Click below for STATIONS OF THE CROSS link:
https://bethlehemunitedmethodist.org/stations-of-the-cross/
Tree of Life
Bethlehem’s Tree of Life was created to acknowledge donations made to the Memorial Garden in honor or memory of individuals living or deceased. These donations are used to maintain the Gardens in a park-like setting, with colorful and complementary plants and flowers throughout the year.
Donations totaling $100 or more for a specific individual are acknowledged by a brass leaf with the individual’s name inscribed on it.
Checks should be written to Bethlehem UMC. “Memorial Garden” and the name of the honoree should be specified on the check’s memo line.
The Memorial Garden is located parallel to the church cemetery and contains several inspirational “rooms” for meditation and prayer.
The Biblical Herb Garden is the front gate to the Memorial Garden. Geometric in shape with defined masses of color and texture, the Garden will function as a demonstration and education garden featuring Biblical plants.
The Memorial Grove showcases native plants highlighting ornamental cultivars offering seasonal color and texture surrounding a shaded seating area.
The Upper Room offers a larger, paved seating area designed to accommodate small groups. From this “highest” point in the Garden, The Peaks of Otter can be seen in the distance.
The Cremains Courtyard is framed by a low brick wall at the furthest end of the Garden. Sites in this area are reserved and maintained by the Cemetery Committee.
The Prayer Garden is located between the outer walls of the Sanctuary and the Music Suite. Constructed in 2011, it was designed for quiet Meditation. The circular walkway represents God’s unending love and grace.
The Tree of Life, located in the Parlor/Library, was designed and constructed by church members Al Schafer and Bill Copening.
The plans for the Memorial Garden at Bethlehem were created by landscape architect Trenda Carter Leavitt, Beechgrove Design, in February, 2000.
One year later in the summer of 2001, the paved walkways for the Garden were completed by Steve Williamson, Decorative Stone Works.
Later that fall, the brick wall enclosing the Cremains Courtyard was constructed by Raven Lynch Masonry.
Gardens by Sunflowers, the landscaping partnership of Ginny Brock and Wendy Guiffrey, completed the major plantings in the Garden in the summer of 2003.
In 2011, following the church expansion project, Trenda Leavitt returned to create the design for the Prayer Garden. Steve Williamson installed the brick circular walkway. Shrubs and trees were planted by church members.
The fruit of the righteous is a Tree of Life – Proverbs 11:30
