BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH The Messenger April 2014

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Emery Dixon
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BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH The Messenger April 2014 LEMONT IL Palm Sunday April 13th at 10:30AM Behold Your King Maundy Thursday April 17th at 7:00PM First Communion and Stripping of the

A hearty breakfast of pancakes, bacon, hash browns and eggs will be served by our Sunday School students. Please join us for this delicious meal!

The purpose of this meeting is to extend a call to the Reverend Elaina Salmon to be pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church.

1 BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH The Messenger April 2014 LEMONT IL Palm Sunday April 13th at 10:30AM Behold Your King Maundy Thursday April 17th at 7:00PM First Communion and Stripping of the Altar Good Friday April 18th at 7:00PM The Nails of the Cross Easter Sunday The Annual Bethany Easter Breakfast will be served beginning at 9:00AM. A hearty breakfast of pancakes, bacon, hash browns and eggs will be served by our Sunday School students. Please join us for this delicious meal! Easter Worship will follow the breakfast at 10:30AM. CONGREGATIONAL MEETING A Special Congregational Meeting will be held on Sunday, April 13, 2014 at 11:30AM in the church sanctuary. The purpose of this meeting is to extend a call to the Reverend Elaina Salmon to be pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church. An informal reception will be held prior to Worship on Sunday, April 13 th at 9:45AM to meet Reverend Salmon. Coffee and doughnuts will be served. GOD BLESS OUR FIRST COMMUNNION STUDENTS Jake Ahlberg, Jane Howell and Grace Krakar as they receive their First Communion on Maundy Thursday. Visit us at

BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH LEMONT IL PAGE 2 Some final words... The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter with each day!

Assuming that all goes well and the congregation indeed calls Reverend Salmon AND Reverend Salmon accepts the call (both of which I am confident will occur), my time as your interim pastor will come

In line with ELCA policy, once I have resigned I will discontinue all functions of the pastoral office at Bethany. I cannot come back to Bethany to do funerals or weddings or lead worship.

2 BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH LEMONT IL PAGE 2 Some final words... The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter with each day! On April 13th, you will gather for a congregational meeting to call Reverend Elaina Salmon as your new pastor. I can t tell you how excited I am for all of you! Assuming that all goes well and the congregation indeed calls Reverend Salmon AND Reverend Salmon accepts the call (both of which I am confident will occur), my time as your interim pastor will come to an end on April 30th. As we approach that date, I need to be clear about pastoral ethics. In line with ELCA policy, once I have resigned I will discontinue all functions of the pastoral office at Bethany. I cannot come back to Bethany to do funerals or weddings or lead worship. I cannot provide you with pastoral care nor visit you in the hospital. You are probably thinking that this is really harsh. Yes, it is. But it is really necessary. When your new pastor begins, you need to give her the gift of your loyalty. Let her lead. Be committed to follow her. Support her in her ministry. Pray for her. Affirm her as The Pastor. If you still feel connected to me, this will be difficult. If the cord has been cut, it will be much easier for your relationship with Reverend Salmon to develop and grow in amazing ways. And when you say the word Pastor, everyone will know that you are referring to her. This doesn t mean that I will forget about you. Not a chance of that! You have made a lasting impression on me and I will continue to pray for you and your new pastor!!!! Many of you have asked what s next for me. My answer has been, I don t know but I m excited about it! Life as an interim pastor is never boring. As soon as the congregational meeting date was scheduled, I sent notice to the synod staff letting them know that my time here is coming to an end and that I will be available to serve as an interim pastor at another church. More often than not, there s a period of 3-5 months between interim assignments but I am completely trusting God to give me the right call at the right church at the right time. And you can trust God to be with you as you begin a new era at Bethany! Thank you for an incredible interim ministry experience! Pastor Janet Bethany Lutheran Mission Statement Bethany Lutheran Church works to be a growing, living, faith community focusing on outreach. Following the example of Christ, we will share love, grace and hope and commit the resources of time, talents and wealth to our church, our village and all of God s creation. If you have changed your address, phone number or home address, please let us know so we may update our records.

BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH LEMONT IL PAGE 3 Home Communion Ministry A new ministry of Bethany members for Bethany members will begin in May.

shared by the pastor and Bethany members. Two pairs of visitors have been trained for this ministry--ardy Wakefield and Karen Washagan; Jeanne Reidel and Beth Howell.

