BLC Weekly, November 20
Hello Bethlehem,
Thank you to all of our incredible volunteers for keeping our lefse tradition alive! We had a lot of fun on Friday! If you haven’t yet had a chance to pick up your pre-ordered lefse you can stop by the office tomorrow to do so.
Bethlehem will serve at Connections next week and there are just a few openings left on our schedule that we would love to get these filled before Thanksgiving! We still need a main dish and two sides for November 29 and December 2. Interested in serving? Sign up online to help out!
From the Council
November 19 Semi-Annual Meeting The BLC congregation met on Sunday for its fall semi-annual meeting. Reports on the BLC strategic plan and Council/board/committee goals and activities for 2023-24 were presented. It reviewed and approved the proposed 2024 budget as presented by the council. These details and other news are included in the minutes of the meeting provided with this link. Thank you for your support of all that Bethlehem does through its ministry.
2023-24 BLC Goals & Activities The BLC Council and boards/committees have established the following goals and activities to guide their work during 2023-24. These include the new strategic plan goals and objectives. This is a great overview of the work planned for this year by the Bethlehem congregation. We will make a real difference for our members and the community. Read and learn!
LIGHT kiddos wrote down what they were thankful for in preparation for Thanksgiving!
This Week
There will be no worship, meal or education at Bethlehem this Wednesday. Have a happy Thanksgiving!
The Fair Trade Holiday Bazaar will be this Sunday, November 26th after worship. There will be goods from Global Mamas, 10,000 Villages and New Ulm’s Own. Get a start on holiday shopping from some wonderful and ethical vendors!
Thank you
“The Cruz family continues to do very well! The family recently had an opportunity to go out to Wisconsin to visit some other family members who are in the United States. The WELCOME team also heard from the law office that asylum paperwork was officially filed at the beginning of October. At this point it is just a waiting game until we hear about what next steps are. We were also told that work permits can be applied for 150 days after the asylum application is received. This would be sometime in March 2024 at the earliest. If the family is granted asylum they will be eligible for residency/green cards 1 year after asylum is granted. So, in other words, it is a long process and we are very much still in the beginning stages. We continue pressing forward though.
The fiesta for the family was a huge success! Thank you to all who were able to attend! We have been hearing a lot of feedback about how it was nice to get all 5 churches together to celebrate. We had approximately 200 people from all 5 congregations attend the celebration. It was a fantastic evening to celebrate all the ways that God has been among us all in this process!”
-Pastor Jacie Richmond
Join us for Christmas Eve worship services at 9:30am, 4:00pm and 6:00pm.
Bethlehem will host a blood drive on December 21. Sign up online to give blood and save lives!
Thrivent Action Grants & Choice Dollars Are you a Thrivent member? Would you like to help Bethlehem financially? Check out the flyer that describes what you can do with Thrivent Action Grants and Choice Dollars. You can really make a difference for our church.
SERVE
Home Care for Pr. Don: Bethlehem has been caring for and supporting Pastor Don and Bonnie Roberts since he was diagnosed with ALS in 1995, and now the Roberts need our help. Are you interested in helping with Pastor Don's home care? If you have experience as a caregiver, a good heart, and a willingness to learn, you are needed, as they are looking for more caregivers to round out their team. Let Pr. Don and Bonnie know if you can help! Connect with the Roberts by emailing dbroberts320@hotmail.com
Monthly Mission Partner
Our November Monthly Mission is The Reach Youth Resource Center. Since The Reach formed in 2011, they have served over 5,300 unhoused or at-risk youth and provided over 30,800 meals! Located on the Liberty Street side of Bethlehem’s campus, The Reach is a valuable resource in providing resources, basic necessities, preparation for employment and independent living, as well as recreational activities. Please give online or mail a check to support this important mission in our community!
This Week in our Prayers
Curt Halvorson Brenda Goetsch Marian Mallory
Pete Wachtel Nikolas Perez Betty Sanger Joan Stoffel
Pastor Don Roberts, Bonnie, & his caregivers
The families & friends of Victoria Reedstrom, Ruth Reichwald & Carol Peterson
Our Savior’s Lutheran in Spring Valley Evanger Lutheran in Sargeant
Minneola Lutheran in Goodhue North Waseca Lutheran in Waseca
Urughu Lutheran in Tanzania Msingi Lutheran in Tanzania