Bethlehem June News

“The church of Christ in every age, beset by change, but Spirit led, must claim and test its heritage and keep on rising from the dead.” - ELW 729 vs. 1

Dear People of Bethlehem,

In this time that includes Holy Trinity Sunday, I find myself reflecting on the scope of the church, its stretch and its reach.

We are the church of the creating God. The one who pulled up the mountains and set the barriers of the ocean. God really does have the whole world in his hands. And our God is still creating. Every newborn baby, every new relationship, every time you are made new by the sorrows and joys of this life. I give thanks today for Sue Christensen’s grandsons, Robbie and Isaac. Both were born premature, both with significant medical issues. Sue has been sending me pictures of their small faces and updates on their medical journey. Each week they are doing better and better. Each week they are growing stronger and stronger. Each week God is holding them in the palm of God’s hand.

We are the church of the risen Christ. The Jesus who healed the sick, fed hungry people, touched the lepers, raised the dead, and gathered the children in his arms. The one who bent as a servant and washed the disciples’ feet. The one who gave his life, breathed his last, and returned and said to his disciples, “Peace be with you.” We are now Jesus hands and feet in our day. This week and next, we will be gathering non-perishable food to feed children who will be missing school breakfasts and lunches over the summer. A week ago, I held Ralph Randau’s hand as he looked at me with his warm and sparking blue eyes. He smiled at me as he neared the end of his journey. I was privileged to be with Elke and his dear family as we said our goodbyes, cherished the love in the moment, and honored this dear man’s beautiful life. Ralph died 2 days later and now rests in the love and grace of God.

We are the church of the Holy Spirit, and the rush of her mighty wind. As I stood at the vigil at the mosque with a thousand souls of every faith and creed, I heard voice after voice speak of the power of love that is stronger than hate. I felt the Spirit touch every heart.

Dear people of Bethlehem, we are the breadth and the scope of the church in our day. How will we carry the heritage of God’s church. Who will we touch. What path will the Spirit encourage us to take? This I know, it is a wide and broad calling to be the church. We are caught up in the strong tide of God’s grace and love. This I know, we will do more than we can possibly imagine. It is our deepest blessing to be the church together.

In gratitude for the journey,

Pastor Laura

“Then let the servant church arise, a caring church that longs to be, a partner in Christ’s sacrifice, and clothed in Christ’s humanity.” ELW 729 vs. 3

June Worship Schedule

Sunday Morning Worship

June 7th, 14th, 21st & 28th - 9 & 10:30 am

Healing Sunday

June 14th (Prayer after both services)

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

"The Best of Spring"

Bethlehem Music

Spring Concert

Sunday, June 7,

4 pm

Ensembles - Vocal & Instrumental

Special Music in June

6/7 - World Music Ensemble
6/14- Natasha Riabova, piano
6/21 - To Be Announced
6/28 - Vacation Bible School Band

Pizza Party Celebration for Children's Choir - The Children's Choir attended a Pizza Party at Round Table Pizza on Sunday, May 24. Choir members were presented their choir medals for their years of service in the Bethlehem Children's Choir. Everyone enjoyed pizza, soda and games and fellowship . Their final performance will be at the Spring Concert on June 7th.

Youth Ministry

3rd Annual Youth Dinner/Auction/Lip Sync

The Evening - The fabulous dinner featured delicious meatballs, pastas, salads, and mini chocolate mousse cakes. And the fellowship was wonderful!

Participation in the silent auction was wonderful.

Our fundraising efforts were not only fun, but were very successful as well – thanks to all of you!

Thanks to all the youth and adult volunteers who helped to make the evening possible. Thanks to all who attended and made the evening special.

Lip Sync Results - Who won the Congregational Cup? If you missed the evening of great food and fun, you may be asking that very question. Well, St. Andrew's took home the Congregational Cup trophy from the Lip Sync Competition. The Petersen family, with Father Brian in the lead, won the Golden Microphone for their performance of Pink Pony Club. It was such a great performance that it led to St. Andrew's winning the cup.

Youth Group Meetings - Let’s meet at the beach! Wednesday, June 17, from 4:30-6:30 pm at Moonlight. I’ll bring the beach games. You bring your towel, and any beach gear you’d like. RSVP to Mindy by June 16.

