Coffee, Jesus, and a Full May at New Bethel

Samuel Rivers

Welcome to the show -- and Zoe, I keep coming back to that Sunday rhythm at New Bethel Baptist Church: coffee and Jesus at 9:30 a.m., then service at 10:30. There is something so grounded about that. Before the music, before the sermon settles in, folks are already gathering, already making room to worship, learn, and serve in an accepting community of believers. That is the vision of NBBC, and honestly, you can hear it in this month’s sermon lineup from Pastor Dianna.

Zoe Willows

And that 9:30 slot -- “coffee and Jesus” -- I love that because it doesn’t sound polished-polished. It sounds real. Like, bring your questions, bring your sleepy face, bring the week you actually had. So what’s Pastor Dianna putting in front of the church this month?

Samuel Rivers

On Sunday, May 3rd, the scripture is John 14:1 through 14, and the message title is “Jesus’ guarantee.” Then May 10th is 1 Peter 3:13 through 22 -- “Jesus, the real stain remover.” May 17th is John 17:1 through 11 -- “There is still work to be done.” And Pastor Dianna keeps going after that with May 24th, Acts 1-21, “What’s in your heart,” and May 31st, 2 Corinthians 13:11 through 13, “By the power of Grayskull.”

Zoe Willows

Okay, hold on -- “By the power of Grayskull” on May 31st? That one is going to stick in my head ALL day. That title is doing what a good headline does on social -- it makes you lean in. But even before that, those first three... they arc together in a really human way. “Jesus’ guarantee,” then “the real stain remover,” then “There is still work to be done.” That’s worry, then grace, then purpose.

Samuel Rivers

Yes. That is exactly how it lands for me too. John 14:1 through 14 -- “Jesus’ guarantee” -- speaks to anxious hearts. A lot of us come into church carrying private burdens. We smile, we hug necks, we ask how folks are doing, but there can still be fear underneath. So to start there, with Christ’s assurance... that feels pastoral in the best sense.

Zoe Willows

And 1 Peter 3:13 through 22 -- “Jesus, the real stain remover” -- that one hits with such a vivid image. Not abstract, not floaty. A STAIN remover. Like, okay, we all know what it is to spill something and think, great, this is never coming out. Spiritually, emotionally, relationally... people know that feeling.

Samuel Rivers

Right, and then May 17, John 17:1 through 11, “There is still work to be done.” After assurance and cleansing comes calling. Not pressure for pressure’s sake -- not hustle culture in church clothes -- but a reminder that faith has hands and feet. We are not just comforted; we are sent.

Zoe Willows

That’s the tension, isn’t it? Because some Sundays you need the blanket, and some Sundays you need the nudge. “There is still work to be done” on May 17 feels like that nudge. Like, okay, don’t just collect inspiration like cute stickers on a laptop. Go witness. Go serve. Show up.

Samuel Rivers

You brought SoHo energy to discipleship, and I appreciate it. But yes -- show up. That’s church life at its healthiest. You move from worry to witness to purpose. And I think that is why the 9:30 a.m. coffee and Jesus time matters. It invites people into that wrestle gently, before service begins at 10:30.

Zoe Willows

Also, I think there’s something really kind in not pretending everybody arrives in the same place. One person hears “Jesus’ guarantee” and thinks, I needed that because I’m barely holding it together. Another hears “the real stain remover” and thinks, yeah... I’ve been carrying shame. Another hears “There is still work to be done” and gets that spark back. Same room, same morning, different needs -- and somehow community makes space for all of it.

Samuel Rivers

That is the accepting community piece of NBBC’s vision. Not perfection. Fellowship. A place where everyone can worship, learn, and serve. And these sermons seem built to meet people where they are, then lovingly call them onward. Pastor Dianna is also starting a new bible study series in May. It will begin on May 17th with a viewing of the War Room, followed by a five week study. It all begins at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 17th. Come and join pastor for a great series.

