Dates: Monday, August 11 to Friday, August 15, 2008

Location: Bedford Community Church

Hours: 9 a.m . to 12 p.m.

Cost: Free!

Our theme this year is Power Lab!

Come join for a fun-filled week with lots of science experiments learning about the power of God!

If you would like to learn more about our Vacation Bible School program or volunteer to help, contact:

Name: Robin Buckley, Director of Children's Ministries
Phone: 914-666-5384
E-mail: bcckids@verizon.net

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

When: July 12-19th

Who: 8-12th grade students (open to college students as well)

How much: $500 per person

Student Requirements:

• Initial $100 Deposit Due on Feb 1st

• Second $100 Deposit due on March 1st

• Attend 75% of Mission meetings

• Participate in 2 service projects before leaving for the trip

• Attend Missions Car Wash

• Participate in minimum 10 Hours for Hands 4 Hire program

• Balance must be paid in full by July 1st

*Note- This mission trip will be with Group Work Camps.
For more information about this ministry, please go to
www.groupworkcamps.com/youth

What are MOPS Meetings Like?

Each month we have a speaker discussing different aspects of raising children and motherhood. Topics this year include: discipling your children, nutrition, "Christ Being Our Home" (for our December meeting), setting your spiritual goals and intimacy with your spouse.

Don't worry about skipping breakfast- we have plenty of great food each month. Our friendly greeters will help you in the door and help you get your children settled into their classrooms.

The MOPPETS program provides a safe and nurturing environment for the kids. The children are grouped by age. They spend the time listening to a Bible story, creating a craft, having a snack and playing with new friends.

Thursday, May 1st, 2008
Annual Tea Party and Fellowship
9:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. in Fellowship Hall

This month’s meeting is a little bit different. We will be having an old fashioned tea party and lots of time to chat over a hot pot of tea and lots of goodies. So please join us for some fun!

Robin Buckley will be sharing her story with us. Robin is the director of Children’s Ministries here at Bedford Community Church. She runs the Sunday school and children’s church programs. She also organizes and plans the Vacation Bible School in August. Children from all over Westchester County come and enjoy a week of learning about Jesus, crafts, games and lots of music.

Robin is busy starting some Moms in Touch groups for our church community. She oversees all the special children’s programs at the church. A former MOPS, she has served as the co-coordinator and as the head of the Creative Activities team. She is one of the friendly faces who greet you each month at the door and helps get everyone settled in each month. Robin lives in Mount Kisco with her husband, Charlie and her son Tyler and daughter Hanna.

Our discussion leaders have agreed to share what they have learned from MOPS this year and a little bit about their faith journey. We will be talking about:

*How has God impacted your life from being in MOPS this year?

Now don’t get scared off. You can share whatever you feel comfortable with or you don’t have to share at all. Paula VanDerlyn, our MOPS mentor, will be ending the meeting with a reflection on forgiveness that you don’t want to miss!

The MOPPETS theme this month Birthday Bonanza. They will be hearing a bible story and doing a craft with this theme.

We hope to see you there!

Announcements

We are still looking for 3 more helpers for MOPPETS. If you know of anyone who is free on Thursday morning - grandmothers, babysitters or a friend with older children - please let us know.

We would be willing to pay them $30.00 for the morning.

We need substitute teachers for the June 5th meeting

If you know of anyone who is interested, please contact Jessica Cambareri at (914) 244-4348 or via e-mail at jesscambareri@optonline.net

Thank You Notes for the MOPPETS

At our June meeting, we have a special celebration for our wonderful MOPPETS teachers and helpers! How can you help? By writing a thank you note to your favorite MOPPETS teacher. You can write one at home or at the May meeting we will have thank you cards available at each discussion table.

