BLC Weekly, September 16
Hello Bethlehem,
The smiles you see above are from the first gathering of Bibles & Brews! All are welcome to join in meaningful conversations on faith and culture. Their next meeting will be held on October 10th. Stay tuned for new location details.
Thanks to our awesome school kit volunteers, 200 boxes containing 2,000 backpacks are packed and ready to head to Lutheran World Relief in the Twin Cities! Volunteers are needed to help bring them upstairs and load them into the truck. If you are interested in helping load school kits, please join us at 5:30pm this Tuesday at Bethlehem. Thank you!
THIS WEEK
Tonight! Bethlehem members are welcomed to join in the Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association’s (LPNA) bi-monthly meetings, held here at Bethlehem. Meetings begin at 6:30pm in Grounds for Joy. Upcoming meetings September 16, and November 18th and January 20th.
Mankato Pow Wow: The 52nd annual Mahkato Pow Wow will be held on Friday-Sunday at the Land of Memories Park. This is an opportunity to learn about the history and culture of the indigenous peoples and culture in our area. Check out the history and schedule of Pow Wow events at the following website: www.mahkatowacipi.org
Wednesday Night suppers
Wednesday Night Suppers are back! All are welcome and the meal is free. Join us at 5pm in the lower level. Here’s this month’s menu:
Sept 18 Chicken, mashed potatoes, salad & roll
Sept. 25 Hamburger/cheeseburger, chips & cold pasta salad
Adult forum
Join us at the adult forum next Sunday to learn about "How Did We Get Here: Christians, Politics and a Divided America?". Dr. Sarah Ruble, Professor of Religion at Gustavus Adolphus College will share her insights and respond to your questions. The forum will be held in Grounds for Joy from 10:45 - 11:45 am. Enjoy your morning coffee and some stimulating conversation with Dr. Ruble and fellow Bethlehem members.
Family faith formation
Youth and children, bring your backpacks this Wednesday for a backpack blessing during worship in the chapel!
TorchLIGHT and Confirmation orientation will be held this Wednesday. TorchLIGHT will meet in the Youth Room, 7th & 8th grade Confirmation will meet in the Heritage Room and 9th grade orientation will meet in Grounds for Joy. Parents, please come and attend with your child. Confirmation youth will receive a blessing during Wednesday night worship in the chapel.
Haven’t had a chance to sign up yet? Family Faith Formation programming registration is still open.
Use this form to sign up for candy donation or to host a trunk.
ANNOuncements
On October 6th our Adult Forum will center on Healing the Heart of Democracy, a conversation led by Bethlehem Adult Education Board members.The hope of this study is to nurture an understanding that we are all in this together, an appreciation of the value of “otherness,” an ability to hold tension in life-giving ways, a sense of personal agency and voice, and a capacity to create community. If you’d like to explore the text in advance, you can order a copy of Parker Palmer’s Healing the Heart of Democracy.
Our 2nd Annual Women’s Event will be held on November 9th! Join us from 9:00am to 1:00pm for a tour of tables, brunch, speakers and entertainment. More details and tickets are available here or by clicking the link on our homepage.
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!
Border Servant Corps (BSC) has provided hospitality services to migrants in the borderlands as they continue their journey to family and/or sponsors within the United States. Now a Social Ministry Organization of the ELCA, BSC has welcomed more than 135,000 newly-arrived neighbors from across the globe with dignity and respect since 2019. BSC is a leader in both regional (border communities) and national immigration conversations, including meetings with White House and congressional staff. Join Mica Faull, Border Servant Corps’ Director of Engagement and Education, Monday, September 23, 7:00-8:30 here at Bethlehem. In addition to providing valuable information on the impact of Border Servant Corps’ ministry, Mica will share immigration updates that ‘go beyond the soundbites’ we hear on the news. All are welcome!
Monthly Mission
Bethlehem’s September Monthly Mission partner is Iambi Secondary School Scholarships. This church-managed boarding school serves 200 students in the Mkalama district, Singida region in Tanzania. Academically, it is among the top ten schools in regional and national examination results. ISS has a conducive environment for students to learn with a reliable power supply, enough books, and enough teachers for all subjects. They also teach computer studies courses and religion. Gifts from Bethlehem have been transformative for ISS, and our past generosity enabled the school to install electricity, allowing the students and teachers to study and prepare lessons after the sun went down. Test scores soared, and enrollment boomed. Please give prayerfully and financially to our friends at Iambi Secondary School. You can give online or drop off a check written out to Bethlehem with the memo line: Monthly Mission, . Thank you for giving generously.
This Week in our Prayers
Curt Halvorson Marian Mallory Pete Wachtel
Anna Moses Jim Freyberg Barb Girtz
Amy Grams Haugesag Royce Elker Larry Frowick
Joan Stoffel Marilyn Price Vee Williams
The family & friends of Jane Johnson
The family & friends of Tracy Carter
Lands Lutheran in Zumbrota St. Olaf College Student Congregation in Northfield
Good Shepherd Lutheran in Rochester Kisiriri Lutheran in Tanzania
Mwangeza Lutheran in Tanzania Nabii Elia Lutheran in Tanzania