Bethlehem Lutheran Church Congregational Newsletter
A Look Inside Page 2 Announcements BCS Page 3 Christian Service Men’s Ministry Sunday School Page 4 & 5 Meet the Matthew’s Pages 6 LCN Faith in Everyday Page 7 December Calendar Insert Music Notes by Jeremy Neufeld Back Page Election Results Contact Info. Office Hours
Our Mission To equip servants who faithfully follow Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:19-20 Our Vision To be a faithful, active church reaching out to all with love by: - Encouraging spiritual growth; - Strengthening disciples; - Sending out servants following Jesus Christ.
December 2017
The Darkness of Life The Rev. Kirby Unti, Bishop, NWWA Synod From the December 2017 edition of The Spirit
We are living during the darkest time of the year and the world around us is following suit. Daily we see and hear reports of just how dark we can be as people. Stories of mass killings, sexual assaults, bullying, war, and murder. One of the things I admire most about Luther was his capacity to embrace the darkness largely by acknowledging his own. It was in coming face to face with his own shadow and human depravity that he discovered God’s grace. I have always counted it a great gift that I had the privilege of doing my Clinical Pastoral Education under the supervision of Dr. William A. Miller. Bill wrote the book, Making Friends with Your Shadow, where he makes the case that all of us have a dark side to our lives. The understanding is that our dark side is the opposite of our public image and equal in proportion. This is why it is so shocking when we discover the shadow of someone we hold in high regard. When people refuse to own the dark side of their life, it grows in intensity. The goodytwo-shoes people are often the most critical of their neighbors. Such people work overtime suppressing the full truth of their lives – which can lead to acting in secret. Jesus was very clear about the importance of knowing your own darkness. He would say things like, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” Or he would say, “Remove the log from your own eye before you remove the speck from your neighbors.” The church ought to be the one place in the community where we can struggle more honestly about the challenges of being human. It ought to be a place that both helps us come to grips with our dark side and holds us accountable for addressing it in healthy ways. If acknowledging one’s dark side improves the likelihood that one will not act on it, is it equally true that church and country must do the same? I think the answer to this is YES. This is why the churches of the Northwest issued a letter of apology to the tribes for the horrible and unjust ways we have treated these brothers and sisters. This is why the 500th Commemoration of the Reformation was a time for Lutherans to confess the horrible ways Luther depicted the Jews and for contributing to the violence that spread across Europe. This is why delegations from the United States have gathered at Hiroshima and Nagasaki to commit to one another that never again will we unleash such deadly force. If we take seriously the Lutheran understanding of Saint and Sinner, then we need to take more seriously how it manifests itself in corporate ways as well as individual ways. The way to face the truth of dark times is to acknowledge that they are true and to cling to the promise that the Light came into the darkness and the darkness will not overcome. This Light is the true gift of Christmas. Come Lord Jesus!
BETHLEHEM CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
ANNOUNCMENTS
We have the wonderful opportunity to share the Christmas Story with 150 students. We will be sharing with Bible stories, projects, songs and chapel time. Our gift to our kindergarten and preschool families will be a Christmas Program. All of the students have been working very hard to learn their special parts for their performances.
Bethlehem Lutheran Church was able to serve 324 meals thru Salvation Army Wednesday dinners, in addition to the dinners BLC also contributed 555lbs of food to the Marysville Food Bank. Thank you for your contributions. Ilene Erickson.
A HUGE thank you comes from the food bank for your generous donations. We were able to deliver 400 pounds of food thanks to all of you.
Important Dates to Remember December 6th December 5th and 7th December 7th December 15th January 2nd January 15th February 5th February 20th March 5th
No school for Preschool only Preschool Christmas Programs Kindergarten Christmas Program Last day of school before Christmas Classes resume No school – Martin Luther King Jr. Day Kindergarten Open House Registration for returning students, siblings and BLC members Registration opens to community
On behalf of our entire school staff, we wish you a Christ -filled Christmas and a Blessed New Year! BCS staff wishes you a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving with your families and friends—God’s Blessings!! Mrs. Stephenson Mrs. Cunningham Mrs. Brunken Mrs. Hundley Mrs. Stevens Mrs. Norsworthy
Mrs. Boas Mrs. Muzzy Mrs. Campbell Mrs. McNett—Office Manager Mrs. Stadum—Director Grandma Sharon
Homemade Holiday Cookie Sunday, December 17, 2017. Bring your favorite holiday cookies and share with everyone at coffee hour.
