Bethel Beacon. December December Birthdays. Su M T W Th Fri Sa. Neighborhood Hygiene Services Sat. 3

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1 Bethel Beacon 1 Sat. 3 Sunday 4 Thur. 8 Sat. 10 Sunday 11 Tue. 13 Thur. 15 Sat. 17 Sunday 18 Sat. 24 Sunday 25 Sat. 31 Neighborhood Hygiene Services.9-12 Community Breakfast 9am Worship 10am Mid-week Meditation...6:15 Soup, 7pm Service Christmas Fun!...Decoration of the Sanctuary and tree 1-3; Christmas Program prep...everyone is welcome! 2-2:30 (see article inside Beacon) Community Breakfast 9am Worship 10am Mt. Carmel Sanctuary Jazz...6pm, see flyer inside Council 7pm Mid-week Meditation...6:15 Soup, 7pm Service Neighborhood Hygiene Services.9-12 Soul Collage 9:30-12 Faith and Family Funday pm Community Breakfast 9am Worship 10am The New Star Christmas Program...during worship Christmas Eve: Family Worship 5:30pm Carols 9:30 pm Candlelight Service 10 pm Community Breakfast 9am Worship 10am Neighborhood Hygiene Services.9-12 December Birthdays 2 JulieAnn Edman 14 Andrew Van Dyke 15 Lily Burdick 19 Donald Worthington Pastor Mike will be out of the office until approximately Dec. 12. (unless he heals really, really, really fast) Su M T W Th Fri Sa December 2016 The Bethel Beacon is published by Bethel Lutheran Church. You can find our members and friends scattered throughout North Portland, the metro area, and beyond. As a community, we worship God together, proclaim the Good News of grace, and show hospitality to all people. Join us as we live out Christ s command to love each other.

2 Notes from the Pasture: 2 Waiting and Breathing Holding One s breath and Believing These days are full of waiting waiting for appointments, waiting until I can get outside, waiting for the next pain pill, waiting til I can get back to swimming So just Breathe! Believe! These days are full of waiting waiting for news of new life, waiting for lights and fresh cut trees, promises kept, family gathering. So just Breathe! And Believe! These days are full of waiting waiting for Rudolph, Scrooge, Frosty, Noel, Hosanna, Gloria, for songs heard on High. So Just Breathe! And Believe! These days are full of waiting for virgins, angels, cousins, shepherds, no room, a census, an emperor, a donkey, a husband, wise ones So just Breathe! And Believe! These days are full of waiting So Just Breath! And Believe! These days are full of waiting, breathing, holding one s breath, and believing. Can you and I get out of day to day stuff to start building up the anticipation and hope of Advent. What we think is real Life can encroach upon the stuff that is actually real life. Recent events in our family have helped me see what is more important. It should not take hospitals knees, workload, projects, plays, and the rest to stop wait breathe.believe. Every day, even every hour, name something you hope for, anticipate, want to let go of, pray for, or will make you smile. Then wait breathe believe. Let this Advent season be time for what is most important. Pastor Mike and the Keys family.

3 3 Notes from Pastor Christine... Advent Credo by Allan Boesak It is not true that creation and the human family are doomed to destruction and loss This is true: For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life; It is not true that we must accept inhumanity and discrimination, hunger and poverty, death and destruction This is true: I have come that they may have life, and that abundantly. It is not true that violence and hatred should have the last word, and that war and destruction rule forever This is true: Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, his name shall be called wonderful councilor, mighty God, the Everlasting, the Prince of peace. It is not true that we are simply victims of the powers of evil who seek to rule the world This is true: To me is given authority in heaven and on earth, and lo I am with you, even until the end of the world. It is not true that we have to wait for those who are specially gifted, who are the prophets of the Church before we can be peacemakers This is true: I will pour out my spirit on all flesh and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions and your old men shall have dreams. It is not true that our hopes for liberation of humankind, of justice, of human dignity of peace are not meant for this earth and for this history This is true: The hour comes, and it is now, that the true worshipers shall worship God in spirit and in truth. So let us enter Advent in hope, even hope against hope. Let us see visions of love and peace and justice. Let us affirm with humility, with joy, with faith, with courage: Jesus Christ the life of the world.

