BLC Weekly, Sept. 26
Hello Bethlehem,
This week we officially began our Capital Campaign! Each week, we will be hearing from a member of Bethlehem about the ways they see God working among us and what makes Bethlehem so important to them. Check out the first talk in the Vision of Hope series. This week we heard from Lori Ruthenbeck.
You are invited to join Bethlehem Lutheran Church in the Imagine: A Vision of Hope congregational-wide dinner event at Marriott Courtyard on Sunday, October 23 from 5:00 – 7:00 PM. You’ll enjoy dinner, fellowship, and a short presentation on the campaign. No commitment will be requested at the event and there is no cost to attendees. Please RSVP by October 1st using this form. The link to RSVP is also available on our homepage. We hope you can join us in celebrating all the great things God is doing at Bethlehem.
This week we welcomed several new members to Bethlehem. Join us in extending a warm welcome to Isabella Thul, Carol Peterson, Sara Maslakow, Mitchell Skluzacek, Beverly Mathison, Wayne Luebbert, Ben Johnson, and Ted and Sue Glaser. Welcome new members!
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.
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.
Groups are gathering once again! 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:
BLC Men: The mission of our BLC Men’s Group is to grow closer to God as we grow closer to one another. 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.
Meet and Eat! 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.
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.
Interested in joining a musical group here at Bethlehem? Learn more about our musical opportunities on our website and contact Charlie Leftridge at cleftridge@blcmankato.org to join us in making joyful noise!
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:
Fall is in full-swing! 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 Oct. 2. Our radio playback will be at 5pm instead of 11am.