The Bethany Herald January, 2019

Transcription

1 The Bethany Herald January, 2019 Inviting People to Experience the Grace of God Through Jesus Christ & Be Transformed Volume 1-19 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) Facebook Sites: Bethany Lutheran Church ELCA Spencer Bethany-Youth 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 WINTER 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 Companions in Christ is: BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH ANNUAL MEETING SUNDAY, JANUARY 20, 2019 The annual meeting of the Bethany congregation is Sunday, January 20. We will have one worship service at 10:00am followed by the annual meeting shortly after 11:00am. Some of the agenda items for the meeting will include: Election of the Church Council and Ministry Team nominees, election of the Nominating Committee, and approval of the 2019 budget. After the meeting we will share a potluck meal together. We hope to have each family represented at the annual meeting. Please come enjoy the service, attend the meeting and bring a dish to share for our potluck lunch afterward. A small group committed to deepening prayer and listening for the Spirit. Individuals who study each day about prayer, scripture, and discernment, and who keep a personal notebook or journal of their learnings and questions. A small group of people that meets weekly to support one another, share about what God is revealing in their reflections, and open themselves to exploring on a deeper level the theme of the week. Individuals who know that daily spiritual disciplines and weekly meetings offer a good balance and provide holy ground for growing in faith. Deb Mechler will lead a group in four units of study and learning together. The first two will be done this spring, and the remaining two in the fall. Meetings will be on Monday evenings at 7:00 pm, Feb. 4 Apr. 15. Please contact Deb to sign up or for more information at dsmechler@gmail.com or Please sign up by January 20 so we can order materials. Your cost for the book will be $23. A simple notebook or journal will also be used every week. THE BETHANY HERALD JANUARY 2019 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 individuals at Bethany and beyond. If you have a prayer request, let us know. Health Concerns: Jo Beving, Don Cowell, Steve DePauw, Chris Duffney, David Duffney, John Fogarty, Mary Rose Hemme, Jamie Huber, LaVonne Kramer, Linda Kunzmann, Sandy Manwarren, Kim McCune, Don Moore, Bev Quail, Steve Salts, Dave Spenst, Ida Syvertson, Rev. Tom Van Tassell; Rick Dietrich (Pam Bjorklund s brother); Miles Rohan (Kevin Rohan s father); Greg Andersen (Kirk Andersen s brother); Barb Halverson (Gary Halverson s mother); Marc Moberg (Kathie Halverson s brother); Many thanks to everyone who helped decorate various areas of the church for the Christmas season: Sandi Witt, Joanne Schar, Judy Hiemstra, Cindy Heiter, Kathie Halverson, Pixie Jensen, Kathie Halverson, Donna Jones, Kirby Schmidt and Randy Phillips. Everything looks great from the Sanctuary, to the Welcome Center and entry areas, to the dining to the parlor even in the restroom! Thank you for sharing your time and talents! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The staff at Bethany Lutheran Church extends a huge thank you to the Bethany congregation for the many gifts and acts of kindness shared over the holidays. We appreciate your generosity and support! Pr. Jen, Stephen, Katie, Onalee, Lois & Mary Ann ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The Faith in Action Committee extends a heartfelt thanks to all that participated in the Blanketed in Faith project. Whether you donated fleece, ready-made blankets, joined in our fellowship evening, or took fleece home & made blankets, we are grateful for all of your efforts! Fifty-two blankets were made at our tying night on Thurs, Dec 13 during the two hours together. On Sun, Dec 16, 98 blankets were displayed & blessed. A total of 109 blankets were donated to Lutheran Social Services in Spencer and Kadens Kloset in Okoboji. That means 109 children will be blanketed in faith and wrapped in love in the coming months! We are excited to watch this project continue to grow! THANK-YOU for putting your Faith in Action, warming the heart of a child and covering them in love! Jamie Rusk-Blume, Faith in Action Chair POINSETTIAS FOR THE CHRISTMAS SEASON Bethany Altar Guild thanks the following individuals and families for sharing a poinsettia to decorate the sanctuary for Christmas: Randy & Sue Riecks in memory of their parents Steve & Rhonda Salts in honor of their daughters Darlene Stough in memory of her husband and daughter Roger & Sharon Clark in memory of their parents Valorie Van Ampting in memory of Marcus Van Ampting Jason & Aaliyah Van Ampting in memory of their Grand/Great Grandmother, Elsie Anderson Mary Hugen Bill & Mary Rose Hemme in memory of loved ones Liz Vulk Pixie Jensen in memory of her parents, Robert & Jeanne Jensen Gary & Denise Tolzmann in memory of loved ones Gary & Denise Tolzmann in honor of our brothers and sisters in Christ at Imalinyi Parish, Tanzania Ellen Sorenson in memory of loved ones Cindy Heiter in memory of loved ones Judy McLaury and family in memory of Vincent Bechen and Jennifer Hauptman Dick & Betty Schmidt in memory of family Gary & Kathie Halverson Jill Meyer in memory of Henry Meyer Randy & Jana Phillips in memory of loved ones Gary & Becky Koenig in memory of loved ones Twila Henning in memory of Mel Henning Nola Harper in memory of her grandmother, Dorthea Erbs Nola Harper in memory of her parents, Ralph & Dorothy Strawn Bruce & Judy Iverson in memory of loved ones Lyle & Brenda Lindemann and family in memory of Lowell & Vi Larson Wayne & Jane Larson and family in memory of Lowell & Vi Larson Dave & Carol Anderson in memory of loved ones Francis & Judy Hiemstra Donna Jones in memory of loved ones Mark & Connie Heien in memory of their parents Steve & Shannon McAllister Kirk & Sue Andersen in memory of loved ones THE BETHANY HERALD JANUARY

