Bethehem Star - July

The Bethlehem Star
Volume 10, Issue 7
July 2011


Lost Nation Rustic Days
Community Worship
Sunday, July 18
9:30 a.m.
At Union Presbyterian
We will celebrate our common Christian ministries!
(No worship services at Bethlehem that Sunday.)
Notice of Special Congregational Meeting
Sunday, August 14
Immediately following Worship
(approximately 9:25 a.m.)
The purpose of the meeting is to vote on the 2011-2012 Mission Endowment Budget. The proposed budget is found on the last page in this issue of The Star.

Council Listening Posts to Be Scheduled

Bethlehem Council members will hold a series of listening posts on Sundays, July 24, 31, and August 7 at 9:45 a.m. and 10:10 a.m. Persons may sign up to share individually with 2 – 3 council members or to share as part of a group. A sign up sheet is posted on the end of the mailboxes in the conference room, or you can call office and Council secretary Deanne Bennett to make an appointment. The purpose of these listening posts will be only to hear comments and concerns related to the ability of Pastor Larson to serve adequately and effectively as pastor without living in the parsonage. Council members will appreciate all viewpoints. It is important to share them in these listening posts so all opinions can be adequately heard and accounted for. If none of the these opportunities work for you, contact Deanne.

ELCA to Meet in Churchwide Assembly

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America meets in Churchwide Assembly every two years. (This is comparable to a congregation’s Annual Congregation Meeting). The Assembly will be held August 15 – 19 this summer in Orlando. Each Synod elects voting members based on the numerical size of the synod. Pastor Keith Larson was one of 17 persons elected from the Southeastern Iowa Synod. The Assembly brings over 1000 voting members together from across the ELCA for a time of business, worship and inspiration. The Assembly is the highest legislative body of the ELCA. In Churchwide Assembly cont. from column 1

business this year the Assembly will vote on a Social Statement dealing with genetics, constitutional changes and other proposals coming from a L.I.F.T. (Living into the Future Together) taskforce that could change the length of time between Churchwide Assemblies form 2 years to 3 years, eliminate some advisory groups and change ways certain ELCA-related ministries are funded.
To read all about the Assembly go to www.elca.org and click on “2011 Assembly.” Persons wanting printed copies of items to be voted on can ask pastor to have them printed.

College Scholarships

Scholarship applications for all Bethlehem college students are available in the church office. All students enrolled in the 2011 - 2012 school term must complete an application and return it to the office on or before August 1, 2011. Students must be confirmed members of Bethlehem and must maintain academic eligibility. Scholarship money will be sent directly to your college at the beginning of each semester.

Note to those who will be high school seniors in the fall – if you anticipate that you might graduate early and begin college early, you should apply for a scholarship before August 1, 2012.


July Birthdays

3 Kathy Snyder
3 Charlotte Ihns
4 Leta Dunt
7 Kirk Snyder
8 Eleanor Christensen
13 Kolton Novak
14 Ron Gruenwald
15 Marvel Hamann
16 Diana Ihns
19 Timothy Mullins
21 Landon Hicks
22 Kathy Hute
26 Michelle Keller
27 Cornell Dunt
29 Bob Hendrickson
29 Riley Christiansen

July Anniversaries

8 Katie and Jason Thompson
10 Kindy and RayPaul Nissen
10 Katie and Zac Brauer
22 Barb and Glenn Tobiason
28 Jill and Gene Suthers


Council Meets
Bethlehem Congregation Council met for the regular monthly meeting on June 14. In business, they:
• Approved the proposed Bethlehem Mission endowment Budget (see later page in this month’s Star);
• Set Sunday, August 14 for a congregation meeting for the purpose of voting on the 2011-21012 Mission Endowment Budget;
• Heard the following Treasurer’s report:
Balance 4/30/10 $10,749.00
May Income $6,329.06
May Expenses $7,522.47
Balance 5/31/10 $9,555.59

Member Giving Needed Monthly $6,000.00
Amount Received in April $6,329.06
April Overage $ 329.06
Shortfall to Date – 2011 $2,554.00
Tobiasons Celebrate Grandsons

Pastoral Associate Barb, and her husband Glenn celebrated the birth of two grandsons a few days apart in June. Kameron Allan, 8 lb, 15 oz was born to son Kyle and wife Melinda, of Scotch Grove on June 11. Jackson Allan, 6 lb, 11oz was born to daughter Kim and husband Ryan of Naperville, IL on June 15. Jackson had to spend a few days in Neonatal Intensive Care, but is doing fine.