Zoe Willows

Okay, let’s get practical, because May at New Bethel Baptist Church is BUSY in the best way. If you’re the kind of person who likes the calendar laid out clean, I got you. Saturday, May 2nd, there’s Community Breakfast from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Then Saturday, May 9 the Versiti Blood Drive runs from 8 a.m. to noon. Also, that same day, May 9th is the Annual Ladies Banquet is from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $10 each, and you need to RSVP by May 6 -- see Ruth Ann Mills for your tickets. Tuesday, May 12, church council meeting at 6 p.m.

Samuel Rivers

Let me underline two of those, because they say a lot about a church’s heart. Community Breakfast on May 2nd, from 8 to 11 in the morning -- that’s hospitality in action. Then the Versiti Blood Drive on May 9, 8 a.m. to noon -- that is a very concrete way to care for neighbors. A blood drive is one of those ministries where service becomes measurable. Real people are helped because somebody showed up and gave.

Zoe Willows

And the church council meeting on Tuesday, May 12 at 6 p.m. -- that’s not always the flashy one on the list, but it matters. It’s the behind-the-scenes engine room. Vision turns into schedules, decisions, budgets, ministry planning... all the stuff that helps the warm spirit of a church actually function in real life.

Samuel Rivers

Exactly. And then the Annual Ladies Banquet, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., with $10 tickets and RSVP by May 6 -- that’s fellowship with intention. If someone wants more information or a ticket, the source says to see Ruth Ann Mills.

Zoe Willows

Also, I love a banquet that gives you both a price and a deadline. Ten dollars, RSVP by May 6, go find Ruth Ann Mills. Clear. Beautiful. No mystery. That’s community communication done right.

Samuel Rivers

And it doesn’t stop with the calendar dates. There are ongoing ways to connect and serve. God’s Bounty accepts donations at their pantry on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. Then on Thursdays beginning at 1 p.m., they serve the community. NBBC serves at God’s Bounty on the first Thursday of each month, and for more information, people can contact Paul Young.

Zoe Willows

First Thursday of each month -- that’s the kind of specific rhythm people can actually remember. Not “sometime soon,” not “we should do more.” First Thursday. And Wednesdays at 6:30 for donations, Thursdays starting at 1 for serving. If you’ve been waiting for a practical on-ramp, that’s it.

Samuel Rivers

It really is. And then for learning together, there’s the book club led by Janie Bryant. It meets on Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. via Zoom. If you’d like to join, contact Janie Bryant. I appreciate that it’s on Zoom -- that makes participation a little easier for some folks.

Zoe Willows

And for fellowship with a little table-game energy, the Euchre Club meets at 1 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays of the month. Everyone is welcome, and they meet in the Judson Room on the lower level. For more information, contact Janet Fiddler. First and third Wednesdays at 1 -- I’m telling you, named rooms and exact times are my love language.

Samuel Rivers

Yours and mine both. And speaking of the Judson Room, the yoga group meets there too -- on Saturday mornings at 9:30 a.m. It’s in the Judson Room on the lower level of the church, everyone is welcome, and participation is totally free. All you need is a yoga mat and comfortable clothing. If anyone wants more information, they can contact Barb Fengya.

Zoe Willows

Totally free, bring a yoga mat, wear comfortable clothing -- that is delightfully un-intimidating. Also, Saturday at 9:30 a.m. in the Judson Room means you can actually picture where to go. No wandering the halls like you’re in an escape room at church.

Samuel Rivers

When you put all of this together -- worship on Sunday, service through God’s Bounty, learning in book club, fellowship in Euchre Club, care for the body in yoga, community outreach through breakfast and the blood drive -- you really do see NBBC’s vision alive. A fellowship where everyone can worship, learn, and serve in an accepting community of believers.

Zoe Willows

And if you want one more anchor on the calendar, watch for the latest issue of The Journey newsletter coming out May 3rd. That’s your little inbox-or-bulletin nudge that church life is not just a service time. It’s people making room for each other all month long.

Samuel Rivers

We’ll leave it there. See you at 9:30 for coffee and Jesus.