Bethesda News June 2017 A Message from Marietta Bethesda Lutheran Church: a congregation of S.W.I.M South West Iowa Ministries, Western Iowa Synod, ELCA 2475 140 th St., Clarinda, IA 51632 http://swimwebsite.weebly.com Fellowship Coffee @ 10:15 a.m. Worship @ 11:00 a.m. Marietta Nelson Bittle ~ Phone: 712-890-9882 email: swiministries@gmail.com As I embark on this journey toward ordination in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, I was shocked to learn this week that only 73 people graduated from our seven seminaries this spring. A friend who graduated less than 10 years ago said there were at least 100 in her graduating class alone at Luther Seminary that year. Iʼve searched for explanations for this deep decline. I havenʼt come up with any real hard and fast answers, but pastor friends have noted anecdotal reasons. These include: the general lack of interest/attention to the institutional church; the potentially frighteningly high cost of seminary education ($75,000 or more); the relatively low pay for pastors as compared with other professionals with advanced education. Bottom line: we have too few pastors and too many vacant pulpits. Iʼve been pondering this for a few weeks, and getting my arms around this issue down here in Southwest Iowa, where we have little contact with seminaries, bishops or other church leaders, is tough. Itʼs tempting to throw my hands in the air and just say, Oh well, someone else will have to take care of that. Indeed, Iʼm sure someone else, is thinking about this issue deeply and doing things to address it. But there are things I can do here and now - and you can, too. Iʼve only been at this pastor gig for a few months, but I want you all to know that it is by far the most fulfilling work of my life. Iʼve had many paid and unpaid jobs (bean walker, secretary, waitress, newspaper journalist, soil tester, house painter, PTA president, communications consultant) over my long working life. Nothing compares to being a pastor. Spending time with you all is cherished. Digging deep into scripture is fascinating. Praying is centering. Pastoral visits are enriching with stories and deep expressions of faith. Watching children and grandchildren care for those who are suffering or perhaps nearing the end of life is faith-affirming. Placing into your hands the body of Christ on Sundays brings me almost to tears. Most of all, living and breathing day to day this free gift of grace and love that we have been given by God is. well, there arenʼt really words for that. So I am here to say that being a pastor is AWESOME. And I am not the only pastor who can say this. I have many colleagues in pastoral ministry who say the same. So I know I am not alone in encouraging others to explore this calling. Do you have an interest in ministry? Do you know someone who does? Do you know a young person who has a deep
interest in faith and who has lots of questions? Do you know an old(er) person like that, too? If you do, pray about it. Think about it. Say something if you feel called to do so. Take me out for coffee and Iʼd be happy to talk with you about it. Above all, pray for the larger church, for those in seminary, for those discerning a call to pastoral life, for yourselves, that God will help us find a way through this changing church landscape. Peace, Marietta The June Lydia Circle Meeting has been changed to Wed. June 21st at the home of Kirk & Annette Johnson who live at 1310 N 6th Street in Red Oak, IA. The time is 2:30 p.m. This is a change from Carmenʼs home which was planned earlier and also a change in the date and time. Bethesda Women of the ELCA enjoyed fellowship and a delicious brunch at The Cabin By the Creek near Red Oak Tuesday morning, May 9th. While there the ladies voted to send $50.00 to WISWO (Western Iowa Synod Women Organization) for their convention in Webster City, IA. They also voted to give Mariska and Maggie $100.00 each to apply to registration for Carol Joy Holling Camp. S.W.I.M. Joint Service and potluck On June 4th, there will be a joint service with Strand and Tabor at Hacklebarney park. Marietta will lead the service at 10:30 a.m. and a potluck will follow. Please be sure to bring your own table service. Congregational Meeting There will be a congregational meeting to discuss purchase and installation of the new chairlifts on June 11th at 10:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. We will need to vote on this project. See you there! Congratulations. Peter Lund and Clare Kohler were married in Ames, May 13th. They both work in New York City and live in Brooklyn. Annie Wallin graduated from Clarinda High School and will attend Iowa State University in Ames this fall. Aspen Meacham, daughter of Karen and Chris Morrow, graduated from the LPN program from IWCC. Aspen will continue her studies at IWCC. Thank you for the quilt! Itʼs wonderful to have a piece of Bethesda with us in Brooklyn. Weʼll think of you every time we use it. Pete and Clare Welcome Jackie. A letter of transfer from First Christian Church of Red Oak to Bethesda Lutheran Church has been received for Jackie Meier. Welcome to Bethesda, Jackie!
