BLC Weekly, May 13
Hello Bethlehem,
BLC Community Garden plots are now available for sign-up! Plots are available on a first come, first serve basis and plots are limited. Sign up online or contact Sarah Morgan to reserve.
Bethlehem will host a Blood Drive on May 23 from 12-6pm. Sign up online to give blood and save lives.
Service and Sun is coming up in June! Youth who are going into 6th-12th grades are invited to participate in this half-week of service and fun with Mankato-area ELCA youth. Cost us $20/day or $60 for all three days. Scholarships available. Register by June 16th. https://blcmankato.breezechms.com/form/ServiceandSun
Summer Tutoring:Good Counsel Learning Center is offering one-on-one tutoring for three weeks each month June, July, and August for grades K – 12 in reading and math. Various hourly sessions are available from 9:00am - 5:00pm weekdays. Register online or call Sr. Dorothy at the Center for more information: 507-389-4229.
Centenary United Methodist Church will host a Plant Sale on Saturday June 1 and Sunday June 2 from 8:00 am until noon. Stop by 501 South Second Street in Mankato to purchase hostas, pollinators, asters, ornamental grasses and more. And new this year, the Garden Boutique, selling gently used garden art and tools. All proceeds support Holy Grounds, serving community breakfast 6 days a week.
Our VBS Registration is now live! All youth ages 3 years to 6th grade are invited to join us July 22-25. Our theme this year is Wholly Holy and together we will remember Jesus’ words from John 10:10b, “I came so everyone would have life, and have it fully.” We will learn about wellness and our connection to God.
Congratulations to Rev. Jen Nagel who was elected bishop of the Minneapolis Area Synod of the ELCA. Many of you know her parents are members here at Bethlehem. She will be installed in September. Read more about Rev. Nagel here.
Thank you to our representatives at the Synod Assembly over the weekend!
Monthly Mission
Monthly Mission Match! We are excited to share BLC Endowment will match your contributions $1 for $1 for the next four Monthly Mission Projects: May, House of Hope; June, Lutheran World Relief; July, Partners for Housing; and August, Crossroads Campus Ministry. Give to any or all of these missions and your donation will go twice as far!
Bethlehem’s May Monthly Mission partner is House of Hope, an organization which provides outpatient services to adults with substance abuse disorders. House of Hope has been serving the Mankato area for more than 50 years and contracts with the Blue Earth County Drug Court. The program is compatible with but not limited to AA and NA approaches. Contributions will be used for scholarships as well as start-up funding for new programs. Thank you for giving generously to those among us who struggle with substance use and mental health. You can give online or with a check.
Thank you
Thank you to the BLC Praise Band for another year of contemporary worship music! Have a great summer!
We thank God for the opportunity he gives us to be in this place, for us it is a great pleasure to be here sharing this beautiful service. Thanks to the five churches, to the pastors of each of the churches and to all the people who have helped us in one way or another, to those who have given of their time to take us to school and so on to other places. We have gone through very difficult times like any human being, it has not been easy, but God has sustained us and lifted us up to lift us up, we want to continue being good people, that you are proud to be able to help people like us, that your effort and time have not been in vain. I always ask God for all of us to help us and bless us with great health and prosperity. The Lutheran churches have marked our lives from the first day they received us, we are surrounded by people with enormous hearts. You have been the reason for us not to give up, you are our inspiration to move forward, because we know that there is a great future for us and you, what is coming is great because God will reward everything you are doing for us.
-From the Cruz Family
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 Jodi Orchard Don Grotta
The family & friends of Pastor Don Roberts
The family & friends of Jean Thompson
Grace Lutheran in Mankato Christ Lutheran in Byron
West Freeborn Lutheran in Hartland Nkuhi Lutheran in Tanzania
Vida Nueva Lutheran in Colombia Mkalama Lutheran in Tanzania