The Bethany Herald February, 2017

Transcription

1 The Bethany Herald February, 2017 Inviting People to Experience the Grace of God Through Jesus Christ & Be Transformed Volume Handy clip & save box with contact info and other useful information. CONTACT INFORMATION: Bethany Lutheran Church - ELCA 15 W. 14 th St. Spencer, IA Phone: (712) STAFF: Pastor: Jennifer L. Henry pastorjen@bethluthspencer.com Youth & Family Minister: Katie Hare youthdirector@bethluthspencer.com Music Director: Stephen Baker musicdirector@bethluthspencer.com Visitation Minister: Onalee Wright onalee53@gmail.com Secretary: Mary Ann Quail bethany@bethluthspencer.com Custodian: Lois Becker sp2whlgrs@smunet.net CHURCH OFFICE HOURS: Mon-Thu: 9:00 a.m. -- 4:00 p.m. Fri: 8:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m. (Closed for lunch, 12:30-1:30pm) SUNDAY SCHEDULE : Worship: 8:30 & 11:00 AM Sunday School & Fellowship: 9:45AM WORSHIP REBROADCAST: SMU CHANNEL 2 - Tuesdays, 5:00pm 6:00 pm Wednesdays, 10:00am 11:00 am POINTS TO PONDER FROM PASTOR JEN In a recent sermon, I asked, Why do people come to worship? (The website has the sermon and answers, if you ve forgotten) Perhaps a poignant consideration is the reverse: Why DON T people come to worship? For some, they ve lost the rhythm of Sunday mornings. For others, they ve felt harmed by the church leaders, the church s decisions, or the church s attitudes. Yet others feel that the church is more political than faithful; filled with flawed people. I m listening to your stories and look forward to hearing more. In the stories, the scars and the joys are revealed. Pain is exposed. Forgiveness can happen. Reconciliation may result. Bethany has remained stable throughout the storms of its past. The pews and ministries are filling. And so, let me ask again: What keeps people active in church? A national survey of members of various Christian churches found these results. Are you surprised by them? The most satisfied church members feel a sense of being accepted, are valued and appreciated, and appreciate ways to allow friendships to flourish especially outside of worship. A church s friendliness is tied to its level of satisfaction. Those who volunteer at their church on a weekly basis are more likely than non-volunteers to be satisfied with their churches, their spiritual lives, and their faith. Members who are highly satisfied with their church report that their church leaders show care for one another. With this data as one of the many guideposts, the council began to explore some strategies to invite more involvement of members in daily or special tasks, to increase Bethany s friendliness and the sense of belonging, to invite others to become active members, and to reach out to the community in even more hands-on ways. Watch for these ideas as they are sent to you through this next year promises to be a GREAT year of learning and serving! I can t wait!!! See you in worship, Pr. Jen 1 D. Michael Lindsay, Healthy Churches Know How to Connect People, The Gallup Guide: Reality Check for 21 st Century Churches, Mar/April 2005, Group Publishing, Inc. THE BETHANY HERALD FEBRUARY 2017 PAGE 1

2 PRAYER CONCERNS Listed below are current prayer concerns along with those from over the past month. Prayers have been lifted up for these people at Bethany and beyond. Health Concerns: Kent Baker, Alta Bruns, Lloyd Duffney, Mary Grover, Mel Henning, Andy Hermanson, Jamie Huber, Pixie Jensen, Elsie Mae Jones, LaVonne Kramer, Deb Kunzmann, Linda Kunzmann, Bill McCune, Don Moore, Ron Peterson, Lee Sather, Marv Schmidt, Lloyd Senne, Connie Sorbe, Sheryl Thu; Miles Rohan (Susan Rohan s father-in-law); Kay Gengler (Cheri Klemme s mother) Dave Spenst (JoAnne Franke s stepfather) Brian Baker (Stephen Baker s father) Gina Heiter (Cindy Heiter s daughter-in-law) Doris Rolow (Dee Salzkorn s sister) Jerry Ebel (Jan Rusk s brother) Those who mourn: The family of Linda Swanson (Marian Crane s niece) The family of Harold Ness (Ramona Waldstein s father ) The family of Pat Anderson The family of Evelyn Larson The family of Jayne Poulsen The family of Jim Anderson The family of Arnold Bratland (Cindy DeVlaeminck s father) Thank you to our special Bethany friends for remembering us on our 50 th wedding