never, no never forsake, I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!"

A new generation has arisen at Bethel. We are so blessed to have so many talented and faithful young people, as well as many children and adults too. Bethel has always been known as a friendly church, and if someone in the church or community is hurting it’s people are quick to respond to their need. We also want to welcome new people in and anyone who wishes to come is urged to attend—the doors of the church are always open.

The current church membership is around l40 people, with an average attendance of around l25.

Following is a list of the church’s activities and organizations:

Sunday School is held every Sunday, between the hour’s of l0:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.when the worship service begins. We have classes for all ages from little 2-3 year olds to the Evergrowing class with the eldest members in this class. A Christmas Eve program has been presented every year by the Sunday School and a 4th of July Picnic is also held.

Bethel Brotherhood is the organization for the men and boys of the church. They meet at Lehman’s for breakfast and sponsor the Brotherhood Relief Sale which is always held the Friday evening before Thanksgiving. They also sponsor the Valentine Banquet on February l4 and the Graduation banquet. The men are very active in contributing to needy projects around the community, as for example the MCC Canning which is held every year.

The Church Council is made up of the three Deacons, three Trustees, the Church Chairman, Church Secretary and Church Treasurer and a representative from Providence Community Center. They meet quarterly, and also with some special meetings and are the sounding board of the church, looking to many and various needs.

The Historical Committee is made up of three members. They look after the historical cabinet located in the back of the church and record new births, weddings and deaths that occur in the life of the church.

The Music Committee is made up of three members and they supply special music for each service and is happily represented by the Children’s choir which is a vital part of our worship service singing several times a year and also gives a special children’s musicale each year, which is greatly enjoyed.

Women in Mission is the ladies organization of the church meeting on the third Monday evening of each month. They have a short program and a session of prayer for the missionaries. The work of the evening is usually quilting or knotting a comforter. They play bingo with Good Shepherd Care Center residents, sponsor the Children’s choir singing at Kidwell Home in May, quilt a quilt for the Brotherhood sale, do mission projects, such as blankets for Bangladesh, trees for Haiti, toys for local children for Christmas and Christmas gifts and food for a family in need in Morgan County. They sponsor Mother’s Day function each year, either a Salad supper or presenting flowers to each Mother at the worship service, have a Christmas program the first Monday in December for the ladies. The dinner committee of this group serves for funerals, Brotherhood Sale dinner, fifth Sunday dinners and helps with the MCC caning.

The Mennonite Youth Fellowship group of young people is an active group, including besides our own youth many of their friends and acquaintances who attend. They have a lot of fun, such as ice skating, serenading each home in the church on New Year’s Eve, skating parties, swimming parties, etc. Every summer they have a project geared toward missions and work nights in the fall of the year in which they make projects for the Brotherhood Sale.

The Providence Community Center is located several miles south of Bethel church. It is owned by the church and is a replica of the original Providence school house built on that spot. The original school was built by Will Holsopple and Will Aeschbacher in the year of l893. The present building was built by Bob Wenger on land purchased from Warren Lehman. It is a beautiful building, very suitable for small gatherings, such as family reunions, baby showers, wedding showers, MYF meetings etc. Also each Monday night the Providence group of leaders have play night for the young children and on Tuesday night have softball games for the Bethel Church league and other church leagues around the area. They also sponsor tournaments and have a snack shack which supplies food for these nights.

These organizations form the various parts of the church body. However, their unity creates a living church that is focused on Christ. This concentration has kept the church alive for the past 140 years and will help to maintain it in the years to come.