Parish life at Bethlehem is alive and well. We have numerous groups that allow our members to experience a rich, fulfilling and busy parish life. There are such groups as Bible Studies, a Quilters group, a Book Club, multiple musical groups, Men's and Women's Retreats, and Promise Keepers to name just to name a few.

Click the links below to get more information about life at Bethlehem.

Natural Church Development Update

The NCD Health Team has been busy.

This stage of the NCD process is to get input from the congregation. The survey many of our congregational members recently took told us what they feel is our greatest challenge as a church. Our “minimum factor” was identified as PASSIONATE SPIRITUALITY. That is fairly common for Lutheran churches doing this NCD process.

Members of the Health Team are now meeting with small groups within Bethlehem to talk to them about Passionate Spirituality. How do they understand that characteristic? Why do they feel that is our greatest challenge?

To date they have met with; the church council, the Stephen Ministers, the Senior High Sunday School class, the Promise Keepers Bible Study and the staff. They will also be meeting with the choir, the Sunday School teachers and the Evangelism/Fellowship Committee. There will also be an “open” date at the Adult Forum when interested members not in one of those groups can give their input. They are also trying to schedule with other groups in the congregation.

When that information gathering phase has been completed, the Health Team will starting meeting with other ministries of the church to come up with a plan for how to address that challenge. Thank you to everyone who has been apart of the process to date. Your input is invaluable as we seek to make Bethlehem a healthier, more passionate, more spiritual congregation.

Isn't it a Pleasure?

As we all had the opportunity this past week to take another look at how we might best use our time and our talents to serve God, His church, and others, as we completed our Time and Talent sheets, could we help but be reminded what great joy there is in serving. We are truly blessed here at Bethlehem with the many, many willing workers who share their time and talents in all kinds of service. And what comes to mind is this question: ”ISN’T IT A PLEASURE?”

Isn’t it really a wonderful pleasure just to be able to do something - anything, that serves our God. You know, our service is really nothing more (and nothing less) than our “thank-you” to Him for all He does for us.

Your Stewardship team wants to say thank-you to all who completed the Time and Talent sheets. Please be assured that we will make every effort to help you use those gifts you’ve noted in ministry in our church and community. If, for some reason, you’ve not yet had an opportunity to complete the form, please pick one up from the narthex or the church office to help you say, “It really IS a pleasure! Let our prayer be that God will use us and what we do to His glory.

Your Stewardship Team

Bethlehem Christian Library News

“Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet and a Light unto my Path.”

The Library Table in the narthex has been moved to the South Wall next to the Sunday Coffee Bar. The Library Committee has placed on it several books recently donated by members of the congregation— THANKS to those contributors! You may find the one you have been looking for—or one you didn’t even know you were looking for! You can check one out simply by writing your name on the card and placing it in the basket provided—try to return it within 1 month.

Volunteer Opportunity

Fair Trade Fair 2008 – For the past two years Light of Christ and Bethlehem Lutheran have jointly hosted a Fair Trade Fair offering fairly traded crafts and other items from around the world. This has been an event that has been well received by both congregations.. We are looking for people interested in heading up the fair this fall. Instructions and guidance are available from previous fair organizers. If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity please contact Susan Finnegan at outreach@lightofchristecc.org.

Mission Trip to New Orleans

As the lone Lutheran on this trip with 12 members from Light of Christ Ecumenical Catholic Church, I was never alone!! Everyone made sure I was part of the fold, for activities day or night.

We stayed in a hostel run by Volunteers of America, in the “Garden District” of the city, where there were beautiful old majestic homes from the early nineteen hundreds.

At the hostel were volunteers for V.O.A. , “Hands On”, “New Orleans Volunteers”, and “Rebuilding Together New Orleans”. There were people of all ages, and from all different parts of the country, and from abroad. Each night after dinner, the groups would get up and tell what kind of volunteer work they had been doing for the day, and then nominate the hardest worker as their “STUD” for the day! Our group picked Father Don as “STUD” for the first day, as he had really worked hard in a collapsed bathroom and in the crawl space below preparing to replace the rotted floor beams!

Our group split up. I went as plumber’s helper to Pete Conti, and we worked on 5 homes during the week. Most of the others worked on perhaps 3 different homes. We got first hand stories from the residents about how they had escaped before the flood, escaped during the flood, and how long it took before they could return, and get their homes renovated. One lady “Miss May” cooked lunch for us a number of times, Louisiana specialties, the food sure was tasty!

In many parts of the city, it appears 20 to 30% of the homes are still vacant, and partially boarded up. FEMA trailers dot every street, and dumpsters where folks, and volunteers are trying to gut and rebuild homes. Progress has been made, affirmed by those who made the trip in 2007, but it is going to take years to complete, with lots of volunteer help.

Every night, we got to see special things in the city, with our excellent guide Wayne Parent, who had lived there many years. We loved sampling the Louisiana food, the stately homes in the old part, the vibrant French quarter, and of course the JAZZ in the “Preservation Hall”.

In conclusion, it was a great experience with a group of folks definitely NOT stuffy! I hope that when the next trip is announced, a bunch of Lutherans will want to join in the experience. Accommodations for volunteers are in short supply in the Spring, so plans and numbers will have to be firmed up by this December.

Look for a poster in the narthex this month with photos and details about this trip.