Star August 2011

The Bethlehem Star
Volume 10, Issue 7, August 2011

Notice of Special Congregational Meeting
Sunday, August 11
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. Contact the office if you need a copy of the budget before the meeting.

Mid-year Statements Enclosed
Mid-year statements from the financial secretary are enclosed in this newsletter. Look them over carefully. If you note discrepancies, call Financial Secretary Pauline Schoop.

Also check to see if you are “on track” with your giving goals for 2011. If you missed a week or missed a month, you may wish to try to “catch-up.” Prayerfully consider whether you need to change your plan or commitment for giving during 2011. Remember your giving supports our ministry at Bethlehem as well as needed ministry around the world.

Sharing Agreement to be Reworked
The Councils of Bethlehem (BLC) and St. Mark Lutheran Church (SMLC) will meet in September to start reworking the sharing agreement made in 2001 prior to calling Pr. Keith Larson and AIM Barb Tobiason. At that time, Pastor Larson was called to full-time pastoral ministry and AIM Tobiason to half-time ministry (11 month year). Pastor Larson’s time and salary was 80% for BLC and 20% for SMLC. AIM Tobiason’s time and salary was 60% for SMLC and 40% BLC. Based on a 48-hour workweek, this provided for full-time pastoral service for Bethlehem and half-time for St. Mark. A change in this agreement is needed because of Barb’s impending “retirement” in 2012 and intention to work fewer hours. Congregations must approve any new agreement.

Festival of Shared Ministries - Bethlehem and St. Mark Lutheran Churches Together for Worship and Celebration
Sunday, August 28, 8:30 a.m., at Bethlehem
Bethlehem and St. Mark will gather for worship at Bethlehem this year to celebrate our shared ministries. Holy Communion will be celebrated. A time of food and fellowship will follow.
ELCA Church-wide Assembly Gathers
The ELCA gathers in Churchwide Assembly August 15 – 19 in Orlando, Florida. This group with over 1000 voting members elected at Synod Assemblies around the country meets every two years and is the highest legislative body of the ELCA (like a Congregation Annual meeting). Attending from the area as voting members are Pastor Keith Larson, and Steve Fishwild, First Lutheran, Maquoketa (son-in-law of Jean and Ray Ewing (St. Mark).
All members can follow the Assembly online on the Web at http://www.ELCA.org, on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/Lutherans, and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ELCA. (Hashtags for the assembly will be #CWA11 and #ELCA).
Persons can also go to http://www.ELCA.org, to find the agenda and information on all items currently on the agenda (items can be brought from the floor). Business will include voting on a Social Statement on genetics, and on proposals coming from a L.I.F.T. (Living into the Future Together) taskforce that could change the length of time between Churchwide Assemblies from 2 years to 3 years, eliminate some advisory groups and change ways certain ELCA-related ministries are funded. This commission was established to consider how the ELCA can be a church in today’s society where fewer people join churches and fewer financial resources are available to denominations.
Persons who have questions or wish to see actual items on the agenda and cannot access them on-line are invited to speak with Pastor.
August Birthdays
2 Wilma Adrian, Mindy Stoll
5 Farrie Ihns
8 Tom Gerdes
11 Ashley Alden
13 Ellen Pithan
14 Lola Berner
15 Brendon Koch
17 Velene Merrick
18 Lucile Schurbon
20 Emma Thiede, Madilyn Koch
22 Dillon Bickford
24 Dan Balichek
25 Jone Paarmann
26 Anna Weiss, Jill Suthers, Kari Rigg
27 Ginger Anderson-Larson
30 Herold Rehmke
31 Xera Tubbs

August Anniversaries
2 Ginger Anderson-Larson and Keith Larson
18 Joyce and Bob Feuss
19 Lorice and Paul Amlin
25 Shelley and Robert Beeck
27 Sue and Dana Zeller

Food Board Keeps the Pantry Running
Each month from 8 to 12 or more people gather for the monthly meeting of the Lost Nation Food Board, which operates the Lost Nation Food Pantry. Each congregation in Lost Nation, along with the Methodist congregation in Elwood and Delmar has 2 or 3 representatives. Many other volunteers from congregations also assist on Friday when the Food pantry is open at union Presbyterian.

