Pastor Search Committee
Expanded Church and Community Profile
Introduction
Bethany Covenant Church bids you welcome in the name of Christ! We would like to take this opportunity to give you a little more background on the church and the community it serves.
Description of Bethany Covenant Church
Bethany Covenant Church - Building Community in Christ
Bethany Covenant Church
The sanctuary
The 11:15 service
The 9:25 service
Fellowship hour
Vacation Bible School
Bethany Covenant Church adopted a Leadership Team constitution in 2007, to enable full implementation of team-based ministry. The Leadership Team currently consists of six members elected by the congregation, and the pastor. Church officers are selected by the Leadership Team. The chairperson, vice chairperson, and recording secretary must be members of the Leadership Team; however, the Financial Officers (Financial Secretary and Treasurer) are not required to be members of the Leadership Team.
During a period of self examination prior to conducting long range planning several years ago, an effort was made to identify the core values or "DNA" of the church. Through this process, we identified six core ministries. Thus there are six primary ministry teams, which are Christian Formation, Local Outreach, World Missions, Worship, Community Care, and Stewardship. Each ministry team leader has a person on the Leadership Team who is their liaison. Other ministry teams can and have been formed to support or extend the vision of these ministry teams (Tech team, music team, VBS team, etc.)
Through these teams, Bethany Covenant Church offers a wide variety of ministries and ministry teams, both internal and external. Examples of these ministries include:
Angel Tree - providing presents for families of those incarcerated
Bethany Covenant Preschool
Keenagers - Over-55 age group providing social and volunteer activities
Outreach - Monitary and in-person support of area outreaches including :
- The Collinwood Hunger Center
- Homeless Drop-in Center
- Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity
Lyndhurst Home Days - provide a booth to interact with the community, provide information about the church, and sponsor Christian music
Men's Ministry - Bible study and prayer group
Women's Groups - Precepts Bible Study, other Bible studies, Mom's Group, and other activities
Wednesday Night Prayer and Praise group
Property Management - maintaining the church building and grounds to keep a facility usable in God's ministry
Rummage Sale - provides selection of used merchandise for whatever price buyer is willing to pay
Servant outreach - provides non-threatening activities (e.g. giveaways) designed to reach out the the community
Vacation Bible School
Youth ministry (a.k.a. "The Harbor") - outreach to youth both in and outside the church
Children's Christian Formation classes
Music Team, Sacred Space Team, and Sound/Visuals Team - work together to provide environment for worship in the 9:25 service
Choir - provide worshipful music in the 11:15 service
Nursery and Children's Church during worship services
Some members of the church are also active in Upper Room ecumenical ministries such as Walk to Emmaus, Chrysalis, and Kairos.
A History of Bethany Covenant Church can be found here.
Description of Local Community
Bethany Covenant Church is located in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, called Lyndhurst, with a population of approximately 15,000. It shares a school system with the neighboring suburb, South Euclid (population 23,000).
While the population of Lyndhurst itself is over 96% white, South Euclid is more racially diverse, with about 75% white, 21% black, and 4% other races. Both communities show signs of increased racial diversity. Other surrounding suburbs have varying degrees of ethnicities.
Lyndhurst is, for the most part, a quiet residential community, with several parks and various community activities available. Until recently, most commercial development was restricted to Mayfield Road, but recently special zoning was granted for the construction of the upscale Legacy Village development.
Description of Greater Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio, is a city of about 500,000 and is the seat of Cuyahoga County and the center of a metropolitan area of over 2.2 million. It is located on the southern shore of Lake Erie. The Greater Cleveland area is a mixture of challenges and potential; of poverty and affluence. It has been transitioning for decades from a major manufacturing center to a more service-based economy. The area offers much in the way of culture and ethnic diversity.
