Hello Christian Friends,

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1 Hello Christian Friends, Many people over the last year have asked, How much does adoption cost? They usually mean money. While adoption does cost some cash, I would always contend that the cash is just money and not really much of the cost. There is a great deal of time involved in a long process with all kinds of emotional ups and downs that really cost a great deal more. Then there is a trip that takes you away from your family for 18 days, as well as other areas of life. Along with that, many others gave of time and prayers to support us. The cost of adjustment to a new way of life also plays in. If all I did was count the cost and if I could feel all the cost at the time of committing, it is one of those things that would be hard to go through with. Often the cost is felt now and the blessings take a little longer to feel. This is one area that God has blessed me, through adoption. I am amazed again at the sacrifice and commitment of Christ for us. The cost I have paid out is nothing in comparison to the price He would pay. If I had felt all the cost at the time of committing, I probably wouldn t have had the love or courage to go through with it. Jesus counted the entire cost and boldly went forward to do His Father s Will and to save us. Hebrews 12:2 states, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Jesus knew full well the cost set before him, yet he found it lacking in comparison to the joy set before him. The joy of salvation to those He came to redeem. The blessings are greater, yet the cost had to be paid first. Lyle Sielaff always used to say to me, I m still counting my blessings. It is easy to count the cost, much more difficult to count the blessings, but if we count them, they are greater. Or at least I should say if you see the cross and your eyes are fixed there, the blessings are always greater. God has poured out grace upon grace through His Son s sacrifice for us. The writer of Hebrews continues in chapter 12 stating, Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Maybe today is a moment you are a little overwhelmed with the costs of following Christ. It takes of our time and our energy. It takes making a priority out of something that most do not. It takes sacrifice of worldly possessions and accolades. It costs a lot. That is how the cross is. That is how Christ s cross was and how it is with the one we pick up to follow (Continued on page 3)

2 It is finally hiking season! I could not be more excited to be at a point in the year where it is nice enough to head out into the wilderness and enjoy the beauty of God s creation! I cannot help but think about God s love when I look to nature. We can see the trees each one uniquely crafted, with different types of leaves, their beauty standing tall for all to see Or we see the waters whether it be lakes, rivers, or oceans we see them glistening in the sun, the ripples splashing against our legs, providing refreshment in the midst of the hot summer days Or even the rocks providing structure for us to walk upon, towering over us in their might, displaying the power of our Lord Many things in creation can point us toward God and His power and love. It can inspire us to worship and praise Him even more than we already do! The book if Isaiah turns to nature frequently. One of my favorite verses is in Isaiah 55: You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever. Isaiah 55:12-13 What a beautiful picture of worship we gain through nature. I can t help but think of the trees swaying in the wind, worshipping the God who created them. The flowers, clothed in beauty, singing out their praise. The mountains, fully displaying God s majesty and wonder. Another verse that speaks to nature comes from the book of Luke. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest! Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, Teacher, rebuke your disciples! I tell you, he replied, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out. Luke 19:37-40 What powerful imagery! If we fail to worship God, He is still all-powerful. His creation will do what we neglect. In the midst of our chaotic world, God s creation demonstrates the need to worship and praise our Creator constantly. The worship and praise of God extends beyond what the human ear can hear! We have the opportunity to participate in the constant worship of our powerful, loving God! Throughout the summer, it can be easy to get sidetracked and fall away from constant worship. We get lost in the camping trips, the fishing outings, and the baseball games. Sometimes we get distracted and forget that God created all of these things! In the midst of our baseball games, we can look to the sky and recognize all of the beauty that God has given us to enjoy. During a camping trip, we can look to the stars and point to the vastness of God s creation. While fishing, we can look at the calm waters and be filled with peace that only God can give us. So this summer, don t forget to take time to worship. Don t forget to look to God s love displayed for us in creation. Take some time to slow down and get lost in God s majesty and glory! God s Blessings! Shannon Meeks

