Bethany UMC Smithfield Va.

Bethany UMC Smithfield Va. Rooted in faith since 1817, Bethany is a vibrant country congregation with a heart for community. Our mission is to help people find and follow Jesus Christ.

If you are searching for a church home, come as you are. Bethany is better when you are here!

Bethany UMC Service September 6, 2026“Even When Your Eyes See Nothing”Our bodies are fragile tents – they ache, they wea...
09/06/2026

Bethany UMC Service September 6, 2026
“Even When Your Eyes See Nothing”

Our bodies are fragile tents – they ache, they wear down, and one day they will fail us. Yet Paul, who had known his own share of suffering, could still say, “We do not lose heart,” because God has prepared for us an eternal house. There will be seasons when our prayers seem unanswered and the road ahead is unclear. In those times, we walk by faith, not by sight. Friday looked like the end at the cross, but Sunday was coming – death did not have the last word. At the Lord’s Table, God gives us bread and cup, ordinary things carrying an extraordinary promise. Christ meets us there in our weakness, His grace is enough for today, and one day faith will finally become sight.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 (NIV)
1 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Click on the link below to view the prayer list and announcements:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1edPJMmqdWyGVS4AMwSulOytamlyzR3ck/view?usp=drive_link

Bethany UMC Service August 30, 2026“Got Spiritual Milk?”Just as newborn babies need milk to grow, Christians need the Wo...
08/30/2026

Bethany UMC Service August 30, 2026
“Got Spiritual Milk?”

Just as newborn babies need milk to grow, Christians need the Word of God to grow in faith. Peter calls us to “crave pure spiritual milk” and reminds us that spiritual growth begins with a heart to open to God’s Words. We are invited to clear away the things that hinder our relationships with God and one another, develop a deeper hunger for Scripture, and “taste that the Lord is good.” The goal of reading the Bible is not simply to know more about God, but to know God more deeply through Jesus Christ. God’s Word
is nourishment for the soul – and the invitation is simple: Come hungry, open the Word, and taste the goodness of the Lord. Got spiritual milk? We do – now let’s drink it!

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:1-3 (NIV)
1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Click on the link below to view the prayer list and announcements:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jHB17IraUa8OrdlLGTrPLt_9Ej-O85Ha/view?usp=drive_link

🌷 Dorcas Ministry is launching!Join us for a special luncheon as we begin a ministry of love, care, and fellowship. ❤️ M...
08/29/2026

🌷 Dorcas Ministry is launching!

Join us for a special luncheon as we begin a ministry of love, care, and fellowship. ❤️ Monday, September 14 at 1:00 PM — Bethany UMC Fellowship Hall.

📚✨ Something new for our children at Bethany!Join us for Evening Children’s Storytime—stories, music, and lots of fun! ❤...
08/29/2026

📚✨ Something new for our children at Bethany!

Join us for Evening Children’s Storytime—stories, music, and lots of fun! ❤️ Our first gathering is Tuesday, September 22, 6:00–7:00 PM. Bring the kids and come enjoy the evening with us! 😊

📖🙏 Bible Reading & Intercessory Prayer Group at Bethany Church (13717 Bethany Church Road. Smithfield, VA 23430)There is...
08/28/2026

📖🙏 Bible Reading & Intercessory Prayer Group at Bethany Church (13717 Bethany Church Road. Smithfield, VA 23430)

There is something powerful about opening God’s Word and praying together. Come join us each Wednesday as we grow in Scripture, lift one another and our community before God in prayer, and encourage one another in faith.

🗓 Every Wednesday (from Sep. 2 till Dec. 16)
☀️ Morning Group: 10:30–11:45 A.M.
🌙 Evening Group: 5:30–6:45 P.M.

Come as you are. Bring your Bible, bring your prayer concerns, and bring an open heart.

Bethany UMC Service August 23, 2026The Dorcas Ministry: Remembered Through LoveDorcas is remembered not for wealth or gr...
08/23/2026

Bethany UMC Service August 23, 2026
The Dorcas Ministry: Remembered Through Love

Dorcas is remembered not for wealth or great achievements, but because the grace she received from Crist became love she gave to others. As a faithful disciple, she especially cared for widows and those easily overlooked, reminding them that they were seen, remembered, and loved. When Dorcas died, Peter prayed and said, “Tabitha, get up.” Through the power of the risen Christ, a room filled with grief became a place of resurrection and hope. Her story reminds us that Christian ministry is resurrection ministry: whenever the lonely are remembered and the grieving are comforted, something comes alive. This is the heart of Bethany’s Dorcas Ministry: Grace received becomes love remembered. Through a visit, a meal, a phone call, a prayer, or simply remembering someone’s name, we share Christ’s love – not so that people will remember us, but so that though us, they will remember Jesus.

