Worship: Saturday 5:30 pm Sunday 8 am & 10:30 am Wednesday 6 pm

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Worship: Saturday 5:30 pm Sunday 8 am & 10:30 am Wednesday 6 pm"

Denis Pope
6 years ago
Views:

6 pm Bible Studies: Pastor-led Bible Study Led by Pastor Kubow Mondays 6 pm www.ourbethlehem.com Church: (920) 452-4331 infochurch@ourbethlehem.com School: (920) 452-5071 infoschool@ourbethlehem.

1 Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage PAID Sheboygan Falls, WI Permit No. 11 Address service requested CONNECT WITH US Bethlehem Lutheran 1121 Georgia Avenue Sheboygan, WI WORSHIP & BIBLE STUDY OPPORTUNITIES Worship: Saturday 5:30 pm Sunday 8 am & 10:30 am Wednesday 6 pm Bible Studies: Pastor-led Bible Study Led by Pastor Kubow Mondays 6 pm Church: (920) infochurch@ourbethlehem.com School: (920) infoschool@ourbethlehem.com ourbethlehem ourbethlehem Sunday School: Sunday 9:15 am (4K 8th grade) Toddler Time: Sunday 9:15 am (infant 3K) Pastor-led Bible Study Led by Pastor Hartman Wednesdays 7 am Rev. James L. Hartman Administrative Pastor Rev. Alan D. Kubow Associate Pastor Patrick Vanic Principal Lutheran Church Missouri Synod MEMBERSHIP Sheboygan Lutheran High School Association Sheboygan Area Lutheran Schools Association

2 My Dear Christian Friends, A pastor once asked a confirmation class, "What is Easter"? One student replied, "Oh, that's easy! It's the holiday in November when everyone gets together, eats turkey and are thankful..." "Wrong! said the pastor. A second student replied, "Easter is the holiday in December when we put up a nice tree, exchange presents, and celebrate the birth of Jesus." "Wrong! said the pastor. On the verge of depression the pastor asks, Doesn't anyone know what Easter is"? One little girl in the back of the class rises and stands next to her desk and smiles confidently and looks the pastor in the eyes and says, "I know what Easter is." "Do tell." said the pastor. "Easter is the Christian holiday that coincides with the Jewish celebration of Passover. Good, said the Pastor. Jesus and His disciples ate the last supper and then Jesus was betrayed and arrested. The Romans crucified Him and He died and was buried in a nearby tomb which was sealed off by a large boulder." The pastor smiled broadly with delight as the little girl continued... "Every year the boulder is moved aside so that Jesus can come out and, if He sees His shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter." The pastor fainted! We have just celebrated Easter. The fact that Jesus rose from the grave is the bedrock event of the Christian faith. If He did not raise from the dead, all the rest of the Bible is nonsense. If the resurrection is not true, then Christians have invested their lives in a sham and, as the Apostle Paul wrote, We are the most to be pitied. BUT THE RESURRECTION IS TRUE and because of it everything about the world changed on that first Easter Sunday. GRACE, FORGIVENESS, PEACE WITH GOD, ETERNAL LIFE: all come with the Risen Savior. THAT S WHY WE CELEBRATE EASTER. Let us continue to live the celebration of Easter through our faithful attendance at worship and Bible study offerings. Let us continue to live the celebration of Easter through our support of the mission and ministry of the Word. Let us continue to live the celebration of the Easter with our prayers and our life and our faith in Jesus name. I remain your servant in Christ, Reverend James L. Hartman Administrative Pastor Bethlehem Lutheran Church and School The Bethlehem Visitor May 2014

3 UPCOMING EVENTS BIRTHS, DEATHS, MARRIAGES May Confirmation Questioning Tuesday, May 13, 7 p.m. Confirmation Pictures Saturday, May 17, 9 a.m. Confirmation Sunday, May 18, 2014, 2 p.m. Baptisms March 29 - Lumen Azaria Shinn, daughter of Randal Shinn and Barbra Lantto April 6 - Riley Ann Aschenbach, daughter of Christopher J. and Kimberly A. (Bellinder) Aschenbach Deaths Robert C. Bob Osthelder, age 81, passed away on April 14. June... Vacation Bible School - Teach Us To Pray Another original and creative curriculum is being planned for Cooperative Vacation Bible School June from 9 a.m. to noon on the campus of Lutheran High. The Lord s prayer will be explained in childfriendly terms. Snacks, games, and crafts will be coordinated with the theme. A complimentary preschool program will be offered. Plan to be a VBS volunteer, forms are available in the Century Room. Plan to enroll you children and grandchildren. Registration begins May 3rd and will take place in the Century Room before and after worship services. The fee is $6 per child. The church office will also take registration, weekday afternoons. VBS Website The Web address for Cooperative Vacation Bible School is long, but using it will be worth the trouble. Just visit: you will find this year s theme, dates, times, registration and free childcare information. Our drive to recruit volunteers is in full swing. Look for job descriptions on the website and consider signing up to help. Helping At Vacation Bible School is Enjoyable Can you be a VBS Volunteer from 9 a.m. to noon on June 17-20? All Leaders and Helpers will receive training and all materials are provided. Most Leader positions are for adults, but anyone from this year s 7th graders through senior citizens can be a helper. Just fill out a salmon colored form located in the Century Room and place it in the box nearby. You will be called regarding your assignment. For more information, visit the VBS website or call Audrey Braatz at MISCELLANEOUS INFO Concordia University Wisconsin Summer Soccer Academy Is your son or daughter interested in attending a soccer camp at Concordia University in Mequon this summer? It starts June 15 and there are different sessions depending on the age group. For more information visit cuwsocceracademy@live.com or you can find Registration forms in the Century Room with the dates and costs. VISITOR SPONSORSHIP To help us defray expenses for producing and mailing our monthly newsletter, we have established a sponsorship program which includes a congregational contributor for a cost of $50 per year; and a commercial contributor for the cost of $120 per year. If interested, please drop off your payment or call the church office at Congregational Sponsors: Bev Fischer Lee & Bev Steffen Fred & Ruth Fibiger Robert & Joan Osthelder Richard & Marjorie Hahn Advanced Disposal Anita Kimmel John & Jane Halverson Commercial Sponsors: Advanced Comfort Systems Keith Wyckoff Siding Services Reinbold Novak Funeral Home Al & Al s Steinhaus Irish Roofing Boneck Printing Charcoal Inn.