4 4 Sundays Breakfast at 9:00 Worship at 10:00 Christmas Eve Worship Family Worship 5:30 Carols 9:30 Candlelight Service 10pm Coffee and Paper Products Always Welcome! Drop Off in Kitchen or Office Donations or Volunteers for the Drop-In Center The Gift that Keeps on Giving! Have a say in your future...become a council member! A Wonderful and Blessed Season to All Annual Congregational meeting Jan. 29 P lease help out our neighborhood guests served by the Bethel Hygiene Program by providing a donation of gently used or new clothing. You may drop off your donations, in a box or bag LABELED "Hygiene Program" anywhere inside the church. Thank you! What the hygiene program needs most: *sturdy men's pants/jeans (or long shorts), waist sizes 28 through 34 *women's medium sized Underwear, long-sleeved T-shirts, fleeces and sweaters *medium and smaller sized belts-unisex *men's long-sleeved shirts, specially warm lined flannel or lined hoodies, *warm coats for men and women *fleece-lined shirts and hoodies for men and women *blankets We can also always use volunteers for this program. To get connected, contact Robin Moody robin.moody@gmail.com

5 Here s what Kathy Buss has been up to. The Arc Angels to the Rescue! 5 For over 60 years The Arc of Multnomah-Clackamas has served people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through programs and support for families. Two ways we can offer help to our partner churches and organizations: 1. Closet Angels: When a loved one passes it is often overwhelming to clean out closets. Let us clean out the closets and remove the bags of clothing or you clean out the closet and we pick up the bags. Both services are free and ultimately help our clients. 2. Fundraising: Here is how it works: 1. The Arc delivers receptacles for clothing. 2. Your group fills the receptacles with gently used clothing. 3. The Arc picks up the receptacles and weighs the clothing. (whisper: coats, boots and jeans weigh more). 4. Arc cuts a check for your group! We pay $.20/pound. Most checks are between $200 and $800, and some over $1,000! What could be easier? Nothing! Say good by to labor intensive fund raisers (read: bake sales, car washes, gift wrap sales, etc) and say hello to The Arc. All you have to do is get people to clean out their closets and you are on your way to funding that special program or project. Some want their clothing drive to be for an explicit time and others want it for year-round and on-going revenue. We can print and wrap the clothing receptacles with your logo etc. For more information or to set up one of these services, call Kathy Buss: ext. 222 Kathy Buss Community Resource Coordinator The Arc Multnomah-Clackamas kbuss@thearcmult.org O: EXT 222 C: $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ A Fiscal Check Up Bethel s fiscal year draws to a close on 12/31. We are still running at an operating deficit, year-todate. In the bustle of the season, we urge you to take a moment to check on your financial commitments to Bethel. Are you caught up? If you're not sure, contact Karen Anderson. Blessings and thanksgiving for all you do!! Information on local warming centers: search 211 warming centers online and a list of local sites will be shown or call 211 for the same information.

6 It s Back! 6 Yep, Supply of the Month is back after an long hiatus. And what is SOTM, you might ask? Well, it s all the bits and pieces that keep Bethel running that most of us buy all the time and Bethel uses all the time. If, when shopping, you throw an extra item or two into your cart and give to Bethel, we will have those bits and pieces but not the expense. What kind of things, you wonder? Well, there is usually a list that looks like this: **Coffee, decaf and regular Whole bean, ground, just ask yourself what you'd like to drink. **Toilet paper - note: while premium paper is nice, the mid to cheaper paper is actually easier on the plumbing and with all the children that use the facilities here, that might be a good thing :-) **Though it's a delicate issue we must request tissue. A bale or two would bring joy in the pews. Ah, poetry. note: we are trying the smaller, longer size that fits right next to the books in the pew so we are not sitting on them all the time...check it out next Sunday **Paper towels: both rolls for the kitchen and boxes of c-fold towels (also called multi-fold, sold at Costco type store) for bathroom dispensers **Copy paper - multi purpose **Postage stamps **Liquid hand soap - note: we go thru less hand soap and the kids wash longer if we have the kind that comes out foamy...who knew? **Money - any denomination, we are an equal opportunity receiver. There you have it...supply of the Month. Easy Peasy! There's an App for that! How smart is your phone? If it's an iphone (not Android just yet, but soon) you can make it way smarter by going to the App Store and downloading the Give + app by Vanco Solutions. You can set up an account for your giving to Bethel or make your Bethel gifts as a guest. You can set up recurring donations or make one time gifts. Don't let your phone be feeling dumb now! Do you shop at Fred Meyer? Do you have a rewards card? Do you know about community rewards? Look here: NOTE: EVEN IF YOU THINK YOU'VE ALREADY DONE THIS--you probably need to go in and re-register your card! Do you shop at Amazon? Check this out: Smile account a portion of your purchase price can go to Bethel. If you set up a Want to give a gift by credit card? We can do that.. Just find Tammy or Karen. They have card readers that will let you make a gift via PayPal. And never fear, we are still happy to process any contribution you put in the plate! No electricity needed! Thank you!

