BLC Weekly, January 15
Hello Bethlehem,
RIC Shirts for sale! Order by January 17th to have them in time to wear to RIC Sunday, January 28th! Enter your size on the sign up sheet in the narthex. Pay online or with cash/check in the office.
Check out some photos of the LIGHT kiddos yesterday!
“We learned about Jesus's disciples and each chose one to wear as an extra name tag. The disciples followed Jesus through an obstacle course in the hallway. We made bracelets out of barrel swivels (fishing tackle) to remember that we are also Jesus's disciples. Then, we went up to the RIC waterfall and added our own messages of hope, peace, and love.” -Kaitlin Carter, Children’s and Family Ministry Associate
Directories, Spring Catalogs and offering envelopes are all here and ready for pickup! Stop by the office this week, open 9:00am - 5:00pm Tuesday through Thursday, or stop in the narthex after worship to take yours home.
Fat Tuesday tickets are now available! If you’d like to donate a basket for the silent auction, please bring it to the office by January 28th. Funds raised will help support out 8 youth attending the ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans this summer. The online portion of the silent auction will take place from February 4th-11th and we hope to see you in person for our Fat Tuesday dinner on February 13th! Get your Fat Tuesday tickets here.
The second annual Kato Sleep Out with Connections Shelter will take place on April 26th in the Bethlehem parking lot! Join a team and raise funds for this important work in our community. The online sign up is now open.
This Week
Bethlehem is serving at Connections this week, January 15-21. There are just a few items left in need of volunteers. You can sign up online to provide food or serve!
We hope you will join in our RIC interactive art project in the entryway, now up through the month of January. We invite you to add your prayers and hopes for reconciliation and inclusion in our church and community to the provided strips of cloth. Tie them to the waterfall and watch the rainbow form!
Dinner this Wednesday will be sub sandwiches with potato chips and cold pasta salad, served at 5pm. Join us afterwards for worship at 6:15pm and education at 7pm.
This month
We hope you will join us on Wednesday, January 24th for Dinner Church at 6:00pm in the dining room. Come to be fed in both body and spirit!
Mark your calendar:
January 26th BLC Men Hops & Hoops. Contact Pastor Jay for details.
January 28th RIC Sunday, celebrating the 50th anniversary of ReconcilingWorks!
January 28th FLIGHT Winter Event
Meet & Eat: New groups are forming! We’ll pair up three couples/individuals to set up 3 get togethers, each hosted by a member of the group. Enjoy fellowship and food! Sign up by February 1 to be paired up.
Monthly Mission
Our January Monthly Mission is Green Lake Bible Camp. Their mission is to invite all to experience the life-changing love of Jesus through vibrant settings in community and creation. Our goal is $1000. You can give online or send a check made out to Bethlehem. Thank you!
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
Adult Forum
Yesterday at our Adult Forum we gathered to watch a documentary about Martin Luther King Jr speech at Mankato West High School in 1961. You can visit this link to learn more about this historic event in our local history. Click here to view the Documentary and Panel Discussion.
Join us next Sunday to learn about “NicBluCares: Compassionate Communities,” as we hear from our own Mary Bliesmer and her colleague, Mary Ann Boe. NicBluCares is the national pilot of a successful worldwide movement called “Compassionate Communities.” The people of Nicollet and Blue Earth Counties in Minnesota are building a safety net of community support, strengthening our compassion and capacity to care for one another in times of crisis and loss. Learn more on their website or check out their YouTube video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erz1EzKfMlY
We hope to see you after worship at 10:45am in Grounds for Joy. Coffee and donuts will be available before the forum. Invite your friends to learn about this important movement in our area.
The BLC Praise Band led us in worship on Sunday. They’ll be back again on February 18, March 24 and April 14.
This Week in our Prayers
Curt Halvorson Brenda Goetsch Marian Mallory
Pete Wachtel Nikolas Perez Les Biesterfeld
Pat Nelson Anna Moses
Pastor Don Roberts, Bonnie, & his caregivers
Cross of Christ Lutheran in Welch
First Lutheran in LeSueur
First Lutheran in Glenville
Mitume Ghata Lutheran in Tanzania
Muhintiri Lutheran in Tanzania
Kinambeu Lutheran in Tanzania