anniversary. We are so blessed to have you in our lives. Love, Steve & Rhonda Salts ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ From The Family of Vivian Cook: Cheryl (Cook) Mixdorf, Bill Cook and Craig Cook We would like to take a moment to thank Pastor Jen and the entire Bethany congregation for their sympathy, assistance and prayers at this difficult time. Mom and Dad thought the world of Spencer and Bethany. The church was an important part of their lives, as well as the lives of my brothers and myself during our formative years. We were very lucky to have the support, direction and friendships Bethany provided us. Thank you again, Cheryl Mixdorf ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I extend many thanks to my friends at Bethany for the cards, prayers, visits, and phone calls while I have been ill. I appreciate your kindness and concern. Sincerely, Elsie Mae Jones THROUGH THE YEARS HIGHLIGHTS FROM BETHANY S FIRST 125 YEARS ON OUR WAY REJOICING By: Marilyn Meyer The New Year 2017 is well underway so Through the Years is returning after a brief respite! Our special year is Pastor Scott Meier and Pastor Dan Taylor were Bethany s pastoral leaders. Pastor Mark Hillmer had been part of the clergy roster previous to Pastor Dan s call. The church was a place of constant activity during In April, Love Spencer was a happening that Bethany partnered. May brought Patricia Bentsen, an ELCA missionary, to Bethany to share her work with missions. In July, Bethany s newly revised website was up and running as: August was a special time for a benefit and auction for Lisa Buchan who was recovering from cancer. September found the Stephen Ministry disbanding due to lack of volunteers and lack of use. Rally Day was held on the ninth! Christmas at Bethany was held in The ladies of the church gave their all to the occasion. The choir presented a cantata at worship services on December 19 and 20. Bethany s total membership was 1,667! All seemed well but there was a sense of foreboding when the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) voted to expand its standards to allow gay and lesbian clergy in monogamous, same-sex relationships to serve congregations. Secular history of 2009 Barack Obama became the 44 th president of the United States; Michael Jackson, who was the most successful entertainer of his time died; Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs were the most popular movies of the year. A gallon of gas was $2.73; a U.S. stamp was $.42; a lb. of bacon was $3.19; a loaf of bread was $1.17 and a movie ticket was $7.50. The influenza strain, OrgH1N1, or swine flu, caused a global pandemic. The longest total solar eclipse lasted 6 minutes and 38.8 seconds over part of Asia and the Pacific Ocean. What is your most important memory of 2009? THE BETHANY HERALD FEBRUARY

3 FEBRUARY LECTIONARY & VOLUNTEER SCHEDULE FEBRUARY 5 FIFTH SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY Scriptures: Isaiah 58:1-9a [9b-12], Psalm 112:1-9 [10], 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 [13-16], Matthew 5: :30-Greet: Francis&Judy Hiemstra; Read: Steve Deutsch; Communion: Francis Hiemstra, ; Acolyte: Brooke-Trent Freeman; Video: Sandi Witt; Usher: Gary Halverson, Bruce Klenken; 11:00-Greet: Gary&Denise Tolzmann; Read: D Tolzmann; Communion: Denise Tolzmann; Usher: ; Acolyte: Chloe Kahley; FEBRUARY 12 SIXTH SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY Scriptures: Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Psalm 119:1-8, 1 Corinthians 3:1-9, Matthew 5: :30-Greet: Tom & Sue Boblit; Read: ; Communion: Sue Boblit, ; Acolyte: Vanessa Reardon, Madi Stave; Video: Bill Hemme; Usher: D. Jones, Gary Koenig, Phil Walk; 11:00-Greet: Liz Vulk; Read: Sandi Schmidt; Communion: Sandi Schmidt, Usher: Kirby Schmidt; Acolyte: Carly Borth; FEBRUARY 19 SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY Scriptures: Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18; Psalm 119:33-40; 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23; Matthew 5:38-48; 8:30-Greet: Judy Sorenson; Read: Rhonda Salts; Communion: Twila Henning, ; Record John & Holly Fogarty; Acolyte: Jacob Blume, Cole DeVlaeminck; Usher: Dick-Betty Schmidt, R Clarke, Marla Woelber; 