Bethlehem January News

Blessed New Year to you! As you receive this newsletter, we are still counting down the 12 days of Christmas, which is a wonderful way to end 2025 and begin 2026. We will hold tightly to the promise of light in our darkness and the gifts of hope, joy and peace this season brings. We will strain our ears to hear the voice of the angels in our own sky, singing “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace.”

I am so grateful to all who joined us for worship in this Christmas season. We formed a community of heart and light. The children’s program, combined with the blessing of the animals, was exactly the joyous and blessed chaos Bethlehem dearly loves. It was an all are welcome at the manger day.

The next Sunday “The Christmas Carol” brought us to tears, and to the joy of the season. My deep gratitude to Jamie Newcomb and Ursula Meyers for such poignant story of sorrow and joy.

On Christmas Eve you all came bearing your light. You brought your hopes and dreams and your tears and yourselves. What a gift. At the 7 pm service on Christmas Eve, we welcomed Cantor Larry Kornit of Congregation B’nai Tikvah. Cantor Larry is a dear friend of the congregation. When I met Larry a number of years ago, I was struck by his heart, his humor and his strong voice. We have been friends ever since. He has long offered to sing “O Holy Night” for us on Christmas Eve. This was the year for that gracious gift. His strong voice filled our sanctuary, and all our hearts, with the hope of this season, with healing and warmth, and with the certainty that peace on earth is God’s gift for us all. There is much in this world of pain and loss. There is much that would separate us by faith, nation, creed or belief. But as a Jewish cantor sang, “O Holy Night” in a Lutheran Church on Christmas Eve, something resplendent happened. All those truths receded in the presence of a far greater truth. God’s love supersedes it all, hope indeed lights our way, and peace is a powerful force undergirding us all. We felt its power that night, and I feel it still. Thank you Cantor Larry.

Hanukkah ended this year, just as Christmas began. With our Jewish siblings, we shared the carrying of the light. As their holy days ended, ours began. The light of Hanukkah and the light of the star of Bethlehem, remind us that the light we carry cannot be diminished. Let us hold that promise and carry that hope into this new year.

Peace to you, Shalom to you, Pastor Laura

Thank You

Dear people of Bethlehem,

Thank you for your generous gifts and warm thought in this holy season. Throughout these days, I have been gifted by your kind words, thoughtful gifts and warm greetings. My particular thanks for the congregation’s Christmas gift. I am truly overwhelmed by your generosity. On behalf of my family, thank you for all you do to support and care for us. May you be blessed in this new year, with every grace.

In gratitude, Pastor Laura

Dear People of Bethlehem,

Thank you so much for your incredibly generous Christmas gift. You have been such a blessing to me and my whole family. We have felt so supported and loved during this past year of transition as we have become a family of three, and we feel so lucky to be a part of this wonderful community. Thank you for who you are, and for all that you do.

Blessings, Pastor Sam

January Worship Schedule

Sunday Worship

January 4th, 11th, and 25th - 9 and 10:30 am
January 18th - One service at 9 am followed by Annual Meeting

Worship usually takes place in the sanctuary for both services, and there is the option to sit outside in the eco-narthex as well. The livestream usually takes place during the 10:30 am Sunday service or as indicated.

Music Ministry

Christmas Concert a huge success! - Our Christmas concert, "Stars and Angels" held on December 7th was well attended by our community. Thank you again to all who participated in the concert either as a performer, tech person or graphic design. It can still be viewed on Bethlehem Lutheran, Encinitas youtube channel.

Choir - First Rehearsals in January 2026 - The choirs have had a few weeks off and will begin rehearsals again on these dates:

Second Sabbath - Saturday, January 10 - contact Marilyn Stenoien at mstenoien@aol.com
Children's Choir - Sunday, January 18 at 10:00 am - Multi use room
JuBellation Ringers - Wednesday, January 14 at 6 pm - Family Center
Good News Singers - Wednesday, January 14 at 7:22 pm - Sanctuary

We welcome new members who want to be part of any of these groups.

Highlights of the Spring semester are:

Second Sabbath performances - 1/11, 2/8, 3/15
Good News Singers - Palm Sunday Cantata- March 29
JuBellation Ringers - Maundy Thursday- April 2
Good News Singers - Good Friday - April 3
Children's Choir/Good News Singers- Easter - April 5
Spring Concert - June 7

Youth Ministry

Movie Night for Youth Group - On Friday, January 16th, from 7-9 pm, youth group will have a Movie Night at Bethlehem. The movie will be announced soon. Watch the weekly emails for details.

Winter Camp - Registration is Open! February 20-22 all 6th – 12th grade students are invited to Winter Camp at Luther Glen. The cost is $205 per student. For more details and to register, visit the LRCC website by clicking on the link here. Let Mindy know to expect you and to coordinate transportation.

Youth on Instagram - Parents and students are invited to follow "faithwhereyouare" on Instagram. This is one option for students who want to connect with peers through messages of faith and prayers. If youth are interested in providing content as prayers or inspirations, let Mindy know.

Confirmation Class - Class will meet on January 6th and 20th from 5:30-6:30pm.

Children's Ministry

Our Sunday morning Learning Time continues each week during the 10:30 service. We are using a multi-age classroom curriculum which emphasizes the use of peer buddies across all ages. Deacon Mindy meets with our 5th and 6th graders on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month. Here is our Learning Circle schedule and themes for the month of January:

January 4 - Jesus the Word (John 1:10-18)
January 11 - Jesus' Baptism (Matthew 3:13-17)
January 18 - MUSIC with Mona!
January 25 - The Disciples (Matthew 4:12-23)

Adventure Ministry (BAM)

We're Going to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park! - Saturday, February 21 - Be sure to check the February newsletter for more details and to sign up. In February, anyone 65 or over can enter for free! If you are under 65 or don't have a membership, contact one of the leaders. We have lots of options. We will also offer carpooling options. You must pay to park at the Safari Park.

