Be helight. A Publication of Bethel Lutheran Church

Transcription

1 Be helight A Publication of Bethel Lutheran Church A member congregation of The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 7171 Pearl Rd, Middleburg Heights OH (440)

2 fdlafjkl;fjkf Be helight A Publication of Bethel Lutheran Church Let your light shine before others so they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. Matt 5:16 NRSV In This Issue... Prayer Concerns. 3 Schedule for Lent.. 4 Youth Ministries.5-6 Bethel Happenings 7-10 Birthdays & Anniversaries Calendars Church Office Office Hours Mon - Fri 9 AM 1 PM Fax Number Steven M. Krebill Pastor Erika Haskell Director of Music Administrative Assistant bethelstaff@sbcglobal.net Christie Scott M.E.E.C. Director M.E.E.C. Office The Congregation Reporters 2

3 Deadline for the April 2016 BeTheLight is March 15 th The purpose of BeTheLight is to inform our members, friends and visitors of worship services and to encourage spiritual growth, Christian Education opportunities, missions and outreach, activities, fellowship events and volunteer opportunities. This newsletter is meant to be an information tool of Bethel Lutheran Church where we serve together as a family in Christ. The BeTheLight welcomes contributions and letters. Copyrighted material (including prayers and inspirational verses) cannot be published without written permission from the author. MISSION STATEMENT The people of Bethel Lutheran Church are called by God to be faithful to the word of God and proclaim it to all people. We share Christ's love and forgiveness by being Christ's hands, feet, arms and voice as we gather and as we scatter. ONGOING PRAYER CONCERNS PERSONS IN NEED OF HEALING Chuck Behm, Deborah Braun, Marshall Camp, Karen Horner, Marie Link, Aaron Jardina, Brigitte Kern, Lynn Kostura, Joyce Larson, Pamela Misischia, Eric Nemerovsky, Kirk Nemerovsky, Donald O Dell, Mary Sollers, John Stefanik, Sue Van Straaten, Eric Whitsel PERSONS WHO ARE HOMEBOUND Mary Reinke~Ann Nemeth~Julius Nemeth Esther Johns~Jan Harmon~Viola Dase Please keep these friends in your thoughts and prayers. 3

4 LENT BEGINS MARCH 1 Ash Wednesday March 1 Our 2017 Lenten journey begins with Ash Wednesday worship on Wednesday, March 1. Services will be held at 1 PM and 7 PM and will include confession, the imposition of ashes, and Holy Communion. Sundays During Lent 9:45 AM "Steps Toward Faith" -Sermon series based on the Series A weekly lessons, highlighting Jesus encounter with a different person each week. Mar 5 - Mar 12 - Mar 19 - Mar 26 April 2 TEMPTED BY THE DEVIL NICODEMUS THE WOMAN AT THE WELL MAN BORN BLID LAZARUS The remainder of the Lent/Easter schedule will be printed in the April/May edition of The BetheLight. FIRST COMMUNION INSTRUCTION for all young people, grades 1 and above, who have not yet participated is coming in March. The meetings will be held in the Gathering Place conference room at 6:30 PM on the Wednesdays of March 8,15, and 22. Letters of invitation have been sent to all students on our LIFE Together list. One parent or supporting adult is required to attend the meetings with their student. Please see Pastor Krebill for more information. 4

5 CAMP MOWANA NEWS This summer, Pastor Krebill will be serving as the chaplain at Camp Mowana on week 6, which is July This week is for kindergarteners through middle school age youth, and also includes Western Riding Camp. This just happens to be the week that he will be attending camp, but there are many other weeks available for young people to attend if that creates a conflict in families schedules. In addition, the week at Mowana for high school youth is earlier in July, from July 2-7. Registration for camp is done online at lomocamps.org. As in past years, Bethel Lutheran Church will make an initial $200 scholarship available to any young person who wants to attend camp, and will give further assistance if requested, so that anyone who wants to go to camp, can. In addition, Mowana makes many other loyalty and bring-a-friend discounts, which you can see in the next paragraph. All of the discount codes have been designed to INCLUDE the scholarship from Bethel.. Here are the discount codes: Basic Bethel Scholarship Discount: BETHEL200 Save $ // First Timer: BETHEL300 $100 LOMO Discount & $200 Bethel Middleburg Hts. First Time Youth Summer Campers Receive a $100 discount if you are new to our Summer Youth Programs. Save $ // First Timer Friend: BETHEL350 $150 LOMO Discount & $200 Bethel Middleburg Hts. Invited friend must be a new youth camper and you must identify who invited you during registration. Save $ // I Invited a Friend: BETHELFRIEND $50 LOMO Discount & $200 Bethel Middleburg Hts. Invite a new youth camper who has not camped with LOMO and receive a $50 discount. You must have previously camped You can also get the discount codes from the many posters hanging throughout the church or by contacting the church office. For more information, talk directly to Pastor Krebill, the person serving as the chaplain. Talk to him, not somebody at the church. He will be happy to assist you or give more information. 5