11:00-Greet: Gary-Denise Tolzmann; Read: D Tolzmann; Communion: D Tolzmann; Acolyte: Aliza Huntoon; Usher: Liz Vulk; FEBRUARY 26 TRANSFIGURATION SUNDAY Scriptures: Exodus 24:12-18, Psalm 2 or 99, 2 Peter 1:16-21, Matthew 17:1-9; 8:30-Greet: Joni & Kendel Loehr; Read: Judy Hiemstra; Communion: ; Acolyte: Karter Petzenhauser, Josh Quail; Record: Sandi Schmidt; Usher: G Kruger, K Schmidt, Judy Sorenson, D Salzkorn; 11:00-Greet: Donna Jones; Read: ; Communion: ; Acolyte: Payton Cooper; Usher: Liz Vulk; Can you help fill in a blank? Please call Kathie Halverson at Thanks! TRANSFIGURATION SUNDAY The Transfiguration of Our Lord will be celebrated this year on Sunday, February 26. This is the last Sunday after Epiphany and the Sunday before Ash Wednesday the beginning of Lent. On the mountaintop, Jesus is revealed as God s beloved Son to the disciples who are with him Peter, James & John. Join us at worship for this mountain top experience!! Upcoming Milestone: Fifth Grade Families of Bethany, keep your ears and eyes open for more information on First Communion classes that will be coming up in March. Information will be mailed to your home the second week of February! If you have a fifth grader and do not receiving a mailing, please contact the church office at SEEKING PROJECTOR OPERATORS & RECORDERS We are looking to increase our volunteer base of projector operators & video recorders for our worship services. If you would like to join these forces, sign up at the Welcome Center. You will be contacted with information about upcoming training sessions. Thanks! ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE MARCH 1 Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent. Plan now to come to worship on Wednesday, March 1. COMMUNITY LENTEN LUNCH & WORSHIP Once again Spencer area churches are joining together for community Lenten lunches and worship this year at Sacred Heart Church ( th Ave W) on Wednesdays during Lent. Lunch precedes the service beginning at 11:30am (cost $4) followed by worship at 12:20pm. This year s series, Beyond Question: Exploring Questions Jesus Asked, begins on Ash Wednesday, March 1 and continues weekly through April 12. Can t make it for lunch just come to worship... All are welcome! THE BETHANY HERALD FEBRUARY

4 HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE ANNUAL MEETING The 2017 Annual Meeting of Bethany Lutheran Church was held on January 15th between church services. Council President, Francis Hiemstra presided over the meeting. Below are some highlights from the meeting: Randy Phillips updated the congregation on the status of the Capital Campaign. Nine months into the three-year campaign, we are above the one-year mark in dollars given and six projects have been completed. He acknowledged the congregation s generous contributions to meet the necessary upkeep of our church home. Sue Metcalf presented the 2017 nominees that will fill the opened positions this year. All positions were approved. Sue has spent many hours recruiting nominees and we are thankful for her diligence. Kirby and Sandi Schmidt have volunteered to attend the Western Iowa Synod Assembly as delegates for Bethany. Sandi Schmidt reviewed the financial information and presented the 2017 budget. The revenues were up from last year. The majority of line items in the 2017 budget stay the same. The few changes reflect that, this year, we have a full time pastor. Also due to growth of our music ministry, we have provided an increase in budget. It was also reported that Bethany s books are in good order and the 2015 Audit and 2016 Audit was approved on all measures. Bruce Iverson presented the Revised Constitution- Bylaws for Bethany. The Constitution had been reviewed and approved by the Western Iowa Synod. It is available to be read by hard copy or online. Voters approved on all measures. Many hours of work were put into this needed update and we would like to thank Bruce Iverson, Francis Hiemstra and Jeff Ungs. We also acknowledged and thank Judy Hiemstra for typing the finalized Constitution. Pastor Jennifer Henry addressed the congregation with words of gratitude for our current staff; Stephen Baker, Katie Hare, Mary Ann Quail, Lois Becker & Onalee Wright. She acknowledged their commitment