BLC Weekly, August 18
Hello Bethlehem,
Bethlehem’s Fall Catalogs have been mailed! Check your mailbox or pick up a copy from the Welcome Kiosk to see all the exciting new offerings at Bethlehem this season, including a Pet Blessing, Thanksgiving Eve worship, and more.
Mark your calendars: We will gather for God’s Work, Our Hands on Sunday, September 7 & Wednesday, September 10. This year’s theme is Share, Receive, Be Blessed. Join us for a meal, music, community art and service projects, and a chance to reconnect with your church family. This will also be your time to complete a Time & Talent form, so begin to think about where you feel called to share your passions and gifts. Additional God’s Work, Our Hands details are available in the Facebook Event.
It’s not too soon to start signing up! Head to the BLC website to check out our Small Groups, take a look at the Wednesday Night Supper Menu and Adult Forum schedule, and register for youth programming. We are so looking forward to a great year of growing in Christ, loving our neighbors, and serving God’s world!
Events
Join us for the Blood Drive tomorrow, Tuesday, August 19. The Red Cross is offering an August Community Health initiative: during the month of August, the Red Cross will include A1C testing, commonly used to screen for prediabetes and diabetes, on successful donations. No fasting is needed! Head to the Red Cross website to reserve your donation time slot.
New Member Orientation: New members, we hope you will join us this Sunday, August 24th to be welcomed during worship. After worship we will gather for an orientation at 10:45am. If you or someone you know is interested in joining Bethlehem, please contact the church office or indicate your interest in the pew pads.
Night to Unite: Join the Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association in the Bethlehem Parking lot on Tuesday, August 26 from 5:30-8:30PM for their annual Night to Unite! Enjoy a meal, live music, open stage, games and more. Come on out and meet the neighborhood!
Bethlehem’s Welcome & Inclusion Board invites you to participate in SEMN PrideFest on Saturday, September 6. Saturday’s events will begin with a worship service at First Presbyterian at 9:30 AM. Then, we’ll head together to the 2025 Pride Parade at 11:15 AM. Wear your BLC shirt and join us! We also need volunteers to staff a table in Riverfront Park from 1:00-4:00 PM that day as well. A sign-up sheet is available at the Welcome Center.
The new and improved Blessings Box has been a great success! Several social media posts in local neighborhood groups have helped spread the word, and community members enjoy stopping by to chat, peruse and restock the Blessings Box, which inspired this year’s God’s Work, Our Hands theme: Share. Receive. Be Blessed!
Announcements
Invitation to the 2025 GHM Symposium: Healing in a Wounded World is going to be taking place on September 27th, from 9-11:30, followed by lunch, at Normandale Lutheran Church! We are going to spend a morning together in community, learning from three incredible speakers. We will welcome two notable international guest speakers, Archbishop Rev. Dr. Musa Pantl Filibus of the Lutheran Church in Nigeria and Dr. Rebecca Duerst from the Lutheran World Federation, as well as Rev. Doug Cox - GHM's Executive Director. We would love to have you all attend and to spread the word to your congregations about this event! I have attached an image that you can share, and we also have invitations available for pick up at the front desk at GHM.Registration is $20, and is now open at https://www.ghm.org/healing!
Thank you for an awesome first year of Summer Sack Lunches! We want to especially thank Amy Haigh for all of her work spearheading this work. The final Summer Sack Lunches of the season will be distributed on Sunday, Sept. 7th at 5:00 PM in the parking lot, and then we will return to Wednesday Night Suppers. The fall menu is now available online.
We Want Your Ideas for Adult Forums The Bethlehem Adult Education Board wants to know what YOU would like to learn about in our Sunday morning adult forums. In addition to promoting our monthly missions, we seek to contribute to BLC member lifelong learning by addressing topics of interest to YOU! Help us to develop a robust 2026 calendar of forum presentations. Are there topics near and dear to you? Are you involved with groups and organizations that connect to Bethlehem's mission and ministry? What would you like to share with members of our congregation? Send your forum ideas to Bob Ihrig at robert.ihrig1@gmail.com We will connect with you to develop future forums in 2026.
It’s been a summer of adventure! Stop in and see the photo wall outside the library lounge with memories from VBS, Camp, and the Boundary Waters.
Monthly mission partner
Our August Monthly Mission partner is Crossroads Campus Ministry at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Bethlehem has a long and close relationship with Crossroads and Pastor Jacie currently serves on their board. Led by Pastor Jenna Couch, the mission of Crossroads includes building community, deepening faith, growing in the understanding of God, and encouraging service. Crossroads is home to Campus Cupboard, a food support ministry, and offers Lunch 4-a-buck, a weekly meal prepared by local congregations. The majority of students utilizing these resources are international students. With increased costs and increased need, these resources are more important than ever. Your generous support is appreciated. You can give online or drop off a check written out to Bethlehem with the monthly mission in the memo line.
Crossroads Lutheran Campus Ministry is seeking passionate, dedicated individuals to serve on its Board of Directors. If you care about supporting college students in their faith journeys and want to help guide a vital ministry in our community, we’d love to hear from you! Board members provide leadership, vision, and support to the ministry’s mission on the Minnesota State Mankato campus.For more information or to express interest, please contact Pastor Jenna Couch at pastorjenna@gmail.com, or 507-200-8096.
This Week in our Prayers
Curt Halvorson Marian Mallory Pete Wachtel
Anna Moses Barb Girtz Paul Haugesag
Amy Grams Haugesag Pat Nelson Lisa Hagen Ross Hall
Red Oak Grove Lutheran in Austin Hayward Lutheran in Hayward
Mabel First Lutheran in Mabel Solo Por Fe Lutheran in Colombia
Emanuel Cathedral Lutheran in Tanzania Casa La Paz in Medellin, Colombia