3 NEW YEAR S GREETINGS FROM THE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE! We want to take this opportunity to express our gratitude for Bethany s commitment to the campaign. Thank you to everyone who has already fulfilled your pledge and to those who are faithfully contributing to the campaign. We encourage those who have not met their pledge to prayerfully consider giving to the campaign in the next few months. The end-of-year giving statements will include capital campaign information so everyone can review the status of your pledge. We are excited to be on the home stretch of our three year campaign which officially wraps up in April Although it appears that our work is complete, we still have some things to do. The cosmetic finishing touches in the sanctuary need to be done and we are researching options to replace our antiquated projector used during worship. Although our technicians were able to retro-fit that piece into our new system, it is limiting the proper and anticipated usage of our new system. As we reach the end of the capital campaign in a few months, we ask all Bethany members to consider the need our general fund has to continue the many local and global ministries we have built at Bethany. The three year commitment by Pastor Jen also ends in 2019 and it s time to step up and be sure we can fully compensate our gifted staff. Can you continue the extra giving that s been going to the capital campaign and increase your regular giving? We challenge you to make it happen for Bethany s future! Respectfully, Randy Phillips, Russ Wright, Campaign Co-Chairs Jody Vollmer, Honorary Chair Campaign Committee: Sue Boblit, JoAnne Franke, Gary Halverson, Katie Hare, Bill Hemme, Carolyn Kruger, Mary Ann Quail, Sandi Schmidt, Ellen Sorenson, Marla Woelber, Pastor Jen Henry THE BETHANY HERALD JANUARY