ADULT FELLOWSHIP The Adult Fellowship at Bethlehem Lutheran Church program for December will be our Christmas lunch with all the trimmings. Bring your favorite Christmas dish. Bethlehem Christian School will sing Christmas songs and Jeremy Neufeld our director of music ministries will lead us in some Christmas hymns. Come and enjoy some good food and good fellowship as we celebrate our Savior’s birth. We meet on December 12th at Noon in the Fellowship Hall. Come and enjoy good food, interesting programs, and of course great fellowship. The potluck menu is a great way to try some of the best recipes offered by our members. Bring your own plates, cups and silverware. We meet at noon the second Tuesday of each month. If you have some ideas on programs, let us know. Come out and join us and bring a friend.
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For more information contact John Natterstad (360-6598218), or Manuela Porter (206) 390-3119.
CHRISTIAN SERVICE We thank all of you who supported Christian Service this year. Those who: prayed gave donations cut and sewed knitted assembled the kits designed and tied quilts Our fall shipment included 8 quilts and177 school kits totally 678 pounds and costing $508.50 for shipping. For more details about the LWR projects visit http: lwr.org.
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
Bethlehem’s Children's Christmas Program Sunday, December 17, 2017—10:00 AM (one service only no sermon or communion) Invite your families and friends, all are welcome. Dress rehearsal will be Saturday, December 16th 10:00 AM—1:00 PM—Pizza lunch served Parents of children, pre-school—5th grade please put these dates on your calendar.
Donated fabric was shared with Binky and Snohomish County Textile and Clothing Advisors.
MEN’ MINISTRY INVITATION Men’s Bible Study is an inclusive invitational study group of men from four Lutheran churches in the area. We come from diverse backgrounds, all are now Lutherans with some having different religious training. There are lay and ordained members. We meet off church campus enjoying the hospitality of Bob’s Burger and Brew at Quil Ceda Village. We have met there for many years on the first and third Thursday every month. Our seven am start time requires a good alarm clock but includes breakfast and allows members to meet other obligations they may have on that day. The group uses The Master Builders Bible for Men, the Lutheran Men in Mission edition for small group study. We can help obtain these. We are called to be disciples and this study is continual preparation for that task. We share our life experiences and bring contemporary meaning to the Good News brought by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We look at the Old Testament as the cradle in which Christ was born. We examine scriptures in depth to raise our level of confidence when meeting seekers and help us approach an explanation for the incredible, impossible actions of God. The Study group wants to share with you the wonderful fellowship that we have discovered and invite men of any age to join us in this, God’s blessing of His word. December meetings are Thursday the 7th and, Thursday, the 21st. Please come and see. Questions? Contact Roger Isaacson (360) 652-7567
DECEMBER WORSHIP
December 3
Celebration 8:30 AM Liturgical 11:00 AM
December 10
Celebration 8:30 AM Liturgical 11:00 AM
December 17
BLC Children’s Christmas Program 10:00 AM (one service)
December 24
Christmas Eve Services 10:00 AM—Worship 7:00 PM & 11:00 PM—Candlelight
Christmas Day Service December 25
10:00 AM (one service)
December 31
10:00 AM (one service) 3
MEET The Matthew’s Jose & Erin, Noah & Madelyn by Zorah Pihl Erin was raised on the west coast and Jose was raised on the east coast, but they first met as freshmen at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky which both were attending as recipients of sports scholarships. More on that later. Erin was born and raised in Mount Vernon Washington, and has one brother. As a child, she attended First Lutheran Church in Mt. Vernon, where she was baptized and confirmed. She graduated from Mt. Vernon High School where she was active in sports.