3 The suggested items to donate in June are shampoo and conditioner, aluminum foil and saran wrap. Items for July are canned mushrooms, brown and powdered sugar, and graham crackers. Please support our local food pantry, and thank you for your past donations. (For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, -Matthew 25:35) Join us on August 14 from 9:00-12 noon as we head over to Feeding America for a morning of service. This service project is open to all congregation members 10 years of age and older. We can have up to 20 people participate and I d love to see us get a large group over there to serve! If you would like to participate in this service day, please sign up at the information counter or contact me, DFM Shannon Meeks. You might ask What does the Ladies For Bethany group do? You may have thought the group only helped with funeral dinners. While that is an important part of its service to the congregation, the group serves in other areas also. Its Mission Statement is As Sisters in Christ, the Ladies For Bethany will strive to empower women to come together to serve Bethany Congregation with our time and talents. Monthly meetings are from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on the second Monday of the month from January to May and August to November. The group s January planning meeting starts the year off. The group hosts one Lenten Dinner and serves the Board of Education Banquet. It has had a plant sale in the spring, a quilt auction, a basket sale, and marked The Salvation Road passages in Bibles for prisoners. Members make and deliver gifts to our shut-ins at Easter and Christmas. LFB meets every other month on a Saturday at a restaurant for a Ladies Breakfast. The group collects Mites and cancelled stamps to support mission outreach. Other projects include making jar mixes as a fall fundraiser and in December hosting Advent by Candlelight. Women of all ages are encouraged to join Ladies For Bethany. (Continued from page 1) Him. Do not lose heart for the blessings are abundant in Christ. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:5-7 In His Service, Pastor Levi

4 The Church Council met on May 8, Board & Staff Reports: Elders: discussed the training with Faith Lutheran, Appleton on removal of absentee members; discussed potential candidates to fill vacant Elder positions. Church Properties: reminder for spring cleanup on May 12; decision needs to be made about stuff in youth room. Family Ministry: Board had lengthy discussion on VBS, no VBS this year, will need volunteer commitment before committing to VBS in Looking at how to continue and be outreach orientated. Finance: $3,759 net income in April, $7,521 YTD loss; $25,784 in cash general fund. Evangelism: two people have volunteered to be on Board; Victory Church project is too big for three people; discussed having Friendship Sunday a couple times a year; discussed targeting members in age range. Pastor Levi: back to full schedule and thanked all who kept things going during his absence. DFM Shannon: planning an all-church cookout once a month after late service during the summer; applied for Team Speak scholarship, hopefully can start in June. Old Business: Confirmation: Bruce had a meeting with Pastor, DFM, and seven families to discuss youth education and confirmation in the traditional form at Bethany; council had lengthy discussion, further updates at future council meetings. Constitution/Bylaws: guidelines from District used to make changes, after council approval draft goes to District before Voters Meeting. Bruce will meet with interested church members and have copies available before voters meeting. Council discussed the changes, motion made to approve the changes to our Constitution/Bylaws as was discussed, carried. New Business: Bethany received call from American Grand asking the church to be an emergency short-term center in case of an emergency. Motion made to give short-term support to American Grand in case they need to evacuate, carried. Next meeting is June 12, Complete Council minutes available in the church office. The following young adults received the Sacrament of Holy Communion and were Confirmed on Sunday, May 20, 2018.

5 The Bethany Church Council would like to provide you with an update on the work done on our old, outdated Constitution and Bylaws (C/B). They were last updated in 1987 and do not reflect the current organizational structure and also needed some grammatical changes as well. A small task force of volunteers reviewed the C/B as well as two documents provided by the District Synod office (Guidelines for Congregational Constitutions and Bylaws and Guidelines for Constitution and Bylaws of Lutheran Congregations). Our goal was to update our C/B with the fewest number of changes but to accurately reflect the current structure of Bethany Lutheran Church. We did not change anything related to who we are and what we believe. After several drafts, we reviewed the C/ B proposed changes at the May Church Council meeting. The changes were approved. We are excited to get this far in updating the C/B. The process going forward has been determined as well. The next step (a required one) is to send our approved draft C/B document to the District Constitution and Bylaws Chairman for review by the District committee which provides review and ensures proper content as well as suggests any needed changes. The Council is confident the committee will look favorably on the proposed changes. Once approved by the District C/B Committee, the plan is to educate our congregational membership prior to the November Voters Meeting where we will take action and vote on the changes. Only after an approval by the voters will our documents be final and approved. A summary of changes sheet has been prepared that identifies each and every change and why it was changed. The draft C/B has been typed in such a way as to see the old language in one color and the proposed changes in a different color. This makes it easy to see why changes are being proposed. Communications going forward will include some articles in our newsletters, meetings for our members where changes will be reviewed, and a publishing for our membership of the C/B and of the summary of changes sheet as in the Annual Report before the November Voters meeting. If you have any questions before these planned communication events, please feel free to contact me and I will personally review the content with you. Thank you. Bruce Frederick-President During the summer months through September, the church office will be closed on Fridays. In case of an emergency, Pastor Levi can be contacted at Caleb John Zian Willms, son of Rev. Levi & Jessica Willms, May 27, 2018 Rachel Michelle Boeder, May 20, 2018