4 Celebrating the lives of the forever young in the congregation of Bethany Lutheran Church By Marilyn Meyer Don & Sylvia Moore Don and Sylvia Moore, who have been active members of Bethany Lutheran Church since October 6, 1963, are this month s Forever Young. They met in 1955 while attending Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D. and celebrated 60 years of special love on June 6, 2018! Don was born on November 28, 1937 and grew up on a farm near Rock Valley, Iowa. His parents were Walter and Minnie Moore and of German descent. He has a sister and had one brother who is now deceased. Don was a typical farm boy taking part in all sorts of field work cultivating, disking, dragging, haying activities, combining oats and of course yard work! He attended a near-by country school for eight years, graduated from Rock Valley High School and then attended Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD for four years. He received his Master s degree from Mankato State College. Business education was his major. His teaching career took place in Flandreau, SD, for two years- Lakefield, MN for two years- and then he finished his teaching career in Spencer for 34 years. Many, many students were guided by his care and expertise! His many activities at Bethany included teaching Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Adult Bible Classes, serving on the Bethany Church Council, being a Lay reader and singing in the Bethany Choir for 50 years! His retirement interests have included reading, photography, watching baseball on television, traveling and- most importantly-grandchildren! Sylvia Erickson Moore was born on January 15, 1938 at Estherville, Iowa. Her parents were Stanley and Marie Erickson. Both sets of her grandparents were of Norwegian descent. Sylvia was blessed with an older sister and with eight younger siblings! Sylvia s education included attending country school near Estherville and Gruver in Iowa, and grades seven through twelve in Ceylon, MN. She attended Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D. After a year of college for Sylvia, her mother had a heart attack and died suddenly! The youngest child in the family was only 1 ½ years old and Sylvia was left to care for her siblings! Sylvia did have an older sister but she was attending nursing school! Sylvia stayed home for a semester helping care for her younger siblings and then her Dad hired a housekeeper and she was able to return to Augustana! Later, her Dad met and married again and his new bride came with 3 more children! Sylvia obtained her BS in Mathematics and Accounting. Most importantly, she met Don at Augustana!! Sylvia eventually taught for 25 years at The Spencer School of Business. Sylvia is pleased to relate that all of her siblings get together at least twice a year in the summer and at Christmas time! Three of her brothers are now deceased but their widows and children continue to be part of the Erickson/Herbrandson family! Sylvia has also been active at Bethany teaching Sunday School and being an active part of Christian Woman Speaks over KICD. She continues being part of Bethany s choir! When she has spare time, Sylvia enjoys playing Bridge! But of course Don and her extended family take precedence! Don and Sylvia Moore are special members of Bethany s Forever Young! THE BETHANY HERALD JANUARY

5 How and Why Do We Pray? Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. 1Thessalonians 5:16-18, The Message translation This is 3 rd in a series of How and Why Do We and it is appropriate to begin the New Year in prayer. Each Sunday morning we begin our prayers of the church with words such as Let us pray for the church, the world, and all in need. Each of us has a working definition of what prayer is: words we speak to God. Prayer happens often when we gather for worship, prayer is what we do perhaps before a meal, prayer is what we do at various times during the day, and perhaps prayer happens just before we shut our eyes at the end of a day. If we say that prayer is only what WE do, we have only half of the definition. Prayer is a conversation between two people: you and God. What is included in that conversation, how often the conversations take place, and how long they last, is up to the two who are speaking. We can t see God to have a face-to-face chat, but God allows us to know God closely enough and intimately enough that we are able to have a heart-to-heart chat if we seek it. What do I mean by a heart-to-heart talk? Usually, a talk from the heart is an offering and an emptying. Whatever my heart is feeling is given over to the one who is listening to me. How my day went today, my joys, my stories from the past, my anger, frustration, triumph, the absolute best and the absolute worst pour out of me, emptying me, leaving the whole of who I am in the hands of the one who listens to me, who loves me, who desires that good things come to me, who cries with me, laughs with me, and who has permission to call to question some of my decisions. The best and dearest of friends will know that I have just emptied myself to them. They will honor that I trust them enough that I give them all of who I am. But this dear friend will not leave me empty! Instead, my friend will carefully and lovingly fill me back up with comfort, with assurance, with love, with acceptance, and sometimes with a new way to handle a rough situation. No matter what is given back, I am no longer empty. But the heart-to-heart isn t finished yet! If time is gracious enough to allow, the favor is reciprocated. The listener becomes the one who offers and empties, trusting my love, confidant that I want the best for them in return. Ready to be filled back up so that when we leave one another, we are both changed. We are purged, renewed, energized. We are transformed. God is also willing and waiting to be this friend for each of us. A friend who listens with loving and carefilled ears as we pour out our lives and empty ourselves. And God will not leave us empty! So, WHY DO WE PRAY? To satisfy our yearnings for someone who will listen as we offer our stories even our most ordinary stories! someone who will love us so much that we will be filled back up again. Someone who is so significant to us and for us that after an encounter with that someone, we are both changed. Why do we pray? Because not only do we yearn for this heart-to-heart relationship, but we are invited into it! God asks us to talk to God. God desires to be heart-to-heart with each of us. And, God s people have ALWAYS known that God will hear their prayers and that God will act as God wills. See you in worship, Pastor Jen THE BETHANY HERALD JANUARY