2026 Planned Adventures - Mark your calendars! These are the adventures we're planning for next year. We will provide more details closer to the events.

February 21: We're going to the World-Famous San Diego Zoo Safari Park. See above.
April 18: Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad. We have scheduled a docent-led tour, and the museum is offering a discount on tickets.
June 20: Brick N Barn in Valley Center. This is the former estate of the real Betty Crocker, Agnes White. The house was built in 1883. We can enjoy the monthly antique and crafts sale and purchase tickets to tour the house and grounds. We can also sign up for various workshops like the one that taught us how to make these beautiful Christmas trees. Food trucks are available for lunch. And there are lots of peacocks!
September 12: A water adventure at Oceanside Harbor. Bring or rent your kayaks and paddle boards. If you don't want to be in the water, join us on the electric party boat as we tour the harbor and compete to find the most hilarious boat names. Stay for lunch, too!
October 16 - 18: Camping in Idyllwild. We've picked a new camping destination this year. Stay tuned for more details.

We hope one of these adventures catches your interest. Most of our adventures are suggested by one of you! If you have ideas for an adventure, please contact one of our leaders: Dennis Astroth, Eileen Lajimodiere, Lori Wolf, and Suzi Westmoreland. You can send an email to: blcsm@outlook.com.

Secret Santa

We are truly humbled by the generosity shown this year and want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to the Secret Santa, Es Por Los Niños, and/or the Teen Shelter Program.

We were overwhelmed by the incredible response and support for these programs, and your generosity will make a meaningful impact on the lives of those we serve.

Donation Summary:

Secret Santa: $1,198 total
$300 in gift cards
$898 in cash
Es Por Los Niños: $597 in cash
Teen Shelter Program:
11 sweatshirts
11 backpacks
7 dozens of socks

Thank you again for your kindness and generous support of these programs in 2025. We are deeply grateful for your continued commitment to our community.

Cheryl Mozina & Carolin Meinhardt

Prayer Chain

Are you or someone that you know and love in need of prayer? The BLC Prayer Chain is a virtual space where we can share prayer concerns with one another, hold each other in prayer, and support one another during times of need. You can share your prayer requests by clicking here. On that same page you can also sign up to receive prayer requests when they are sent out, so that we might hold one another in prayer, light, and love.

Volunteers Needed for Sat. Breakfast at St. Andrews

Volunteers Needed! Saturday Breakfast at St. Andrews - Our mission to feed the hungry a hot breakfast each Saturday is starting back up again, and the kitchen at St. Andrew’s is now open for business. Bethlehem will be preparing breakfast on the 4th Saturday of each month. We need 6 volunteers to crack and scramble 6 doz. eggs, cook 60 hash browns, 13 lbs. of bacon, make 80 pancakes and serve up plates with a smile! Click below to volunteer!

Opportunities to Engage

Qigong/Tai chi -The weekly Qigong/Tai chi practices at our church is available by Zoom. You are able to join online from your computer on Wednesdays at 6 pm. Also, Chacha is having a Friday at 9 am practice by Zoom.

These practices are moving meditation practices that focus on relaxation, breath, and visualization while carrying out gentle movements. Everyone is welcome, no previous experience is necessary. If you are interested in joining please e-mail Chacha at chachapinillap@gmail.com. Please let her know which of the practices or if you would like to be invited to both practices. She will send an e-mail invitation with the zoom link.

Scraps and Prayers - This ministry sews quilts for people in need of comfort and care. We meet each Wednesday morning from 9am-11am in the Multi-Use Room. We need your help sewing and tying quilts. No experience necessary! Stop by for an hour or stay for the whole morning; we'd love to share our scraps and prayers with you. For more information, contact Bobby Allen at roberta798@aol.com or Laure Reynolds at laurereyn@roadrunner.com.

Pastor Sam's Sermon Blog

Did you miss one of Pastor Sam's sermons? Want to double check if he actually said what you think he did? Accidentally fall asleep and want to go back and read the section you missed? Check out all of Pastor Sam's sermons on his blog at: https://sinningboldlywithsam.wordpress.com/

Global Mission "Global Links" E-Newsletter

Rooted and built in Jesus! This is the core of our work as the ELCA walks with more than 80 companion churches in other countries to participate in God's reconciling mission through proclamation and service. Participating in these relationships, ELCA members see how people's lives are touched by the gospel, how their lives are transformed and renewed, and how their communities live in hope. If you would like to receive the ELCA Global Mission e-newsletter "Global Links", please click on the following link to subscribe: https://community.elca.org/elca-email-subscriptions

Bethlehem Cares Fund

Bethlehem Cares Fund: For members of Bethlehem, we have a fund to assist you with temporary financial needs such as medical, home, family or personal needs.Contact Pastor Laura, Pastor Sam, Rose Moldenhauer or Molly Hall. If you are able to contribute to the fund please mark your gift to BLC with the notation Bethlehem Cares.

Newsletters Available on Our Website

Have you missed one of our monthly e-newsletters? Have you wished you could open up that newsletter again to get that bit of information you were looking for? Well, now you can. On our Newsletter Archive page there are links available to view current and past newsletters.

Bethlehem Lutheran Church

www.blcenc.org