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About Us

Welcome to the Bethany Seventh-day Adventist Church located in the historic town of Westbury in Long Island, New York.  

The name, Bethany, has great significance:  The New Testament makes many references to the time Jesus spent with friends in Bethany.  It was there that Jesus received his anointing from the alabaster jar. There, he motioned to His disciples at the Mount of Olives. And in that very place, He raised Lazarus from the dead!

In keeping with the Biblical Bethany, the Bethany Seventh-day Adventist Church is a friendly, spirit-filled place of worship and sweet fellowship! If you are a member, please continue to check-in to the website to keep abreast of ongoing activities.  If you are not yet a member, kindly consider this an invitation to worship with us.  Look through this website for information on our church services and programs.  Consider making Bethany your home church!

Thank you for visiting our website.  Again, welcome!

Since its founding over 45 years ago, the Bethany Seventh-day Adventist Church has remained a vibrant part of the community.  With membership of over 250 and growing, Bethany is known for its warm, family-oriented, spiritual atmosphere; its friendly and cordial members; and its sensitivity to the needs of the surrounding community.

The Bethany Seventh-day Adventist Church is a member of the Northeastern Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and part of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist denomination.  While we are part of a strong global and regional network of churches, our focus is on feeding the spiritual needs of our members and serving our community. Most importantly, we are committed to being a source of information and spiritual guidance for those who are seeking to know our Lord Jesus Christ. We are also dedicated to letting each person know about Jesus’ love, His death for our sins and His soon return.

Please access the links below to learn more about the Seventh-day Adventist Church and its fundamental beliefs.  We hope that this information inspires you to study God’s word and to accept his amazing redemptive message for a lost world in these last days.

We invite you to worship and fellowship with us.  Our service schedule opens each Saturday morning at 9:15 a.m. for Sabbath School; which features Bible-based discussions and activities for adults, youth, children and the cradle roll set.  The Divine Worship Service is held each Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m.  This service includes special music; inspirational renditions led by the praise and worship team; a children’s story; worship through giving; and timely, Bible-based sermons that gird the soul for real-life challenges.  A special youth program is held each Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m.  The Advent Youth Service is geared toward providing a moral foundation for young people.  The programs are presented through drama, song, discussions and other relevant formats.

Prayer Meeting is held each Wednesday evening. This mid-week forum is special time for presenting our praise, pleas, supplications and concerns to the Lord. 

 
Ministries
 

Adventist Youth Ministries
The Adventist Youth Ministries is designed to help young people develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ during the primary years of their lives as indicated in Ecclesiastes 12:1 - Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.  Bethany’s Advent Youth Ministries focuses on helping young people to accomplish the following: 1. dedicate their lives, gifts and talents to God; 2. lead pure, healthy and Christ-centered lives;  3. train for church leadership and evangelism;  and 4) provide opportunities for young people to develop into productive, Christ-centered adults.   Advent Youth Service (AYS) meetings are held each Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at the Bethany Seventh-day Adventist Church.  The meetings feature inspirational discussions, Christ-centered drama and Christian music that appeal to the challenges that young people face in their everyday lives.  The Adventist Youth Ministries also holds an annual Week of Prayer, special youth days, social activities and recreational outings.

Children's Ministries

Proverbs 22:6 states: Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. This concept is the inspiration for the care and attention that is given to all the precious children at Bethany. The Children’s Division offers Bible lessons and stories each Saturday morning beginning at 9:15 a.m.  The Bethany Children’s Choir also trains these little one to sing to the honor and glory of God.  Join us on Saturday, May 16, 2009 for our annual Children’s Day.