and extra duties taken on during the transitional time of pulpit supply pastors. The congregation gave them all a much-deserved standing ovation. On a final note we are truly thankful to begin our journey through 2017 with our new Pastor, Jennifer Henry. With her joy and enthusiasm for the Lord, 2017 is bound to be an exciting year. Bethany is on our way rejoicing! Laurie Conlon, Council Secretary A FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT AT DECEMBER 31, 2016 Year-to-Date Revenues $297, Year-to-Date Expenses $272, Year-to-Date Revenue over Expense $ 24, Thank you everyone for your generous gifts in support of the missions and ministries of Bethany Lutheran Church! SAVE $$$ WITH AN EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT REMINDER: Many church camps offer a discount for early bird registration, often $50-$100 off the normal camp fees if you sign up before March 1. If you are thinking about sending your child to camp this year, and want to save money, now is the time to get registered. Lutheran Lakeside & Ingham Okoboji Lutheran Camps both offer great programs for kids and families. To find out more about the dates and the different camps that are offered, log-on to camp websites or talk to our Director of Youth & Family Ministries, Katie Hare. ST. LUKE HOME ANNUAL MEETING Bethany Lutheran Church is one of 13 local churches that founded St. Luke Lutheran Nursing Home back in This year marks the 50 th anniversary of that partnership. The Annual Meeting of St. Luke will be Sunday, March 5 at 2:00 p.m. Anyone can attend the meeting and Bethany can send two delegates. If you plan to go, let us know so that we can designate you a delegate. Also, Bethany hosts the meeting this year along with Trinity Lutheran of Linn Grove. We ll need help with providing some cookies/bars. Look for a sign up at the Welcome Center this month. REMINDERS TO MEMBERS OF THRIVENT Through the generosity of Thrivent members, Bethany received over $4,000 in Thrivent Choice Dollars this past year. Thank you all for your continued support of Bethany Lutheran Church and our ministries!! As a reminders the deadline for members to designate 2016 choice dollars is March 31, Be sure to allocate your dollars before the deadline, as all undesignated choice dollars are lost. Also, members are encouraged to bring people together & help make positive changes in our communities through Thrivent Action Teams. Funding may be available to help kick-start your service project. For more information talk to a Thrivent Advocate: Bob Nase, Donna Jones, Marla Woelber, Dee Salzkorn, Judy Iverson, Mary Ann Quail or Jim Keck (when he returns from AZ! ) THE BETHANY HERALD FEBRUARY

5 Women of Bethany AS A COMMUNITY OF WOMEN WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO GROW IN FAITH AND AFFIRM OUR GIFTS WOMEN S BIBLE STUDY OPPORTUNITIES IN FEBRUARY At the close of the 2016 calendar year the Women of Bethany and circle bible study groups were able to disburse charitable contributions to several local and world-wide agencies including: Several items to ELCA Good Gifts, St. Luke Auxiliary, the Multi-Church Community Assistance Fund thru Upper Des Moines Outreach and Bethany s Community Meal The Gathering. A huge thank you goes out to everyone who gave so generously through out the past year, making these donations possible. We truly are a blessed to be a blessing to others! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ FUN & FELLOWSHIP IN FEBRUARY Let s meet for Fun and Fellowship on Thursday, February 9, beginning at 9:00 a.m. to tie quilts and assemble kits for Lutheran World Relief. Then we ll share a potluck lunch at noon. For this Valentine s Day, think about the things that bring you joy, then make a point of connecting with as many of them as possible, as often as possible. Janet Myers Mission Action/Discipleship CONSIDER HELPING AT THE MOBILE FOOD PANTRY Food Bank of Iowa is dedicated to ending hunger in Iowa. Their mission is to provide food for Iowa children, families and seniors to lead full and active lives, strengthening the communities where they live. The Mobile Food Pantry Program is designed to provide a flexible food assistance resource in locations that don t have access to traditional