Bethlehem News You Can Use

We have highlighted a few events below, but you can click a link below to read and/or download a full copy of the Bethlehem Star

You can now read and/or download the Weekly Announcements (yellow pages) from the BLC website. Click here to go to the Announcements page.

Evangelism

Lenten Soup Suppers

Our Lenten tradition at Bethlehem is to enjoy a soup and bread fellowship on Wednesdays before the services. The neighborhood groups take turns providing the soups, relishes and desserts. The Evangelism Committee provides the bread.

The neighborhood group assignments are:

February 29: Orange
March 7: Pink & Green
March 14: Red & Purple
March 21: Blue & Light of Christ
March 28: Gold

Pull out the slow cooker or soup kettle and share your favorite soup with fellow members. Your fellowship shepherds will be contacting you prior to your neighborhood group’s week.

Also, please bring your own soup bowl, utensils, cups, etc. This saves lots of time for the serving neighborhood groups and allows them to worship with you.

New Tables

Have you noticed that we have new round tables in the fellowship hall? We were able to purchase these with the combination of a surplus in the kitchen fund and a memorial fund. Part of the kitchen monies used to buy the tables came from “going green” by foregoing use of Styrofoam cups, paper plates and plastic ware. Not only are we helping the environment, but we are also saving money. Thank you for doing your part by putting your cup in the dishwasher and washing dishes as needed.

Caffeine Fellowship Update

Thank you to the coffee makers in January, Greg Schumann and Wanda Schnabel. Working together we can make certain there is caffeine for all that partake. Please check the sign up sheet by the coffee pots and choose a week or more to do this service. You can make and set up coffee on Saturday afternoon and the ushers will plug it in on Sunday morning (the church is open 4:00–6:00 PM on Saturdays).

If you are involved in a ministry group, could your group sign up to do a month of coffee making? How about February?

Social Action

Agape Fund Update

Those in church on New Year’s Day heard Pastor Peterson’s story about Barbara and her two small children. They arrived in Longmont from Las Vegas, escaping a domestic violence situation. They had tried many of the local assistance agencies here in Longmont to no avail. Through our Agape Fund, we were able to help them get bus tickets to Seattle, where an aunt had offered to take them in. We also gave them some cash and food for the trip. (She also was grateful to take needed personal items that Bev Coody has procured through her coupon ministry.) Barbara was so thankful to Bethlehem for giving her this fresh start.

The good news is that the Agape Fund has been almost replenished. A special thanks goes to the Friday Men’s Bible study which collects an offering at their weekly gathering. Recently they gave the Agape Fund $450 out of that fund. In addition, there was a couple visiting on January 1 who gave $1,300 to the Fund in response to the sermon. Other church members have also contributed. Thank you! Last year, over $8,000 was given to those in need through the Agape Fund. We ask for your continued support, as we know the requests for aid will keep coming.

Thrivent/Habitat Build for 2012

The foundation was completed for all three homes of the triplex at 1445 Baker Street, so work will get started in February on the third home funded mostly by Thrivent Financial. The family selected for this home is the hardworking and deserving Cardenas family of five who arrived from Ecuador in 2009. I have put their picture and story on the narthex wall.

Two Saturday dates have been selected for Bethlehem to help build and provide lunches for the volunteers: March 10 and May 19. Please mark your calendars NOW to help! You may anticipate the appearance of the ladder in the narthex for sign-ups starting Sunday, February 19.

Thank you,
Bob Cotton, Thrivent Builds Specialist

Coupons/Box Tops/Campbell’s Labels

Our coupon ministry is in full swing thanks to our congregation at BLC! I have been able to stock a small pantry full of primarily toiletry items for free. Each Sunday as you read through your Denver Post, Longmont Times-Call or Daily Camera, please pull out the Smart Source, Red Plum, Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Kellogg’s, or Pillsbury inserts and bring them to church. No need to cut or clip anything—it is easier for me if the coupons are not clipped. The collection box for these—the big “soup” can—is located in the hallway outside the new Household Ministry Resource room (or you can continue to put them in my mailbox). In addition, there are also boxes there to collect Box Tops for Education and Campbell’s Labels for Education®. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me, Bev Coody, at 303-678-8825 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Thanks again for the great support!

Fundraiser for 2012 Mission Trips

Please mark your calendars to attend the St. Patrick’s Day dinner at church on March 17. Bethlehem and Light of Christ will be having a fundraiser for two mission trips, to New Orleans and the Pine Ridge Reservation, in 2012. Please support these worthy causes. We expect to start selling tickets in early March. We guarantee a fun-filled evening with lots of good food!