Join your Bethlehem church family on Wednesday, December 16th at 6:30pm for “A Night of Christmas Music (on Zoom!)” What better way to celebrate the birthday of Jesus than to come together and raise our voices in special songs of Christmas. Together we can share in the joy of Christmas during this sing-along. Mark your calendars and watch your email for the zoom link for what promises to be a Christmas to remember!

This is your invitation to tune your voices (and/or your musical instruments!) and share your musical gifts with your Bethlehem family this Christmas . if you or members of your family would like to be part of this by singing or playing your favorite Christmas carol, please email Laurie at 1jam@hickorytech.net or call (507) 779-9914 for details. The deadline to be including in the program is Monday, December 7th.

Join the Adult Ed board for a forum this Wednesday the 18th with Pr. Heather Hammond from Crossroads Campus Ministry (https://crossroadsatmnsu.org). Find out how the ministry is engaging their community during these unprecedented times, and how you can help!

Click here to join the Zoom conversation on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 6:45pm.

Bethlehem was awarded an Outstanding Service Award for our continued support of the American Red Cross during the pandemic. The blood drive in August collected 22 pints of blood. Our next drive at Bethlehem will be on December 28th. You can sign up to donate at https://www.redcrossblood.org

Bethlehem’s Shelter weeks are Dec. 14-21 and Dec. 28- Jan. 3, including an all-day shelter on New Year’s Day. There are no-contact options available. In the new location, the jobs are a little different, too. Please put those dates on your calendar and stay tuned for details and the sign-up link/form. Thank you!

It is with great joy we announce the approval of our new Welcome Statement (below) which passed with 97% approval at our Semi-Annual Meeting on November 15, 2020.

“Bethlehem is an inviting congregation with its doors open to all people. We joyfully affirm that every person is a Child of God. We believe we are one body with many diverse members.

We welcome all who desire to learn more about Jesus—seekers, doubters, and inquirers alike. We strive to include people of every race, age, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, nationality, spoken language, ethnicity, immigration status, physical condition, size, level of chemical use/abuse/dependence, neurodiverse function, mental health condition, appearance, marital status, family configuration, political affiliation, criminal history, economic circumstance, level of education, housing situation, theological background, and other intersection of life. 

The world can be an unloving place, and the experience of alienation is all too common. To those who have felt excluded here or elsewhere, we are deeply sorry, and extend our warm welcome in Christ's love. Everyone is invited to join and fully participate in the daily life and mission of the Bethlehem community.

Together we are better able to love our neighbors and serve God’s world. Together we are better able to learn and share God’s word. Together we are better.”

Here is everything you need to prepare for the Semi-Annual Meeting this week:

**Planning to attend in person? The meeting will be held in the sanctuary immediately following church. No need to even move. Not coming to church? Please enter the sanctuary by the door closest to how you enter the building and wear a mask.

**Got kids? Childcare is available for those attending in person. Please register here: https://blcmankato.breezechms.com/form/SemiAnnualMeetingChildCare

**Planning to watch online? Viewing will be available on Facebook and YouTube. You may ask questions in the comments' sections of these platforms, but you MUST BE PRESENT TO VOTE. Drive-thru voting is open at Door #1 from 10:45am-11:15am.

**Still have questions about the RIC Welcoming Statement? Please attend the Zoom forum this Wednesday, Nov. 11th at 6:45pm to have your questions answered. Join the meeting by clicking here.

**Want to be prepared? All the meeting documents, including the slideshow that will be presented during the meeting and the ballots, can be found on our website, blcmankato.org/council-documents.

PLEASE, PLEASE make every effort to vote at this important meeting. Make a plan (attending the meeting or using the drive-thru?) and put it on your calendar. Set a reminder. We must meet a quorum (75 people) to hold a vote.

In a time when we are trying to reduce contact as much as possible, you will NOT get a stack of papers at the semi-annual meeting this month. Documents will be displayed on-screen at the meeting and on the livestream on Facebook and YouTube. We encourage you to view them all before the meeting at blcmankato.org/council-documents.

We have transitioned to using our website as our main source of information, so keep this News & Updates blog bookmarked on your computer’s browser for easy access. You can always find the Zoom meeting links on our calendar at blcmankato.org/calendar as well, including the link for the Budget Committee’s Q&A session this Sunday night at 6:30pm!

You are invited to attend an informative session hosted by Greater Mankato Area United Way and presented by MN Council of Churches and Exodus Lending about the impact payday lending has on individuals in our area. Payday lending is predatory by nature and hinders individual financial well-being as well as deters them from pursuing any financial future outside of paying off debt. By learning about the problem of payday lending you may be able to help people reduce their risk of falling into the cycle.

Please join us November 12 from 1-2PM through Zoom (the link and call-in number will be emailed to everyone who registers). Please feel free to invite others who may be interested in attending. Register here!

Learn more about payday lending or refer someone who needs help ending the cycle of paydaylending at Exodus Lending, a non-profit that helps Minnesotans get free of the payday lending cycle.

ECHO Food Shelf is looking for volunteers to "shop" for ECHO customers. You would be given a shopping list and use it to place items requested into a shopping cart for pickup. Head to their website to volunteer: https://www.echofoodshelf.org

Pre-meeting forum to ask questions about budget presented by the Budget Committee will be held via Zoom starting at 6:30 pm on November 8th. (Link to join meeting HERE.)

Semi-annual meeting will be held in sanctuary starting at 10:45 am. Meeting will be live-streamed for members. Materials to be posted on BLC website (blcmankato.org/council-documents). Print ballots will be available to vote on budget, RIC welcoming statement, and members of Council & boards/committees. Drive-through balloting allowed at side door from 10:45 – 11:15 am.