I was visiting with one of our new pastors, Rick Lawrence at Bethany, Scottsdale. Two and half years ago when I visited the congregation to prepare for the call process I heard stories. The congregation worshiped about 65 folks whose average age was 73. They were recipients of a $350,000 bequest which gave the congregation five years to construct a facility to serve ministry with youth and children, but the congregation had no children.

One member shared the story of when their illuminated street sign was being repaired. Someone driving down the street stop and asked the guy if that church was still in business, because he thought it was closed. Interim pastor Larry Stiles led the congregation to affirm entering into the Transformational Church process. Rick was called to lead the congregation through transformation ministry. A small team went through the Transformational Training retreat in April 2008.

Rick shared that a few months ago the congregation was vandalized, which led him to contact the police and inquire about a Neighborhood Watch program. The police reported there was not a watch group but there was a neighborhood captain. Rick contacted her. She reported she had attempted for years with no success to establish a watch group. Rick and the senior saints at Bethany agreed to help canvas the neighborhood and open the doors of Bethany for a Block Watch meeting.

The captain returned home from the meeting and informed her mother, who had been watching her children, that she needed to start going to Bethany. It was close, the Pastor was friendly and the people welcoming. The woman visited Bethany and came home and reported to her daughter that she and her two children needed to come with her next Sunday. She did and this three generations of one family has not missed worship since.

Rick reported that on 1/18/09 19 people would be joining Bethany which caused many in the congregation to reply we cannot remember the last time anyone new joined our church! Oh, by the way the congregation did build a new facility with the bequest, now they are wrestling with multiple options of how best to make it an asset that connects with the needs in the neighborhood rather than simply serve the needs of the existing membership. Just wanted to share a good news story -- Bishop Steve Talmage