Bethlen Naptár, 1987 (Ligonier)

Kálvin Egyházkerület

1987

161

$3,000 toward the purchase of a homeless shelter in our county. A local chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous was invited in May to begin holding meetings in our Fellowship Hall once a week.

The outward impulse of our congregation into our community has helped to make Sunday morning worship richer and more meaningful. Christian Education has also risen to the forefront as children and adults alike are awakening to the wonders of group Bible study. Beginning next year we will venture into a new Christian Education program which is designed to make the Bible even more central in the education and life of our church.

The year 1986 also saw physical changes in our church building. A building fund drive was successfully mounted in order to finance repair projects on the exterior and interior of the church (aluminum siding replaced asbestos siding, the sanctuary was painted and recarpeted, the Sunday School area was painted and new carpet was layed).

Preparation for the celebration of our Lord’s birth has begun. We are looking forward to Christmas Eve’s Candlelight Service and Christmas Day’s Communion Service. In additon, we are excitedly preparing for “Welcome to Bethlehem II”, our church’s second annual Christmas event. Last year this outdoor, live Nativity and carol sing drew over a hundred people from the congregation and the community.

We are grateful to God for the many ways in which he has blessed us this year. We look forward with expectation to God’s leading in the coming year.

Church membership: 74 active (as of December 1986).

Consistory: 9 elders, Chief Elder: John Adams, Secretary: Otto Palágyi, Treasurer: Jim Kline.

Ladies Aid: 15 Ladies, President: Carol Palágyi, VP: Lillian Vági, Secretary: Irene Palágyi, Treasurer: Doris Köteles.

Activities: Dinners (six times a year). Kolbász-making (2 times a year), other fund raising activities.

Sunday morning schedule:

9:30 am English Worship (Av. 45 adults and children)

10:30 am Christian Education (Av. 25 adults and children)

11:30 am Hungarian Language Worship (Av. 12)

Other meetings: Christian Education (Sunday School, Superintendent: Susan Whitenight). Fellowship Hour (Tuesdays). Stewardship Committee (meetings periodically). AA meeting (Tuesdays). Somerset County Task Force on Hunger and Homelessness (monthly). Disabled American Veterans (monthly).