Adults
In addition to the numerous opportunities we offer to get involved with our outreach programs such as the Food Cupboard, Faith Café and Beaverton High School Homeless Youth, Bethel offers the adults in our community many opportunities for faith development, community and growth. All are welcome! We would love to have you join us. If you would like to request more information about any of our opportunities, please email our office at office@bethelbeaverton.org.
COVID-19 and Phasing Forward
Bethel UCC has a Phasing Forward Task Force which is evaluating the current CDC guidelines on a quarterly basis to determine when it will be safe to gather in person.
Zoom links can be found in our Weekly Highlights newsletter and on the church calendar. Please subscribe to our Weekly Highlights newsletter for the most current updates on Bethel programs and events.
Book Group
The Bethel Bookies meet on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 10:00 a.m. to discuss a monthly book selection. The Bookies read from a wide variety of genres, ranging from fiction to nonfiction, contemporary to classic, and some recent selections have been the works of Maya Angelou, The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candace Millard; and Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. This is an open book group, and you are welcome to drop in to check the Bookies out, whether or not you finished the book. Please email our Program Coordinator to get connected at eb@bethelbeaverton.org
At various times throughout the year, particularly during Advent and Lent, special classes are held. Whether it’s a book study, skill-building workshop or call to social justice, these classes offer an opportunity for faith development and community building.
Classes and Workshops
Bethel hosts movie discussions to talk about issues of race and systemic racial injustice. This program started in the summer of 2020 as part of Bethel’s commitment to educate ourselves and engage in dialog so we can be a voice for anti-racism in our community. We select a topical film, YouTube video, or documentary to view in preparation for the monthly discussion. After viewing the video on our own, we gather to discuss the film together over Zoom. Currently our group is not meeting, but let us know if there is interest!
Movie Discussions on Race
Private Facebook Group
Bethel Congregational UCC maintains an active and lively private Facebook group—The Bethel UCC Misfits. This private Facebook group is for members and friends of Bethel to share joys, concerns, insights on their faith journey, or anything else intended for the Bethel church community. "Misfits" is a term used by Rev. Dr. Eric Elnes to represent those who travel with us on our faith journey, ready to live life authentically and wholeheartedly! If you participate in the life of the church and would like to be part of this vibrant online community, please request to join facebook.com/groups/BethelUCCMisfits or contact Erin Barber, program coordinator, at eb@bethelbeaverton.org.
Our Called to Care ministry is a group of lay leaders who assist with the care of members who are hospitalized, homebound, or coping with other life-changing challenges. Their presence makes it possible for members to stay connected to the church at a time when they may feel isolated or alone. Through such service, team members become Jesus’ hands and feet in our community. If you would like to learn more or get involved, please contact the office at office@bethelbeaverton.org.
Called to Care
The bulk of our prayer ministry happens on the Bethel UCC Misfits private Facebook group. Members of the group may post a prayer request and receive support from other members of the Bethel community. For those who are not on Facebook or a member of the Bethel UCC Misfits group, Bethel has a team of people ready to pray with and for you. Please send your prayer request using the Contact Us form at the bottom of this page, and someone will reach out to you.
Are you called to join the prayer team? Please complete the Contact Us form below.
Prayer
Bethel has a dedicated group of knitters who create prayer shawls which get distributed to Bethel congregants and friends for a variety of reasons, including illness, bereavement, long-time service to the church, hard times, gratitude, etc. If you are a knitter, or would like to become a knitter for our prayer shawl ministry, please complete the Contact Us form below.
Prayer Shawls
Contact Us to Find Out More about Adult Ministry at Bethel