Emphasis on Hunger

As summer turns to fall we in America are blessed with an abundant harvest. It is a traditional time to celebrate that abundance. We have more than enough to eat. However, millions of others in our community, our nation and the world are suffering from a lack of food. Hunger is a growing issue in the world and we Christians need to increase our awareness of those issues, especially in light of our own abundance. Many church and worldwide support agencies plan events during the fall months to lift up world hunger to our attention. Several ideas have come to the attention of the Social Action Committee and, along with the Council, Bethlehem will use the month of October to focus our attention on world hunger.

There are three major activities planned in support of this emphasis:

  1. There is a Rocky Mountain Synod Summit "The Immigration Dilemma: People of Grace in a Land of Law". This event, scheduled for Saturday, October 11th, at Bethany Lutheran Church is one of the series, "Ending Hunger Summit" and is co-sponsored by The Hunger Network, Advocacy, and Global Mission. We encourage all interested members to participate and learn more about the many intricate issues that are involved in efforts to end hunger. For more information on the Rocky Mountain Synod Hunger Network and details of the Summit, please see http://www.rmselca.org/world_hunger.htm.
  2. Bread for the World Sunday on Sunday, October 19th, along with other congregations across the U.S. There will be the Theme of hunger in our worship services; education for our church community about hunger during the Learning Hour; and more information on the Bread for the World Covenant Church program. For additional information on Bread for the World, please see http://www.bread.org/BFW-Institute/.
  3. Boulder County CROP Walk on Sunday, Oct. 26th; CROP stands for Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty and communities have been running these walks across the country for the past 61 years. Our Bethlehem congregation is planning now to participate in this multi-generational (babies in strollers, kids, teens, adults of all ages) family fun walk (1 mile or 6 miles) held on a Sunday afternoon to raise funds for Community Food Share, Bread for the World, and Church World Services (LSS). We have a Bethlehem team already registered and hope that you will join and participate - sign-up can be through the web or with Carolyn Bloemker in the Narthex. You can help by walking and/or by sponsoring someone else on our Bethlehem team. http://www.cropwalkonline.org (see instructions below).


WHO: Entire families as well as individuals are invited to participate. This is an inter-generational event open to all.

COST: There is no cost to you. You are simply asked to find "sponsors" to support your willingness walk in solidarity with the millions of people here and around the world who have to walk everyday for food or for water.

WHERE: The CROP Hunger Walk is in Boulder beginning at St. Ambrose Episcopal church on South Boulder Road. We will carpool from Bethlehem and also plan to use the church van.

Watch for more information in the Narthex. Sign-up sheets are available and contact Margot Hoffmeyer at 303-828-5246 or Carol Bloemker at 303-530-1224 for more information.

For the web site link and more detailed information, click here http://www.cropwalkonline.org.

Instructions to use the web site for registering on the Bethlehem team and collecting online donations:

  1. Go to http://www.cropwalkonline.org
  2. Click on your state
  3. Locate your Walk (Boulder County CROP Walk) and click on it
  4. Follow the simple step by step instructions to register as a member of a
  5. team (Bethlehem Lutheran Longmont)
  6. Tailor your personal web page as desired
  7. Email family and friends to contribute


Instructions to use the web site for online donations to the Bethlehem team:

  1. Go to http://www.cropwalkonline.org
  2. Click on your state
  3. Locate your Walk (Boulder County CROP Walk) and click on it
  4. Click on the red Donate button
  5. To donate through a particular team member, click on 'Search for a
  6. participant' and enter the team member's name.
  7. To donate directly to the Bethlehem Team, click on 'Search for a Team' and enter the team 's name - Bethlehem Lutheran. The Bethlehem Lutheran Longmont team will come up and click on that name to find the team web page.
  8. On the right, under the gauge, click on 'Make a gift' and fill in the form as directed.