The Worship and Sacraments Committee is an important part of the church life here at Bethesda. It helps plan all Sunday worship services and special worship services. It includes many subcommittees such as Children’s Church, nursery, flowers, music, ushers, acolytes, sacraments and the sanctuary.

The primary goal of the Christian Education Committee is to provide a church-wide education program for all ages that is biblically based and spiritually grounded in the teachings of Jesus Christ. Entrusted to the Christian Education Committee are the entire Sunday School program from infants through adults, midweek educational opportunities, the care and nurture of teachers, implementation of Vacation Bible School, coordination of Family Retreats, and administration of some of the scholarships made possible by our endowments.

The Endowment Committee receives, promotes, invests, and manages all endowments for Bethesda. Annually, the committee determines the amounts to be used for scholarships from the Endowment Fund earnings.

As a church family we glorify God by showing our faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ in our Church and in our community. The Evangelism Committee seeks opportunities to spread the Good News of the Bible, participates in community events, leads studies that unify our congregation in our faith, and serves as an outreach program, encouraging others in the community to “Come and See”.

The Mission Committee developed as an outgrowth of a church-wide emphasis on reaching out to call people to Christian discipleship in serving others. The primary goals and activities of the committee include leading the congregation in local outreach and in its world mission. It seeks to educate members on needs local and abroad, organizes special offerings throughout the year and works with the Presbytery and other churches in mission outreach.

The Finance Committee is concerned with all financial matters of the church. This includes preparation of the budget, collection and counting of the offering, posting pledges received, disbursement of funds and preparation of financial reports for the Session and the Board of Deacons.

The Youth Council is composed of youth (grades 6-12) and adults, who are inspired by the “Vision Statement for Youth Ministry in the Presbyterian Church (USA).” Their goal is to implement the “Five Intentions of Presbyterian Youth Ministry,” which include:

1. To call young people to be disciples of Jesus Christ.
2. To respond to the needs and interests of young people.
3. To work together in partnership, young people and adults.
4. To be connected to the whole church, community, and world.
5. To be inclusive of all young people.

Our Heritage Room tells the story of Bethesda Church, and what a proud heritage we share! When a small group of Scots settled in this area more than two hundred years ago, they brought with them their strong Presbyterian faith, their traditions, and their culture. We have their history, their Bibles, hymnbooks, artifacts from Old Bethesda Church and records which tell this story of the early settlers who produced their livelihoods from this sandy soil, keeping their faith and passing it down through the generations until our own. The Heritage Committee documents important events of our church and our members, keeps this special history safe, and helps organize our “Heritage Room”.

The Old Bethesda Church Committee is responsible for the maintenance, upkeep and repair on the old Bethesda church building and the picnic grounds. It also helps coordinate plans for our annual Homecoming and other special programs and events held at the historic site.

The Personnel Committee is responsible for the overview of all those employed by the Session to carry out the administration of the church. That is, all positions not fulfilled by member volunteers. This committee advises, negotiates and represents those employed before the Session.

The Property Management Committee oversees all matters pertaining to rental properties owned by the church. This includes maintenance and upkeep of the properties and sees that they are occupied for as large a percentage of the time as possible.

The Building and Grounds Committee maintains the buildings and grounds of our main campus and sees that they are in good working order. This includes the interior and exterior of all the buildings of the church. They make recommendations to the Session and execute remedies for any problems which might arise.

One Elder is chosen to represent the Session on the Preschool Board, attend the Preschool Board meetings, and help solve any problems that arise concerning the Merry Hearts Preschool.