BLC Weekly, August 3
Hello Bethlehem,
The summer fun continues! After back-to-back weeks of VBS and camp on the Shores of St. Andrew, Bethlehem youth and leaders are Boundary Waters bound this week! We pray for a fun, safe and blessed time exploring creation in the Boundary Waters.
Announcements
Welcome back to our Shores of St. Andrews campers! It was a warm but fun week of adventuring at camp!
Pastor Jay Dahlvang has returned from his sabbatical! We are thankful for this opportunity for spacious rest for our Lead Pastor and now pray for ease, reconnection and joyful welcome as he returns to Bethlehem.
Thank you to to Pastor Kristin Engstrom who joined us as our guest preacher on Sunday and shared about her experiences of mission work around the world. We pray for her continuing mission work at her current call in Madagascar.
Bethlehem will host a Blood Drive on August 18 from 1:00pm-6:00pm. Sign up online to save lives!
Summer Sack Lunches: Meals are distributed from 5-6pm Sundays in the parking lot. Limit 1 per-person, must pick up in-person. We are collecting donations in the narthex and financial donations are accepted online. Thank you for supporting this ministry!
The Sioux Trails Chapter of the American Guild of Organists represents organists, church musicians, and organ music lovers in South Central Minnesota, with activities focused in the cities of Mankato, New Ulm, and Saint Peter. Their Summer Organ Recital series is now underway, featuring FREE concerts open to all Tuesdays at 12:10pm. Bethlehem will host the final concerts of the season, July 28 - August 11. We hope you will take advantage of these wonderful opportunities to enjoy the work of talented area musicians. John Baumann performs August 4, and don’t miss Bethlehem’s own Christine Schulz, performing August 11.
Monthly Mission Partner
Our August Monthly Mission Partner is Lutheran World Relief. LWR serves to save and improve the lives of our neighbors living across the globe in the most impoverished areas of East and West Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. LWR seeks to partner with local communities to address hunger, create jobs, and develop productive economies rooted in agriculture, promote sustainable and eco-friendly farming practices, as well as provide assistance in response to natural disasters — such as the recent earthquake in Venezuela. Last year, LWR began responding to our neighbors in crisis here in the U.S. Following multiple catastrophic events taking place in the U.S., LWR began working alongside trusted local faith partners to distribute truckloads of essential emergency supplies. Faithful friends of LWR — including many at Bethlehem — volunteer time and resources to make quilts and assemble school kits. Through all of these efforts, families and children are equipped with essentials needed not only to survive, but also to move forward. Please consider making a financial contribution to help and improve the lives and livelihoods of our neighbors living both close to home as well as abroad.
Giving Goal: $7,00 You can give online, donate via Venmo @BLCMankato, 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
Roger Pipes
Pat Nelson
Jan Boyum
Jerry Williams
The family & friends of Duane Ahlness
St. Olaf Lutheran in Austin
St. Matthew Lutheran in Harmony
Trinity Lutheran in New Richland
First English Lutheran in Faribault
Lutheran School of Theology (IELCO) in Bogota
Mazoezi Songambele Lutheran in Tanzania
Justice y Vida Ministry in Colombia