Our MOPPETS Team

Co-Coordinators: Lois Burke, Pam Smith

Greeters: Robin Buckley, Camille Geremino, Mary Ann Loughlin, Anette Ranneklev

Music and Stories: Janet Kwiatkowski

Nursery: Barbara Donovan, Sherry Nilsen, Marie Pelzer, Lisa Smith, Rosemary Zappi

Two’s Class: Wendy Crowell, Linda Heckman, Marichu Smith

Three’s Class: Liz Ronda

Four’s/Five’s Class: Mary Baker, Barbara Loghry

We could not do without these wonderful ladies who give their time, talents and energy to our ministry!

MOPS 2008-2009 REGISTRATION

We are accepting registrations for next year! We will have forms available at our information table during the May and June meetings. You can also download the forms online at bccmops.citadel.org on the Membership page. (We can not accept forms online at this time.)

Fees are: $20.00 for MOPS International

$60.00 for BCC MOPS

You can pay our local fees in a lump sum or $30.00 in September and $30.00 in January. (Scholarship are available)

Make checks out to Bedford Community Church

Please bring the forms to the meetings or send to our registrar:

* Jessica Cambareri
* 4003 Victoria Drive
* Mount Kisco, NY 10549

Any questions, please contact Jessica Cambareri at (914) 244-4348 or e-mail her at jesscambareri@optonline.net.

Request from Lorrie Barrett

Lorrie Barrett has a woman who cleans for her once and a while. She is a single mother from Ecuador and has been working in America (with a permit) for a few years to save enough money to open a little shop back home with her sister. Her brother-in-law was killed a couple of weeks ago in an auto accident. He leaves behind a wife and three boys, 9, 4 and 2. Olivia asked Lorrie last week for clothes Brody doesn’t wear any more. She is collecting clothes to bring back for all three of her nephews.

If anyone has boys clothes for any of those ages they would be willing to donate, please bring them to the next MOPS meeting or give Lorrie a call so you can arrange an exchange. 914-244-1152.

Workout with MOPS
Monday, April 28th
**May Dates TBA
Work out begins at 7:30 p.m.
at Mount Kisco Athletic Club

Come work out with Wendy Crowell. Wendy is a fitness trainer and has graciously volunteered her services to our group. This workout is for all levels of fitness! Come enjoy a workout and enjoy getting to know your fellow MOPS! Bring along a gal pal (they do not have to be a MOPS!) All BCC ladies are invited!

A sign-up sheet will be passed around at the April meeting or e-mail Lara Ford at laraford@optonline.net. A donation of $5.00 per person is requested to cover the rental of the gym.

Directions to the Mount Kisco Athletic Club: Take the Saw Mill Parkway to Exit 37, Kisco Avenue. Turn left as if you are going into town. Go straight through the 1st traffic light. There is a little strip mall of stores to your left - Mount Kisco Athletic Club is in that block of stores. If you reach the Land Rover dealership you have gone too far!

MOPS PLAY DATES IN THE PARK

Thursday, May 8, 2008 at 10:00 a.m.

Thursday, May 15, 2008 at 1:00 p.m.

at Bedford Hills Memorial Park
60 Haines Road
Bedford Hills, NY 10507

Come and run some of that endless toddler energy out at the playground at Bedford Hills Memorial Park. They have a fenced in playground with equipment for all ages!

Directions: Take Route 117 North past the Bedford Hills Train Station. Get in the left lane and make a left onto Haines Road. There is a gas station on the corner. The park will be on your left- after the Saw Mill Parkway South entrance.

**Check bccmops.citadel.org under meeting news for rain cancellations!

MOPS at Muscoot Farm

Thursday, May 22, 2008
11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Hayride starts at 11:15 a.m.
Route 100, Somers, NY 10589
Phone Number: (914) 864-7282

Let’s go have some fun at the farm! There will be a hayride, picnic lunch and farm tour. Please pack your own picnic lunch. A $5.00 donation for each family is requested to cover the hayride. Feel free to bring a friend!

Please pre-register so we have an accurate count for the hayride. At the May meeting, sign up sheets will be at the discussion group tables. If you can’t make the meeting and would still like to come or any questions, please contact Jessica Cambareri at (914) 244-4348 or e-mail her at jesscambareri@optonline.net.

