BLC Weekly, February 2
Hello Bethlehem,
Thank you for joining us for RIC Sunday! If you missed this special worship service, we hope you will join us this Wednesday for RIC Wednesday worship at 6:15pm as Bethlehem celebrates 5 years of RIC. You are invited to wear your BLC shirt and bring water from home or a special place to add to the baptismal font during the Thanksgiving for Baptism.
This Week
Wednesday Night Suppers: served at 5:00pm in the lower level dining hall. Upcoming meals:
February 4 — Hamburger & rice hotdish, salad & roll
February 11 — Spaghetti, garlic toast & salad
February 18 — Grilled chicken with a bun, potato salad & pickles
February 25 — Taco buffet with rice & beans
March 4 — Chicken tenders, mashed potatoes, vegetable & roll
BLC Men gather this Saturday, February 7 for a Minneopa Hike. RSVP to Pastor Jay.
Second Harvest Adult Forum - Sunday, February 8 Luisa Trapero, Neighbor Services Outreach Advisor for Second Harvest Heartland, will be with us on Sunday, February 8 for our morning adult forum. Luisa will share information about the history, operations, successes and challenges facing this major food assistance program in Minnesota. Learn how Second Harvest is making a real difference for our fellow Minnesotans facing food insecurity. Join us for coffee, donuts and food for thought from 10:30 - 11:45 in Grounds for Joy.
Family Faith formation
Announcements
A message from Molly Nelson, your Congregational Services Coordinator at Bethlehem: I am currently attending Wartburg Theological Seminary, and this semester I have a class which will interfere with my Tuesday office hours from 9am-10:30am. I am seeking volunteers to cover the office during that time. On days when there are no office volunteers, the building will be opened at the usual time, but the office may be closed until 10:30am. Thank you, Bethlehem, for your continued support, understanding, and encouragement in my seminary journey. This would not be possible without you. Link to sign up to cover the office Tuesday mornings from 9-10:30am: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nxd0zC1srJ9wmMnMgpeWnrHulk3XGNilC67bmT8xi3w/edit?usp=sharing
CAREGIVER SUPPORT More and more members of our community are stepping into caregiving roles. Without support, caregiving can be difficult and isolating. VINE Faith in Action offers four Caregiver Support Groups that are open to anyone caring for a loved one. Groups are limited to 10 participants, so pre-registration is required. There is no charge; donations are appreciated. Please feel welcome to attend one of the following monthly groups:
1st Tuesday, 10:00-11:00 am
2nd Wednesday, 1:00-2:30 pm
3rd Wednesday, 5:15-6:30 pm
3rd Thursday, 3:00-4:00 pm
If you prefer to meet one-on-one rather than in a group, VINE also offers Caregiver Consultation. Call or email VINE for consultation and to pre-register for one of the groups, (507) 387-1666, joycek@vinevolunteers.org.
COPAL invites you to join the Shared Table program to feed immigrant families in the Mankato area. Find out more by visiting their website.
Save the Date: the Mortgage Payoff Celebration is February 15th!
2025 Contribution Reports have been sent out electronically. If you need a paper, please reach out to the church office.
Help Us Serve More Meals—Your Gift Is Matched! Connections is looking for meal donations and volunteer servers to help nourish our neighbors experiencing homelessness. We have lots of openings in February and March! Can't make a meal or come and serve? We have another option that might be even better: An anonymous donor is matching up to $500 in donations made specifically for meals—doubling your impact!
Donate here: https://connectionsmin.breezechms.com/give/online
Be sure to put #mealmatch in the notes so your gift counts toward the match. Whether you can give, cook, or serve, your support helps ensure no one leaves our doors hungry. Thank you for caring for our community. We could not do this work without all of you!
Minneapolis synod - Welcome fund
As we’ve seen over the last weeks, the targeting of our immigrant neighbors is only increasing. Our faith and our church’s social teachings call us to respond, to stand with and support our neighbors, and to step boldly into this moment.
The Synod’s Immigration Task Force has developed a Welcome Fund to provide direct financial support to immigrant communities in our Synod. With generous contributions from St. Paul’s Home (a sister organization of San Pablo-St. Paul’s), and matching dollars from the Synod’s Resurrection Fund, we are thrilled to get started with $75,000. We know that the support needed in this moment is significant, and you and your congregation are invited to contribute to this fund. You can send checks to the Minneapolis Area Synod and include Welcome Fund in the designation or donate online.
The Welcome Fund will support mutual aid for immigrant and refugee communities, advocacy efforts related to immigration and immigrant rights, and training opportunities for Minneapolis Area Synod members and congregations working with immigrant communities. Congregations and Synod Authorized Worshipping Communities in the Minneapolis Area Synod can request funding for:
Mutual aid: addressing basic needs for community members like rent, groceries, child-care, transportation, legal fees, and support for immigrants and those navigating the immigration system.
Advocacy efforts related to local immigration policy: hosting town halls with elected leaders, letter writing campaigns, or community meetings.
Training and education: legal observer training, know your rights training, education about immigration policy, etc.
Questions about the Welcome Fund can be directed to the Immigration Task Force co-chairs – Pastor Hierald Osorto and Pastor Rhonda Hlavinka, Assistant to the Bishop for Faith and Neighboring, Nicholas Tangen, or the Synod Treasurer Ross Eichelberger.
Monthly Mission Partner
Our February Monthly Mission Partner is ECHO Food Shelf. Born out of a church basement in 1981, ECHO has addressed hunger and food insecurity in our community for decades. In 2025, ECHO distributed 2.5 million pounds of food and tallied over 35,000 family visits. As needs continue to rise, so must our support. February contributions will be amplified with a proportional match during MN FoodShare’s March Campaign. Join us in our goal of raising $5,000 for this vital resource. You can give online or via check made out to Bethlehem with the monthly mission in the memo line.
This Week in our Prayers
Curt Halvorson
Marian Mallory
Paul Haugesag
Amy Grams Haugesag
Nikolas Perez
Gerry Morris
Barb Girtz
Lori Ruthenbeck
The family & friends of Barbara Ringgenberg
Our Savior’s Lutheran in Rochester
Grace Lutheran in Peterson
St. Michael Lutheran in Waltham
Good Shepherd Lutheran in Rochester
Gambella Lutheran Parish in South Sudan
CELCO (Colegio de la Evangelica Luterana de Colombia) in Cocuy Easces