Sunday Worship

8:30 Bethesda

11:00 Immanuel

Contact:

Pastor Connie Monson

678-360-6089

connie.monson@gmail.com

Parish Office:

715-779-5611

bethesdachurchbayfield@gmail.com

Immanuel:

715-742-3440

Links

Bethesda/Immanuel Website



Bethesda FACEBOOK 

Immanuel FACEBOOK 

We pray for those afflicted by war, oppression, or violence of any kind.

 Greetings!

From the Pastor

Dear friends in Christ,

In some respects, science has far surpassed religion in delivering awe. How is it that hardly any major religion has looked at science and concluded, “This is better than we thought! The Universe is much bigger than our prophets said, grander, more subtle, more elegant. God must be even greater than we dreamed”? Instead they say, “No, no, no! My god is a little god, and I want him to stay that way.” A religion, old or new, that stressed the magnificence of the Universe as revealed by modern science might be able to draw forth reserves of reverence and awe hardly tapped by the conventional faiths. Sooner or later, such a religion will emerge.

 --Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot

In my not-so-humble opinion, when people claim to be spiritual but not religious, it is usually because they have encountered exactly the kind of “little god” religion that Carl Sagan was decrying. I certainly have, and it’s the part of the reason I spent 20 years avoiding church before falling deeply, inextricably in love with the version of religion that keeps expanding its imaginary borders to match the God who imposes none.

Now that I’m a preacher rather than a teacher, I don’t often give assignments anymore, and I certainly don’t give grades. But if I were going to give an assignment for your summer, I would say this. Go on a hunt to see the magnificence of the universe. Look at the clouds and the stars (and the northern lights). Find the organizing principle of a daisy. Listen to the frogs at night. Be amazed at the strides medical science has made in just the last few years. Take pleasure in others’ company, and also in your own. Revel in the world our Creator has made, and be prepared to acknowledge that it is so much bigger than we will ever know, and better than we thought. May God accompany you in all these journeys.

Peace be yours,

Pastor Connie

Reconciling in Christ Statement

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

We welcome YOU to Bethesda and Immanuel to participate fully in our congregational life. You who may have experienced exclusion, injustice or racial inequity; You who are young, old, rich, poor; You of all abilities; You from all nations and ethnic backgrounds; You of all sexual orientations, gender identities or gender expression.

We are committed to racial equity, economic equity, gender equity, sexual equity. We are committed to learn, celebrate, advocate and welcome everyone through a series of forums and educational opportunities. May we grow in acceptance and become a voice for inclusion, equity and justice.

No matter where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.

Indian Boarding Schools: ELCA Truth-Seeking and Truth-Telling Initiative – Join the work

The Truth-Seeking and Truth-Telling Initiative is leading a coordinated effort to research Lutheran involvement in Indian boarding and day schools dating back to the 1820s. We are seeking both clergy and lay volunteers who want to be part of this initiative. All are welcome, including those with skills in research, data collection, organizing, education, and leadership. The goals are to find and gather information in order to share it with impacted Indigenous individuals, families, and communities; for our church members to know our history of church-sponsored Indian boarding schools and their devastating impacts on Native communities; all as part of an ongoing truth and healing process.

We started in 2022 with 15 synods across four states. In May 2023, we expanded to 27 synods across ten states. We are now expanding to all synods across all states. We welcome you!

To learn more and to get involved, click HERE. Please talk to Connie if you have any questions.

June 11, 2026

Dear Friends of Bethesda,

We are pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s Endowment Funds.

We selected:

              Bayfield Public Library                          ($1,000)

              Bayfield Ambulance                               ($1,000)

              Bayfield Fish Hatchery                           ($300)

              Core Winter Walking Program           ($300)

Thank You for trusting us with this project.

The Endowment Committee

              Paula Lundberg

              Roxanne Frizzell

              Jane Edwards

Calling all makers, quilters, and crafters!

Calling all quilting groups, crafting guilds, and woodworking buddies!

The Common Thread Maker's Market is an exciting new part of Heart for Luther Park this year on Saturday, August 1, and it runs on donated craft and hobby supplies.

