January 5, 2007 – We accepted our first loan (see Moving Forward) which will go towards either the construction of the Conference Room building or the gymnasium. We remain optimistic that the support from our Friends of Bethel Park Ministries will continue to grow. We give many thanks to those that have contacted us and are preparing to aid in this project.

January 4, 2007 - Our first donation from a Cash Back Program (see Cash Back Programs) was received. We want to thank all the Friends of Bethel Park that took advantage of this program. The funds are not significant, but non-the-less, we are honored to be chosen as the recipient of the charity dollars.

September 2006 - All of the accounting transition has taken place between the German District and Bethel Park Retreat Center. Most of the vendors, customers, banking, and payroll have been transferred to Bethel Park Retreat Center. Thank you for all your support and prayers during this transition period.

September 15, 2006 - Fundraising efforts continued with 7 letters of inquiry being sent to potential funding sources.

August 22, 2006 – A list of projects was approved by the German District so that BPRC could begin organizing and planning for future buildings and renovations. Part of this list was the approval of the Gymnasium/spa and a second building used for Conference Rooms and BPRC office space. Our grant writer has already begun the process of securing funds for these projects and we are excited about the future.

August 21, 2006 – BPRC began a relationship with a local grant writer. She has numerous local ties to our community as well as surrounding communities and she has outstanding relationships with many local foundations. Her record is implacable and both our grant writer and BPRC are extremely excited about this new relationship.

August 2, 2006 – Bethel Park Ministries will begin “Doing Business As” (DBA) - Bethel Park Retreat Center also referred to as BPRC. This is to conform to our overall business plan.

July 29, 2006 – The lease between the German District of the Assemblies of God and Bethel Park Ministries for the use of the Bethel Park became effective. All day to day operations are now decided by BPM.

April 28, 2006 - GREAT NEWS! The IRS informed us that our 501c3 status is approved. We can now move forward with portions of our plans. With the new non-profit status, we can now make further progress with the lease.

March 2, 2006 - Bethel Park Ministries continues to improve it services and capabilities. BPM had made arrangements with a local professional photographer to be available for groups. This capability will allow groups to create memorable keepsakes of their events at Bethel Park.

February 13, 2006 - We are still sending "Letters of Inquiry" to organizations who share the same fundamental core values that both Bethel Park Ministries and for what Bethel Park stands for. These 'letters' will make the grant process easier once we get our tax certificate. Organizations will recognize our name and already understand who we are and what we stand for.

Bethel Park Ministries has hired a new Marketing Assistant who will handle all aspects of Bethel Park rentals. Many will recognize and know this person. Her name is Christin Rice, formerly Moneta. She has a passion for Bethel Park which will translate into success for Bethel Park and for Christin. She also has extensive experience with local business's from her pervious position with the Bridgman Chamber of Commerce. This new position is a strategic move to attract local business's to Bethel Park and also to use Christin's communication and marketing skills get Bethel Park's name known in the 5 state area.

February 3, 2006 - The process to receive our IRS Non-Profit Tax ID has proven to be much longer then originally estimated. We continue to wait patiently for word from the IRS as to the status of our request. Meanwhile, the BPM leadership and German District leadership continue to finalize the lease agreement so that several key projects can move forward.

November 14, 2005 - As we continue to wait on the IRS certification, initial discussions are underway for preliminary design / floor plan of the interim Gym / Sauna / Office space building. This building will allow us to bring in larger groups and avoid turning away groups concerned about inclement weather during their event.

September 26, 2005 - Since we are awaiting our Non Profit Certificate from the IRS, we have begun sending "Letters of Inquiry" to different entities that support ministries like BPM. What these letters do is essentially introduce BPM to each entity on a individual and personal level. We explain our position and purpose while emphasizing different aspects that each entity places very high in priority. To date we have mailed two of these letter with many more to come.

Our grant writer has identified many larger contributors that require a Tax Certificate to be included in the initial contact so we must wait for the appropriate time to begin contacting them.

July 22, 2005 - Helmut Krebs and Hardy Rueb met with the Troyer Group to discuss our current status and explored different options for the current needs of BPM. Several viable and interesting options were presented to us which we will discuss in our next BPM Board meeting. More information will be released after the next Board Meeting.

July 9, 2005 - During the German District Council meeting, the delegates voted to authorized the Executive Committee to continue the lease negotiations and empowered the Executive Committee to initiate the lease if all parties are satisfied with the Terms.

We received from the Grant Writer our Master Grant Application for review. We also began finalizing the budget for that application.

June 27, 2005 - we were notified by the IRS that our application has been received, entered, and forwarded to the appropriate department for approval.

June 6, 2005 - We have four more Bethel Park Ministries Board of Directors. They are in no particular order as follows: Dan Fester, Gloria Payne, Sieg Drachenberg, and Christine Rice. Each of these members have already been essential in helping form BPM.

Today we are expecting our IRS Form 1023 to arrive from our Grant Writer. We will review this document along with it's attachments and when finished we will mail all the needed components to the IRS. Once the IRS approves our form, we will be officially a "Non Profit" entity which allows us to move more quickly in the Grant Writing Arena.

Please note: We are taking extra cautious measures to ensure that we look appropriate to the IRS AND to potential Funders so this means things may not go as fast as we hope, but we will do everything in our power to do this correctly. We appreciate your support.

March 30, 2005 – The BPM Board met to discuss and resolve a variety of issues.

Expert counsel recommends BPM Constitution and Bylaws restructuring to achieve greater compatibility regarding today’s reality.

BPM Board gives the nod to conduct “Grant Writing” seminars at Bethel Park. Today hundreds, if not thousands of organizations are actively pursuing this phenomenon.

Co chair reports Bethel Park usage continues to increase. Stating - March 29, we received and processed four (4) 2005 usage requests.

Board unanimously believes BPM finds itself in the center of God’s will, and is steadfastly convinced God will use this ministry to bless, build and expand His Kingdom.

All members continue to express their joy and excitement regarding the blessing God is about to release.

March 21, 2005 - Our grant writing firm has extended the contract for 6 months because of unexpected delays in the non-profit organization concerns with new IRS requirements.

March 8, 2005 - We continue to study key areas of the existing campus. Conceptual drawings have been created for the future upgrades to the E.T. Motel. We continue to research and gather information on creating a large multi-use recreational building with a new garage / shop attached. Conceptual drawings have been created for the current garage / shop as meeting or break-out rooms for groups. Also, research has begun on the Popstand and how to bring this building to modern standards including an updated kitchen and new rest rooms.

February 4, 2005 - Our grant writer reports progress with the new IRS 1023 form, constitution and by-laws. Research specialists assigned to the project have been locating funding sources. They have identified 8 potential funding sources and are researching the application requirements for each. A community foundation has been also identified and is being researched as well.

January 27, 2005 - The BPM Board and the German District Executive Committee agreed in principle to create a lease concerning the operation of Bethel Park. The lease is written and is being reviewed first by the Board of BPM and soon a lawyer. Once that is finished, it is up to the Executive Committee to approve and sign the lease agreement.

January 24, 2005 - BPM staff began discussions with Candlewood Suites, a business / extended-stay facility within 6 miles from Bethel Park. This opens up opportunities for multiple group rentals throughout the year and larger groups during the winter months. The BPM staff can also focus their attention on amenities rather then increasing total beds for the larger groups that are making inquiries of BPM for their events.

2004 Progress Report Updates

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