Communication Department

The Communication arm of the Bethany Seventh-day Adventist Church focuses on using the media, the Internet and technology to advance the Gospel and inform the public about the activities of the church. The department also cultivates meaningful relationships with legislative and community leaders and members of the clergy. For the past decade the Communications Department has sponsored ‘A Day of Gratitude and Recognition’ to honor police officers, elected officials and community representatives. Initiated by Dr. Mary Cameron, this public relations ministry was recognized by the Atlantic Union, the Northeastern Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and New York legislators as an exemplary, ground-breaking community relations program.  The program has featured renowned speakers such as Dr. Barry C. Black, 62nd Chaplain of the United States Senate; Pastor Robert Dehm, III; Dr. Leacroft Green; and Atlantic Union President Dr. Donald G. King.  Bethany’s 2009 Communications Day is scheduled for October 24th.

Community Outreach

Nursing Home Visits

The focus of Bethany’s Nursing Home Ministry is to bring comfort to the sick and shut-in and help meet the social and spiritual needs of residents at nursing homes.  Each week members of the Nursing Home Ministry team worship with residents by talking one-on-one, praying, sharing the Word of God, and singing hymns. These visits are a source of comfort for the residents. The ministry helps to strengthen the faith of those who care enough to bring joy to the elderly.

Soup Kitchen

Community Outreach is an important aspect of ministry at the Bethany Seventh-day Adventist Church.  The church operates a Soup Kitchen each Sunday from 11:00 to 1:00 p.m. Guests at the Soup Kitchen are offered a well-balanced hot meal in a clean, friendly environment. Many of these guests are homeless, while others experience food insecurity and hunger. The Soup Kitchen operates through the generosity of individual church members and corporate and community donors.  The Community Outreach Department welcomes your love gifts and donations of nonperishable food items.

Matthew 25: 35,36  40 provide the foundation for The Community Outreach Department’s dedication to service: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me...Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Education Ministries

The Education Ministries at Bethany Seventh-day Adventist Church encourages each individual to reach his or her potential through education and life-long learning. In providing a range of programs that support students, the Education Department embraces this directive from God’s messenger, Ellen G. White: Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God's ideal for His children. Godliness--godlikeness--is the goal to be reached. Before the student there is opened a path of continual progress. He has an object to achieve, a standard to attain, that includes everything good, and pure, and noble. He will advance as fast and as far as possible in every branch of true knowledge. But his efforts will be directed to objects as much higher than mere selfish and temporal interests as the heavens are higher than the earth. -- Education, p. 18 & 19.

Family Life Ministries

Family Life Ministries provides practical, Bible-based guidance to address the daily challenges affecting families.  This is based on the belief that family was established by divine creation as the fundamental human institution and is the primary setting in which values are learned and the capacity for close relationships with God and with other human beings is developed. This year, Bethany’s Family Life Department focuses on keeping the Sabbath holy.  All church families are encouraged to rededicate the family to opening and closing the Sabbath with sunset worship.  Bethany’s Family Life Department also provides family seminars, a family life newsletter, and other events to strengthen the spiritual and social bonds of the family.

Health Ministries

The Bethany Seventh-day Adventist Church embraces the Biblical concept that God’s purpose for our lives includes good health:  "...I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well."  3 John 1:2. Bethany’s Health Ministries focuses on the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of health. A well-balanced, vegetarian diet, daily exercise and abstinence from harmful substances; practices that reduce stress; and daily Bible study are key elements of the Adventist health message. The Health Ministries supports initiatives to build awareness and prevent diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and childhood obesity, which affect our community. Bethany’s Annual Community Health Fair, is a major event, which focuses of promoting wellness and building awareness about healthy lifestyle practices.

Pathfinder and Adventurer Club

Pathfinders
The Pathfinder Club is a worldwide organization of young people sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, though young people, of any religious persuasion or none at all, are welcome and encouraged to join the organization.  The Bethany Seventh-day Adventist Church Pathfinder Club offers a wide range of activities including: 1) Bible-based, exemplary living; Camping and camping/survival skills; 2) Grade appropriate leadership training that embraces the Seventh-day Adventist philosophies; 3) Community outreach activities; 4) Drum Corps; and, 5) Training in a variety of recreational, artistic, nature, conservation, vocational, and outreach areas, with awards (honors) given for successful completion of the interactive training modules.  Pathfinder Club Meetings are held at the Bethany Seventh-day Adventist Church on Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for young people from 10 to 19 years old.  