Directions: Traveling North: Take 1-684 to exit 6 (Katonah); turn left onto Route 35. Continue west to Route 100, turn left (south). Muscoot is 1-1/2 miles on right.

From Saw Mill River Parkway, head north to 1-684 and continue as above. From Taconic State Parkway: Head north to Route 100, Millwood.) Follow signs to Route 100. Turn right (north) and proceed north on Route 100 for seven miles. Muscoot will be on the left.

Traveling South: Take 1-684 to exit 6 (Katonah); turn right onto Route 35. Continue west to Route 100, turn left (south). Muscoot is 1-1/2 miles on right.

Visit our website at bccmops.citadel.org. We have all our newsletters online and Paula VanDerlyn's wonderful bible study that she prepares for the steering team each month. We have chapter reviews of Dwelling,the MOPS International focus book for this year. Also check out our message board and chat with other moms about books you are reading, television, websites and of course parenting issues. Also discuss Paula's bible study, prayer and care concerns and list verses which enlighten or strength you. Or create a room for a topic that you like to discuss.

Come join in the fun!!

Celebrate Recovery uses 8 "Recovery Principles" that are based on Christ's Beatitudes. By working and applying these Biblical principles, we begin to grow spiritually, and we become free from our addictive, compulsive and dysfunctional behaviors.

This freedom in turn creates peace, serenity, joy and most importantly, a stronger personal relationship with God and others. As we progress through the program we discover our personal, loving and forgiving Higher Power - Jesus Christ, the one and only true Higher Power.

The Eight Recovery Principles are:

R= Principle 1 -
Realize I'm not God; I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and my life is unmanageable.
"Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor"

E= Principle 2 -
Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to him, and that he has the power to help me recover.
"Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted"

C= Principle 3 -
Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ's care and control.
"Happy are the meek"

O= Principle 4 -
Openly examine and confess my faults to God, to myself, and to someone I trust.
"Happy are the pure in heart"

V= Principle 5 -
Voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects.
"Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires"
E= Principle 6 -
Evaluate all my relationships; Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I've done to others except when to do so would harm them or others.
"Happy are the merciful" "Happy are the peacemakers"

R= Principle 7 -
Reserve a daily time with God for self examination, Bible readings and prayer in order to know God and His will for my life and to gain the power to follow His will.

Y= Principle 8 -
Yield myself to God to be used to bring this Good News to others, both by my example and by my words.
"Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires"

Call the church office for more information on this life-changing ministry.

June 14,2007-Planning Board Meeting Update
The “official” process to obtain the many approvals from the Town of Bedford to develop the Buxton property and build a new church building began this past Tuesday, June 12. The BCC application was the last item on a very busy Town Planning Board (TPB) agenda which meant we started late in the evening (10:50 PM) and were not finished until a few minutes before mid-night.

As a matter of procedural formality, the professional Team was introduced (see below) and the BCC Preliminary Plan formally submitted to the Town for review and approval. The presentation consisted of a brief update on the many significant changes that were made to the Site and Building Plans as a result of the two meetings with the neighbors and numerous discussions with other interested parties over the past 12 months. The TPB members appreciated the revisions.

The next 45 minutes was a page by page review of the Environmental Assessment Form (EAF) that is required for all development and building projects. This assessment becomes the starting point for an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) which will need to be completed by BCC. [Planning Engineer Patrick Cleary was engaged by the Elders last month to lead this effort].

The first step in the EIS is to develop the “Scope” of the study—traffic, wetlands, septic, etc.—and Patrick will work with the Town Engineer to define recommendations for the TPB of the various studies that should be completed. This effort will be completed over the next few weeks and the recommendations are to be presented to the TPB at their July 24th meeting. At this meeting, the public will have the opportunity to comment on the recommended Scope. After these inputs the TPB has the responsibility to define the requirements of the EIS. Once the Scope has been finalized the required studies and reviews will be initiated.

The only decision made at the meeting was the TPB voting to recommend to the Town Board the TPB should be the lead agency in the BCC project.