Links
Bethany Covenant Church www.bethanycov.org
The Local Communities
Lyndhurst, Ohio www.lyndhurst-oh.com/ (official city site)
www.lyndhurstohio.com
www.city-data.com/city/Lyndhurst-Ohio.html
- South Euclid/Lyndhurst schools www.sel.k12.oh.us/
South Euclid, Ohio www.cityofsoutheuclid.com/
Mayfield Heights, Ohio www.mayfieldheights.org/
Mayfield Village, Ohio www.mayfieldvillage.com/
Cleveland www.city.cleveland.oh.us/
cityguides.msn.com/default.aspx?where=clevelandoh
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland,_Ohio
- Visitor's Bureau www.positivelycleveland.com/
- Little Italy neighborhood www.littleitalycleveland.com/
- University Circle area www.universitycircle.org/content/
Media: The greater Cleveland area is served by several top-rated media outlets. Among these are the Cleveland Plain Dealer (an outstanding newspaper), IdeaStream (a collaboration between public radio and public television), Christian radio stations, and network and cable television.
Newspaper
Cleveland Plain Dealer www.cleveland.com/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_Plain_Dealer
Sun Newspapers (regional) www.sunnews.com/
Local Christian Radio Stations
WCRF (Moody) wcrf.mbn.org
WFHM (Christian Contemporary) www.955thefish.com
Public Radio
WCPN www.wcpn.org
WKSU www.wksu.org
Public Television
WVIZ www.wviz.org/
IdeaStream www.ideastream.org/
Higher Education: Cleveland also has a number of fine colleges and universities, some of which are located in communities near Lyndhurst.
Case Western Reserve University www.case.edu/
Cleveland State University www.csuohio.edu
John Carroll University www.jcu.edu/
Notre Dame College www.notredamecollege.edu/
Baldwin Wallace College www.bw.edu
Ursuline College www.ursuline.edu
Cleveland Institute of Music www.cim.edu/cimsplash.html
Oberlin College www.oberlin.edu/
Kent State University www.kent.edu/index
Cuyahoga Community College www.tri-c.edu
Lakeland Community College www.lakelandcc.edu/
Health Care: Cleveland is home to a number of the nation's top institutions providing health care, medical education, and medical research and technology. The Cleveland metropolitan area is served by 50 hospitals; 23 are affiliated with medical schools, including Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The region employs more than 9,000 physicians and 23,000 health care professionals.
The Cleveland Clinic and University Hospital Health Systems control 90-plus percent of the area's hospital beds. The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, which pioneered kidney transplants and open-heart surgery, is a 945-bed treatment and referral center for patients throughout the United States and the world. It consistently ranks among the best hospitals in the country in U.S. News & World Report surveys. Cleveland Clinic rates highly for care in cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology, orthopedics, and urology. Rainbow Babies and Childrens Hospital is one of the country's best for pediatric and neonatal intensive care. University Hospitals, nationally recognized for cancer research and treatment, receives excellent rankings in three specialties. Among other Cleveland facilities in the medical forefront is St. Vincent Charity Hospital, which participated in the development of the first heart-lung machines.
University Hospitals www.uhhospitals.org/
- Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital www.uhhospitals.org/rainbowchildren/
- McDonald Women's Hospital www.uhhospitals.org/macwomen
Cleveland Clinic www.clevelandclinic.org/
- Cleveland Clinic Local Hospitals cms.clevelandclinic.org/body.cfm?id=645
- Hillcrest Hospital, Mayfield Heights www.hillcresthospital.org
Veterans Hospital www.cleveland.va.gov/
Sports: Sports fans enjoy Cleveland's teams, including top level competition in football, baseball, basketball and soccer. In addition, farm teams for hockey and other sports play in the area.
NFL - Cleveland Browns www.clevelandbrowns.com/
NBA - Cleveland Cavaliers www.nba.com/cavs/
MLB - Cleveland Indians cleveland.indians.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=cle
AHL - Lake Erie Monsters www.lakeeriemonsters.com/
NPSL - Cleveland Crunch www.crunchsoccer.com/
AA Minor League baseball - Lake County Captains www.captainsbaseball.com
Arena Football League - Cleveland Gladiators www.clevelandgladiators.com/
Pro Football Hall of Fame (Canton, OH) www.profootballhof.com/
Parks and Recreation: Locally, recreation includes city parks, swimming pools, ice rinks, hiking trails, sledding hills, and league play in various sports from the well known, like softball, to the more obscure, like curling. The greater Cleveland area has a remarkable number of parks and recreation areas, including the exceptional Cleveland Metroparks system. The Holden Arboretum, located east of Cleveland in Kirtland, Ohio, is a 3000+ acre showplace for indigenous Ohio plants, flowers, trees, and wildlife. The beautiful park features specialty gardens, miles of hiking trails for all skill levels, and a constant schedule of educational events and exhibits. Three local ski areas offer ski schools and night skiing, with additional downhill skiing opportunities nearby in western New York State. Local schools offer ski clubs.