Children's Ministry

Children's Ministry - Learning Circles will take a break for the summer. Activities are available for children in the narthex throughout the summer. If you need help or resources for your children during worship time, please let us know.

June 22-26 – Camp Kindness - Join us for Vacation Bible School: Camp Kindness! from June 22nd to 26th from 9 am to 12 noon daily. Hosted by Bethlehem Lutheran Church and St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. Registration is still open until June 15th. Click HERE to register. Are you available to volunteer? If so, contact Jana Hegg at childrensministry@blcenc.org.

This year’s camping theme will focus on spreading kindness through exploration of Bible stories centered on friendship. Kids will engage in exciting rotations, including Around the Campfire (Bible Story), Cooperation Station (Science), Interactive Music, and Teamwork Time (Games). Each rotation will inspire kids to work together, celebrate our differences and spread kindness in our world. We will also be exploring different ways that we can spread kindness in tangible ways around the neighborhood. Camp Kindness! VBS is designed for children Age 4 – 6th Grade. Cost is $75 for the first child and $30 per additional child. Scholarships are available.

Stephen Ministry

What is Stephen Ministry? - Stephen Ministers are compassionate lay members of the congregation who support people who are experiencing difficulties in their lives, such as the death of a loved one, divorce, or illness of either themselves or a family member. Stephen Ministers are not counselors or therapists and do not replace those professionals. However, all Stephen Ministers have completed a 50-hour training class and adhere to strict guidelines and supervision.

When a potential Care Receiver asks about Stephen Ministry, they first meet with a Stephen Leader who inquires about their situation and describes the Stephen Ministry program. Together they decide if a Stephen Minister is appropriate for them. If so, the Stephen Leader then assigns a Stephen Minister. Women are always paired with women and men are always paired with men. This Stephen Leader is the only individual who will know the identity of the Care Receiver, aside from the assigned Stephen Minister.

A Stephen Minister typically meets with their Care Receiver once a week for about an hour. The Stephen Minister’s job is to listen to the individual, encourage them, provide a sounding board, and to pray with them when the Care Receiver desires them to do so. All conversations between a Care Receiver and their Stephen Minister are strictly confidential. The caring relationship continues for as long as it is needed. Some caring relationships last for only a few months, while others may last a few years.

Stephen Ministers attend meetings twice a month. The meetings contain Continuing Education as well as Supervision. During Supervision Stephen Ministers discuss whether the caring relationship is working, if it has been productive, and if it is time for completion. The name of their Care Receiver, any identifying characteristics, and details about their conversations are never revealed.

If you would like more information about Stephen Ministry please speak with Pr Laura, Pr Sam, or one of our Stephen Leaders- Molly Hall, Laure Reynolds, or Suzi Westmoreland.

Endowment Fund Invests in Pastoral Housing

WE did it! Specifically, the Bethlehem congregation rallied to enable the purchase of a home by Pastor Sam and Alissa!! What a big event for them, congratulations and enjoy!

But it also says something big about our congregation. In addition to our love for this family, we care deeply about the future of this church and its service to our communities, which only happens through pastoral leadership. Without such creative ways to support the housing needs of our pastors now and in the future, we could find ourselves struggling to survive.

How this arrangement came together speaks volumes about our current members and those that have come before us in no small part because of the role the Bethlehem Mission Endowment Fund played. Because we formed this Endowment Fund years ago, it was available to receive member gifts in 2025 and 2026 in response to the Pastoral Housing need. In addition, the Church Council made the decision that the oversight of the ERC Pastoral Housing funds would best be accomplished within the Endowment Fund by the Endowment Committee. As long as Bethlehem has Pastoral Housing support needs – and it’s hard to imagine a time when this will not be the case – these two sources of funds for Pastoral Housing which total $338,500 will always be available for this purpose.

The other significant Endowment Fund involvement was the decision by the Endowment Committee to redirect a portion of its existing investments from our traditional endowment fund investment vehicles to an investment in Pastoral Housing. While the arrangement continues to provide income to the Endowment Fund to make current grants, a critical consideration, it also supports the continuing mission of Bethlehem through our pastors. We are grateful for those who have contributed to the Endowment Fund, mostly through legacy gifts, and have made this action possible.

Ultimately, the Endowment Fund invested $503,500 in an LLC specifically formed for only this purpose. Individual Bethlehem members also invested in the LLC which, in turn, provided a mortgage loan to the Nelsons. Pastor Sam and Alissa added in their down payment and closed on the home purchase on April 30!

