Beth Eden United Methodist Church invites you to experience Bethlehem when Mary and Joseph arrived more than 2000 years ago. Bethlehem: Virtual Experience is Sunday, December 4th from 1 to 4pm. This walk through drama is free and open for all. Come touch the animals, smell the fresh baked bread, escape the Roman Soldiers, speak with the shopkeepers, and feel & be a part of the excitement in the air as people in the town whisper about the baby that was born the night before, and serach for baby Jesus in the manager. Admission is free. The church will also be accepting non-perisable food items for the Helping Hands Food Pantry for those that would like to contribute.

January 2012

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Bible Trivia Games
http://www.gloriadeionline.com/children/cartoons/contentlist.htm
http://www.crossdaily.com/games/
http://www.holybibletrivia.org/

Christian Games Online
http://www.christiananswers.net/kids/menu-act.html
http://www.christianityoasis.com/keyword/games.htm
http://www.biblestudygames.com/biblegames/
http://www.cyberxian.com/MediaX/xonline.html
http://www.timshen.truepath.com/fcd/gam.htm

Cyber Outreach

A Team Building for the Future

Team members are;

Roger Kittens

Dana Meacham

Elaine McDuell

Jesse McDuell

Jacob McDuell

Mike Scott

Barbara Clay

David Clay

Doug Drake

Joan McCarty

Pastor Eric Blachford

If you’re planning a Cyber Team

The Cyber Team is one of a few groups that span over all three churches. They answer to the cooperative council and each of the church councils.  The reason for this is to keep the technology between all churches the same, so you can move from one church to another with little to no problem. 

One of our responsibilities is to enhance the worship experience at each church of the Upon This Rock Cooperative Ministry. We also teach computer class for our members.

We also help out other churches in the area with their ministry.

The Cyber Team maintains and updates this site as the information comes available.

This Web server and e-mail server is maintained at Beth Eden UMC

All three churches have viewers, screens, sound systems and internet access.

Beth Eden UMC has a full Windows domain network that is mixed in with the sound system. All recordings are digitally made through a computer and edited to CD’s for requested and home bound members.

The experience on our staff is outstanding.

Sound systems design over 30 years experience

Computer hardware design over 30 years experience

Networking and internet design over 25 years experience

Programming and layout design over 30 years experience

Mechanical engineering over 40 years experience

Electrical engineering over 40 years experience

Artistic design over 20 years experience

All of the sound and computer systems have been designed and installed by our team. All special presentations and Sunday presentations are done by this team every week.

Bethlehem Market Place: At Beth Eden UMC  

The Market Place is a FREE indoor walk-through drama with sights, smells and sounds of a Judean Market Place. Sample the fresh fruit and fish. Smell and taste the freshly baked bread. Talk to the carpenters, weavers, bakers and see the live animals. Watch out for the Roman Guards, They have been known to arrest visitors to the Market Place. Come and search out the Prince of Peace in our market place.

Santa Shoppe: At Beth Eden UMC

This event is usually held the Saturday after Bethlehem Market Place in December. Church Members donate items throughout the year to be sold in Santa’s Shoppe to children up to 12 years of age, to be given to mom, dad, siblings, grandparents, etc. Nothing is over a dollar each and the gifts are chosen by the children, reaped and tagged  for their gift giving. The proceeds form the sale go to children’s activities in the church such as work trip, Sunday school, etc.

Cookies Walk: At Beth Eden UMC  

The Cookies Walk is put on at the same time as Santa Shoppe for the parents. Cookies walk goodies are donated by the ladies of the congregation and are sold by the pound. Many delicious varieties are donated and purchased by many who are too busy to bake. Warm cider is served and Christmas music is played during the sale to put all in the Christmas mood.

On The Waterfront:

This is Beth Eden’s major fund raiser of the year. Volunteers man the cheese curds and sandwich booth during the Labor Day weekend.

This is also Beth Eden’s Boy Scout Troop 2 major fund raiser as well. Troop 2 volunteers man a Ticket Booth. This pays for fees, and equipment for the boys of Troop 2 during the year.

Art, Craft and Antique Fair: At Harlem UMC

Held the 4th Saturday in September and is the major jund raiser of the year for Harlem.

The Original Bethlehem Market Place of Rockford

The Bethlehem Market Place is a FREE indoor walk-through drama with sights, smells and sounds of a Judean Market Place.

Sample the fresh fruit and fish. Smell and taste the freshly baked bread. Talk to the carpenters, weavers, bakers and see the live animals.

Watch out for the Roman Guards, They have been known to arrest visitors to the Market Place.

Come and search out the Prince of Peace in our market place.

*Non-perishable food items will be accepted to benefit the local food pantries*

In Celebration of Jesus’ Birth

And they wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.

Thirty years ago, our Beth Eden family decided to recreate the birth of Jesus. In doing so, we opened our hearts, used our talents, and gave to the city of Rockford, a gift, “The Bethlehem Market Place”.