6 YOUTH AND FAMILY KATIE HARE - DIRECTOR OF YOUTH & FAMILY MINISTRIES Contact Information: Office Phone: (712) or Cell: (563) youthdirector@bethluthspencer.com or katiebhare@gmail.com Follow Activities on FaceBook: Spencer Bethany Youth Greetings Bethany Lutheran Youth & Families! Happy New Year, Bethany Lutheran! I pray those who are traveling will arrive safely back home and that 2019 will be a wonderful year for Bethany Lutheran Church! I would really like to say thank you to our Sunday school parents, teachers, and all who helped with our Christmas Program this year. It was such a joy to work with our students and they did a wonderful job! I d also like to say thank you to the adults & students that helped with our activities this year. We are very blessed with people that help support our Parish Education & Youth Ministry here at Bethany. Thank you once again! Here are a few dates you ll want to add to the calendar: Just a reminder: Confirmation classes will resume Wednesday, January 9 th at 7 PM in the Parlor. We ll go over the fall semester and start the spring semester off with a time for students to ask Faith Questions, as well as some planning for Youth Sunday & Acolyte training. Reminder for our Sunday school students: Sunday school will resume on Sunday, January 6 th at 9:45 AM in the Dining Room. We will have special activities for our Winter Rally Day. You won t want to miss it! There is no Sunday school on January 20 th. We re encouraging all families to attend worship at 10 AM and the Annual Meeting. For our BYG students: BYG will also resume on Wednesday, January 9 th at 7:45 PM. Plan on meeting in the Youth room! We ll have a game to play, as well as planning Youth Sunday 2019! BYG Activities for Wednesday evenings in January are: 9 th is Youth Sunday planning, the 16 th is our Service Project Night, the 23 rd is our Movie Night, & the 30 th is our Bible Study night. Our Bible study will be a spotlight on Paul. BYG begins at 7:45pm in the youth room, unless it s our movie night, then we meet in the movie room. Friends are always welcome to come and snacks are always provided. Also, on Wednesday, January 9 th we ll be hosting a special meeting for any and all who are interested in Youth Ministry here at Bethany. We ll be talking about how to get involved with our Bethany Youth. Please contact Jane Youngdahl or myself for more information. We d love to have everyone attend! Sunday, January 13 th is our next Milestone Ministry Sunday. We ll be celebrating the Anniversary of Baptism milestone for the children of God that were baptized at Bethany in Celebration will be at the 8:30 AM service. We ask that those families to please RSVP by Friday, January 11 th if you are not able to be here. Hey Junior High Students (6 th -8 th Grades)! Keep your eyes open towards February. I ve got a special event planned just for you. I ll be sending information home via Postcard, Facebook, and the Bethany website. Also, any still interested in joining us for the West Virginia Mission trip, please contact me. I d love to share more information with you about this trip. I also remember January to be a cold month, as we re in the midst of winter. But the exciting thing is that we ve also got a month full of activities for all of our students & their families. Just a reminder to our families that if school is cancelled for weather related reasons, ALL youth activities scheduled for that night will be cancelled too. If you have any questions, please contact me. May the peace of Christ be with you always! THE BETHANY HERALD JANUARY In His Grip, Katie