At the July meeting, the board learned that fewer food items are currently available from the “food bank”, and it is likely that fewer yet will be available in the future. More items need to be purchased at cost, or at least in cooperation with local grocers. Fortunately, area congregations, organizations and individuals have generously supported the Food Pantry over the years and the Food Board can absorb the additional expense for now.

The Food Panty never turns down food items, but practically, financial gifts are preferred. It is just easier to store and distribute cases of food containers that are all the same size and shape rather than having a dozen different sizes of canned vegetables.

The Food Pantry will accept fresh garden produce from growers who wish to donate. Bring it by Union Presbyterian on Thursdays from 9:00 to noon or before 8:30 on Fridays.

The food pantry always can use toilet tissue, an item needed in every household, but not able to be purchased with food assistance cards.

Board members and volunteers from Bethlehem include Ellen Pithan, Rochelle Busch, Jeannette Schroeder, Enos Ihns, and Pastor Keith. If you have an interest in serving on the Board, or if you would like to be a volunteer, or even if you would like to volunteer only one Friday, just to see how it works, talk to Pastor.

Council Meets
Bethlehem council met July 12 for its regular meeting. Before the meeting they reviewed procedures for opening the elevator in case of emergency. In business they:
• went over plans for the “listening posts” to be held on July 24, 31, and August 7;
• discussed the upcoming joint meeting with St. Mark’s Council, on September 20, to begin working the sharing agreement with them regarding pastoral services;
• heard the following Treasurer’s report:
Balance 5/31/11 $ 9,555.59
Income June $ 5,260.63
Expenses May $ 8,656.66
Balance 5/31/10 $ 6,159.56
Member Giving Needed Monthly $6,000.00
Amount Received in June $5,260.00
June Shortfall $ 740.00
Shortfall to Date – 2011 $3,284.00

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!

Barb’s Message

Alex is one of several younger greeters at Bethlehem. It is an absolute joy to know that all these children will be there to seek you out and say, “Hi.” They are the ultimate greeters. Alex especially greets everyone with the zeal with which the Apostle Paul greeted the fledgling churches, only Paul had some ulterior motives besides the greetings for his letters. Alex is just glad to see everyone. My favorite Alexism: “You are one of a kind.” I think Alex expresses exactly what God is thinking of each of us.

One Sunday, before worship, Alex was sitting beside me on the pew, in the front row, no less. (Alex’s Lutheran roots are questionable. He doesn’t seem to be afraid of being close to the altar and pulpit.) He proceeded to take off his shoes and socks and set them aside. After awhile, when mom discovered he was barefoot, she brought him up to retrieve and put on the shoes and socks, explaining that going barefoot was something we probably shouldn’t do in church. Going barefoot actually doesn’t sound too bad when you think about it. Sunday shoes can be brutal.

A couple Sundays later, I was laughing with Alex’s mom about it, and she said that Alex is so at ease in church and feels so comfortable in God’s presence, that he just makes himself at home. How God must delight in Alex’s contentment and uninhibited happiness!

I thought to myself, “Do we, as adults, feel comfortable in God’s presence?” I suspect we don’t feel as comfortable as we could. Often, we come concerned about how we present ourselves, as if we could fool God for one millisecond. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could plunk down in the front and be so easy with God that we make ourselves feel so at home in church that we could even kick off our shoes?

I think God would be perfectly ok with it if we didn’t have self-imposed regulations about how we present ourselves in church. We need to be assured that church is our home where we can say and show how we feel. Just imagine how God would feel if we would worship with complete and honest joy and excitement – even if we sing off-key or get the versions of the Lord’s Prayer mixed up. We can be respectful and reverent and still be honest with our feelings. After all, God knows what is in our hearts and minds, anyway.

If Alex feels comfortable enough with God to go barefoot in church, that’s ok. We should all feel so comfortable with God. I am relatively certain God is less concerned with what is on our feet than with what is in our hearts.