June 11, 2007-Meeting with RLUPA attorneys
Frank Veith and I met with John Marwell, Dan Hollis and Diana Bunin from the law firm of Shamberg Marwell Davis & Hollis, PC [smdhlaw.com] and to introduce the BCC project and discuss engaging them to lead us through the legal side of the approval process [the Elders had approved the hiring of legal support for this process].

Just like the other members of the BCC Professional Team, these individuals are people of outstanding character and recognized leaders in their profession. They have a great deal of experience with RLUIPA [Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act] and many successes in assisting religious and educational organizations gain the required approvals without undue costs and delays.

The addition of these local attorneys to the extensive legal support that will be provided by the CMA national office will insure the interest of BCC and its members are properly protected. Additionally, now that we have selected John, Dan and Diana we can start the process to have much of the legal costs and support assisted by the national office through the Alliance Development Fund.

BCC Professional Team:
Legal:
Church Counsel Frank Veith

RLUPA and P&Z Shamberg Marwell Davis & Hollis
John Marwell
Dan Hollis
Diana Bunin

Architects and Engineers
Lead Design Architects KG&D
Erik Kaeyer
Russ Davidson
Rick Torres

Planning Engineer Patrick Cleary

Traffic Engineer John Collins

Other Information:
Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act [RLUIPA] www.rluipa.com

TeamKID is a fun, high-energy ministry that encourages kids to know Jesus and grow in a relationship with Him.

Download a registration form for our 2007 - 2008 TeamKID year. Your child(ren) will have a great time!

Nursery
The Nursery is a service provided to parents of infants and toddlers to enable parent participation in the worship service without distraction. This is your opportunity to take a break and relax! We offer a vibrating pager system so that we can get in touch with you if the need arises. Your infant or toddler will be well-cared for in our clean, safe, and nurturing environment filled with age-appropriate music, toys, and equipment. Learn more>>

Sunday School and Children's Church

Each Sunday morning, Bedford Community Church offers Children's Church for ages 3 to fifth grade at 10:00 a.m. and Sunday School at 11:00 a.m. Learn more>>

TeamKid
TeamKID is our mid-week club for children in Kindergarten - 5th Grade. All are welcome to join in the fun! We meet on Tuesday evenings, 6:00 to 7:30, from October to April. Learn more>>

We do this in a number of ways:
1) Provide small groups and a college Sunday morning class for them during school breaks. We also sponsor weekly Thursday "College Nights" which meet in various homes.

2) Offer either winter or early summer mission trip for them to participate in. These locations are usually in domestic cities or rural areas in the US, or to a country in Latin America.

3) Regular prayer and contact throughout the school year via emails, phone calls, and letters.

4) BBQ's and other yearly get-together's during school breaks.

We also have a ministry for college-age students throughout the school year from Sept-May. BCC has a close connection with Nyack College and we provide a ministry for them (and other local college students) as well. We want BCC to become a "home away from home" for local students. We also want to provide a place for fellowship and growth for college-age Christians whose church does not provide that for them.

To accomplish this we provide the following:
- Weekly worship services at 9:30 a.m.
- Weekly College Sunday school class at 11:00 a.m.
- Monthly luncheons with different host families
- Opportunities to serve in the Youth Ministry or Children's Ministry
- Provide internships for ministers-in-training
- Potential Sunday evening Gen X (youth adult) services

Our church's hope and prayer is to reach out and provide ministry to the following local colleges:

Pace University
Concordia College
Purchase College
Nyack College
Iona University
Mercy College
Westchester Community College

If you are a college student in the Rockland, Westchester, or Putnam counties and are looking for a church to call your home, then please come and check us out. Our goal is to be a place where you can make friends, grow and be challenged spiritually, have an opportunity to serve, and be a part of a healthy and growing church family.

Whether you are a Christian looking for a home or someone seeking answers and meaning, you are welcome and wanted here at Bedford Community Church and we would love for you to become involved in our Axiom ministry.