BLC Weekly, October 28
Hello Bethlehem,
We can’t wait to see you this Wednesday at Trunk-or-Treat! Join us in the Bethlehem parking lot after Wednesday worship for trunk-or-treating, games, treats and fun. Don’t forget to bring those Blessings Box donations as we continue to stock up for the season.
This Week
It’s commitment week! Please turn in your pledge cards this week or visit the online form. Have questions about automatic or online giving? Contact the office and we would be happy to help. Thank you for supporting Bethlehem!
Reminder: Next week daylight savings begins. Keep an eye on those clocks and we will see you an hour later for 9:30am for worship!
At our November 3rd Adult Forum we will hear from Pastor Jenna Couch at Crossroads Campus Ministry. Join us after worship at 10:45am in Grounds for Joy for coffee and conversation.
Join us for Wednesday night suppers, served at 5:00pm in the lower level. Offering is accepted but the meal is free. All are welcome. This week we’re serving sub sandwiches with potato chips and cold pasta salad.
Our Youth Lock-in is open to all 5th-12th graders! Join us this Friday, November 1st in the Youth Room from 7pm until midnight. Friends are welcome. Please sign up by this Wednesday, October 30th using our online registration form. There is no cost, but youth are invited to bring a snack to share.
next Week
5th-8th grade youth and a trusted adult are invited to join us for another Brave Conversation on Wednesday, November 6th. The topic: How do we have brave and kind political conversations? Brave Conversations are held twice a year. If your child isn't ready to have a brave conversation, that's okay. Though we hope it's a meaningful and age-appropriate conversation, we trust you to choose what's best for your family. A parent or trusted adult should attend with each youth. If that's not possible, we invite you to ask another parent if they will welcome your child to join their brave conversation.
Bethlehem will host an Election Eve Prayer Vigil on November 4th at 6:15pm in the sanctuary. Join us as we pray for our election officials, future leaders and the nation. All are welcome.
Rake the Town: Saturday November 9th Our Confirmation youth and the BLC Men will once again be raking yards for our neighbors who need support. We invite parents to come along as drivers and/or rakers, too! Gather at Bethlehem at 9am. We will have donuts before we leave the church and be done once all our yards are completed, likely around 11 am.
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.
Announcements
VIGILS of PRAYER & LISTENING – the 4th in a series – St. John the Baptist, Mankato: School Sisters of Notre Dame in Mankato and North Mankato, together with SSND Associates, welcome you to join them for hour-long gatherings of “Prayer and Listening.” Given the realities of our country and world, enter the quiet, let your mind rest, and center in God with people of any faith tradition in the Mankato area. The method is simple: prayer and listening to each other and the Spirit. The fourth session will be Thursday, November 7, 7:00-8:00 PM, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 632 S Broad St. No registration necessary. Bring a friend and come as you are.
Check it out: new safety railings were installed along the steps off of Second Street. We hope this improvement will make Bethlehem even more accessible to all our members, guests and visitors.
The Community and Global Missions Board will be hosting a drive to collect Period Products for women served at Crossroads Campus Cupboard. During the month of November, Bethlehem members are invited to drop off menstrual products - especially pads - in the metal basket located in the Narthex. Many thanks for helping to address this critical need of women in our community.
We want YOU on lefse making crew! We certainly had a great turnout last year making our famous lefse! Can we do it again? We plan on making it Friday morning, November 22nd, 9:00am so it will be fresh for thanksgiving. Sales will be presales only (watch for details on doing this) and any leftovers open for sales on Sunday November 24th. But we will need your help on Friday to make it another success! Join us for coffee and goodies as we roll out this delicious Nordic treat. Please contact Ginger Erlandson either by texting 507-380-5268 or email rerlandson2@gmail.com. Let’s keep our Nordic traditions alive!!
A message from Bethlehem member and rostered pastor, Becky Sullivan: Dear Bethlehem friends, I am on the way to connect with some of our Lutheran brothers and sisters in South Africa. I have done this before and some of you have told me that you wished that I would have given them my facebook info so that they could learn more about this part of our church... so, when I travel I try to regularly post on an open facebook page. Feel free to follow along if you wish!
Volunteer
Bethlehem is signed up to serve at Connections! We are looking for members to sign up to provide a main dish, two side dishes, dessert, and/or milk on the following dates reserved for Bethlehem: November 4, 5, 7, and 8 and December 5, 6, 7, 8 Sign up online.
ECHO Food Shelf needs your help. Volunteers are needed any day, any hours. If you’d like to help ECHO feed local families or are interested in more information, please call (507) 345-7477.
Thank you!
A sweet card we received from the youth at TEC 137!
Monthly Mission
Our October Monthly Mission Partner is Connections Shelter. Connections emergency shelter has 40 beds and they offer an additional daytime drop-in center with resources to acquire housing, employment, medical care, treatment and support. Bethlehem was one of several area churches which helped to launch Connections in 2017 and we have partnered closely with this mission ever since, through volunteers, meals and financial support. Our giving goal is $3,000. Please give generously and prayerfully for our neighbors experiencing homelessness. You can give online or send/drop off a check with the monthly mission in the memo line. Thank you!
This Week in our Prayers
Curt Halvorson Marian Mallory Pete Wachtel
Anna Moses Jim Freyberg Barb Girtz
Royce Elker Joan Stoffel Paul Haugesag
Amy Grams Haugesag Wally Boyer Al Rossow Maxine Wagner
Hosanna Lutheran in Rochester St. Paul’s Lutheran in Meriden
Ascension Lutheran in Albert Lea Isanzu Lutheran in Tanzania
Ihanja Technical School in Tanzania Jokow Wareda Lutheran Parish in South Sudan