Spring Time at Bethlehem

Greetings and grace....

Well, we've come through the winter months, the Easter season and now we are in the midst of Spring. Spring reminds us of resurrection and renewal. The Lord is blessing us with revival and renewal. Each week, we look forward with sweet anticipation to what the Lord is going to do and how He is going to bless us. Yes, ministry is not just on Sunday but through out the week as the Lord connects us and our relationships with love that goes from ...heart to heart and breast to breast.

This year we had some members pass away; Sis. Mary Maiden and Bro. Wilbert Henry.

Yes, we'd like to welcome our new members...Sis. Helen C. Winborne, Sis. Lee-A Regan, Sis. Tekiah Freeman, Sis. Morgan-Ashley Backus, Sis. Marie Benning, Bro. Arthur Robinson, Bro. Carlton Hampton and Bro. Steven Estrada.

Continue to Pray and Keep the Faith.
Pastor Winborne

What a Year ...What a Year..What a Year!

Greetings and grace to all.

All I can say about our year long celebration is "What a Year". The year closed out the the Reunion Choir Concert Celebration held on Saturday, November 10th. Bro. Cary did an outstanding job as the ministry of music set our hearts on fire...and the presence of the Lord lifted up our hearts in celebration.

The next day on Nov. 11th we kicked off the churches 111th Anniversary as Rev. Dr.Tomas Barringer brought the Word from Eph. 6, "We Wrestle" .....and the Reunion Choir ministering in music. The Lord blessed us one and all.

This year our church theme is "A People Powered by Prayer."
It is our prayer that the Lord will continue to cause us to shine as a beacon of light in an ever growing dark world.

Sitting at the Feet of the Elders

It has been said many times, “If I knew then, what I know now” things would be different. If I knew then, in 1955, that the “burger joint” names McDonald would forever change the restaurant industry and purchased 100 shares of stock for about $2300, now I’d be a skipping all the way to the bank because millions of burgers have been sold worldwide.

In order to acquire some assistance, to help us “know now” some of the more important things of life many times we overlook a key resource. We overlook our senior citizens, our elders, our grand and great grandparents. We over look their year so history that if loaded with experience. We are many times too impatient to wait as they search the memory banks of their minds that have gotten deeper and wider.

At Bethlehem we’ve taken time to hear from our elders, on May 19^th we set aside time to hear their testimony. From the youngest honoree over 84 years young to our senior elder at 102, we set aside time to do what Moses said we should do; “Honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long.” And so we all sat, from the child, to the teen and young adult of generation X, to those in mid - life, to the mature, to the recent retiree of the baby boomer generation, we all sat, listen and asked questions as they reviewed their history in conjunction with “His – story.”

Present for the celebration (from left to right) Sis. Ella Mae Wing at a tender 102 years old; Sis. Alice Frazier, Deaconess Waymouth Johnson, Deacon Kenneth R. Coleman and Deaconess Lois Bagby: those unable to attend – Deacon William Hazzard, Sis. Mary Maiden and Deaconess Beatrice Woods.

We’ve Come This Far By Faith

Overflowing with Thanksgiving

We had a blessed time in the Lord as we celebrated what the Lord has done in the lives of the people over the past 110 years and the life of the Pastor over the past 10 years. The banquet was exquisite the family of faith came together to reflect and rejoice, to chat and to chew and encourage and exhort. We remembered a banquet of days gone by where the ticket was $4.50. We dined on prime rib, chicken marsala, meatballs marinara and baked crab cakes! We were encouraged by Sis. Maiden “Welcome” and “Reflections” done with style and poetic artistry and Sis. Gwendolyn J. Brown’s Anniversary Tribute recalling the history. Then we were exhorted by Rev. Timothy Jordan’s sermon, “How Can I Say Thanks” from Luke 17:11-16.

The Sunday celebration was a celebration indeed; we were blessed to worship all day long with a dinner fellowship between services. Rev. Paul Cofer brought the morning message from Jesus Wilderness of Temptation and Rev. Walker brought the afternoon message from I Peter 4 from the theme of Suffering. The day was punctuated by the ministry of music as the BBC Mass Choir sang as never before and 19^th Street Chanel Choir set the atmosphere with a half hour of praise and worship before the afternoon service.

The biggest blessing of the weekend was that my Mother, Mrs. Helen C. Winborne, attended the banquet on Saturday and church services “all day” on Sunday. This was the first time she’d been to BBC for worship and needless to say she enjoyed meeting the members as well as seeing family. She saw cousins Evans, Merenda and JoAnne, who she has not seen in years. This was a testimony to the power of persistent prayer.