7 BETHANY CHURCH COUNCIL NEWS Bethany Lutheran Churchs' Annual Meeting will be held Sunday, January 20, The church service will be at 10:00 followed by the annual meeting and a potluck. Sunday School plans will be announced in the near future. Thank you to those who have submitted written reports for the annual meeting. The church will receive an Automatic External Defibrillator through Clay County. Plans are being made for training with Tammy McKeever. Those taking the initial training are Matt Kuehler, Sheryl Thu, Randy Phillips, Mary Marske, and Kirby Schmidt. Following the initial training, others will be educated where the equipment is located and receive training. If you are interested let us know. There is an upcoming local workshop on active shooter training. The target audience is churches, schools, and governmental agencies. Bethany plans to send representatives. Sheryl Thu, Bethany Church Council Secretary NOTE: Coming very soon nursery attendants and children will be able to see services on a monitor while they are in the nursery thanks to funding from Gifts & Memorials. A new year, a new start, are you writing new year resolutions? At the December church council meeting we discussed the proposed Bethany budget for Although we are in a much better situation than we were last year, we are referring to 2019 s budget as a leap of faith as we propose increasing our support for ELCA/World Missions and considering our pastor s salary. By leap of faith we don t mean that we are just hoping the money will come, but that with God s help and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit we will be inspired in our giving. According to the ELCA website the average congregational support averages 5.6%. Bethany s budget for ELCA/World Missions last year was 0.003% although we ended up giving 0.08% because of a challenge. What does it mean to be a part of the ELCA? Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton speaks of four emphases for the ELCA: We are church. We are Lutheran. We are church together. We are church for the sake of the world. Will you join me and the council in striving to meet the challenge of increasing our giving to increase God s work at Bethany, in our synod, the ELCA, and around the world? Mary Marske, Stewardship Chair BETHANY FINANCE REPORT AT NOVEMBER 30, 2019 Year-to-Date Revenues $279, Year-to-Date Expenses , Year-to-Date Net Loss ($18,891.80) Women of Bethany FUN & FELLOWSHIP Humankind. Be both. (spotted written on a backpack) Human and kind. Sometimes it s hard to be both. Let s try this new year. Fun and Fellowship to meet Thursday, January 10 at 9am in our church dining hall to work on quilts and kits for world-wide Humankind. Potluck lunch at noon. Janet Myers, Coordinator ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ A new year, new ambitions? Become more involved with the women s fellowship program at Bethany through attending a Bible study. Any of these circle study groups would love to have you join them! Studies are in the parlor as follows: PRISCILLA TUESDAY, JANUARY 15 9:30 A.M MIRIAM THURSDAY, JANUARY 17 1:30 P.M. RUTH -- MONDAY, JANUARY 21 7:00 P.M. LOVING SPENCER JANUARY PROJECT LOVE GOD S SERVANTS Law Enforcement Appreciation Across the country on January 9, citizens take the lead on National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. Officers of every rank and file have chosen a profession that puts their life on the line every day for their communities, answering a call to public service that is demanding and often unappreciated. On National Law Enforcement Day, we have an opportunity to thank them for their service and offer a token of respect. There are a number of ways to show support and say thank you: Show support on social media: change profile picture to support law enforcement or share a positive story Wear blue clothing in support of law enforcement Send a card of support to local Police Dept or state agency Ask children to write letters in support of law enforcement Participate in Project Blue Light - Proudly display your blue light in support of law enforcement Most importantly if you see a police officer on January 9, thank them! Let them know how much you value their service and protection of our communities. Show them the LOVE every day in the month of January, or, recognize their bravery, courage, honor and integrity throughout the year. HOW IT WORKS: On January 9, or all month, or the entire year, show support of law enforcement by using the examples above OR your own ideas. Every day can be National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. Encourage family, friends, church, business and schools to show area Law Enforcement LOVE and appreciation. PRAY for local, State, and National law enforcement men, women and their families. LET THE JANUARY KINDNESS EXPLOSION BEGIN! THE BETHANY HERALD JANUARY

8 15 West 14th Street Spencer, IA Telephone Fax Non-Profit US Postage Paid Spencer, IA Permit No Address Correction Requested JANUARY BINGO AT ST. LUKE Bethany is scheduled to help with BINGO at St. Luke on Friday, January 4. We still need some prizes to round out the 200 that are needed for the entire month of January and some volunteers to help on January 4. If you would like to donate some items for BINGO look for a complete list of suggested prizes in the announcements on our website or look for a handy postcard size shopping list at the Welcome Center. Thanks for helping! BETHANY LUTHERAN & CUB SCOUT PACK 123 Did you know that Bethany Lutheran Church is the charter organization for Spencer Cub Scouts Pack 123? As a chartered organization we are to partner with the leadership and scouts of Pack 123 to focus on helping these young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes through the instillation of the values and principles taught in the Scout Oath & Scout Law. Some of the specific objectives in our charter agreement include: Youth character development Career skill development Community service BETHANY SUNDAY SCHOOL WINTER RALLY Sunday School will resume from the Christmas break with a Winter Rally on Sunday, January 6 at 9:45 a.m. Plan to be here and join us for some special activities! (See inside on page 6 for more youth/family events) Patriotism and military/veteran recognition Faith-based youth ministry In January, Pastor Jen will be meeting with different levels of the scout dens to lead a God & Family unit. Also, be on the look-out for upcoming partner-projects surrounding community service at the church. THE BETHANY HERALD JANUARY

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