Bethany United Methodist Church, 3801 Brookside Road, Macungie, has become active in the Pennsylvania National Guard program Partners in Care.

As stated in a memo from Maj. Schaun C.J. Myers, Pennsylvania Army National Guard support chaplain to Bethany’s Director of Outreach Scotty Coyle, “Partners in Care...networks community faith groups with the chaplain’s office of the Pennsylvania National Guard...to provide...support to soldiers and their families who may be in need.”

Participating faith-based organizations must meet the following stipulations.

When a referral is made, the church must offer free assistance no matter the service person’s race, gender or creed without proselytizing.

Bethany currently provides aid to two sergeants, both recently returned from deployments in Afghanistan and their families.

Bethany’s involvement with Partners in Care is a natural one because the congregation has a long history of offering support to members of the military and their loved ones. Strong believers in the power of prayer, on Sept. 11, 2008, church members began offering prayers for 100 service personnel by name as part of the regular Sunday service.

Every year the church holds a Tribute to Freedom Service on the Sunday before Memorial Day. This year’s service as always, was open to all persons in the military and their families.

In addition, a military appreciation dinner was held May 22. The dinner is open to past or present members of the military and their families.

On May 14, the church again sponsored Ride for Freedom. This free motorcycle ride is open to any motorcyclist in the Lehigh Valley.

The Ride for Freedom brochure explains, “The [event] started as a way to show...support for...veterans at Bethany Church...it has grown to include military families, supporters and riders from all over the Lehigh Valley regardless of affiliation.”

On the day of the ride, motorcyclists deliver care packages to registered military families. To register, one need only supply the service person’s name, number, email address and branch of service. At the conclusion of the ride, Bethany provides a picnic for the riders and the military families.

Coyle also maintains a volunteer database and provides assistance to the families of servicemen and women throughout the year. Partners in Care is just one more facet of Bethany’s dedication to community outreach.

For more detailed information call the church office at 610-395-3613 or visit www.bethanyumchurch.com

Partners in Care encourages other churches to participate in the network. Interested parties should Myers at 717-861-9212.