OUR CHURCH FAMILY

Please remember our church family in your daily prayers, at mealtimes and during your personal devotions. Continue to remember those young and old with ongoing physical, spiritual, and emotional struggles.

Gerry Doornenbal has quite suddenly declined to a point where he does not respond and is not eating or drinking very much. The staff at Royal Oak is keeping him comfortable and Pita and the family are with him as the end draws near. We hold to the assurance that Jesus our good shepherd walks with us through these difficult times.

John Stol will be having surgery this coming Tuesday, November 1^st in Red Deer. We pray for the healing hand of God to guide the work of the doctors.

We offer our congratulations to Robert and Carol Hosmer who were married in our church yesterday. We wish you God’s blessing and much happiness as you go on in life together.

We extend our condolences to Peter and Jessica Heidelberg and the family with the death of Peter’s father this past Tuesday, October 25^th. He had suffered from cancer for some time and the family knew the end was near. We pray for the comfort of our Lord Jesus Christ who walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death and leads us by faith into the hope of eternal life with him.

Do remember those who are unable to worship regularly with us: please keep Jenny Bajema, Tilly Biel, Klaas Boskers, Gerry Doornenbal, Lea Dykstra, Ernie Stebner and Grace Vander Veen in your prayers.

Pray for our missionaries around the world.

Bethel News

The Church Renewal Lab Bible Reading schedule for the Book of Acts. 

Please read the 5 chapters this week and ponder the reflection questions in relation to our church.

Week 4: The New Testament Church goes global (Acts 16-20, October 31^st to November 4^th)

Day 1: Acts 16 Q: Verse 9 says “come help us” …who is calling us to “come & help”?

Day 2: Acts 17 Q: Paul connected Gospel to culture in verses 22-23…how can we do the same?

Day 3: Acts 18 Q: How does Jesus’ words to Paul in verses 9-10 give us courage for our missional work?

Day 4: Acts 19 Q: Mission moved from synagogue to lecture hall (verse 9)-are there new locations for us?

Day 5: Acts 20 Q: What can we learn by listening to Paul’s farewell instructions to the Ephesian elders?

Book Discussion: 

"From Embers to a Flame" by Harry L. Reeder III. Some of you have read this book already, or are currently reading it. A number of the ladies belonging to the Book Club have decided to read it as well. This is the book that is recommended reading for the Church Renewal Lab. The idea is that readers gain a better understanding of the process of how to become a spiritually healthy, and a vibrant congregation. This discussion is for both men and women, or couples, who have read, or are still reading this book, or want to read it but have not started. The date is Thursday, December 1^st at 7:30 p.m. Place to be announced. Please let Margaret Roolker (403-782-4506) know if you are planning to come.

Bethel Newsletter: 

Another month has flown away and here we are ready to produce the November newsletter. If anyone has some items regarding “remembering” we would love to have your contributions. We would like to include updates from the various Ministry Leadership Teams as well the different ministries that go on during the week. Please consider writing down something so we can include it. If not this month, then for the December issue. We print the newsletters the week before the first Sunday of the month. So for the December issue – that would be of course the week between Christmas and New Year. We look forward to hearing from the congregation so we can pray for one another and encourage each other as we go from month to month serving our Lord. Please talk to Harriet Luymes, Meaghan Noort or Anita Geldof if you have any questions or contributions. There is also a newsletter mailbox where you can drop things off. Please have any contributions to the team no later than this coming Wednesday at noon.

October is Rehoboth Membership Month! 

Why not join thousands across Alberta as a Rehoboth member to support the ministry of supporting persons with developmental disabilities. Membership fees are just $10 each, and donations of any amount are also greatly appreciated. Look for the October is Member Month postcard in your mailbox. Please place your completed membership forms in Arnie & Sherry Tenbrinke’s box. Thank you!

Operation Christmas Child 

shoe boxes are in the foyer. Please help yourself to a shoe box if you are interested in taking part in this ministry. All the info for filling a shoe box is inside the box. Please bring your filled boxes back to the church by Sunday, November 13^th and place them back under the church mail boxes.

Craft Days! 