MacKenzie Scott, a major philanthropist, said “None of us has any idea how generous acts will reverberate in the future.” This sentiment is the very purpose of the Endowment Fund: because of generous acts by those who have gone on to glory - though they did not conceive of the need to support Pastoral Housing at the time of their gift but nonetheless have been instrumental in meeting that need - their generosity reverberates into the future. If you would like to join them in Bethlehem’s future that is known only to our God, consider a legacy gift to the Bethlehem Mission Endowment Fund.

Bethlehem Serves 2026

Bethlehem Serves - Mark your calendar for Bethlehem's annual Day of Service on Sunday, August 30, 2026. We have a short worship service about 9 am and then participate in service projects onsite or at various locations in our community. Last year we had 14 projects that included working in the gardens at Ocean Knoll School, Car Wash, Hygiene Kits for Showers of Blessings, School Bags, First Responders Care Baskets, Making toys for the Animal Shelter and many more. The morning ends with an all church picnic on the lawn about 11:30 am. Mona Goetsch and Jana Hegg will be contacting people to lead the various groups.

School Kits Project - One of the projects for Bethlehem Serves will be to make 200 backpacks with school supplies for Lutheran World Relief and children in our San Diego community. School supplies will begin to be on sale in the next month, so if you are able, please pick up a few of these items to help fill our backpacks:

2 1/2 inch eraser
30 centimeter ruler
Pencil sharpener
Blunt scissors
Unsharpened #2 pencils
Blue/Black ballpoint pens
Box of 16 or 24 crayons
Single subject notebook, 70 pages

We will start collecting these items in the narthex in July.

After School Tutoring

After School Tutoring at Ocean Knoll - Starting September - Bethlehem Lutheran Church is excited to begin a partnership with Ocean Knoll Elementary School to provide after-school tutoring for students who need extra academic support. Tutoring sessions will be held twice each week, most likely on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and will last approximately 30–45 minutes. Lessons will mostly focus on Math to begin with as we build the program. All lessons will be prepared by the school's intervention teacher and will include clear, easy-to-follow directions, making this a wonderful opportunity for volunteers of all experience levels. We will work closely with the family liaison and intervention teacher to ensure students receive the support they need to succeed. Tutors do not need to be available both days and you do not need to make a weekly commitment. We will take you whenever you are available! If you are interested in learning more about this rewarding ministry and community partnership, please click here or contact Jana Hegg for additional information.

BLC Women of Welcome

Bethlehem Women’s Retreat

SAVE THE DATE!

Our next Bethlehem Women’s Retreat will be held at Luther Glen on September 18 - 20, 2026. Stay tuned for more information.

Adventure Ministry (BAM)

2026 Schedule Update - Get ready to camp with BAM!

Due to scheduling conflicts, we have updated our schedule for this year:

Camping in Idyllwild, October 9 - 11, 2026

Idyllwild Regional Park

54000 Riverside County Playground Road

Idyllwild CA 92549

Join us to camp in gorgeous Idyllwild Regional Park. The campground has beautiful trails, the Idyllwild Nature Center, and historic sites and museums. It is just a short walk to the community of Idyllwild where there are artsy shops, wine tasting, a brewery, and restaurants.

This campground does not have a group site but has an area that has several campsites in the same loop. Most of these sites accommodate either tents or an RV. There are a couple of loops near this loop that accommodate tents only and tent campers could easily share a campsite.

ACTION: Reserve your site by clicking here, which we recommend you do as soon as possible because the sites fill up at this time of year. We suggest reserving a site in Campground 2, in the loop that contains sites #84 - #96.

Questions? Contact Lori Wolf or Dennis Astroth.

Upcoming Adventure...

Brick N Barn, Saturday, November 7, 2026

29200 Miller Rd

Valley Center, CA 92082

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. Food trucks are available for lunch. And there are lots of peacocks!

November is the perfect month to go because the vendors will be selling lots of Christmas goodies: gifts, clothes, food, jewelry, crafts, and more. Look for more information in the October newsletter. For information about the Brick N Barn, click here.

Questions? Contact one of the leaders: Dennis Astroth, Lori Wolf, or Suzi Westmoreland or send an email to: blcsm@outlook.com

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