A Modest Proposal / Pastor Dan Baumgartner
Maybe you recognize the title from Jonathan Swift (author of Gulliver’s Travels) way back in 1729. Swift used it for an essay proposing that a way out of the Irish famine crisis was for poor families to sell their children as food to the wealthy!...

Bethany Readies for Major Seismic Reinforcement Project
Pastor Dan Baumgartner
The year is 1929. A very large brick building goes up on Queen Anne Avenue, sitting on top of a hill booming with new housing starts, park developments and street additions. The building is the sanctuary and education wing for a church, Bethany Presbyterian, which wants to move up from lower Queen Anne...

From Trenches to Tables / John Chase
On December 24, 1914 , the first Christmas Eve of World War I, a spontaneous cease-fire broke out along the front that divided Europe. Miles of trenches sliced through Belgium and France where professed Christians were brutalizing one another along a no-man’s-land of corpses and mud...

Introducing Our New Members! / Linda Cutshall
In worship last month, we enjoyed receiving many people into membership — some new faces, and some familiar. Here’s a brief introduction to them...

Senior High '09 Fall Retreat / Scott Gronholz
Recently 32 High School students from Bethany took a trip to Mountain River Lodge on Snoqualmie Pass for a weekend of rest, games, and reflection...

Meet Our Children's Ministry Intern
My name is David Salciccioli, and I am originally from Bend, Oregon. I lived there for 14 years before coming up to Seattle to go to Seattle Pacific University...

Stephen Ministry Open to New Applicants / Linda Cutshall
If you have the gift of listening to others, a heart for ministry behind the scenes, and like meeting one-on-one with people, then Stephen Ministry might be the place for you! Applications are available and interviews are scheduled for the first 2 weeks in January. Training begins Thursday evening, January 28. Meetings will be held 2x/month from January to mid-July, including a Saturday in March and April. Topics covered are helpful to everyday life. Cost for materials is $75. Commitment to Stephen Ministries is 2 years, though many enjoy extending these terms. Contact Linda Cutshall (284-2222, ext 13) for application and information.

Children's Ministries

Make an Advent Wreath for your home!
This year, all Bethany members are invited to make an Advent wreath at Holiday magic on Friday, December 4. Holly has gathered up all the supplies (wreaths, pins, candles,) and Children's Ministries will staff a “table” for you all (and all your friends who come to Holiday Magic). We’ll also have devotional guides to use for devotions in your home with your advent wreath. Any 5 th graders who would like to work an hour at the wreath table helping younger children make a wreath should contact Dianne Ross (dianner@bethanypc.org).

Advent Gathering Tradition Continues
On Monday, December 7, all Godly Play doorkeepers and worship leaders are invited to “continue the tradition” of a quiet, calm “Advent Gathering.” We’ll begin with a soup/salad/bread dinner at Julia Sensenbrenner’s home (at 6:30 pm), followed by discussion, prayer and “listening to God.” Please RSVP to your dept coordinator (Julia or Debbie Campbell) by December 1.

Christmas Eve Family Services at 4:00 and 5:30 pm this year
Due to the popularity of the “family service” on Christmas eve (which is led by 5 th graders and is open to all ages), this year we will for the second time have two of these earlier, child friendly services. Childcare is provided for children two and under, who sign up by December 13. 5 th graders are reminded to let Dianne know what part of the service (and which service) you’d like to lead. The “walk through” for these services is Wednesday, December 23 at 10:30 am, and we’ll begin in the lobby of the Fellowship Hall, as we’ll be preparing candles for the candle lighting which takes place at the end of all of our Christmas Eve services.

On the Calendar
see interactive calendar for complete listing

Wednesday Night Dinner
Wednesdays, 5:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall

Healing Prayer
Sun, December 6, after the 10:45 service in the Sanctuary
Sun, December 20, after the 5 pm service in the Sanctuary

Bethany Women's Summer Bible Study
Tuesday, December 1 & 15, 9:30 am and 7:00 pm in the Parlor
The Bethany Women's Bible Study studies a series on 1 & 2 Corinthians: Living Together in Community. Two groups are offered for this Bible Study. One group meets in the morning from 9:30-11:00 am. The other group meets from 7:00-8:30 pm. Childcare is available only for the morning session.

Holiday Magic
Fri, December 4, 6:00-8:00 pm at Bethany & Queen Anne Ave

Evenings in the Parlor
Thurs, December 10, 7:00 pm in the Parlor

Holiday Receptions
Sun, December 13 in the Fellowship Hall after both AM services

Christmas Eve Services
Thurs, December 24 at 4, 5:30, 8 & 11 pm in the Sanctuary
The 4 pm & 5:30 pm services are very child-friendly.

Session Notes

The Session gathered on Tuesday, November 10 for our regular monthly meeting. Dave Andersen led our devotions. We received a 2009 financial update. As of November 1, the deficit was about $134,000, larger than previous years. Generous year-end giving will be needed to balance the budget.

The majority of the time was spent reviewing the draft of the 2010 budget. Conversation ranged from general concepts to specific line items. Dan Wickline, our Finance and Administration Elder did a great job of pulling all of the numbers and ideas together to form the draft that will be finalized into the budget at our December meeting.

We also commissioned the Bethany Presbyterian Church Building Team, worshipped, voted on the new members and met David Salcicciolli, our new children’s intern.

News & Notes

Births

• Ettalyn Rose Marston October 27
• Harrison ("Harry") Ruhl Duk Yearick November 4
• Elias Duke Barnard November 4

Baptisms

• Emmett Campbell Icasiano November 8
• Cole Eldon Newton November 8