 For general information about Pathfinders go to http://www.pathfindersonline.org/

Adventurer Club
The Adventurer Club is a Seventh-day Adventist Church-sponsored ministry open to all families of children in grades 1-4.  The Bethany Seventh-day Adventist Church Adventurer Club is designed to support parents in assisting children with the challenging task of developing fully as followers of Christ in today’s world. The Adventurer Club provides fun and creative ways for children to develop a Christ-like character.  Adventurer Club Meetings are held at the Bethany Seventh-day Adventist Church on Saturdays from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Activities include Bible stories, arts and crafts, nature study, and fun activities designed to build character and foster good habits. For more information about Adventures visit http://www.adventurer-club.org/index.htm.

Personal Ministries

The Bethany Seventh-day Adventist Church has a vibrant Personal Ministries Department. The focus of this department is providing training and support for soul-winning. The Personal Ministries Department also encourages each church member to actively engage in sharing the gospel with family members, neighbors, friends, co-workers and those who live in the community.  The department makes literature available for those who wish to distribute the written word. In addition to seminars, meetings and other organized activities, the Personal Ministries Department conducts a Bible Study Class each Saturday at 3:00 p.m.  The Bible Study is open to all who wish to learn more about God’s word and to those who want to learn more about sharing their faith.

Sabbath School

The Sabbath School Department exists to teach and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. Sabbath School is the umbrella for using age-appropriate Bible Study Guides – Quarterlies – as the basis for daily study; for providing a forum for bible-based discussion in an intimate classroom setting; for promoting the church’s dedication to supporting global missions; and for creating opportunities for community outreach. The Bethany Seventh-day Adventist Church has a vibrant Sabbath School Ministry.  Join us each Saturday morning beginning at 9:15 for Sabbath School.  Get a deeper understanding of the Bible and embrace the opportunity to discuss these concepts in a friendly, intimate setting.

Religious Liberty Ministries
According to the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Seventh-day Adventists believe that freedom of religion is a basic human right. As Christians, they are persuaded that the dissemination of religion is not only a right, but a joyful responsibility based on a divine mandate to witness. The Bethany Seventh-day Adventist Religious Liberty Department seeks to inform the Church of events affecting religious freedom through news alerts, seminars, articles, and other activities.  As outlined in The Workplace Religious Freedom Act, the department works with the church pastor to support individuals with Sabbath issues at their workplace or with prospective employers. The Religious Liberty Department also fosters cordial relationships with legislative leaders and members of the clergy. The department also helps to disseminate Liberty Magazine, a Seventh-day Adventist publication geared at promoting principles of religious freedom.   To order, write to Liberty Magazine, 55 West Oak Ridge Dr., Hagerstown, Maryland 21740, call 1-800-456-3991 (or 301-393-3257) or visit www.libertymagazine.org

Stewardship Ministries

It is the belief of the Seventh-day Adventist Church that humankind was created in the image of God, and is thus to represent God as His steward and to manage the natural environment in a faithful and fruitful way. The mission of the Bethany Seventh-day Adventist Church Stewardship Department is to encourage individuals to manage the gifts and resources entrusted to them by God.  The Stewardship Department provides information on how persons can use their money, means and talents to support church ministries; and thereby help to advance the Gospel.  The department also advocates the Biblical practice of tithing as outlined in Malachi 3: 10: Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

About Seventh-day Adventists
Adventists believe a Trinity of three persons--the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit--make up one God. They made salvation possible when Jesus, the Son, came to earth as a baby in Bethlehem and lived a sinless life in accordance with the Father's will. When Jesus was crucified for the sins of the people of the world and arose from the dead on the third day, victory was won for everyone. More >>

What Seventh-day Adventists Believe
As a Christian church, Seventh-day Adventists are a faith community rooted in the beliefs described by the Holy Scriptures. Adventists describe these beliefs in the following ways: More >>

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