Scripture: Acts 9:36-43 (NIV) 36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!” 39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. 40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.

Click on the link below to view the prayer list and announcements:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ds9Fjgwgq3K9j7oPDjKDj7BMkhsZGASF/view?usp=sharing

Bethany UMC Service August 16, 2026Filled with Laughter: Psalm 126 celebrates the joy of Israel’s return from captivit...
08/16/2026

Bethany UMC Service August 16, 2026
Filled with Laughter: Psalm 126 celebrates the joy of Israel’s return from captivity – a joy so great it felt like a dream. Their mouths were filled with laughter, and their hearts overflowed with praise. Similarly, Korea’s liberation in 1945 reminds us of how God still works miracles and brings freedom by His grace. For believer, true joy is not found in easy lives but in God’s presence. This psalm speaks of past, present, and future joy – promising that even those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. Christian laughter doesn’t ignore pain; it proclaims God is near. As we trust in His goodness, may our lives be filled with laughter, praise, and gratitude.

Scripture: Psalm 126:1-6 (NIV) 1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. 2 Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” 3 The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. 4 Restore our fortunes, LORD, like streams in the Negev. 5 Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. 6 Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.

Click on the link below to view the prayer list and announcements:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cCp0KZxGkdJfXzZMQO9O-bee5ZrN1ihn/view?usp=sharing

Bethany UMC Service August 9, 2026Stop! The Grace of the SabbathIn today’s fast-paced world, busyness has become a badge...
08/09/2026

Bethany UMC Service August 9, 2026
Stop! The Grace of the Sabbath

In today’s fast-paced world, busyness has become a badge of honor, leaving many of us physically exhausted and spiritually empty. Yet God lovingly commands us to “remember the Sabbath” not as a burden, but as a weekly gift of grace. The Sabbath reminds us that our worth is not measured by what we accomplish, but by who we are — God’s beloved children. When we stop, we confess that God is still at work even when we are not. In the quietness of Sabbath rest, we learn to see God more clearly, rediscover the condition of our own souls, and become more present and compassionate toward others. Ultimately, Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, is our true rest. He invites all who are weary to come to Him, where we find not merely a break from work, but the peace and joy of His presence. This week, hear God’s gracious invitation: “Stop. Be still. Come and rest in Me.”

Scripture: Exodus 20:8-11; Mark 2:27-28 (NIV)

(EXODUS 20:8-11)
8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

(MARK 2:27-28)
27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.

”Click on the link below to view the prayer list and announcements: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MRBLy1i49D-Se7rpgLHWI_2eMc3plNGM/view?usp=drive_link

Bethany UMC Service August 2, 2026We Are Strong Because . . .In 2 Corinthians 4:7–9, Paul reminds us that we are “clay j...
08/02/2026

Bethany UMC Service August 2, 2026
We Are Strong Because . . .

In 2 Corinthians 4:7–9, Paul reminds us that we are “clay jars”—fragile, ordinary, and easily broken. Yet God has chosen to place within us the greatest treasure of all: the crucified and risen Jesus Christ. Our strength does not come from our own abilities but from His power at work within us. Because Christ lives in us, we can face life’s hardships with confidence and hope. Though we may be hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, or struck down, we are never crushed, abandoned, or destroyed. As we come to the Lord’s Table, we remember that Christ’s broken body was given for broken people, and His grace is sufficient for every weakness. The miracle is not that our lives never crack, but that the Treasure within us never fails. Our strength has never depended on the jar—it has always depended on the Treasure.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 (NIV)

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed.

Click on the link below to view the prayer list and announcements:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-DHGq3W2FdvjybTKftZNjA3Nk2Fur9mk/view?usp=sharing

Bethany UMC Service July 26, 2026Still Practicing: The Church as God’s Rehearsal RoomThe church is not a concert hall fo...
07/26/2026

Bethany UMC Service July 26, 2026
Still Practicing: The Church as God’s Rehearsal Room

The church is not a concert hall for perfect people but a rehearsal room where imperfect people practice the live of Christ together. In Romans 7, the Apostle Paul honestly admits his inner struggle: he desires to do good, yet often fails. His confession reminds us that spiritual growth is a lifelong process. Just as musicians must continually tune their instruments, Christians must continually tune their heart to Jesus Christ, the perfect “pitch” of God. Even the disciples who walked with Jesus struggled to understand and follow Him fully. Yet Christ patiently formed them. In the same way, the church becomes a community of grace where believers encourage one another, practice faith, and grow together until the day when God completes His work in us.

Scripture: Romans 7:21-25 (NIV)
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Click on the link below to view the prayer list and announcements:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OiPHzEwKW__5HLg5CQ8kwz0Ls0Qcknno/view?usp=sharing

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13717 Bethany Church Road
Smithfield, VA
23430

Opening Hours

9am - 10am

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