Our talents and the ability as a church family have created great enthusiasm throughout the city, Our recreation of the birth of Jesus has touched many lives spiritually and emotionally. Our characters and actors quickly experience the warmth and kindness of the people viewing the marked place and soon are swept up with excitement. After months of preparations, we soon feel the many rewards of a lot of hard work and dedication from our gift to the community.

This year, as we celebrate Christmas and the birth of Jesus, let us continue to give hope, Joy, and peace to those surrounding us.

“For behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will come to all the people, for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” Luke 2:10-11

The Birth of Jesus

 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:1-7)

Setting

At the time of the first Christmas, Bethlehem was a place where caravaneers plying between Jerusalem and Hebron could stop for provisions, The busy marketplace was the spot to hear all the latest news and gossip and to get to know the lifestyle of the people, This was a time of turmoil: Roman legions everywhere trying to control a stiff-necked race of people, The proud Jews bore the Roman yoke with smoldering hatred while they watched and waited for the promised Messiah to come to free them.

Join us on the street of Bethlehem, get to know the people, hear the gossip and celebrate the glad tidings with us. You have come into the city of Bethlehem at this special time, so stop a moment and visit the baby in the stable and feel the wonder, the thrill of this first Christmas.

Scripture

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child. (Luke 2:16-17)

Bethlehem Market Place is a free indoor walk-through drama with the sights, sounds, and smells of a Judean Market Place.

Live animals, flute players, baggers, and roman guards. Come and search out the Prince of Peace in our market place.

Entertainment is provided by Choir’s from around the area.

Find it at Beth Eden U. M. C. on the first Sunday in December from 1:00PM to 4:00PM.

Non-perishable food items will be accepted to benefit the local food pantries.

In 1845 a “Brother Health” held the first “class” of Methodists in “Harlem, Winnebago County”. These twelve persons meeting in the one room schoolhouse included Mr. Asa Taylor, great-grandfather of Mrs. Hurlbert. At that meeting, Asa Taylor agreed to give a lot for a cemetery and an adjoining lot for a church site. Ironically, Taylor shortly died of a farm injury and was the first buried in the cemetery. The cemetery and original church site are at the corner of Harlem and Alpine Roads.

In 1870, under the pastorate of “Brother Blanchard”, the first church building was begun. That building is still standing on the original site. From 1872 to 1885, Harlem Church was a single charge, supporting its own minister. During the remainder of its first one hundred and twenty years, the congregation was served by students or retired ministers or was coupled with the Ninth Street Methodist Church, Rockford, or First Methodist Church, Roscoe.

In late 1961 and early 1962 arrangements were made to purchase a new church site at 8509 North Alpine Road, just south of the site of the school house in which the original meeting of Harlem Methodist Church was held and a quarter mile north of the 1870 church site.

In June of 2003, Harlem joined with Evans and Beth Eden to form the Upon This Rock Cooperative Parish.

History of Evans U. M. C.

            Evans Memorial Methodist Church was originally organized in early 1949. The first meetings were held in the small Harlem Grade School building and later services were moved to the music room in the basement of Harlem School.

Ground was broken for the Evans Memorial Methodist Church in January 1952 on the lots on the south side of Sycamore Lane which had been given by the heirs of David Evans.

In 1969, Evans united with the United Brethren Church and became the Evans United Memorial Methodist Church and later the work Memorial was eliminated in 1976.

In 1998 Evans dedicated the slogan “The Small Church with the Big Heart”

In June of 2003, Evans joined with Harlem and Beth Eden to form the Upon This Rock Cooperative Parish.

History of Beth Eden U. M. C.

    Beth Eden United Methodist Church was Beth Eden Church (Evangelical United Brethren) organized May 17, 1951 under the leadership of Rev. Harvey Gabel. On November 21, 1954, the first unit of the church was dedicated with 180 members.

On July 1, 1959, Rev. Carl W. Franke was appointed pastor by the Illinois Conference. In July, 1960 Zion Evangelical United Brethren Church united with Beth Eden United Brethren Church. Rev. Keith Laidler remained as associate pastor one year.

On November 25, 1962, a second unit to the church was dedicated for Christian education.

In January, 1967, the congregation decided to build a new Lennon stone sanctuary which was dedicated May 19, 1968 as Beth Eden United Methodist Church following the merger of the E. U. B. and Methodist denominations.

In June, 1979, Rev. Rodney Dillinger succeeded Rev. Carl Franke as the Third pastor of Beth Eden U. M. C.

In 1989 St. John’s United Methodist Church united with Beth Eden United Methodist Church.

In 1997 Beth Eden dedicated the slogan “The House of New Beginnings”

In 2003 Beth Eden joined with Evans and Harlem to form the Upon This Rock Cooperative Parish.