BLC Weekly, Feb. 6
Hello Bethlehem,
Bethlehem’s monthly mission partner for February is Green Lake Lutheran Ministries. Green Lake Lutheran Ministries (GLLM) has been a part of our Bethlehem fabric for many years. Many of us have sent our children to the beautiful shores of Green Lake, Spicer, MN to experience this important ministry. Green Lake's mission is "To invite all to experience the life-changing love of Jesus through vibrant settings in community and creation." The ministry celebrates everyone to let you be who you are:
Who is this YOU?
We welcome you – your race, ethnicity, and cultural background.
We welcome you – your unique physical and mental abilities.
We welcome you – your sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, including all members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
We welcome you – your religion, your faith, and wherever you are in your believing and unbelief.
We welcome you – your generation, political affiliation, and socio-economic status.
Please consider supporting this very important ministry for our youth to develop their spiritual life and learning. Our goal is $1,000.
Besides being our monthly mission partner, Green Lake is also where our youth will head this summer for adventure and faith building! Thank you for your support of our S’more Fundraiser to help send our youth to camp. Bethlehem youth will head to Green Lake this summer from July 30-August 3. Bethlehem’s own Evalyn Altmann created this great video about Why YOU should go to camp! Check it out on our YouTube channel and if you haven’t yet, head to the Green Lake website to get signed up.
The Lunch 4-a-Buck program has seen increasing numbers each week of this Spring semester. We are especially thankful for the support of Bethlehem Lutheran Church and the volunteers who offer their time and culinary talents to provide a hot meal to hungry students and faculty. We look forward to seeing your Lunch 4-a-Buck volunteers this coming Tuesday, February 7 as we continue feeding the Lord's sheep.
Please read the following. I've included some new information:
If you already know what you are serving, please let me know ASAP so we can post the menu on our Facebook page and Instagram. The most recent meals served since you last visited us include all-beef hotdogs, broccoli & cheese soup, beef & vegetarian chili, roasted chicken & fried rice, and baked chicken with mashed potatoes and macaroni & cheese.
The meal "officially" runs from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, but we are seeing more and more students arriving between 1:15 and 1:30, all of them looking for a hot meal. We know it is a big ask, but if you could have your volunteers stay until 1:30, it would make a lot of students happy.
You may arrive at 10:30 to set up
Please try to carpool as parking is limited. We will provide parking passes to park on Dillon Avenue in front of the building. You may also park in spaces #1 and #2 in our parking lot if they are open.
Plan on serving a minimum of 35-40 people. Today we had 44!
Please avoid serving pork products. Students also enjoy having vegetarian options.
Updates from WELCOME, a collaboration of Bethlehem, Grace, Messiah, Calvary and Christ the King churches:
1. Thank you to all who are helping to donate household items for the family! Contact Pastor Jacie for information on dropping off donations. You can use this form to purchase needed items and gift cards for the family.
2. An update on donating money: The finance committee for WELCOME is asking that donations be taken by each individual church. This is so that we can keep track in order to thank people who are donating. If you are donating money through a check write the check to Bethlehem and write "WELCOME- Nicaragua" in the memo line.
3. A note about information on the family- as needs for the family are being made known to us we are doing our best to communicate them with you. Things are happening and changing really fast, so there are some times where by the time communications have gone out something may have already changed. Apologies in advance for this, and thank you for your flexibility!
BLC Men will gather again February 11th at 4:45pm for snowshoeing! Come out to Minneopa State Park to enjoy a full moon walk along a candle-lit trail. The luminary trail will start at the Group Campground on the park's campground side. Gather with friends and neighbors to enjoy the natural wonders and beauty of the winter season. On February 11 (Saturday), Minneopa State Park is holding its annual Winter Fest from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Group Campground off of Highway 68. Enjoy candle-lit trails marked for snowshoers and hikers cutting through a floodplain forest. The candle-lit trail will lead along a bluff line with a beautiful view of the Minneopa Creek and its gorge. A crackling bonfire will be part of this festive, family friendly event. RSVP to Pastor Jay, pastorjay@blcmankato.org.
The Fat Tuesday form is now live! Order your Fat Tuesday Dinner tickets by Feb. 12th to help us plan. Tickets will also be available at the door. This year we are offering two dining options: an in-person dinner in the dining room and a drive-through takeout meal. Order your choice of jambalaya or mac and cheese, both served with sides of salad, roll, and traditional king’s cake. Our Silent Auction opens online on Facebook on February 12th and will close February 19th. NOTE: some baskets will only be available for in-person bidding, so come join us in-person to see! Baskets can be picked up during the celebration on February 21st.
Providing food for 35 can feel like a daunting task. Is your group up to the challenge? Our next weeks at Connections Shelter are 3/20 and 5/22. During our last week we were short one meal. The BLC Men’s group rose to the challenge and sponsored a meal from Pub500. With their gift of $180 they provided turkey sandwiches for dinner. Now, they’re challenging your BLC group to skip the cooking and consider sponsoring a meal for our neighbors in need. Contact Derek Brown at 210-863-4202 or sign up online if your group is up to the challenge!
A note from our Financial Secretary, Elizabeth Ruiz:
Contribution reports for 2022 were emailed last week. Please check your spam folder if you did not receive it. Members who do not have an email in the Breeze system will receive their report by "snail mail." Please let the office know if you have not received your report by the end of the month. Offering envelopes for 2023 are available in the narthex. If you would like a packet of envelopes, please feel free to take one. Envelopes do not have an assigned number on them, so please be sure to write your name on the envelope when contributing. If you would like a packet of envelopes but are unable to pick it up, please let the office know and a packet can be mailed to you.
KNITTERS and CROCHETERS — PRAYER SHAWL MAKERS: These still winter months are a great time for quiet knitting and crocheting to replenish the supply of BLC prayer shawls. Bundles of soft, new yarn (not Homespun) with patterns/instructions for prayer shawls are available in the office. BE A PRAYER SHAWL MAKER. See Marcia Nagel or Kathy Croswell for more information. Knitting lessons available. Crochet teachers wanted.
Check out January in Photos, our new monthly series where we share photos of some of the great things happening here at Bethlehem! Have photos of Bethlehem to share? Send them to blchurch@blcmankato.org
Due to a technical error, last week’s weekly email failed to send. We apologize for any inconvenience. The BLC Weekly is always also available to view here, on the BLC Blog