Besides bringing their smiling faces and friendly conversation, they will also bring consecrated bread and wine and offer communion to those who they visit. You might be thinking, Is this allowed?

Home communion ministry by lay members has been the practice of Lutheran churches for the past 20 years or more.

with their fellow Bethany members. Bethany s new pastor will also visit the homebound members.

3 BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH LEMONT IL PAGE 3 Home Communion Ministry A new ministry of Bethany members for Bethany members will begin in May. A little background first- -when the Church Council had preliminary discussions on expectations of the new pastor, the council realized that visits with homebound members is a ministry that could be shared by the pastor and Bethany members. Two pairs of visitors have been trained for this ministry--ardy Wakefield and Karen Washagan; Jeanne Reidel and Beth Howell. Beginning in May, they will begin visiting church members who are no longer able to make it to church. Besides bringing their smiling faces and friendly conversation, they will also bring consecrated bread and wine and offer communion to those who they visit. You might be thinking, Is this allowed? Yes, it is. Visiting the sick and homebound to bring them the sacrament of communion has been the work of lay church members since the early days of the Church. Home communion ministry by lay members has been the practice of Lutheran churches for the past 20 years or more. There is a short liturgy which is used for home visits that emphasizes how the communion elements were consecrated by the pastor in worship, reassuring the homebound members that they are connected with their fellow Bethany members. Bethany s new pastor will also visit the homebound members. Once things are settled, homebound members can expect her to visit them every other month (with the lay members visits taking place during the other months). TUNA TUNA TUNA!!! The Open Pantry is in dire need of tuna. Over the next several Sundays, can we fill the Food Pantry Giving Basket with 100 cans of tuna? Sure we can! Hope you can help by placing your cans in the Giving Basket in the back of church. THANK YOU TO Noah Kubowitsch and his dedicated crew for remodeling the Open Pantry. Noah s Eagle Scout project included a fresh coat of paint, installation of a counter and a clothing rack. These improvements made the pantry more user friendly and handicap accessible. GREAT JOB NOAH! Let us know if you have a graduate this spring. We would like to acknowledge their accomplishment. Give us their name and the school from which they are graduating. You can the information to bethanylmt@aol.com or call the Church office at to Bruce Taylor, Luke Taylor, Gary Gray and Ross Wakefield for upgrading the lighting in the sanctuary and education building. It looks fantastic!

You shall not expect everything to stay the same when the new Pastor arrives.

4 BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH LEMONT IL PAGE 4 Ten Commandments for Welcoming a New Pastor by Brian McLaren I. You shall not compare the new Pastor with any of the former pastors, for the Lord your God has made each person unique and wishes you to appreciate each original creation. II. You shall not expect everything to stay the same when the new Pastor arrives. Nor shall you resist change, nor assume that change is bad, but you shall trust that the Lord your God isn t finished with your church yet and is bringing change for your good and the good of your mission. III. You shall not make graven images of your old grudges, nor shall you keep stale disappointments in the temple of your heart, but you shall forgive and move on in the grace of the Lord thy God, for how can you ask God for mercy unless you give mercy from your heart? IV. You shall not commit gossip nor shall you complain nor shall you listen to those who do, but instead you shall entreat them to adjust their attitudes and lighten up, for everything shall be alright, and in fact, shall turn out very well indeed better than you can even imagine. V. You shall not commit nostalgia or say that the old days were better, for in so doing you shall make your judgment come true. Be assured that the Lord thy God is not falling asleep at the wheel, but will be with you and surprise you with abundant blessings, more than you can contain or count. VI. You shall not factionalize nor create us-them divisions, but you shall unify with your brothers and sisters even when they annoy or confuse you. VII. You shall not come to the new pastor with your demands, pressure, complaints, bad reports, manipulations, threats, agendas or unsolicited advice.. But you shall say, Welcome! How can we help you? We love you! We would like to increase our giving significantly. We re praying for you and your family. Welcome to our community! We baked you some cookies! And each week, You shall do so again and again until the new pastor begs you to stop. VIII. You shall increase your offerings and invest your money and your heart in the future of your community of faith and mission. IX. You shall not come to your former pastors with anything but praise for the new pastor. X. Most importantly, you shall trust God and stay connected to God and draw strength from God, staying deeply rooted in the message of God s grace. For God is good and God will never leave you nor forsake you. You can count on that for sure! TACKLING SPRING CLEANING? If you have any old bedsheets, pillowcases, mattress pads or blankets, the Quilters will be happy to take them off your hands to incorporate them into the quilts they stitch for Lutheran World Relief. APRIL BOOK CLUB The book selection for this month is The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom. Book Club will meet at the home of Nancy Iwan on April 10th at 7:30PM.

BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH LEMONT IL PAGE 5 Bethany Members MEMORIALS GENERAL FUND A gift in loving memory of Harlan Jungles by Fern & Norm Epler CEMETERY FUND Gifts in loving memory of Ruth Gotlund on

5 BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH LEMONT IL PAGE 5 Bethany Members MEMORIALS GENERAL FUND A gift in loving memory of Harlan Jungles by Fern & Norm Epler CEMETERY FUND Gifts in loving memory of Ruth Gotlund on the anniversary of her birth by Corey & Kerri Schroeder and Bob & Jill Gotlund. A gift in loving memory of Sandy Gotlund by Sandy Doebert. IN OUR PRAYERS Ginny Connelly Karen Rae Peyton Kirk Carl Slip Johnson Tom Pearson Ray Ludwig Theora Kujawa Marie Heeren Leona Nelson Friends and Relatives of Bethany Members Joanne Bauer friend of Jim & Ginny Connelly Gary Cobbett friend of the Bergmarks Nancy Olin aunt of Heather & Mike Nilles Baithin Wiggins friend of the Bergmarks Jennifer Tessone friend of Glenda Anderson George Woody-friend of Ed & Glenda Anderson Blake Donegan friend of Glenda Anderson Ann Wirth sister of Wendy Peebles Diane Reyes mother of Cheryl Sabourin Sue Knight former member Audrey Gee relative of Virginia & Bob Hoster Sherry DuTemple sister of Keith Olkiewicz Pat Genardo friend of the Connellys Kinley Ray friend of Ed & Glenda Anderson Janet Kuchar daughter of Virginia & Bob Hoster Debbie Hessert friend of Sue Gray John Kettle friend of Jim & Ginny Connelly Sean Clark friend of Kelsey Schroeder Rudy Cozzi friend of Glenda & Ed Anderson Julie Powell sister of John Howell Jane Lippner friend of Glenn & Rosemarie McAdam John Shea brother-in-law of Heather & Mike Nilles Marianne Carlson friend of Ginny Connelly & Karen Rae Melethia Molitor daughter-in-law of Marilyn & Wayne Molitor Justin & Stephanie Wormsley friends of Jodi & Bruce Taylor Karl Knasiak brother-in-law of John & Kelly Jaje If you would like to add anyone to the Bethany Prayer List, call or the church office OR drop a note in the offering plate be sure to include your name.

6 BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH LEMONT IL APRIL 2014 THANK YOU TO ALL WHO DONATED FOOD STAPLES TO THE BETHANY OPEN PANTRY Old Quarry Middle School Old Quarry NJHS St. Patrick Religious Education St. Patrick Church Lemont Township Lemont Police Department US Bank Starbucks Coffee St. Matthew s Church Jurgis Matulaitis Catholic Mission Emmanuel Baptist Church Lemont Junior Woman s Club Rotary Club of Lemont/Homer Glen Wayne Holous St. Alphonsus Church T.O.P.S. Chapter #2196 Old Quarry Drama Club LHS Interact Club Lemont Library MONETARY DONATIONS TO THE BETHANY OPEN PANTRY WERE GIVEN BY Sarah O Donnell Michelle & Dan Balich Lois Miller Geraldine & Ronald Ward Mark & Maureen Skowronski Donald & Patty Krengiel St. Patrick Friendship Club William & Mary Paxson Michael & Denise Arnashus Brian & Donna O Donnell Richard & Ann Pellegrini Elsie Schultz Sue & John Conway Fred & Pamela Schmitz Patricia & James Browne Robert & Darlene Herb BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH 500 LEMONT STREET LEMONT IL 60439

The Messenger December 2013

BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH LEMONT IL The Messenger December 2013 Sunday School Christmas Pageant The annual Christmas Pageant presented by the Sunday School students takes place on Sunday, December 22nd at