BLC Weekly, January 20
Hello Bethlehem,
Join us this Sunday, January 26th for RIC Sunday! This year’s RIC Sunday theme is Resilient Community, celebrating how far we all have come in difficult times and reminding us to renew our goal of true inclusion. Bethlehem has been a Reconciling in Christ congregation since 2020. Review Bethlehem’s Welcome Statement on our website or you can learn more about what it means to be RIC here. We will celebrate RIC Sunday in our worship service. All are welcome!
This week
BLC members are invited to join the Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association meeting this evening at 6:30pm in Grounds for Joy.
Join us for Wednesday night supper. This week we are serving hot beef on a bun with potato salad and rolls, served at 5:00pm in the lower level.
The Adult Forum for RIC Sunday on January 26 is "Clunky Questions: Answers and discussion about some of the questions you may have had about LGBTQ+ but were afraid to ask.
All are welcome to attend the MLK Jr. Day Celebration at Ostrander Hall from 6:00 - 8:00 PM this evening with the premiere of the extended film MLK 11.12.61.
Family Faith formation
We are putting together college care packages on January 29th to send to BLC college kids! Send the address of a college student to Anna Wencl and we will make sure to send them a care package. Email Anna at annawencl@blcmankato.org
Announcements
At 9:00 AM Saturday, February 1, there will be an opportunity to join with others to spend a morning cleaning our beautiful church. You could volunteer in these places: basement kitchen, Grounds for Joy kitchen, Heritage Room kitchen, communion prep room, wiping pew ledges and cleaning the hymnals. If you can’t be there perhaps you’d like to leave snacks for the workers. Please bring your own pails and wash rags. Other needs will be supplied.
Prayer Shawl Makers: Knitters, crocheters and learners are invited to join us in the Bethlehem library from 6-8pm on Thursday, January 23rd and 30th to learn to make prayer shawls. You can RSVP to Marcia Nagel at (507) 420-9692. Please bring a #10 ½ or #11 30-36 inch circular knitting needle OR size K, L or M (7.0, 8.0, 9.0 mm) crochet hook. All skill levels and beginners are welcome!
Year-end 2024 contribution reports have been sent out by email. Please review it carefully. Report any questions or errors to Elizabeth in the church office. If you need a paper copy mailed to you, please let us know.
Offering envelopes are now available in the narthex for those who would like them.
Thank you
Many thanks to Bethlehem and Community members who provided food and helped to serve meals at Connections Shelter in January! February 3 and 4 are upcoming days of Bethlehem's commitment to help provide a warm meal and servers for Connections' guests. Please consider volunteering to provide food or serving along with a group you may be a part of, with friends, or with another family. To sign up, please follow this link. Many thanks!
Monthly mission partner: Green lake lutheran ministries
Our January monthly mission is Green Lake Lutheran Ministries. Their mission is to invite all to experience the life-changing love of Jesus through vibrant settings in community and creation. You can give online or drop off a check written out to Bethlehem with the monthly mission in the memo line.
This Week in our Prayers
Curt Halvorson Marian Mallory Pete Wachtel
Anna Moses Barb Girtz Paul Haugesag
Amy Grams Haugesag Al Rossow Dean Phillips
Shirley Ruby Roger Pipes Norm Knowles
Kurt Burdick Joan Stoffel Gail Ihrig
The family & friends of Howard Wood and Marge Orness
LeRoy Lutheran in LeRoy Trondhjem Lutheran in Hayward
Redeemer Lutheran in Good Thunder Kule Lutheran Parish in South Sudan
Mazoezi Tumuli Lutheran in Tanzania Gambella Lutheran Parish in South Sudan