BLC Weekly, August 19
Hello Bethlehem,
The American Red Cross has declared a national blood emergency due to a shortage in donors. Our Red Cross Blood Drive will take place tomorrow and there are still many openings available. We hope you can make it tomorrow for the Blood Drive, 12-6pm August 20 in Grounds for Joy. Donors will receive a $20 Amazon e-gift card. Sign up online and save lives!
Family faith formation
Family Faith Formation programming registration is now open and there’s something for everyone! Ages 3 years to 4th grade are invited to join LIGHT or NightLIGHT, grades 5th-6th are welcomed to TorchLIGHT and we have confirmation classes for 7th-9th graders. High school students are invited to attend monthly fellowship events. Join FFF Director, Anna Wencl and Children’s & Family Ministry Associate, Kaitlin Carter, for another great year!
ANNOuncements
The Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association Night to Unite is coming up next week! Join us next Tuesday, August 27, in the BLC parking lot from 5:30-8:00pm as Bethlehem hosts our friends from the community. Food, live music, games and fun for all. Stop by and connect with our wonderful neighborhood!
God’s Work, Our Hands will take place Sunday, September 8 and Wednesday, September 11. Reunite with your church family with worship, food, and congregational art projects. Service projects will include assembling school kits, baptism blankets and doing a neighborhood cleanup walk. This is also a great time to bring in your blessings box donations as we restock for the season!
The Greater Mankato Diversity Council is hosting a Voter Registration Event on Saturday, September 21st, from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm at the 127 S 2nd St Shared Spaces location. “Our goal is to make voter registration accessible to all eligible community members and ensure they are empowered to participate in the upcoming elections.” Contact GMDC if you are interested in volunteering at this event!
Holy Grounds Needs You Holy Grounds is an ecumenical, community-based breakfast program located in downtown Mankato at Centenary Methodist Church. We serve approximately 100 meals six days each week (Monday through Saturday), between 9:00 and 10:00 AM. Our guests are among the most vulnerable in our community - folks that lack housing, folks without enough funds to make it to the end of the month, folks struggling with addiction, and folks who feel alone and isolated. It was started 15 years ago by a gentleman who wanted to meet the church’s downtown neighbors. However, without enough volunteers it would all grind to a halt. If you have 90 minutes available, once a week (8:45 - 10:15 AM), please consider giving it a try. You can sign-up by going to the Holy Grounds home page (https://www.mankatocentenary.org/holy-grounds), and clicking on the volunteer link. Come and join our small, but mighty group of dedicated servants.
Monthly Mission
Bethlehem’s August Monthly Mission partner is Crossroads Campus Ministry. Led by Pastor Jenna Couch, Crossroads is “Welcoming of all people of good will, no exceptions.” Campus Cupboard provides food support to students in need and Lunch-for-a-Buck provides an affordable weekly meal during the school year. Our goal is $1,000. You can give online or drop off a check written out to Bethlehem with the memo line: Monthly Mission, Crossroads Campus Ministry. Thank you for giving generously.
Monthly Mission Match! BLC Endowment is currently matching your monthly mission contributions $1 for $1 for the rest of the summer! Designate a special gift to Bethlehem for any or all of these projects and the Endowment Fund will double it!
This Week in our Prayers
Curt Halvorson Marian Mallory Pete Wachtel
Les Biesterfeld Anna Moses Jim Freyberg
Barb Girtz Mark Woelfel Tracy Carter
Amy Grams Haugesag Jane Sletta Nick Frederick Fran Jurs
Connections Shelter Church in Mankato St. Ansgar’s Lutheran in Cannon Falls
St. Paul Lutheran in LeCenter Mazoezi Kitusha Lutheran in Tanzania
Nguony Keel Lutheran Parish in South Sudan