South Euclid-Lyndhurst Recreational Commission www.sel.k12.oh.us/selrec/
Cleveland MetroParks www.clemetparks.com/
Cuyahoga Valley National Park www.nps.gov/cuva/
Tow Path Trail www.nps.gov/archive/cuva/planavisit/todo/recreation/ohioerie.htm
Cleveland Skating Club www.clevelandskatingclub.org
Holden Arboretum www.holdenarb.org/
Boston Mills / Brandywine Ski Area www.bmbw.com/
Alpine Meadows Ski Area www.skialpine.com/winter/index.html
Area Amusement Parks: If roller coasters and rides appeal to you, you'll enjoy two outstanding amusement parks located close to Cleveland. Cedar Point has a reputation among roller-coaster enthusiasts nationwide, and Geauga Lake offers water rides and other summer entertainment.
Cedar Point www.cedarpoint.com
Geauga Lake's Wildwater Kingdom wwk.geaugalake.com/
Great Wolf Lodge Waterpark, Sandusky www.greatwolf.com/Locations/Sandusky
Kalahari Waterpark Resort, Sandusky kalahariresort.com/
Cultural venues: Long considered one of America’s great orchestras, The Cleveland Orchestra stands today among the world’s most-revered symphonic ensembles. In concerts at home in Severance Hall, at Blossom Music Center, and on tour, The Cleveland Orchestra continues to set standards of performing excellence and imaginative programming that serve as models for audiences and performers alike.
Franz Welser-Möst is in his fifth season as Music Director of The Cleveland Orchestra. His long-term commitment to the Orchestra extends through the 2011-12 season. In addition, the greater Cleveland area is home to Playhouse Square, is the second-largest theater complex in the United States (second only to New York City's Lincoln Center), and an extensive and highly rated pair of library systems. The Western Reserve Historical Society was founded in 1867 to preserve and present the history of all of the people of northeast Ohio. Today, it is the largest privately supported regional historical society in the nation.
Cleveland Orchestra www.clevelandorch.com/html/index.asp
Playhouse Square www.playhousesquare.com/
Blossom Music Center cleveland.about.com/od/concertvenues/a/blossom.htm
Cleveland Public Library www.cpl.org
Cuyahoga County Public Library System www.cuyahogalibrary.org
Museums and Zoos: There are quite a number of museums, science centers, and an excellent zoo in the Cleveland area. Whatever your interests are, you'll find something to explore here!
Cleveland Zoo www.clemetzoo.com
Cleveland Museum of Art www.clevelandart.org
Cleveland Museum of Contemporary Art www.mocacleveland.org/
Cleveland Botanical Gardens www.cbgarden.org
Cleveland Health Museum www.healthmuseum.org
Children's Museum of Cleveland www.clevelandchildrensmuseum.org
Cleveland Museum of Natural History www.cmnh.org
Crawford Auto - Aviation Museum www.wrhs.org/index.php/crawford
Great Lakes Science Center www.glsc.org/
Hale Farm and Village wneo.org/halefarm/
NASA Glenn Research Center www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/about/index.html
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame www.rockhall.com
Western Reserve Historical Society www.wrhs.org/
Transportation
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) www.clevelandairport.com/
Akron/Canton Airport (CAK) www.akroncantonairport.com
Burke Lakefront Airport www.clevelandairport.com/
Cuyahoga County Airport (small aircraft) development.cuyahogacounty.us/en-US/county-airport.aspx
Amtrak www.amtrak.com
Greyhound www.greyhound.com/scripts/en/TicketCenter/terminal.asp?city=250327
Megabus www.megabus.com/us/stops/index.php
Shopping: A wide variety of shopping venues is also located close by, including locally owned and ethnic stores, big box stores, retail chains, and shopping malls. Some of the closest shopping centers include:
Legacy Village Shopping Center www.legacy-village.com
Beachwood Place www.beachwoodplace.com/html/index13.asp
Richmond Town Square www.simon.com/mall/default.aspx?ID=153