Dear Friends,

I want to begin this week with a shout out to Elaine Steele and those who helped her get the Kingston Lakeside Market off the ground.  Saturday was the inaugural market, and the weather was wonderful, the crowd was fabulous, the vendors were amazing, and the products were great.  Obviously, Kingston wanted/needed a market.  This will be a weekly event each Saturday morning from 8am to 11am, so I encourage you to come, visit socially distanced, and shop to support local farmers and producers.  While this is not a Bethel program as such, the idea was born of conversations at Bethel and is an example of the many ways we continue to be the church.

I was delighted to be able to see so many Bethel folks and friends.  It took a lot of restraint to not reach out and hug everyone, but I was grateful to be in your presence.  I plan to be at the market each Saturday and would love a chance to see and visit with more of you, so I’ll be sitting at the picnic table on the porch off the Fellowship Hall.  You are welcome to come by and chat. 

Next Sunday is Pentecost.  Susan will include a Pentecost picture in the bulletin, and I invite you to color it and send a picture of it to Alf Rybka so that he can put together a Facebook album of our Pentecost pictures.   In addition, we will receive the Pentecost Offering which supports children and youth at risk and young adult ministries.  The Session has designated the First Presbyterian Church Spring City food pantry as our recipient again this year.  As you may remember their pantry serves more than half of the county’s population.  You may mail in your donation or give through the Bethel website by clicking HERE.

As a reminders you can participate in the Facebook Live worship and devotions each week even if you are not on Facebook (just click HERE). Thanks again for continuing to worship together this way.  I know there are many people who are joining us that I do not know.  If you know of friends or family that have been worshipping with us the last 8 weeks, I would love to be able to reach out to them and offer a personal word of welcome.

The small group making recommendations for when and how we return to worship and activities in the building plans to have a report to session this week, so we should be able to share more with you after May 31.  In the meantime, I would welcome your ideas and thoughts.  Feel free to call or email me and let me know your thoughts, concerns, hopes, and more.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Please continue to hold Jon Hettrick in your prayers.  Please add Pam Law, Vernon’s daughter, who had a stroke on Friday.  Thankfully, her prognosis is favorable.  Also keep Jill McMaster in your prayers.  Her sister, Margo Akerman passed away on Saturday.



May you have a lovely week.  Continue to reach out to one another, to imagine what’s becoming and how we are being called to be part of it.

Grace and peace,

Wendy