The next blessing was that newcomer, Bro. Clifford Copelan received the Lord as personal Savior. He attended the banquet and services and reminded me I promised him a Bible. Following Sun. afternoon service I invited him, along with his friend, Sis. Beth McGuire into the office. I gave him a Bible with a personal word of encouragement in the inside cover. Bro. Copelan said he wanted to come up to the front of the church at the invitation but was a bit nervous. I told him that was natural and he could accept Christ, “right here and now” as his personal Savior. He said yes, and prayed to receive salvation. What a blessing!

Special Thanks to Sis. Colleen Cary and Sis. Charlotte Moore and the entire anniversary committee for a job well done. Special thanks to family and friends for their cards, gifts and well-wishes. Special thanks to the Lord for His goodness to those at Bethlehem, “the House of Bread”

110th Church Anniversary & 10th Pastoral Anniversary

As we gear up to celebrate what God is doing in His Church, we thank God for those who Has added to the BBC family. This past month we have welcomed, Bro. Edward Pierce, Sis. Danine Niroomand and Sis. Germaine Raines. Welcome to the House of Bread!!!

Yes, we are "Overflowing with Thanksgiving" and rejoice as we look back to 1896, remember those whose shoulder's we stand up and reflect on the mercies of God that go from generation to generation. Yes, God is still working! And we look forward to each and every Sunday we are blessed to come together for worship.

Wow, it's been ten years! What a blessing especially when one considers the average Pastoral tenure at one's first church is about thirty-six months or three and a half years. Five years ago Sis. Maiden said, "I passed the five year test"; yes, God has tested me and is still testing me so that He might get the glory. Thank you Bethlehem family! We are a "Great Church" and I look forward to what the Lord is doing in and through all of us. See you on Sunday!

• Banquet Celebration is on Saturday March 10th at Adelphia's at 1pm
• Worship Celebration is on Sunday March 11th at BBC. Our 10am morning preacher is Rev. Paul B. Cofer, Pastor of Christ Evangelical Baptist Church in Philadelphia, Pa.
• Our afternoon preacher is Rev. Charles Walker, Pastor of the Nineteenth Street Baptist Church in Philadelphia, Pa. Services will be begin about 3:30PM

God Bless and Heaven Smile Upon You
Pastor Winborne

BBC Celebration Concert

Greetings and grace Bethlehem Family and Friends,

Well we had a blessed time on last Sunday, Jan. 14th as Wilbur and Jermaine ministered to the Lord in music to kick off a year of anniversary events. Wil Jr. began with three arrangements taht included his own arrangements of O Come All Ye Faithful and What Child Is This. Jermaine sang three selections, accompanied by his grandfather Bro. Donald Cary, that included "I Got Plenty O' Nothing." By the end of the six number selections the entire congregation knew we were witnessing something very special that stirred and lifted all of our hearts and souls.

At Offering and Intermission there were selections by "Higher Standard", Performing Arts Ensemble founded by Thilana and Nate Chandler.

The second half of the concert Wil Jr. played selections by Rachmaninoff and Chopin and Jermain sang selections by J. R. Johnson, both "bringing down the house" with encores to the delights of all in attendance.
We closed the concert with an invitation to Christian discipleship and prayer, then enjoyed a time food and fellowship with family and friends.

It wasn't just a concert but a concert of praise and worship to the glory of God.

Special thanks to the worhsip leader, Sis. Ivy Davis; Bro. Donald Cary for arranging rehearsal
and our Chair and Co-Chair, Sis. Collen Cary and Sis. Charlotte Moore.

Celebration Concert CD can be ordered from the church by contacting Sis. Moore at Charmoore3@comcast.net.

God bless,
Pastor Winborne

Pray for the Bereaved

Greetings and grace Bethlehem Family...

Well, we've started the year off in prayer and praise in "Watch Night Service" as Angel Visit Baptist Church congregation, Rev. Juan Peterson, Pastor, joined us in praise, preaching and prayer.

Since last week there have been members who have lost loved ones...and we solicit your prayers.
Sis. Yvonne Johnson lost her Brother "Lenny" services were last week; Sis. LaKisah Boston lost her Brother Rodney as a result of a car accidient, services will be held this Saturday Jan 13th at the Potter's House Ministeries in Chestertown, MD; and Bro. Ambrose Rose lost one of his daughter's last week and the services will be held this Saturday in our area. Please pray for these families as they go through...but remember God is with us at times of Solice.

God bless,
Pastor Winborne