To all crafty folks, this is an advance notice for the craft days to be held on November 5^th and December 10^th. We would so like to see new faces when we get together to do crafts. Ladies, whatever you want to do, even just visiting, please come for a bit, or the whole day and enjoy our warm lunch, provided free. New! Men, if you have a hobby that does not involve or require large, fixed-to-the-floor machinery, please come and join us. Model building, technical Lego, assembling of whatever you made at home or in your garage....we know there are both men and women who love colouring. Come one and all! There's coffee, baking, lunch, desserts, good company, good conversations. Love to see you all there! N.B. For those of you who like to do Christmas baking together and then exchange a dozen or so to take home a variety of goodies, we plan to do that on December 10^th. Just let Anita (403-782-2817) or Margaret (403-782-4506) know ahead of time so we can plan the warm lunches. See you there!

Operation Christmas Child: PLEASE HELP US GIVE!!!!!! 

On Tuesday, November 8^th Tuesday Nite Youth will be putting shoe boxes together for Operation Christmas Child. All the students and leaders are going to bring stuff to fill the boxes. We would like to ask you to help out and provide some items so we can reach our goal of 30 shoe boxes. This is a great opportunity for you to be part of the Operation Christmas Child. There will be a box under the mail boxes for your donations. Donation ideas: short sleeve T shirts (no text or pictures are best) socks, small toys, good quality pens. Pencils crayons, sharpeners, tooth brush in a case, bar of soap in a case and hair accessories. NO FOOD PRODUCTS INCLUDING CANDY. Have fun picking things out for children who would not otherwise receive gifts. If you have new Christmas cards that would be great too. There is also a cost of $7 per box for shipping. If you would like to make a donation for shipping we would love that too!!!! We look forward to letting you know how may shoe boxes we can put together.

BETHEL YOUTH

Tuesday Nite Youth WILL NOT 

be meeting this Tuesday, November 1^st. Leaders will be meeting at 7:30 p.m. Enjoy your week off!! J

Mission Trip: 

Are you interested in going on a Mission Trip to Mexico? If so, please come to a meeting planned for Thursday, November 3^rd at 7:30 p.m. at Bethel CRC, Lacombe. This will be your only chance to join the team so if you cannot be at the meeting but are interested in going please contact Trudy Salomons, Betty Scholing or Wayne Bouwman. To send a complete team we will need approximately 10 youth and 4 adult leaders. Please pray about this as it is wonderful opportunity to share God’s love by building a needy Mexican family a home.

DENOMINATIONAL NEWS

Help Hurricane Matthew Survivors in Haiti 

World Renew is responding to the urgent needs of Hurricane Matthew survivors in southwest Haiti. In addition to distributing nearly 400 tarps, World Renew has already distributed emergency food aid to 450 families and plans to distribute 500 household water filters. Plans for longer-term assistance are also underway. Support this work with a generous donation to World Renew, "Hurricane Matthew Haiti" at worldrenew.net/donate or by calling 1-800-730-3490. You can also mail your cheque to: World Renew, 3475 Mainway, P.O. Box 5070, STN LCD 1, Burlington, Ont. L7R 3Y8. To stay up to date on World Renew's Hurricane Matthew response in Haiti, go to worldrenew.net/hurricanematthew.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Come to Woody Nook CRC 

on October 30^th at 7:00 p.m. to hear from Rev. Greg Sinclair as he delivers a message on loving our Muslim neighbours. Greg will be talking about how the Muslim worldview is quite different than the Christian worldview, but there are still common issues that we all deal with such as shame and fear. As Christians, we need to be sensitive to people of other cultures, and Greg will talk about this as well as why and how we should be missions-minded but not overbearing.

A Musical Open House for Rehoboth: 

The Joyful Noise Choir is hosting a Musical Open House for Rehoboth Christian Ministries at Parkland United Reformed Church at 6:45 p.m. on Saturday, November 5^th. Parkland United Reformed Church is located just south of Ponoka of 2A on Spruce Road. Program will be one hour in length with refreshments to follow.

Redeemer URC invites you to our Open House 

on Saturday, November 19^th from 1-3 p.m. at our new church building located at 4519 - 46 Avenue, Lacombe. There will be refreshments, snacks and a short program at 1:45 p.m.

PERSECUTED CHURCH

Niger 

Jeff Woodke (55) works for YWAM in the town of Abalak in northern Niger. A group of armed men believed to be from a radical Islamic group called Mujao, burst into Jeff's home at around 9 p.m. on October 14^th. After killing two security guards, the kidnappers took Jeff by force and drove towards eastern Mali, where Mujao has a stronghold. Jeff is known in Abalak for his devotion to Niger and its nomadic populations, everyone knows his goodness. He runs several development projects focusing on farming, health, literacy, primary school education and access to drinking water. Please uphold Jeff, his family, friends, colleagues and community members in prayer as they face this time of uncertainty in captivity.