She also played trombone in the school band, but had to give that up when the new “block” program interfered with her band schedule. She played on both the softball and volleyball teams, was recruited by Eastern Kentucky University and awarded a softball scholarship there. Erin earned her four-year BS Degree in Occupational Science in 2006, and her Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy in 2008, both at EKU. Jose was born in New York City, where he lived the first fourteen years of his life. Then the family moved frequently to other towns in New York and other states due to job opportunities. He particularly remembers living near Sleepy Hollow, NY…yes of the famous headless horseman short story: “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” written by Washington Irving. He has one brother. The family finally settled in Marietta, Georgia where Jose graduated from Wheeler High School. He played saxophone in school for about seven years; sixth grade through high school. He also enjoyed art, mainly pencil drawings and clay/ceramics, and was awarded local art scholarships. Active in sports, he was too big to play in Little League but was allowed to play on the high school football team when he was still in middle school, and later awarded a four-year football scholarship at EKU. Jose graduated from EKU in 2006 with a degree in Computer Networking. After graduation, Jose tried out at an NFL combine in Atlanta, GA. He ultimately decided not to pursue playing football to “save his body” as he had already injured his knee several times. The first time he injured his knee was during his junior year in college. Coincidentally, Erin injured her knee close to the same time and they both required knee surgery. They spent time in rehab, which is where they shared in conversation and got to know one another. Several years later, on July 26, 2008, they were married at First Lutheran Church in Mt. Vernon, WA. Rather than choose whose family to live by, they decided to live in Reno, Nevada. Erin had completed her second internship at Renown Rehabilitation Hospital and continued with a paid position after passing the occupational therapy board exam. Jose worked as a medical billing and coding tech, then at the software firm RefWorks, and then at the University of Nevada in IT (Information Technology). They lived there for the next six years, and both of their children were born there, in 2010 (Noah) and 2012 (Madelyn). 4
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About four years ago, they wanted to be closer to Erin’s mother and brother, so they moved to Washington. They visited Bethlehem when they were looking for a house and knew Pastor Kevin through his former parish, Salem Lutheran, the church that Erin’s mother attends. They bought a house in Snohomish/Lake Stevens. Jose’s new job was in Shoreline, working for the WA. State Dept. of Public Health Lab. Jose now works for Snohomish County IT in downtown Everett. This saves him up to three hours in his daily commute. Erin works for the Snohomish School District as an Occupational Therapist. This year, she is at Central and Emerson Elementary Schools, and in the Transition Program, helping eighteen to twenty-one-year olds as they make the transition to adult life. Noah is in second grade and Madelyn is in kindergarten in the same district. Jose enjoys exercise; lifting weights and martial arts. He is the Cub Master for a pack in Snohomish and helps coach sports whenever he can. Erin coaches T-ball and enjoys exercising and working on many types of craft projects; Pinterest is a favorite website. The family took their first long trip last summer to Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. The kids’ favorite parts of the trip included a day at the Georgia Aquarium, and visiting cousins they had never met! They have a dog named “Max” and three chickens named “Henny”, “Penny”, and Maddy proudly says she named the third one, “Sparkle”. “It’s because I just love the name Sparkle!” she says. Erin cleans the coop, while both kids help with collecting the eggs. Noah enjoys reading, science, baseball, soccer, football, and basketball. Maddy likes reading, drawing, crafts, Legos, soccer, and T-ball. Jose was baptized as an infant in the Seventh Day Adventist Church. However, his family was not active in the church, and he says it was not at all difficult to join the Lutheran Church as it was about his personal journey. Both Erin and Jose serve as lectors at Bethlehem and, with their children, serve as communion assistants. Jose serves on our Endowment Committee and Erin teaches in our Sunday school and at Vacation Bible School. Their family adds so much to our life here at Bethlehem.
