Weekly Announcements now on Website!

You can now read and/or download the Weekly Announcements (yellow pages) from the BLC website. Go to www.bethlehem-lutheran.net and click on the Weekly Announcements link under Calendar and Events.

Lent – A Time for Growth

Lent means “spring.” In these months we move from the dark of winter into the new life of spring. Lent is meant to be a time of growth in faith and renewal of spirit. It is time to take on new challenges, set new priorities, and give up that which holds us back. It is a time for worship and Bible study.

“GOD IN EVERYDAY LIFE”: Pick up a copy of our Lenten daily devotional booklet, written by members of Bethlehem and Light of Christ, that shares how they have experienced God’s presence in their lives.

WEDNESDAY SOUP SUPPERS & VESPERS SERVICES, February 24 – March 24: After the 5:30 PM soup supper we will join with Light of Christ in worship from 6:30 to 7:00 PM. This year we will be introducing the new vespers service “That You May Have Life” written by Marty Haugen and Susan Briehl.

SUNDAY WORSHIP & ADULT FORUM: During the five Sundays of Lent we will share a special preaching/teaching series highlighting our Household Ministry. Using the wonderful book Frogs Without Legs as our guide, we will lift up the themes of Household Ministry and how it can enrich the lives of each member.

Holy Week

Come and worship during this most holy of weeks. Come each night and walk with Jesus towards the cross and the empty tomb. Each service builds on the next, so plan to come to all of them.

PALM SUNDAY, March 28
8:00 AM — Palm Sunday procession and celebration
10:15 AM — Shared worship with Light of Christ with the reading of the Passion

MAUNDY THURSDAY, April 1
7:00 PM — Celebration of the Last Supper and foot washing

GOOD FRIDAY, April 2
7:00 PM — Tenebrae service (service of growing darkness) with a special choir presentation of Jesus’ last seven words, “Jesus, in Thy Dying Woes” by Gary Matheny

EASTER VIGIL, April 3
8:00 PM — We move from the darkness of Good Friday to the light of Easter, recounting the great Biblical stories of God’s faithfulness

EASTER, April 4
6:00 AM — Easter sunrise service
7:00-10:00 AM — Easter breakfast hosted by our youth
8:00 and 10:15 AM — Easter celebration

Evangelism

Again this year we will have soup suppers followed by a Wednesday evening Lenten worship service. The full schedule for Wednesday nights is:

5:30 - 6:15 PM, Soup Supper
6:15 - 7:00 PM, Worship
7:00 - 8:00 PM, Choir and Confirmation

As in the past, the different neighborhood groups will be in charge of providing the dinner each week, as follows:
2/24 - Gold and Red
3/3 - Pink and Blue
3/10 - LOC
3/17 - Orange and Green
3/24 - Purple and LOC

Events

Bethlehem Book Club

All are welcome to the monthly Book Club meeting at Ziggy's (4th and Main), 6:30 AM every second Thursday of the month. We read a variety of books and have lively discussions. Many times we use the Longmont Public Library's "Books in a Bag", so you do not need to purchase any books! Questions?? Contact Colleen Beyer (303-651-2816 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )

• March 11 - The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig
• April 8 - When the Emperor was Divine by Julie Otsuka

Easter Lilies

Please help us beautify the sanctuary for Easter Sunday and make it inviting and welcoming to our many visitors. We will be taking orders for lilies in the narthex between services on March 7, 14, and 21. If desired, you may designate your lily in memory or honor of a loved one. The cost will be approximately $6 to $8 each.

Council Highlights

Reports and records submitted at the council meetings, as well as the complete minutes, are available in the church office and on the church website. Council Highlights will no longer appear in the Star.

WELCA Boulder Cluster Event

Bethlehem is privileged to be hosting the annual Women of the ELCA Boulder Cluster Spring Event this year for the first time ever on May 1, 2010. The Boulder Cluster originally represented only Boulder County, but is now comprised of women from churches in Adams, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver and Jefferson counties. Save the date for this exciting event — more details to come in next month’s Star.

Faith Day at the Rockies

Sunday, August 15, 2010 It is not too early to think about baseball—a wonderful hope of spring and summer! Faith Day at the Rockies will feature a 1:10 PM game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Jeremy Camp will be this year’s musical guest; with sixteen No. 1 songs, five Dove Awards, three ASCAP Songwriter of the Year wins, and both Grammy and American Music Award nominations, Jeremy’s thoughtful lyrics and booming voice have earned him legions of fans. We will begin selling tickets early in June at $20 each for lower level seats in right field. Mark your calendars and think baseball and summer!

Stewardship

Bethlehem finished 2009 with a $24,000+ surplus. Thank you for your good stewardship in a difficult financial year.