We are collecting items to sell at the market: quilting, knitting, needlework, woodworking, soap making, candles, weaving, scrapbooking, painting, drawing, pottery, jewelry, baking, and more. New or very, very gently used items are all welcome, and anything left unclaimed goes to a local art thrift store.

At Heart for Luther Park, Market items will be available for a free-will donation benefiting Luther Park. With no set prices, guests can give what they feel led to give while finding inspiration for their next project. 

Clear out the craft room, pass along what you no longer use, and help support the mission and ministry of Luther Park. Please bring your donations directly to Luther Park by July 20. If you can't get to Luther Park, contact Heather Day to arrange a pick up.

Looking for other ways to get involved with Heart for Luther Park? You can donate a quilt or a silent auction item, sponsor the event, apply for a Thrivent Action Grant to support the event, volunteer on the day, purchase raffle tickets, or give a cash donation. Share information about Heart for Luther Park with your friends, neighbors, congregation, and others! You'll find a printable poster on our website.

Learn more about Heart for Luther Park at https://lutherpark.org/heart-for-luther-park. For questions, contact Heather at heather@lutherpark.org or 715.859.2215. 

We hope to see you at Heart for Luther Park on August 1! Invite your friends!

Zoom Bible Study



Topic: Tuesday Bible Study

Time: 2:00 Central Time (US and Canada)

To join Zoom meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81000510562?pwd=HdJLF2gxH7m2JZcT2FujgrYOYZKr1O.1

Meeting ID:  810 0051 0562

Password: 615053



If you know of someone who could use some sunshine or a thank you please let Sharon Bestul at bestulshack@gmail.com or 715-828-0455 know.

Other Immanuel Sunshine spreaders are Al Reedy, Yvette Fleming and Charlotte Calhoun.

A big thank you to Cohl Rovi for painting our outdoor sign and to Darin Anderson for painting our picket fence. A belated thank you to Cris Lien, Bob Eicher, and Darin Anderson for painting our offices. Well done, friends!!

Please plan to join us for Bethesda’s annual fish fry on July 24, from 3-7. We’ll enjoy whitefish from Newagos, cole slaw, pie, and all the trimmings you’ve come to expect. Proceeds will be split between the BRICK’s benevolence program and Lutheran World Relief for earthquake disaster response.

The BRICK’s Food Shelf Program focuses on providing a wide variety of food options in a range of forms (fresh, frozen, canned) to program participants. At times, some of the items we offer are not available through our usual donations network. This means we either need to purchase those products or go without. YOU can help out to ensure that the Food Shelf Program has a wide variety of nutritious foods to offer pantry shoppers. Throughout July The BRICK is asking for donations of breakfast cereal and pancake mix. At the end of the month, please connect with our Food Shelf Manager Amaris Shrider to drop off your donation. Reach her by phone at 715-682-7425 ext. 3 or email at foodshelfmanager@thebrickministries.org. Thank you for your support!

Council Meetings

July 15, 2026

June Draft Immanuel Council Minutes

March Draft Joint Council Minutes

June Draft Bethesda Council Minutes

Monday Book Club

See our website or the link above for the Zoom link

Meeting ID: 851 3905 2851

Passcode: 467574

Dial by your location

    +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)

We are currently reading "Without Buddha I Could not be a Christian" by Paul F. Knitter

Questions? Call Leanne 715.742.3553

South Shore Quilters

Mondays 9:00 am - Noon at Immanuel

Wednesdays 9:00 am - Noon at Immanuel

The mission-quilt group at Immanuel is always in need of donations of clean usable bed sheets--preferably flat sheets--which we use as backing for the quilts, spools of thread (whether full or not) and fabric.

The Knit Wits

Knitting & Crocheting at Cornucopia Coffee Shop

Fridays 1:00 - 4:00

Immanuel has a painting group that meets on the second and fourth Thursday of the month, 10:00 - 12:00.



The Immanuel Juliet Club will meet on July 9 at 11:30 at Siskiwit Farmhouse, and on July 23 at 11:30 at Cranberry Over Superior in Herbster.