7 7 Journey into Bethel s future. This is a journey we take together. It can be fun thinking about Bethel. Who will Bethel be? What will our ministry be in next three years? Coming in December In three years, who will you be? Take some times to think about it. Add it to our Bethel future time line upstairs. What will our neighborhood be like? How will Portland be different? Add your ideas, pictures and prediction to the time line down stairs. Bethel... and you... and me... Don't have a Christmas Tree yet? Need a Christmas Tree? Come join the Fun Committee in hunting for that perfect tree to brighten your home. We are hunting the perfect tree for the sanctuary this Saturday, December 3rd at 11 AM. Everyone is welcome and we would like you to join us! The address for the tree lot is: 3600 SW Trail Rd., Tualatin, OR If you need a tree and cannot join us, please contact Tana Bishop (tsml4400@comcast.net) or Stephanie Burdick (steph.lingnau@gmail.com) to pick one for you and bring it to the church for you to pick up. We hope to see you there! The Fun Committee

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9 9 Prayer Concerns...praying for and with our community. Prayer Requested for: Prayer Concern: Prayer Contact: People of Bethel Lutheran Prayers of Thanksgiving for partnership in ministry Bethel staff Barb Keys Prayers for healing Bethel Staff John Ramsey Prayers for healing and comfort for John and support Pr. Christine Core for his spouse, Katie Rose Marisa Avila Prayers for healing after surgery Pr. Christine Core Pr. Mike Keys Continued healing following knee surgery Bethel Staff Emily Bentley Prayers for peace and comfort PJ Bentley Tim Edman Prayers for healing JulieAnn, Marlo Edman Ongoing prayers for healing for the following: Laverne Atkins Paul Beezhold Dorothy Hansen David Lingnau Phyllicia McGowan Mary Rix Patricia Conner Tim Gibler Bob and Nancy Leon Steve Garrick Loretta Van Dyke Christine Downing Kathy Buss Update Thank you to Bethel members and FOB's for your amazing support of the Angel Project. All of our 11 families now have sponsors. We could still use 1-2 more food boxes. We are also looking for some Angels to help with pick up and delivery tasks. Specifically, we need someone (with a truck if possible) to help pick up a large donation on Friday December 16th. We could also use a couple of more folks to help us organize and deliver donations on Saturday December 17th. Please see one of your organizers (Cate Milburn, Shirley Kolpin, Joann Noll, Karen Carpenter, or Pastor Christine) if you can help with any of these tasks.

10 Its Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!!! And the fun is just beginning Join us on Saturday, December 10 1 to 3 pm (and beyond) for any or all of the following: 1-3 pm Decoration of the Sanctuary and the Christmas Tree 2-2:30 (ish) pm children and parents AND anyone interested in participating in the Bethel tradition of a energetic Christmas program will gather to learn one new song and re-familiarize ourselves with a couple of well known carols We will serve cookies and hot chocolate throughout the afternoon! Then when the decorating is done, the FUN COMMITTEE has suggested we retire to the Lucky Lab for libations and snacks! Sounds great! Aren t we glad we have a committee devoted to FUN? See you all on the 10th! 5658 N Denver Ave Portland OR