resources. In November, 200 families were blessed with food in our community. This year the Mobile Food Pantries will be held on Tuesdays, February 7, May 2, August 1, and November 7 from 4pm-6pm, at Spencer Seventh-Day Adventist Church ( th Ave E, Spencer). Food is distributed to families and individuals in need throughout the scheduled time, and is available free of charge. Anyone wishing to participate is encouraged to bring bags, boxes or baskets to hold and carry their food. Volunteers are also needed with many opportunities to serve at various times throughout the day. Volunteers are needed on the scheduled days at 11:00 am to help unload the truck and stock the food items, and at 4:00 pm to help with the distribution. If you want to help, please call Pastor Kent Dunwoody at or him at kentsarah80@gmail.com. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ WOMEN S BIBLE STUDY OPPORTUNITIES IN FEBRUARY Bring a Bible and gather with your sisters-in-christ for Bible study, prayer & fellowship. February meetings are in the parlor at the following times: MIRIAM BIBLE STUDY Thursday, February 16, 1:30 in the parlor RUTH BIBLE STUDY Monday, February 20, 7:00 in the parlor PRISCILLA BIBLE STUDY Tuesday, February 21, 9:30 am in the parlor ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ LUTHERAN DAY ON THE HILL FEBRUARY 21 Join Lutheran Services in Iowa and the three Iowa synods of the ELCA for Lutheran Day on the Hill in Des Moines! This day is essential for giving voice to those who are not heard, for seeking social justice and for empowering people to exercise their right and responsibility to be part of the legislative process. You can make a difference! For complete details on how you can join efforts at Lutheran Day on the Hill, visit the LSI website at: MISSION TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES The Western Iowa Synod is offering group travel opportunities to Tanzania and Chile in These are two destinations of the ELCA international church body that have companion synod relationships with the Western IA Synod, offering a great mission experience. See posters on the bulletin boards or log-on to the synod website at: THE BETHANY HERALD FEBRUARY

6 YOUTH DIRECTOR KATIE HARE Contact Information: Office Phone: (712) or Cell: (563) Follow Activities on Face Book: Spencer Bethany Youth Greetings Bethany Lutheran! What an interesting January we ve had! The weather has been all over the place, but that hasn t stopped us from being active here at Bethany. There are so many wonderful things that have taken place this month and that will be taking place in the future. Thank you to our adults and students that participated in our Sky Zone event. It s always fun to have fellowship together! I also really wanted to say thank you to everyone who attended our Tanzania presentation! We are so thankful for your support in our trip and we love sharing our stories, pictures, items, and experiences with you. Our trip to Tanzania was a trip of a lifetime and I know that not only Zoe, Maleah, and I have had our faith greatly impacted, but so have the other students and adult leaders who attended with us. There s an adult trip taking place this year with the Western Iowa Synod. If you re interested in attending, contact me for more details. Here are a few dates you ll want to add to the calendar: BYG Events this Month: This month for BYG we will meet all 4 Wednesdays. February 1 st is our Game night here at Bethany. We ll have a time for fellowship while we talk about the game of Life. February 8 th is our Service night. Keep your eyes open on what our project details! February 15 th is our Bible study night. We ll be talking about Ruth & her story of faith. February 22 nd is our Movie night. The movie this month is adult choice, so keep your eyes open to what we ll be watching. Just a reminder that students are always welcome to bring a friend and snacks are always provided. Special Confirmation Nights: This Spring Semester during Confirmation, we ll be having two special nights. On February 8 th we ll have a fun night for our Confirmation students. BYG students are invited to join us at 7:45 for pizza & games before BYG. ATTENTION ALL BETHANY MEMBERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO HELP: on February 15 th we ll have a Service night were our Confirmation students will be making the unleavened bread for Communion. We would like to invite all members of Bethany to join us at 7 PM. Stockholders: Starting the first Sunday of February, we will have more information out for how you can help our students reach Denver. Keep your eyes open for a display and a form. Stockholders are members of Bethany who help sponsor students on the mission trip. When we return, stockholders are invited for a special dinner to see pictures of our trip, and will even receive a postcard while we re gone. We are thankful to our past stockholders who ve helped our students grow in their faith. Ski Trip: All students (aged 6 th -12 th Grade) are invited to join us on February 19 th from 12-8 PM as we head to Mankato to go skiing. Cost is still TBD, but if interested, please sign up on the bulletin board. We will need at least 5 students to sign up to go. Silent Auction: It s that time again! Our students & chaperones attending the mission trip to Denver invite you to participate in a Silent Auction. We ll have wonderful items up for bid and 100% of what is given will go towards our students. The Silent Auction runs February 28 th through March 5 th. Students will contact the winners on March 8 th. Youth Sunday: Attention students aged 6 th -12 th Grade, we ll be meeting sometime this month to talk about our Youth Sunday worship service. Keep your eyes open for more info coming on the date & time of the meeting! Information will be announced in worship announcements, the Church website, & FaceBook page. February is a wonderful month here at Bethany. We anticipate the start of Lent, but we also have time for fellowship, spiritual growth, and service this month. My prayers are that as we enter the month of February we learn more about who we are in Christ. May the peace of Christ be with you always. In His Grip, Katie THE BETHANY HERALD FEBRUARY

7 MORE INFORMATION BELOW -- BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO THE END OF THIS DOCUMENT. THANKS! MONTHLY PLANNING CALENDARS February month-at-a-glance calendars are available at the Welcome Center in the south entrance area. Please pick one up for your planning needs. Or print your own via our website using the link below: THE BETHANY HERALD FEBRUARY

8 Bethany Lutheran Church 15 W. 14 th Street Spencer, Iowa Non-Profit US Postage Paid Spencer, IA Permit No. 150 Address Correction Requested LOVING SPENCER FEBRUARY PROJECT Love for All - Nursing Home visits with cards/flowers for the residents Living in a nursing home or care center can often times be lonely, despite being surrounded by residents, nurses, CNA s and other staff. Residents long to spend time with family and friends, which, unfortunately isn t always possible. Feelings of loneliness can negatively impact a person s physical and mental health, so this month we aim to brighten the day of residents in care facilities. Take some time this month to visit someone you know, or even someone you don t, that are currently in a nursing home. Bring a card with a special note, or perhaps some flowers (real or artificial), and settle down for a nice visit with someone who needs to feel the LOVE. How it works: Visit any nursing home with the intention of sharing the love and brightening someone s day Write out a card or pick up some flowers, and spend some time with someone who really needs it Pray for the residents & caregivers in nursing homes Let the February Kindness Explosion Begin! The February worship volunteer and lectionary readings schedule is listed inside on page 3. We welcome new volunteers at any time --please call the church office if you would like to help as worship February volunteer. Volunteer We Schedule appreciate and encourage your active participation in the life of the congregation at Bethany! A Valentine s Day Prayer God of power and might, thank you for the gift of love this Valentine s Day, and for all the people whose love shines in my life. Continue to fill my heart with Your love and let me share that love with the world this Valentine s Day and always. Amen. THE BETHANY HERALD FEBRUARY

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