6 FAITH EXPLORERS TO HOST REFORMATION 500 VIDEO SCREENING ON FEBRUARY 19 The year 2017 marks the 500 th anniversary of the Reformation. In 1517, the German monk Martin Luther collected 95 points to stoke discussion about the corruption of the medieval Church. He then nailed his famous 95 Theses to the door of his hometown church in Wittenberg. With that small, symbolic act, Luther unleased a storm of change, kicking off the most important religious event of the past millennium- the Protestant Reformation. To kick off the year of commemoration of the 500 th anniversary of the Reformation, the members of Bethel s Faith Explorers, invite you to a screening of a video called Luther and the Reformation. Produced by travel guru and fellow Lutheran, Rick Steves for PBS and made available free to congregations, this one hour special doesn t just tell Luther s story, it also visits many Luther sites in Germany. Rick Steves explains: There have been good movies about Martin Luther, but I planned a broader coverage explaining the historic, economic and social context of the Reformation, and how this tumultuous age helped Europe leave the Middle Ages and enter our Modern Age The screening of Rick Steve s Luther and the Reformation will be held on Sunday, February 19, (which is the day after the 471 st anniversary of Luther s death.) at 6 PM in Bethel s sanctuary. A short period of discussion will follow and refreshments, provided by our FaithX members will be served afterward in the Gathering Place. Join us for an informative and fun evening. 6

7 NEW ADULT ANIMATE BIBLE CLASS TO BE OFFERED DURING LENT. WHAT: Similar to the Animate Faith class offered last fall, this will be seven-week opportunity for adults to gather and talk about the Bible, how it came to be how we read it and interpret it, and how it is the source and norm of our faith. Each session will include video presentations from a number of different Christian traditions and leaders, used to animate the discussion. WHEN: On seven Monday evenings, 7:00-8:30 PM, February 27 through April 10 WHERE: WHO: Meeting in the Gathering Place. Adults who have not had extensive experience studying the Bible. These are the themes for the seven weeks of Animate Bible. Canon- Mining for the Word History- Parchment to Pixel Testament- One Story Two Parts Gospels Unexpected Good News Genre- Rhythm of the Text Interpretation- Scripture Reads Us Grace- Love is the Bottom Line Please Pastor Krebill at pastorstevek@sbcglobal.net if you would like to attend. All are welcome, but it will be helpful to know how many people are interested so we know how many books to order. 7

8 Tasty Fun for Everyone in March!! Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 18. We will hold our 8th annual chili and soup cook off and family fun night in the fellowship hall from 4 until 7 PM. There will be tastings of homemade chilies and soups for you to vote on the best, most unusual, etc. Games, kid s activities, prizes and more will round out the evening. Tickets will be sold in the Gathering Place and at the door. Proceeds will go to support our youth programs and activities including camperships to Camp Mowana this summer. Watch for more information in the Gathering Place and News and Views! We need lots of help to make this a great evening. Can you do any of the following? Chili or soup cooks make your favorite recipe to share and enter the competition Bread or dessert providers Soup/chili servers Games/activities coordinator or helper Contact Ed and Jane or ejamsalem@yahoo.com) or Dan and Merri or bereafish@roadrunner.com) for more information or to sign up to help. Middleburg Early Education Center Fundraiser Coming February 25 It is time once again for MEEC's annual dinner and auction fundraiser. Join us on Saturday, February 25 at Old Oak Bible Church, 7575 Old Oak Blvd., Middleburg Heights for a MEEC Mardi Gras. Don t miss a fun evening! We will have our usual great Live Auction Items, Silent Auction Items, raffles, and Ticket-to-Pick-it. Door prizes, too! The buffet dinner will be served at 6:00 p.m., followed by the auction. Tickets are now on sale for $35.00 per person, which includes the buffet and a chance to win a door prize. Bring your family and friends and buy an entire table! To order tickets or make a donation, stop by the school office or call on school days between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. This is MEEC's biggest fundraiser of the year and a fun and helpful way to support the school. 8