The Council has voted to collect change to send a foster child to camp again this year. We will have the children pass the buckets and weʼll make a joyful noise with all the change dropping into the buckets. Start saving your change today! Porter's Lake Lutheran Center offers family roller skating on the first and third Fridays of each month from 6 to 9 p.m. The cost is $4 per skater. Spectators are free. The center has a small snack bar, too. Porter's Lake Lutheran Center is located at 1695 B Ave. near Shenandoah (just off Hwy 48 between Shenandoah and Essex). The center also hosts private parties. Skating parties are available, or you can just use the large indoor center for graduation parties, family reunions, weddings, retreats and classes. The center also has beautiful grounds, two small lakes and a nice walking trail. For more information, call 712 542 5436 or email porterslakecenter@gmail.com or visit www.porterslakecenter.org.
Morning Worship @ 11:00 A.M. Fellowship Coffee @ 10:15 A.M. Communion first and last Sunday of the month Preaching Schedule at Bethesda June Birthdays June 4 Picnic at Anderson Park in Stanton 5 Matt Erickson June 11 Marietta Nelson-Bittle 11 Charles Warner June 18 Gordon Scott 11 Bristal Johnson June 25 Marietta Nelson-Bittle 21 Ann Martin 22 Karen Morrow Worship assistants in June 25 Stanley Johnson Greeters Brian & Laura Kirchert 30 Mark Lund Reader Laura Kirchert Communion Asst. Shelly Warner Anniversaries Ushers Brian & Laura Kirchert 6 Landon & Shelby Lewellen Steve & Phyllis Carlson 8 Stanley & Barbara Johnson Altar Guild Miriam Hanson 14 Chris & Diane Campbell 21 Wayne & Rogene Sederburg Coffee Servers 24 Charles & Joan Warner June 4 SWIM picnic 26 Jeremiah & Jenny Buttercase June 11 Robin & Robert Wright 29 Daniel & Jackie Meier June 18 Darwin & Miriam Hanson June 25 Don & Marlene Paulson Upcoming Events June 4 10:30a.m. Joint service at Anderson Park in Stanton June 10 2:45 5:00 p.m. Volunteer at the Open Door Mission June 11 10:30 a.m. Congregational meeting June 14 7:00 p.m. Church council June 21 2:30 p.m. Lydia Circle at the home of Kirk & Annette Johnson June 25 July newsletter items are due. Send to Yvonne (johnsony@myfmtc.com) QUOTES BY MARTIN LUTHER The fewer the words, the better the prayer. You are not only responsible for what you say, But also for what you do not say.
Happy Father s Day! At Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI), we strive to build up and empower Iowa kids and families. For us, Father s Day is a time to celebrate all the fathers and male role models we see every day. In our Early Childhood fatherhood program, young men are learning to become dads. They re becoming confident and active in their child s life, and they are creating loving, bright futures for their families. Many of the boys and young men that LSI serves in our residential programs have never had a positive male role model in their lives. But our volunteer mentors are there to help guide them. At a gathering of mentors and mentees, a few of these children introduced their mentors to each other. When a boy from Beloit spoke, you could hear the quiet pride in his voice. This is Josh, he said simply. And he s the mentor I ve always wanted. You are making all of this possible through your support of LSI. Thank you for responding to the love of Jesus Christ through compassionate service! Our Mission: Lutheran Services in Iowa responds to the love of Jesus Christ through compassionate service. LSI is an affiliated social ministry partner of the Iowa congregations of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and a member of LSA (Lutheran Services in America). We proudly serve people of all ages, abilities, religions, sexes, gender identities, national origins, ethnicities, races, and sexual orientations. Learn more at www.lsiowa.org and www.facebook.com/lsi.iowa. Breaking Barriers After years of living in fear, surrounded by violence in his home country of Burundi, Firmin wanted to create a better life for the family he and his wife, Emma, dreamed of. They fled to Tanzania, where they lived in a refugee camp for 13 years. While there, Firmin worked as a principal in the camp s school and he and Emma welcomed two baby boys, Dan and Joshua. But when the Tanzanian government closed the camp, he and his family were sent to live in the U.S. as refugees. When he arrived in the U.S., Firmin came to LSI s Refugee Community Services to attend English classes and become familiar with his new home. Firmin and Emma have spent the last 10 years raising their family in Des Moines, and Firmin is finding ways to give back and support more Iowa kids and families. During the school year, Firmin can be found in the halls and classrooms of public schools across the Des Moines district. He is one of several bilingual outreach community workers in the schools, translating for families who speak Swahili, Kirundi, Kinyarwanda, Kinyamulenge, and French. In his free time, Firmin works as a direct support caregiver in the Des Moines area, and he spends his weekends as a pastor at a local church. He loves that he can help ease the congregation s daily stresses and lingering trauma through prayer and worship. Dan and Joshua are now in high school and Firmin and Emma have welcomed two daughters, Grace and Selah, in Iowa.