>> Blessings have come to me from God in many different ways throughout my
lifetime.
One of
the most precious is my church and my church family. How could
I
have ever imagined eleven years ago when my family moved to Columbus that
I
would
be so privileged to find a church
that had such a loving congregation that
would welcome
and accept my family into their church family?
After joining Bethesda, God used our wonderful pastor to encourage me to
strengthen
and grow my relationship with the Lord by leading Bible Studies. The encouragement
and love that
I have received through the years from my church family brings me such
joy, and at times such comfort, to know that they will always be there for me and my family and I for them.
God has
had His hand on this church for many years, and I have
no doubt as we
are obedient in praying for His vision for Bethesda that He will continue
to bless us
as
we strive to be a congregation that in all we do and say demonstrates
our love
and
dedication for the Lord.
Brenda Burke
>> My wife, Brenda and I moved to the Ellerslie community in July of 2003. At the
time
we
were involved in our church in Columbus which was only five minutes away
from our
Columbus home. For the next two years we made the drive from Ellerslie
to Columbus
nearly every
Sunday morning becoming less and less involved because
of the distance.
We had friends who had also moved nearby and they had joined Bethesda. They
invited
us to visit. We did and the warmth and friendliness we felt when we entered
the door made
us feel like we had been going to Bethesda forever. In fact, we never
went back to our Columbus church even though we loved the pastor there as well
as the people.
I wrote a letter to our pastor at the Columbus church explaining our reasons for
leaving and to the Board of Deacons, resigning my position there because I felt like Bethesda
was our church. We are firm believers in neighborhood churches and feel blessed we found such a wonderful one so close. We joined on my birthday on
June 19, 2005.
In nearly two years I have never heard any animosity, criticism or ill feelings from the members, I know it’s not perfect because it’s made of people but I believe it is to be
the lighthouse for the Ellerslie community which is rapidly growing and has become
the primary bedroom community for Columbus. It is our responsibility as members of Bethesda to reach out to the community through visitation; Upward sports programs
for the children and men and women ministries.
Jesse McKinney
>> My husband and I had our first encounter with Bethesda Baptist Church about
2 ½
years ago when we took our grandchildren to BBC’s annual Fall Festival. We
were impressed with the spirit and camaraderie of the event. The warm and friendly
people working the booths and serving the food seemed to be having as much fun
as the
children and their parents. The pastor was in the midst of it all greeting people.
He
was low-key, soft-spoken, and approachable. He seemed like an old friend.
Soon thereafter, we visited BBC. Since that first visit, we have not missed a Sunday or Wednesday night unless we were out of town or sick. Now, we work during the annual
Fall Festivals. My husband is in the choir and cooks for events when needed, and this is
my
second year as president of The Silver Liners (our over age 50 group). We found in
BBC
all
that our spirits hungered for. Let me explain...
BBC is a unified church family whose members truly care for each other, love each other,
and pray for each other. The church body is steadfast in its worship and desire to serve
and please God.
BBC is a praying church. Come on Wednesday night and witness this for yourself. We pray earnestly for the sick, for missionaries, for the homebound, for our national leaders, for all military branches, for our staff, for programs we are or will be involved in, and for any special needs. We will pray for you.
BBC has a heart for the community, reaching out to those in nearby neighborhoods through Upward football, basketball, and soccer. BBC’s strong team of dedicated volunteers, part
of
the backbone of the church, plays a vital part here. Volunteers take their roles seriously
but
have great fun in the process.
BBC has an excellent daycare facility and programs for children, teens, adults, and senior adults. My church has a singleness of purpose to follow the fine leadership of an anointed
staff led by a pastoral team of the highest caliber. Pastor David Helms and Associate Pastor Ken Thornton are fine preachers, teachers, and speakers. They and their staff have a tender heart for the lost and strayed.
We live in our home, but BBC is also our home. It can be yours, too.
Morgan Watley
