Bethania Gift Day 

Sunday February 14th, 2021.

Dear friends at Bethania,

First of all, thank you for taking the time to link to this message and thank you all for your encouragement, prayer and support for the ministry of the church over so many years and especially during the challenging time of the global pandemic.

We are all so grateful to God for his blessing and provision for us in 2020 including the joy of witnessing Mark’s baptism in February and the provision of a much needed new boiler in April (more about this below). By necessity we have also launched into a new way of meeting as church through our Zoom prayer meetings each Sunday and our socially distanced Sunday worship in the chapel.

During our leaders retreat in January 2020 we revisited our Values Statement: ‘Knowing God, growing in Christ and showing Christ to others’ and asked the Lord to empower us as a church family for effective mission in Leeswood and beyond.
Our prayer, vision and mission is that God will use us as Bethania to fulfil our part in being witnesses to Jesus Christ in Leeswood, in our district and globally: Acts 1:8 ‘You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth’. The Christmas Bags of Blessing were wonderfully received in the village, our ‘Jerusalem’!

Wouldn’t it be great if over the next three years we could see this vision realised at Bethania as we engage in local mission and along with other churches reach our district and region and contribute to world mission!  Andy Hughes, the Director of Urban Saints in Wales met with Joyce, Dorothy and John to explain how they can help us with Bethania’s work with children, young people and families.

So in spite of all the difficulties and restrictions, there are still possibilities for the Kingdom of God to be advanced!

To take a step of faith towards the realisation of this vision,  the deacons are inviting us all as the family of Bethania to take part in an act of faith and worship. 

We invite you to contribute to a gift day to enable us to expand our mission.

Whatever money is raised will firstly go towards building up our balance after the boiler installation and associated works; the total cost of that was £6300.  

Secondly, we would be using the money raised for mission to our community and beyond. And as a thank offering we will give 10% of all gifts received to world mission.

The gift day will be held on Sunday 14 February, even though we’ll not be back in Bethania by then.  If you wish to participate, that would be greatly appreciated.  One-off direct debits can be made to Bethania’s account by BACS bank transfer. Alternatively, you could give by cheque or cash in an envelope clearly marked ‘gift day.

For BACS details or address details, please email:
connect@bethanialeeswood.org
or text: 07561 679317

The diaconate and I would be grateful if all of us at Bethania could give some thought and prayer to this over this. Thanks for your help, and God bless in the (hopefully better) New Year!

Ian Dyson
Treaurer, Bethania Leeswood