Bethany United Methodist Church

United Methodist Church serving Clio, Michigan

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You are here: Home / Archives for Tower Notes

Plans for Re-Opening the Church

July 3, 2020 By ClioBethany

The letter below was sent in July and from July 12th to August 2nd we held live in person worship in our sanctuary. However, with rising Covid-19 cases on July 31st, Governor Whitmer restricted indoor gatherings to 10 people or less. While churches are exempt from these restrictions from a legal sense, in a moral sense we want to ensure we are doing all that we can to conform to the state mandates and keep the congregation safe. Beginning August 9th and for at least the month of August, we are once again worshipping online only. When we prepare to gather in person again, we will use these same protocols.

Dear Friends,
The last few months have been both challenging and inspiring. We have worked hard to remain connected, to worship online, and to be the church in the world. Now, we are taking the first steps toward returning to worship in our sanctuary. On Monday, June 29, the Ad Board approved a set of protocols for re-opening the building, and set July 12 as
our first Sunday to worship indoors again.

I know this news will be received with mixed emotions. For a variety of reasons, some may be more ready to return than others. I respect that hesitation, and we will continue to provide online experiences of worship. Services will either be recorded and posted on our facebook page, or live-streamed to our page while we worship. You will be able to access these Services in much the same way you do now. There is no pressure to return to the sanctuary before you feel ready.

Having said this, I am enclosing a condensed copy of the protocols approved by the Ad Board. These were drawn up by the Crisis Task Force I created for this purpose. We worked long and hard to research, study, discuss, and discern the practices that would provide the highest level of safety and protection possible for everyone who enters the building any day of the week. We know these protocols are not diligently followed in some
public places, but we expect them to be followed at our church. Please read through them, and contact any Task Force member if you have questions or concerns. The members are listed at the end of the protocols.

Covid-19 is likely going to be around for a long time. Waiting for a vaccine or antidote could mean that we would not worship together for a year or more. While the infection numbers are low in Michigan now, we will carefully watch them, and adjust our protocols accordingly. We remain committed to a calm and cautious response that cares for the body
and the soul. May God continue to bless and guide all of us.
Shalom, Pastor Cathi

Summary of Protocols to Re-open the Church Building

Adopted June 29, 2020

SUNDAY WORSHIP
Before you arrive, these areas will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized for your use: the Gathering Room, Sanctuary, Narthex, Hallways, Rest Rooms, Lounge, and Staff Offices. Other areas will be closed off to reduce the number of spaces that need to be sanitized each week: Classrooms, Fellowship Hall, Nursery / Music wing, Fireplace Room, and Prayer
Room. Please avoid walking through or using these spaces.


Sanitizers and extra masks will be available, but we encourage you to bring your own mask (or face shield) with you. All persons must wear a mask / face shield while in the building, unless you are medically unable to do so. If you are medically compromised and cannot wear a face covering, please consider how to best protect yourself, and limit your time of potential exposure.


When you arrive on Sunday morning, there will be two people standing outside each of the entry doors. One will use a touchless scanner to take your temperature, and the other will write down your name. The maximum temperature to enter will be 100.1, unless you normally run high. Your name will be recorded so that we can contact you if someone tests positive for Covid-19 after we have worshiped together. When you enter, please go
directly to the sanctuary, and refrain from hugging and other forms of touching one another. (We know, that will be SO hard — but it is very important!)


A lot of time has been spent to create socially distanced seating for you. When you enter the sanctuary, please look for the X on the seat cushions. If you come to church alone or live alone, please sit on a single X; if you come to church with someone who also lives in your home, please sit together on the double Xs. Ushers will be available to help you, so don’t worry! By the way, I am happy to tell you that a ramp has been installed in the sanctuary during the quarantine, in the corner where the piano sits. It may be used to
reach the platform from the main floor without climbing stairs. Be sure to check it out!

As you wait for worship to begin, please watch the announcements on the screen, because we will not have bulletins to use or take home. Feel free to make and bring a sign with you with a greeting / words of praise to God / your personal message to others in the congregation. You will have opportunities during worship to hold up your sign if you do bring one.