9 "Adopt-a-Member" Ministry: Brightening the Day for Those in Need The "Adopt-a-Member" ministry keeps in touch with Bethel members who are not able to attend worship services. This outreach lets "adoptees" know that Bethel cares about them, wherever they are, and for whatever reason they cannot be with us on Sundays. We do this by mailing cards, such as "Thinking of You," "Get Well," and "Happy Birthday." These cards, with hand-written messages, brighten the day of people who are: on Bethel's "Prayer List" or receive "Pastoral Care" home-bound or shut-in, or live in Assisted Living or in a Nursing Home ill, recovering from surgery, or scheduled for surgery suffering from personal or family difficulties away at college (keeping in touch with encouragement cards and news from Bethel) serving in the military ("Thank you for your service" and news from Bethel) celebrating a birthday, anniversary, or special event returning from Camp Mowana visitors at worship service and more, as our ministry grows, including people who are not members of our congregation We invite you to join our team. We work from home, individually. No formal meetings. We keep in touch via and phone. After Sunday service, in The Gathering Place, we share our card-sending experiences with one another and replenish our supply of cards and postage stamps. Sending a card or letter can brighten the day for someone whose life may be more challenging than what you might think yours is. Thrivent Financial's "Action Team" program funds 100% of our ministry to buy cards and postage. No money comes from Bethel's budget. To join our team, see Ray Herzog (Team Leader) after Sunday service, or call Ray ( ). Also, if you would like to send cards without being a member of our team, let Ray know. Cards and postage stamps are provided for team members and individuals. Your "Adopt-a-Member" Ministry Team: Georgia Bobrosky, Pam Ciccarello, Jayne Cool, Laura Elewski (Council Leader), Ray Herzog (Team Leader), Donnette Ipsaro, Becky Johnson-Rescola, Kathy Maszczynski, Sandra Matlack, Jane Salem, Michael Salem, and Jeannette Yanuzzi. Thrivent Congregational Advocates and Action Teams For many years, Thrivent Financial has supported our fund raisers and ministries, such as God s Faithful Followers. Through its Action Team program, Thrivent provides $250 seed money to help cover expenses. This funding adds an extra $250 profit for fund raisers and lowers our budgeted costs for ministries. To help spread the word about Thrivent s funding, our congreagation has three volunteer Congregational Advocates: Ray Herzog, Ed Harbart and Karl Yanuzzi. Ask us how you can easily start or be a part of an Action Team. You may also learn about Action Teams at On this home webpage, click Making a Difference and then click Thrivent Action Teams. Or call THRIVENT and ask for Action Teams. 9

10 Middleburg Heights Food Pantry The following items are needed now and year round: ramen noodles, skillet dinners, tuna. Your donations of other nonperishable foods are also welcomed. ontribution to the q Bethel Soap Box Ministry Thank you to our generous donors in 2015! We were able to deliver 32 personal hygiene toiletry bags and another cash donation of $ to the Woman s Community Re- Entry program in November. Our efforts are making a positive contribution to the quality of life for the participants of this program. Please continue to drop off your donations in the Gathering Place coat room. Ed Harbart Redeemer Crisis Center It s a new year and super cold outside! Guess that means you have decided to clean out your closets?!! Well, when you do, please don t forget to bring the following items in for donation to the Redeemer Crisis Center box. The need is always there, and always appreciated!! Can openers Silverware Dishes Glasses/Coffee Cups Pots/Pans CLEAN sheets, pillowcases, etc. Thank you for helping this ministry!! 10

11 Birthdays and Anniversaries 1 Margaret Gutwein 1 Richard and Victoria Bobey 3 Helmut Link 4 Robert Pickens Jr 6 Ruth Kuhn 8 Ruth Bemer 8 Cole Nicholas 10 Mitch Ciccarello 11 Ginny Markus 15 Thelma Bradnan 15 Erika Haskell 15 Lisa Weaver 17 Kathy Maszczynski 17 Aubryana Kolomijez 22 Ray and Wanda Herzog 24 Cindy LoPiccolo 11

12 Birthdays and Anniversaries 1 Linda English 4 Kelly and Alex Bartlett 7 Gloria Neumann 8 Ray Herzog 8 Bev Riehl 9 Karl and Jeanette Yanuzzi 10 Emma Whitsel 13 Sandy Sauvey 14 Riley Vata 16 Linda Harshman 16 Anthony English 26 Lauren Einheit 28 Holly Nicholas 30 Carol Dershau 12

13 February 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 Al-Anon Road to Emmaus Bible Class 1pm & 7 pm 3 4 study 8am GFF 7pm Bible study 8 9 Al-Anon Road to Emmaus Bible Class 1pm & 7 pm study 8am Council Retreat 9am-3pm GP GFF 7pm Bible study Council Meeting 7 pm Al-Anon Road to Emmaus Bible Class 1pm & 7 pm GFF 7pm study 8am 19 Luther & the Reformation Video 6:00pm Bible study Al-Anon Road to Emmaus Bible Class 1pm & 7 pm GFF Birthday Dinner 7pm study 8am MEEC Dinner & Auction 5pm Animate Bible Study #1 7:00pm 28 Bible study 13

14 March 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Ash Wednesday Service 1pm & 7pm 2 Al-Anon GFF 7pm 3 4 study 8am 5 6 Animate Bible Study #2 7 pm 7 Bible Study 8 9 Al-Anon GFF 7pm study 8am 12 (Daylight Savings Time - Don t forget to Turn your clock Forward!) 13 Animate Bible Study #3 7 pm 14 Bible Study Council Meeting 7 pm 15 First Communion Mtg 6:30pm 16 Al-Anon GFF 7pm Study 8am Chili/Soup Cook Off 4-7pm Animate Bible Study #4 7 pm 21 Bible Study 22 First Communion Mtg 6:30pm 23 Al-Anon GFF 7 pm Study 8am Animate Bible Study #5 7 pm MEEC Spring Break Begins 28 Bible Study 29 First Communion Mtg 6:30pm 30 Al-Anon GFF Birthday dinner 7pm 31 14