6 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID Kaukauna, WI PERMINT NO. 163 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED This summer we will be hosting a cookout once a month after the late service! This is an opportunity to come together as a congregation and simply join in fellowship with each other. Bring a side dish or drink to share - we will provide the burgers and brats. Mark your calendars for June 24, July 22, and August 26!

7 Sundays 7:45 AM Sundays 10:00 AM Elders Thursday: Dan Thorson Ron Margelofsky Bob Koehler Altar Guild Cheri Rietveld Barb Dishno Ushers June 3 June 10 June 17 June 24 Team 1 Team 2 Team 3 Team 4 Team 8 Team Team 7 Counters June 3 June 10 June 17 June 24 Team 1 Team 2 Team 3 Team 4 USHERS TEAM #1 - Trevor Magnuson (Leader), Charity Magnuson, Gail Marzahl, Bonnie Reichel TEAM #2 - Garry Whitney (Leader), Dick Kickland, Mason Kickland, Micki Kickland TEAM #3 - Norbert Fuhrman (Leader), Bill Jorgensen, Sue Kamien, Jack Van Den Heuvel, Shirley Van Den Heuvel TEAM #4 - Diana Driessen (Leader), Eleeta Gast, George Gast, Karen Gast, Kay Gast TEAM #5 - Bob Koehler (Leader), Jeb Green, Josh Green, Trevor Koehler, Dan Tuyls TEAM #6 - TEAM #7 - Gordy Anderson (Leader), Keith Mitchell, Dale Owen, Linda Wruck TEAM #8 - Bill Jensen (Leader), Ashley Haen, Gary Hartz, Joan Hartz MONEY COUNTERS Team 1- Joe Kamien Team 2 - Joan Borg, Gordy Anderson, Mary Ann Anderson, Maggie Robinson Team 3 - Bill Jensen, Marv Braun, Bob King, Judy King Team 4 - Sandy Weiland, Wilma Allwardt, Joyce Diedrich, Cori Shearer Substitutes: Dick Kickland ( ), Micki Kickland ( ), Doris Marzahl ( ), Jane Stenz ( )

8 Sundays 7:45 AM Sundays 10:00 AM Elders Thursday: Mike Baarts Joe Kamien Greg Popp Altar Guild Ushers July 1 July 8 July 15 July 22 July 29 Brigitte VanderLoop Team 1 Team 2 Team 3 Team 4 Team 1 Team 8 Team Team 7 Team 8 Counters July 1 July 8 July 15 July 22 July 29 Team 1 Team 2 Team 3 Team 4 Team 2 USHERS TEAM #1 - Trevor Magnuson (Leader), Charity Magnuson, Gail Marzahl, Bonnie Reichel TEAM #2 - Garry Whitney (Leader), Dick Kickland, Mason Kickland, Micki Kickland TEAM #3 - Norbert Fuhrman (Leader), Bill Jorgensen, Sue Kamien, Jack Van Den Heuvel, Shirley Van Den Heuvel TEAM #4 - Diana Driessen (Leader), Eleeta Gast, George Gast, Karen Gast, Kay Gast TEAM #5 - Bob Koehler (Leader), Jeb Green, Josh Green, Trevor Koehler, Dan Tuyls TEAM #6 - TEAM #7 - Gordy Anderson (Leader), Keith Mitchell, Dale Owen, Linda Wruck TEAM #8 - Bill Jensen (Leader), Ashley Haen, Gary Hartz, Joan Hartz MONEY COUNTERS Team 1- Joe Kamien Team 2 - Joan Borg, Gordy Anderson, Mary Ann Anderson, Maggie Robinson Team 3 - Bill Jensen, Marv Braun, Bob King, Judy King Team 4 - Sandy Weiland, Wilma Allwardt, Joyce Diedrich, Cori Shearer Substitutes: Dick Kickland ( ), Micki Kickland ( ), Doris Marzahl ( ), Jane Stenz ( )

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