BWELCA Hilites

BWELCA Board to meet Tuesday, July 5 at 6 p.m.

BWELCA Summer Joint Bible Study will be Tuesday, July 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the basement at Bethlehem. AIM Barb will lead the study from the summer lessons found in the June, July/August Lutheran Woman Today magazine. All are welcome to join in this bible study.

Join us at the 24th Annual Gathering for the Southeastern Iowa Woman of the ELCA on August 5, 6 in Marshalltown at the Best Western Regency Inn. Girls night out is planned for Friday, August 5 starting with supper at the Binford House, followed with treats back at the hotel and ideas and discussion on some of the ways we can continue our giving to others using our talents. The Iowa State Veterans Home will be one of the recipients of the “Love Gifts” of forever stamps, lap robes, or stationary for the residents that have served us. The Gathering will be the next day with some amazing things to do. Forms are on the table in the narthex.
July Worship

The schedule for Holy Communion is altered in July to accommodate Rustic Days Community Worship. Holy Communion will be celebrated on July 3 and July 24.

Worship Assistants

Greeters: Pat Hansen, Darrel Hicks
Ushers: Warren Ihns, Roger Kleppe
Lectors:
3- Pat Hendrickson
10- Lynda Humphreys
17- Brent Ihns
24- Jessica Ihns
31- Clay Ketchum
Communion Servers:
3- Scott Doll, Emily Horst
24- Pat Hendrickson, Darrel Hicks
Acolytes:
3- Jo Thiede
24- Jenna Holtz

Altar Care: Eleanor Christiansen, Jeannette Schroeder
Bread Maker: Bob Hendrickson
Tellers: Emma Thiede, Deanne Bennett
Fellowship Servers:
4- Jody Holtz, Kelly Doll, Melissa McChesney
11- Darlene C. Deb C. Emily Horst, Sue Zeller
18- NO Fellowship Ecumenical Worship @UPC
25- Madge White, Stella Franck, Emma Thiede
31- Kathy Becker, Leta Dunt, Corynn Bennett

School Kits
We will again be gathering items for school kits. These help children – and in some cases, adults – continue learning despite the hardships they face.

Items Needed For 1 Kit:
4 70 sheet notebooks (wide or college ruled paper, approx 8X10 1/2 inches)*
1 30 centimeter ruler – centimeters on one side & inches on the other
1 pencil sharpener
1 blunt scissors
1 2½ inch eraser
5 unsharpened #2 pencils with erasers
5 ballpoint pens (no gel ink)*
1 box of 16 or 24 crayons
No construction paper*

*Items with an asterisk are changes this year.
Our goal is 100 kits.
Last year we put together 123 kits.
Watch for the back-to-school sales!



July 2011
Pastor Keith Larson
Office Phone 678-2301
Home Phone 652-2599
Emergency 563-447-0652
pastor@bethlehem.mylutheran.org

Pastoral Associate Barb Tobiason
Office Phone 826-2761
Home Phone 563-487-2116
AIM@bethlehem.mylutheran.org

Office Secretary Deanne Bennett
Church Phone 678-2301
secretary@bethlehem.mylutheran.org

Parish Nurse Carm Schneider
Office Hours 9:00 a.m. -10:30 a.m. Tues
Phone 678-2302

Office Hours
Pastor Keith is in the office most mornings Monday – Thursday 9:30 a.m. – Noon and Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. If you need to enter the church and do not have a key, please contact the church before coming to make sure someone is there.