The Service will run about 30 minutes. Worship will include live music, confetti, video, preaching, some responsive prayers, and a few surprises, but we will not be able to sing for a while. Prayer requests should be sent to Pastor Cathi ahead of time, since there will be no prayer cards in the pews. A small pulpit will be placed near the entrance of the sanctuary, and you may leave your Offering there as you go in or out. We will not be passing the Offering plate during the Service. At the end of the Service, the ushers will dismiss you by pews, starting at the back of the church. Please go directly outside without gathering indoors; the Pastor will not be forming a Greeting line.

BUILDING USE DURING THE WEEK
We have also adopted protocols for use of the building during the week.
PLEASE NOTE and follow the new Office Hours and practices we have adopted. The Main Office will be open from 9am – noon, Monday through Thursday, and closed on Friday. Only one person, in addition to Barb, should be in the main office at a time. Masks / face shields are to be worn in the building by staff persons and all visitors, unless you are medically unable to wear one. In that case, please limit your time in the building as much as possible. Staff members may remove their masks / shields when alone in their office, and replace them when they leave or others enter their office. If staff persons are eating food, they should be alone in their office, or at the table in the kitchen. No more than 2 persons may gather to eat together.


After using a room or being in the building, ALL surfaces you have used / touched should be wiped down and disinfected. This includes door knobs and light switches. Disinfectant is available in front of the main office.
Public events (showers, funerals, weddings, etc) and other groups meeting in / outside the church building must comply with all relevant CDC guidelines, and the current Executive Orders of the Governor re: the number of persons allowed in the group, and the use of masks / shields / social distancing.

MEMBERS of the CRISIS TASK FORCE
I want to thank the members of the Crisis Task Force for their thorough and diligent research, discussion, and writing of these protocols. They have worked hard to provide the best protection for everyone, in the midst of constantly changing circumstances. I asked these persons to serve on the Task Force because of their role and expertise among us.


Please join me in thanking: Debbie Boyse, Rachel Deshone, Laura Gray, Nonie Lemmon, Marc Middleton, Karen Nichols, Diane Weaver, and Elizabeth Whiting.
With deep appreciation, Pastor Cathi

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Filed Under: Community, Lay Leaders, Member Care, Pastor's Page - From Pastor Cathi, Social Distancing, Tower Notes, Worship

Our Response to the challenges of the novel Coronavirus

March 15, 2020 By ClioBethany

Dear Friends,

First of all, I hold all of you in constant prayer as we face the challenges of the Coronavirus. It is a stressful time, made more difficult by our own fears and vulnerability. Prayer is essential, but so is clear, informed, and wise action. I want to share with you how Bethany UMC will respond.

We (names listed below) came together on Friday morning to consider our best course of action on behalf of our congregation and community. We chose to be proactive, compassionate, and respectful of the most current guidelines from the CDC/WHO and our own Bishop. These are the decisions we have made, which are effective immediately.

  • All Sunday School Classes and Worship Services are suspended through April 5. Pastor Cathi will offer prayer, updates, and her sermon online through Facebook at 10:30 each Sunday. For those who request it, a CD/DVD will be available and delivered to your home. Please call the church office if you wish to receive one. Prayer requests may be called into the office or emailed to Pastor Cathi at any time.
  • All Youth/Children’s activities are cancelled until April 8th. This includes: CORE, Wednesday Night Live, Easter Craft Day (may be rescheduled), Easter Breakfast, and the Spring Break party scheduled for March 30. Marc will connect with the Youth on YouTube to provide updates and continue his lessons.
  • NEW Office Hours – the office will be open ONLY from 9:00am to noon. For the health of our staff and others, gathering in the office for group conversations will not be permitted. Please honor this guideline to prevent the spread of disease, and to allow Barb to complete her work in the shorter hours.
  • Roller Skating is done for the season.
  • Bible Studies, Men’s Night Out, Knitting Group, Prayer Group, Music Group rehearsals, and our Lenten Evening Service on March 29th are suspended until further notice. Committee Chairpersons will call only the most essential meetings, keep them brief, and should consider meeting by phone or internet if possible. The UMW Circles are strongly encouraged to suspend their meetings until the virus has been controlled.
  • AA Meetings will be permitted as long as they choose to gather.
  • Food Pantry will continue to serve the community, with these precautions: Carts are to be wiped down before and after every use, gloves will be worn when filling the food request and recipients will receive the food at the door and return the empty cart.
  • All employees will continue to be paid, and to do their work as needed. Employees are expected to sanitize their own workspace and to wipe down all surfaces they have touched before they leave each day.
  • Suspending our Sunday Worship Services may directly affect our cash flow, as we will not receive weekly offerings. Please consider mailing or dropping off your contributions for March 15 – April 5, since we will still need to pay our employees and our bills.

