BLC Weekly, Sept. 12
Photos from Pride Fest 2022 and Sunday’s God’s Work, Our Hands celebration.
Did you get some great photos this weekend? Send them to blchurch@blcmankato.org or tag us on Facebook and Instagram!
Hello Bethlehem,
It was a wonderful weekend at Bethlehem! We had a great turnout for Pride Fest 2022 on Saturday, with an enthusiastic group of marchers and a busy booth. Thank you to our Welcome and Inclusion board and everyone who showed their pride! Then on Sunday we began our God’s Work, Our Hands celebration. After a music-filled worship service we packed school kits, enjoyed games and a photo booth, hopped in the bounce house, and enjoyed a delicious outdoor meal. Special thanks to Amy Haigh and the Engles for providing a great meal, and thank you to all of the volunteers and attendees who made it a wonderful day! It is great to see so many new and familiar faces here at Bethlehem.
God’s Work, Our Hands will continue this Wednesday, September 14th! The whole congregation is invited to join us as we reconnect with our church family and celebrate with worship, service, food, and fun! We will kick off Wednesday night programming with dinner at 5pm and worship at 6:15pm. We will have school kit assembly in Grounds for Joy from 6:45-7:45pm and outdoor beautification projects, a scavenger hunt, bounce house, mural making, and more! This is a great opportunity to learn more about our small groups, and to sign up for musical, educational, and volunteer opportunities.
Included in this year’s celebration, Hy-Vee will be offering a Flu Shot Clinic in Grounds for Joy this Wednesday from 5-7pm. Registration is not required and walk-ins are welcome! Hy-Vee will offer Flu Shots, Covid Boosters, and Take-Home Covid Tests. Please bring your ID, vaccine record card, and prescription insurance or Medicare card.
Wednesday Night Suppers are back at Bethlehem. Our own Amy Haigh has assumed supper planning and coordination and JD Truffles Catering will prepare a variety of delicious weekly meals; view the September menu on our website! Bethlehem volunteers will greet and serve you. Connect and converse with fellow members and community residents. All are welcome!
The ALS WALK is happening this weekend! Please join the Bethlehem Gaitkeepers on Saturday, September 17th at Spring Lake Park Shelter #1. Check in begins at 8:30am and the walk begins at 10am. The walk is 2.5 miles and a great way to honor Pastor Don and walk in memory of Jon Nelson. Donation forms are available in the office or can be filled out at Spring Lake on the day of the walk. Don’t miss this chance to be the cheering squad and hop in that group photo! We are hoping for a great turnout for ALS. Questions? Contact Ginger Erlandson, Rerlandson2@gmail.com.
Groups are starting back up! Bethlehem is blessed with many wonderful opportunities to connect with one another and grow our faith. Here’s a quick look at some of our groups and what they have to offer:
??????? Name This Group! We’re forming a new group on a familiar idea. Three BLC couples/individuals will be matched up and set up three different get togethers over a meal, each hosted by a member of the group. Have these three “eats and meets” before Jan. 1 and we will pair you up with a new group after the holidays! Sign up here to participate. The winning name will be picked by staff Sept. 14th. The winner will receive a $10 gift card to the Coffee Hag!
BLC Men: The mission of our BLC Men’s Group is to grow closer to God as we grow closer to one another. We will begin again on Monday, Sept. 12, with grilling and a get together at Derek Brown’s home. RSVP to pastorjay@blcmankato.org for more information, or fill out the registration form to join. Other BLC Men’s Fall Events will include serving Lunch for a Buck at Crossroads Lutheran Campus Ministry on Oct. 4, Rake the Town on Nov. 12 with Bethlehem Youth, and the 3rd Annual BLC Men’s Bowling Championship on Dec. 1.
Book of Faith: this group meets each Wednesday morning at 10:30am in Grounds for Joy to open Scripture and join in conversation. This fall will focus on Jeremiah and Lamentations. Cost of the 8-session book is $12. There is no need to sign up in advance, but feel free to register online.
Life in the Spirit: this long-standing Bethlehem group meets on the second Thursday of each month to learn and develop classic Christian practices like contemplative prayer. Meetings take place at 6:30pm and there is no need to sign up in advance.
Tuesday Morning Lectionary Study: Each week a group of Bethlehem members and friends gathers online at 7am to study and discuss the coming week’s preaching text. If you are interested in participating, use this Zoom link to join in.
New members welcome! Our New Member Orientation will be held September 18th at 10:45am. Click to learn more about Becoming a Member.
Connections Shelter is reopening for the season on October 3rd, and Bethlehem is signed up for the week of Oct. 17th! Some changes this year: there will be no morning shifts and only meal providers and servers are needed. Meals will be served daily from 5:45-7:30pm. Grocery donations will be needed for our weeks and a wish list will be sent out the weekend before the week starts. There is also an afternoon cleaning session once a week. Call or text Derek at 210-863-4202 for more info.
You can sign up to prepare food and bring it to the shelter, sign up just to serve the meal, or do both. We serve up to 35 guests every evening. If that number changes, we will notify you beforehand. Sign up here for a meal shift. Bethlehem is signed up for the following weeks: Oct. 17, Dec. 5, Jan. 23, Mar 20, May 22. Text Derek if you are interested in helping to coordinate Bethlehem’s weeks.
We want YOU on the Lefse crew! Rollers and flippers are needed to make lefse Friday, November 18th. No experience required: we will teach you this delicious tradition! Once we are able to secure enough volunteers, we will begin taking Lefse pre-orders. We hope you will join us in creating this yummy treat in time for Thanksgiving! Contact Ginger Erlandson by October 1st to sign up. Email rerlandson2@gmail.com or call 507-278-3007.
Our September monthly mission is Iambi Secondary School (ISS). This boarding school has a 200 student capacity and 20 staff members. Academically, ISS has been doing very well. It is a leading school in the Mkalama district and it is among the top ten schools in the Singida region.
Gifts from Bethlehem have been transformative for ISS: our past generosity has enabled the school to install electricity, allowing students and teachers to study and prepare lessons after the sun has set. As a result, test results soared and enrollment has boomed.
Our goal is $7,000. Please give prayerfully and financially to our friends at Iambi Secondary School. You can give online here. Thank you, Bethlehem!
REMINDERS:
Wednesday night worship resumes this week! Check out the calendar to see the latest music, worship, and event schedules.
Volunteers can now reference our serving schedules online!
Our radio broadcast will be preempted by the Twins early start on the following dates: Sept. 18, Oct. 2. During these dates, our radio playback will be at 5pm instead of 11am.