• We received 125 pledges for the 2010 budget, totaling $335,791.
• Once again, we asked the congregation to help us keep our intern program alive and additional pledges were sought and received, totaling $7,320. In January, another $5,000+ came in special gifts for the program as well. Given those pledges the church council recommended that we call another intern, which was approved by the congregation.
• Given those pledges, the congregation passed a $459,558 ministry budget for 2010. (The budget for 2009 was $470,560.) There was a significant drop in 2010 in the pledges for KTV (pledges for paying off the mortgage). The ministries were asked to make a 5% reduction from last year. The staff was not given any increase in salary for the second year in a row.
• We have started 2010 off very strong financially. The monthly budget was $38,296 and we received $53,529. ($5,411 of that were monies given towards the intern pledges.) Once again, thank you for your good stewardship. Thank you for helping to keep our ministry strong.
• In January, $850 was raised for the Lutheran World Relief effort for Haiti. Members were also encouraged to give to LWR directly.

Members

Prayers

Healing for Dottie and George Choun, Lydia Mott, Bob Marconnet, llene Ryan, Bob Urbach, Ruth Peterson, Phyllis Friedrich, Jean Messinger, Charlotte Peterson, Scott Alexander, Leo and Virginia Dick, Dorothy Lesser, Mildred Hart, and Jeremy Goodman.

Sympathy for Emily Kunselman and family on the death of her father Loren Haworth, and the family of LeRoy Lesser on his death.

...& Thanksgiving

We rejoice at the births of several babies in January: Serenity Bell, January 18, daughter of Jodi Bell and great-granddaughter of Judy Johnson; Truman Andrew Cooper, January 22, son of Jessica and Mitchell Cooper; and Nathan Allen Larsen, January 24, son of Jeff and Amy Larsen, and grandson of Duane and Joanne Larsen.

Thank You!

I want to thank the Bethlehem Prayer Shawl Ministry and especially Arline Sahl for the beautiful shawl I received following the death of my father. I felt your prayers as I wrapped that soft, encompassing shawl around me when I prayed. I knew God was listening and I could feel your support. Many thanks for continuing this valuable ministry.
- Jeanne K. Phipps

To Nancy McLeod, Arline Sahl and all of the Prayer Shawl Ministry Team,
I cannot thank you enough for the prayer shawls you gave me and baby Truman. They are both absolutely beautiful and so warm. I feel so loved and special when I use them and I know Truman will come to appreciate his very soon! Thank you so much for thinking of us, caring for us and supporting us!
Love, Jessica Cooper

Thank you so much for the beautiful prayer shawl. I will wear it in comfort and regard it always as a gracious, welcoming gift from a group that has made me feel so at home in the short time I have been attached to Bethlehem. It will always remind me of that as it is displayed over the chair in the living room. Thank you for your concern and love. Grace and peace to you all.
- Jean Messinger

Dave and Joyce Stambaugh thank everyone for their prayers, cards, visits, and gifts of food while Joyce was in the hospital. Her new knee is doing well.

I would like to thank my church family for all the phone calls and for checking on mom while I was in the hospital. I also would like to thank Pastor Sarah for the visit while I was in the hospital and at home. I want to give a big thanks to Pastor Mark for his visit and the phone calls to check to see how I was doing.
- God Bless You, Ilene Ryan

To My Church Family,
I wanted to thank everyone for the great Valentine Box of snacks that you sent to me up at college. It’s always a very welcomed surprise and nice to know that I continue to be in your thoughts, even when I’m away. Thanks again, and I’m sure I will see you all soon.
- Tyler Payne

I would like to thank the members of Bethlehem Lutheran Church for their hospitality. The care package I received in the mail the past week was an uplifting experience. It is nice to know that while away at college others are thinking of me. The goodies I received will be cherished. Thanks again for the care package.  
-Alex Hebbert

Thank you so much for the care package. PA school is going well; extremely challenging yet very rewarding. I appreciate your thoughts, prayers and snacks. I shared them with my class and they were much appreciative. Thanks again, Becky Kasperbauer

Office Helpers: Betty Bluhm, Bob and Nancy McLeod, Mary Schlagel, LaVerna Picket and Grayson, Doris Slinger, Ann Russell

Lenten Devotional Helpers: Bob and Nancy McLeod, Ken and Phyllis Wright, Pr. Mark. From Light of Christ: Father Don Rickard, Toni Stone

February STAR Helpers: Alpha Wuertz, Frances Rhoades, Lu Kluck, Deanna Hebbert, Lucille Wollman, Ann Thompson

Star Editorial Staff: Jamie Adams, Carolyn Buck-Gengler, Julie Leake, Nancy Tif

Deadline for bulletin announcements:The Wednesday before you want the announcement to appear in the bulletin. Send announcements to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ..

Deadline for the Star announcements/articles for April: March 15. Email Star articles to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Alternate way to submit both bulletin and Star items: click on the Submit Announcements link. If your text is short, you can enter it into the form, but if you have a document with formatting, it is best to attach it using the attach button.