During these weeks of reduced activity and use of the church, we will focus on sanitizing the building as much as possible. Volunteers and staff persons will go room to room disinfecting pews, tables, chairs, books, instruments, door handles, railings, etc etc etc. After a room has been disinfected, it will not be available for use, with 3 exceptions: 3 tables in the lounge, the 2 single restrooms near the offices, adn the staff offices. The kitchen, Prayer Room, all Sunday School Rooms, the basement level and the entire Worship Wing will not be used until further notice. This will help us avoid having to re-sanitize multiple times.

As church leaders, we will continue to meet and re-assess the current situation over the next 3 weeks. As new guidelines come to us from the CDC/WHO/Governor Whitmer/Bishop Bard, we will review our response and keep you informed of any changes or updates.

Having said all of this, I also want to encourage and reassure you. It is important to remain calm, and to follow best practices for hygiene and contact with people. Wash your hands often, avoid touching your face, and be careful about shaking hands or hugging. Wipe down surfaces that you touch and if you have any symptoms of the flue or think you may have been exposed, contact your doctor immediately. Refrain from panic shopping (especially toilet paper!) and avoid large crowds. If it is warm enough, open your windows briefly to exchange fresh air.

Be careful, yes, but above all, just B.R.E.A.T.H.E. Find creative ways to enjoy the change in schedules, to rest in the reduced busyness, and feed your heart and soul with quiet and prayer. Pray for those who are ill, for those who are treating them, and for those trying to manage and control the virus. Pray for those who will face a financial crisis, child care issues, or increased domestic violence. If you need food, household essentials, or a ride to the doctor, please call the church or the pastor and we will do our best to help. Stay connected to friends and family by phone or internet and check on one another often. Be informed by credible sources, but don’t let it overwhelm you. We will make it through this, by working together and choosing wisdom over fear.

God continues to bless us all,

Shalom,

Pastor Cathi

Karen Ferguson (Finance Chair)

Laura Gray (Trustees Chairperson)

Marc Middleton (Director of Children’s / Youth Ministries)

Mavis Miller (Chairperson of Worship & Music Arts)

Diane Weaver (Lay Leader)

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Filed Under: Community, Member Care, Tower Notes

All Church Birthday Party

December 30, 2019 By Marc Middleton

Come celebrate your birthday at our All Church Birthday Party on Sunday, Jan. 26th after our Worship Service.

Our All Church Birthday Party is our way of celebrating your birthday with tasty food and joyous fellowship!!!

We’re also looking for volunteers to sponsor a table. Sponsoring include selecting a month, decorating that month accordingly, and providing a yummy dessert, snack, appetizer, etc. If you have any questions, please see Marc Middleton.

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Filed Under: Adult Fellowship, Blogging Believers, Community, Lay Leaders, Member Care, Stephen Ministry, Tower Notes, Worship, Youth & Children's ministry Tagged With: birthday, cake, celebration, excitement, fellowship

October 2018 Tower Notes

September 28, 2018 By Marc Middleton

What a wonderful Harvest Supper last night to kick off our Fall season here at Clio Bethany UMC. Now, let’s see what else we have to offer:

  • Roller Skating begins Tuesday, October 2nd from 6:30pm – 7:30pm in our fellowship hall as well. We hope to see you for some fun activities to kickoff the skating season
  • Wednesday Night Live begins October 3rd, starting at 4:45 with activities for kids and adults of all ages, which we hope to see you at
    • Our Kindergarten – 4th graders have a bible story and activity class and then go to a music class.
    • Our 5th – 12th grader have a Youth Chimes class and then to go an activities class.
    • Our Adults have a Bible Study led by Pastor Cathi on the book Unafraid: Living with Courage and Hope in Uncertain Times
    • Then at 5:45, everyone gathers for a wonderful dinner in the fellowship hall.
  • Our Grief Support Group meets again on Thursday, October 4th at 7pm in the Sanctuary which is open to everyone.
  • All women are welcome to the Autumn Tea that will be held on October 11th at 7pm. Dave Hays will be our guest speaker and will share the infinite love of Christ through song.
  • Fall Festival falls (see what I did there) on Saturday, October 13th from 2pm-5pm. There will be games, food, cookie decorating, crafts, a photo booth, and good food. It’s open to everyone and its free…can’t beat that.