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Sun
3 8:30 am Celebr atio n Service 9:45 am Chr istian Education 11:00 am Litur gical Worship
10 8:30 am Celebr atio n Service 9:45 am Chr istian Education 11:00 am Litur gical Worship
17 10:00 am Childr en ’s Christmas Program/ Sanctuary (one service only) Cookie Sunday (following service) 1:00 pm Ch r istm as Caroling Convoy!! Details TBA 24 10:00 am W o r ship Service 7:00 pm Chr istm as Eve Candlelight Service 11:00 pm Chr istm as Eve Candlelight Service __________________ 31 10:00 am W o r ship Service/Sanctuary (one only)
Mon
4 9:30 am B CS Chr istmas Rehearsal/ Sanctuary 6:30 pm Cub Sco uts 7:00 pm B oy Scouts/ Fellowship Hall A 7:00 pm Endow ment Committee/ Fireside RM 11 6:30 pm Cub Sco uts/ Gym 7:00 pm B oy Scouts/ Fellowship Hall A
18 4:00 pm Eagle Wings Board Meeting/ Fireside RM 6:30 pm Pr ayer Shawl/Youth RM 6:30 pm Cub Sco uts/ Gym 7:00 pm B oy Scouts/ Fellowship Hall A 25 Christmas Day 10:00 am Chr istm as Service Office Closed
Fri
Sat
7 8 7:15 am M en’s Bible 9:25 am S chool Study/Bob’s Burger & Chapel/Sanctuary Brew 5:30 pm B CS Chr istmas Program/ Sanctuary/Fellowship 7:00 pm Choir R ehearsal/Sanctuary
16 10:00 am S unday School Christmas Program Rehearsal/ Sanctuary/ Fellowship/ Kitchen
Thu
2 11:00 am B LCW Advent Brunch
15 9:25 am S chool Chapel/Sanctuary
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Wed
DECEMBER 2017 Tue
1 4:00 pm B LCW Advent Brunch Setup
6 9:25, 9:45am, 12:45pm School Chapels/Sanctuary 6:30 pm Celeb r ation Band Rehearsal
14 7:00 pm Choir R ehearsal/Sanctuary
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30
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12 12:00 pm Adult Fellowship/Fellowship A 7:00 pm Chur ch Council Meeting/ Fireside RM
13 9:25, 9:45am, 12:45pm S chool Chapels/Sanctuary 4:30 pm Salvation Army Dinner/Kitchen 6:30 pm Celeb r ation Band Rehearsal
21 7:15 am M en’s Bible Study/Bob’s Burger & Brew 9:30 am Altar Guild/Fireside/ Sanctuary 7:00 pm Choir R ehearsal/Sanctuary
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5 9:00 am Ch r istian Service/Fellowship A 6:00 pm B CS Ch r istmas Program/Sanctuary 7:00 pm W o r ship Committee/Fireside RM 7:00 pm Pr op er ty & Grounds/Foyer
19 6:30 pm B LCW Meeting/Fireside RM
20 9:25, 9:45am, 12:45pm S chool Chapels/Sanctuary 6:30 pm Celeb r ation Band Rehearsal
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Office Closed
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27 6:30 pm Celeb r ation Band Rehearsal
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ethlehem Lutheran Church 7215 51st Ave. NE Marysville, WA 98270-4033
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
Bethlehem Lutheran Church, ELCA
Church Staff
Church Office: 360-659-2022 Fax: 360-651-2772 www.blcmarysville.com
Rev. Kevin Forquer, Pastor
[email protected] Beth Hansen, Office Coordinator,
[email protected] Butch Martin, Bookkeeper
[email protected] Jeremy Neufeld, Director of Music Ministries
[email protected]
Bethlehem Christian School
The results of the council election are President, Karl Kloster; Treasurer, Pam Foote; At-Large, wade Faries, Justin Foslien, and Curtis Rashell. They will replace President, Danny Miles; Treasurer Butch Martin; At-Large, Joe Finke, Dwayne Smith and Pam Foote. These people deserve a heartfelt thank you for the time and effort they have given for the betterment of Bethlehem Lutheran Church.
Kelly Stadum, School Director
[email protected] | (360) 653-2882 | www.blcmarysville.com Sandy McNett, Office Manager
[email protected]
Church Council President—Danny Miles Vice President—Karl Kloster Secretary—Kristin Savidge Treasurer—Butch Martin Administration Rep.—Pam Foote Worship—Jason Vallem
Education Rep.—Joe Finke Fellowship Rep.—Charisse Collins Outreach Rep.—Mary Muller Facilities Rep.—Dwayne Smith Financial Secretary—Twyla Lucas
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