Bethany House of Hospitality Residents 2023-2024.
Celebrated the 12th Anniversary of BHOH in 2023.
Jose Diaz led dancing @ the 12th Anniversary of BHOH in 2023.
Honored volunteer Ilene Black, bookkeeper/accountant. She has graciously volunteered for over 12 years!
Brief History of
Bethany House of Hospitality & Bethany Garden
Bethany House: was inspired by the Rev Wayne Meisel, and. launched over a decade ago as an approved ministry of the former Presbytery of New Brunswick as a ministry to young adults. Inspired by the PCUSA’s Young Adult Volunteer Program and modeled after the “Houses of Hospitality Movement”, the initiative was created for the church to be a telling presence in the lives of individuals, primarily young adults who wanted to live and serve in the Greater Trenton Area. Bethany House seeks to establish a link between our congregations and service minded young adults in the Greater Trenton Area. Rev. Karen Hernandez-Granzen serves as the Chaplain, and Linda Konrad-Byers and David Byers both serve as the House Parents.
On the surface, Bethany House is a residence for service minded individuals who want to integrate their engagement in the world with their faith formation. But its presence provides a much greater outreach to the Greater Trenton Area and offers a welcoming space to introduce the work of the church and its commitment to faith and service in the lives of individuals, especially young adults. Peers of the Residents might not be prepared to attend a worship service on Sunday morning, but they will attend activities and events at the House that engage them in spirit filled activities that prove both an introduction and an invitation to “a church without walls”. To our knowledge there is no other such place of hospitality in the area.
Bethany Community Garden: The garden was created in 2012 with partial funding from Arm in Arm and the Jewish Center of Princeton. The Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville men helped construct raised beds and a pergola. BHOH residents maintain the garden weekly and donate the harvest to Arm in Arm’s and Mount Carmel Guild’s Food Pantries. In 2016, the Garden was expanded to more than double its size with a $10,000 grant from the Trenton Health Team. A yearly Garden Party gathers previous and new community partners. In 2019 and 2022, BHOH hosted Nassau Presbyterian Church’s PresbyCamp and in 2019 the Northeast Organic Farm Association garden tour.
Bethany House of Hospitality: Dedication November 2011
Rev. Wayne Meisel created the vision for the Bethany House of Hospitality.
Bethany House of Hospitality Friendsgiving. Grateful to Host, Blanche Brann for preparing the entire meal and for providing all the refreshments.
Celebrated Bethany House Resident Kordell Garland for his accomplishments as a Leader/Mentor of the Trenton Circus Square: 2022.
Celebration of birthday and appreciation of the work of Princeton Theological Seminary Interns 2021-2022, Emily “Z” Zinsitz and Kendall Brown, @ Trenton Social.
Bethany House of Hospitality House Parent Linda Konrad-Byers’ 80th Birthday celebration on September 22,2022.