4 STEWARDSHIP NOTES What is God calling Me to do? Part 2 Dear members, This is the second in a series of letters explaining and leading up to the Consecrated Stewardship program scheduled for this coming fall. Bethlehem is committed to this scripturally based stewardship program. Research shows that it works. It has worked time and time again. How can it not work? It is based in scripture. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save whatever extra you earn, so that collections need not be taken when I come 1 Corinthians16 verse 2. Give, and it will be given to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back. Luke 6 verse 38. A word you will not see often in the Consecrated Stewardship program is trust. But isn t a big part of stewardship about trust? Trust that the Lord will take care of us. Trust that He will be true to His word. Trust that He is in charge. In many ways our level of trust in Him weighs heavily on how we answer the question What is GOD calling Me to do? As a congregation, and more specifically as a Board of Stewardship, by using the Consecrated Stewards program we are putting our trust in Him and His word. He has told us He will provide. He provides for our congregation needs through you, our members, our family. He does foremost by spiritually feeding us through His word and sacrament. He provides workers through divine call and by our willingness to volunteer. He provides financially through the return of a portion of the gifts he provides to our members. He provides all that we have and all that we give back. Whether it be time, talent or treasure and usually all three. So again, the program asks What is GOD calling Me to do? As we go about our daily lives we think about that question. Remember we can trust Him to provide that extra time that we need to help out, the talent to step up and the resources to help out. As He promises us in the verses above trust in Him, He will give us what we need. The Board of Stewardship Short Term Indebtedness - 3/31/14 5 Mos Health Insurance & Benefits $ 111,205 Lutheran High School $ 50,414 Heat & Utilities $ 5,199 Building/Worker's Comp Insurance $ 1,982 Other Payables $ 3,996 Total Amount Owed $ 172,797

5 BLS CORNER Thank you from the Fun Fair Committee We had a wonderful turn out of kids and volunteers at the Fun Fair on Saturday, April 5th. In a two hour span, 2773 games were played that s 150 more than last year amazing! This years games that made the top five were: 326 Basketball; 311 Pick-a-Duck; 241 Pick-a-Nose; 219 Ball Roll; 210 Plinko. We would like to thank everyone that volunteered at this event with the games, concessions, ticket sales, ticket redemption, prize table, and clean-up. Also, thank you to Andrew and Deb Engelhardt for providing us with some of their games to use, Cesar and Kirsten Lemus with Thrivent for the generous donation to used towards tattoos and prizes, Plum the clown aka: Donna Hoffman for making the fun balloon figures, and the Bethlehem Faculty/Staff that stayed Thursday after school to help with setup. We are looking forward to next year and we hope that you are too!! BLS Musical Kings, Dreams & Schemes is the title of this years Bethlehem Lutheran School Musical put on by the 4th thru 8th graders on Wednesday, May 7th at 1:00 p.m. and again on Friday, May 9th at 6:00 p.m. with an Ice Cream Social to follow after Friday s performance. Congratulations Aaron TenPas finished in the top 30 students in the Wisconsin State Geography Bee Be part of the Bethlehem School Family Registration is still open for 3K to 8th grade. Have you thought about sending your child(ren) to our school? Do you know a family member or friend who might be interested in a Christian-based education in our day school? Spread the word! We offer: 3K Tuesday and Thursday mornings 4K Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings 5K full or half-day morning options 1st - 8th Grades Child care is also available for children ages 3 & 4 from 7 am to 5:30 pm at $4 per hour. And there is care for students before and after school for all grades. Financial assistance is given to families in need. For more information, contact the school office at or visit Box Tops for Education Thank you for collecting Box Tops for Education, we raised almost $1,600 (16,000 lables) to purchase school materials LHS HIGHLIGHTS LHS SPRING MUSICAL How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Performances are Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3 at 7 p.m.; and Sunday, May 4 at 2 p.m. Tickets are on sale in the school office. Preferred seating is $16 (all ages). Reserved and Bleacher Seating is $12 for adults/$6 Students and Senior Citizens. Senior Citizens are invited to a free matinee at 1:30 p.m. Friday, May 2. A freewill offering will be taken. SALSA grade school students will see a free performance on Thursday, May 1 at 10 a.m. For more information on LHS happenings, visit

Worship: Saturday 5:30 pm Sunday 8 am & 10:30 am Wednesday 6 pm. Sunday School: 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. Toddler Time: 9:15 to 10:15 a.m.

Worship: Saturday 5:30 pm Sunday 8 am & 10:30 am Wednesday 6 pm. Sunday School: 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. Toddler Time: 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage PAID Sheboygan Falls, WI Permit No. 11 Address service requested CONNECT WITH US Bethlehem Lutheran 1121 Georgia Avenue Sheboygan, WI 53081 WORSHIP & BIBLE STUDY OPPORTUNITIES