Worship Assistants
Greeters: Marlene Hicks, Les Paarmann
Ushers: Pat Hansen, Dennis Kleppe
Lectors
7- Connie Kleppe
14- Jone Paarmann
21- Ellen Pithan
28- Emma Thiede
Communion Servers:
7- Marlene Hicks, Brent Ihns
21- Jessica Ihns, Enos Ihns
Acolytes:
7- Halie Gruenwald
21- Hannah Gruenwald
28- Jo Thiede
Altar Care: Elenor Bentrott, Lynda Humphreys
Bread Maker: Bob Hendrickson
Tellers: Tim Thiede, Ron Christiansen

Fellowship Servers:
7- Rochelle Busch, Darla Fields, Marlene Hicks
14- Joyce Feuss, Kathy Duffey, Donna Dosland
21- Elenor Bentrott, Lola Berner, Pat Hendrickson
28- Diana Ihns, Becky Petersen, Corynn Bennett

BWELCA Hilites
News from Spokane Washington, Deanne Bennett attended the 8th Annual Women of the ELCA Triennial Convention and Gathering July 12 – 18. This was Deanne’s first time as a delegate for SE Iowa Women’s Synod. There were 400 delegates who attended this convention. Time was shared in worship, business and reflection. We approved the rules of procedure and the agenda for the convention. In remarks about the "State of the ELCA," ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson thanked the Women of the ELCA for its leadership of the whole church.
Delegates overwhelmingly adopted several memorials. They ask for:
+ Women of the ELCA to learn about climate change and its effects, and work with the ELCA to advocate for new energy sources.
+ support of programs to educate women and children to avoid the dangers of sexual predators or dealers in pornography and human trafficking, writing to TV networks and companies to share concerns about the issue, and asking staff to provide a program resource to address human trafficking.
+ members to reach out to women in congregations and synods who are struggling with "issues related to congregations' decisions to leave the ELCA by modeling God's love, care and compassion." The memorial also called for development of resources, nurturing relationships and promoting inclusivity for women in these situations.
+ Women of the ELCA was asked to prayerfully consider "in future budgets" their financial support of and partnership with Lutheran campus ministries.
+ Delegates encouraged Women of the ELCA to support the "1,000 Days Initiative," which addresses hunger and malnutrition in women and children.
+ They asked Women of the ELCA to work toward elimination of bias and exclusion, and asked members to devise ways to seek leaders who are persons of color, those whose primary language is other than English or persons who are definitely abled.
+ They asked the organization to consider the possibility of providing tools for English/Spanish translating equipment at the next triennial convention.

Delegates also participated in a Bible study, "Women of the Bible: Our Inspiration for Renewal and Joyful Response," presented by the Rev. Wilma Kucharek, bishop of the ELCA Slovak Zion Synod. "We are women of God. We are inspired by our female ancestors in the faith, these heroines in the faith," she said. On the third ballot delegates elected Jennifer Michael, Pensacola, Fla., as the churchwide Women of the ELCA president.

“Sisters of the ELCA, it's time to rise up,” said Leymah Gbowee, Saturday’s plenary speaker—and peacemaker, activist, and mother from Liberia. “God is calling us today to reclaim our space.” Speakers at the opening session of the Women of the ELCA Triennial Gathering July 15 focused on the power of Jesus Christ to bring hope and healing to people in distress and to a hurting world.

All in all it was a truly amazing week, seeing familiar faces and meeting new people and making fast friendships. Thank you to the Women at Bethlehem for supporting me for this wonderful adventure. There is a lot more information on the Women of the ELCA web site, Triennial Convention and Gathering. Lots of photos.
SE Iowa 2011 Synodical Gathering
Theme: “RESPOND” Friday and Saturday, August 5, 6 at the Best Western Regency Inn in Marshalltown. Registration starts Friday from 4:30-6:00 p.m. with “Girls Night Out” going to the Binford House that evening. Registration and refreshments start at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday. Forms can be found on the table in the narthex.
Hope Cluster Fall Retreat
Mark your calendars for Friday and Saturday, Sept. 9, 10. Come join Elizabeth, Mary and Anna, “A Study of Women of Faith”. Our presenters will be Pastors Donnita Moeller, Lisa Dietrich and Lynn Thiede. Things to bring: brown bag supper and a beverage for Friday night. Can of soup for Saturday’s dump-soup lunch, bible, flashlight, munchies to share and personal items. Each church unit is to bring supplies for school kits, the bags will be provided. Forms can be found on the table in the narthex and there will be an insert in the bulletin the first week in August.
Nominating committee for the BWELCA Board will be the out going officers.
Pastor Keith Larson
Office Phone 678-2301
Home Phone 563-652-2599
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
Sunday Schedule
Worship 8:30 a.m.
Fellowship 9:30 a.m..

Office Hours
Pastor Keith is in the office most mornings
Monday – Thursday 9:00 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.