This is only a small percentage of what we got going on here. Check out the information about any other events, needs, etc., in October Tower Notes

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September 2018 Tower Notes

August 24, 2018 By Marc Middleton

Here are some upcoming tidbits that you should know for the Fall:

-Men’s Night Out starts back up on Tuesday, September 4th at 6pm. Contact Jerry Mowl with any questions.

-Grief Support Group meets Thursday, September 6th at 7pm. Contact Pastor Cathi with any questions

-Choir and Sunday School start back on Sunday, September 9th. Sunday School starts at 9am with classes for everyone of all shapes and sizes. Choir practice, on September 9th, will be at 9:30am. Please pay attention to the calendar in the Tower Notes for the full Choir practice schedule. There will also be a Rally Day Churchwide Potluck on September 9th after worship. Keep the date and pay attention to further announcements regarding this event!

-Fall CORE (our Youth Program for 5th-12th graders) will resume on September 12th from 3pm-5pm. Contact Marc Middleton with any questions.

-Bethany Bells will meet for practice starting September 12th as well at 6pm. Contact Bill Schipper with any questions.

Fall is back and Bethany UMC is coming at it will full force. Check out more details on upcoming events within the September’s Tower Notes.

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Rewatch previous video worship with one of the following links:

Visit our Facebook Page Videos Tab to view all of our recent videos

Epiphany – Sermons from the Sunday after Christmas until the start of Lent

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Changing Colors – Fall 2020 Series

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View all past online worship experience choices

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Missions

Mission Projects – 2020

Everyone can participate!

  • Ongoing – LOVE Pantry – Accepting cash donations and non-perishable food donations
    • Fill a grocery bag from the gathering area labelled with a current need
  • Knitting with Jesus – Meets on Thursdays @ 1pm
  • Aluminum & Steel Tabs and Bottle Caps – Den & Karen Nichols collect these in support of Ronald McDonald House, University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The monies earned from this collection go to providing a place for families to stay at Ronald McDonald house while their children are being treated there.
  • Ongoing – Collect items for Operation Christmas Child.  Toys, hygiene products, crayons, hats, gloves, etc. must be able to fit in shoe box, no liquids, and no weapon or war like toys. Bring them to church office or youth ministry!

If you have a need or can fulfill a need in our community, please connect with our church office.

Regular Worship Activities

Bethany United Methodist Church - Clio, MI

In Person worship & activities temporarily suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  Please stay in touch with us here on our website and on our Facebook page where we worship together online.

Watch and See!

Sunday:

9am – Sunday School – Join Online

10:30am – Online Worship on Facebook

Learn about Activities for Youth & Children


1st Sunday (when in person) – Communion – The UMC has an open table.

1st Thursday of every month – Grief Support Group at 7pm Meeting digitally for now, contact us for details.

Praise God through Bible study, music, and fellowship. Bible study groups for youth and adults available.

Prayer Requests

Are you in need of prayer? Do you want a member of our congregation or pastoral team to contact you, a family member or a friend? Please feel free to reach out to us with your prayer requests, or to share your joys or the ways that God is working in your life.

Prayer Request Form





Prayer Requests
Join Bethany United Methodist Church in Clio, Michigan on the mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors

Keep in Touch!

Bethany United Methodist Church
353 Vienna Street
P.O. Box 327
Clio, Michigan 48420
Phone: 810-686-5151
Email Us!

Current Office Hours (December 2020) Mon & Wed 10am – 1pm

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Meet Pastor Cathi

Pastor Cathi HuvaereWould you like to visit with Pastor Cathi? We could meet in your home or in a nearby restaurant during the day or early evening. If you would welcome a visit, please let me know. Just call the church office to set up a time. I look forward to getting to know you!

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