"Caught in grace, created for service, called into community"
 
In This Issue

Sunday Mornings... 

Worship Services   8:00am, 9:00am, and 10:30 am

 

Learning Circles 

(Pre - 6th)

9:00 am 

Contact Us

760.753.1026 

Rev. Laura Ziehl 
Senior Pastor 
Ext 2

Pastor Sam Nelson
Associate Pastor
   
Constance Mithelman
Youth Director
Ext 12
 
Judy Foland
Office Administrator
Ext 1
 
Chris Matthews
Director of Children's Ministry
Ext 15
Quick Links

April 2019

News and Events

 From Pastor Laura

Dear members and friends of Bethlehem,
 
We stand, at this moment, between Lent and Easter and I am not finding it a comfortable place this year. We have had two recent funerals in the congregation that have taken our hearts. I have had several very personal losses as well. A friend of mine in a recent medical crisis commented, "I have missed all of Lent, I haven't been to a single Lenten service." My response to her was, "I don't think you have missed Lent at all. You are living it." Sometimes it is like that.   Sometimes the world overwhelms. The bad news comes too quickly, the good news too slowly, the weight of it, too much. We hear the echo of "remember that you are dust" and we can feel the truth of it. The truth of the wilderness.
 
Yet, Easter is coming. It always does. Grace is relentless. The love of God finds its way into every moment, every hardship, every joy. Last Sunday the closing hymn was "My Life Flows On in Endless Song", and as we sang it together, I felt the moment of grace. Easter is coming. I can see it on the horizon, I can feel it in all of you. "Through all the tumult and the strife, I hear the music ringing. It finds an echo in my soul, how can I keep from singing. No storm can shake my inmost calm, while to that rock I'm clinging. Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth, how can I keep from singing." Regardless the day, the promise of Easter is coming and is already here. God's voice finds echo in our hearts. How can we keep from singing. Hope is present in this day. How can our hope be diminished. Christ is risen, and so shall we be.  
 
Please join us this Easter season. We look forward to welcoming you. Maundy Thursday we have an opportunity for foot washing and a reminder of the blessing of community. Good Friday, we are creating prayer stations to allow opportunity for meditation within the service. The Vigil will be a celebration of joy, and Easter Sunday a service of resurrection.
 
Easter is coming. May it find you, on this and every day.
 
Easter Blessings to you all,  
 
Pastor Laura




 Lent and Holy Week Schedule
WEDNESDAY EVENINGS IN LENT (March 13th - April 10th)
 
6:00 - 6:30 pm - Worship - Holden Evening Prayer in the Sanctuary
     6:30 pm - 8:30 pm - Soup Supper & Education in the Family Center
 
During Lenten education we will take up one subject a week:
Faith, Saints, Psalms, Women of the Bible, Care of Creation.
 
Donations received during the Lenten Evening Services
will go toward funding for the Family Center Patio Restoration Project.

HOLY WEEK:         
              
EASTER EGG HUNT - Saturday, April 13th
10:00 am - 3 years old through 6th grade
 
PALM SUNDAY - April 14th.
No 8:00 am service
9:00 and 10:30 am - Choir Cantata (No Communion).
 
MAUNDY THURSDAY - April 18th, 7:00 pm -
Holy Communion Service
 
GOOD FRIDAY - April 19th, 7:00 pm -
Service of Tenebrae
 
EASTER VIGIL - April 20th, 7:00 pm -
A service of shadows, light, sacrament and celebration
 
EASTER SUNDAY - April 21st,
Holy Communion at 7:30, 9:00 and 10:30 am

 Children's Ministry

Upcoming Events and News
 
Easter Egg Hunt April 13 @ 10 AM: Join us for this fun annual family event!
 
"Roar" VBS July 1-3, and 5th: This year's "Roar" VBS will be the "mane event" of the summer!  This epic African adventure engages the whole herd. At Roar, kids will explore God's goodness  and celebrate a ferocious faith that powers them through this wild life.
 
Blessings,
Chris Matthews
Director of Children's Ministries
Bethlehem Lutheran Church

 Youth Ministry

Calling all 6th graders! It's time to get ready for Confirmation! Please send an email to Constance (cmithelman@blcenc.org) so we can get you on all of the communications regarding Confirmation Camp and Class!

Current 6th and 7th graders: Payment #2 of $100/per youth for Confirmation Camp July 14-19th at Luther Glen is due April 7th.

High School Summer Service Trip: $100 deposit due on April 1st for our trip to Las Cruces, NM August 3-10th. Questions? Contact Constance at cmithelman@blcenc.org.

 Music Ministry

April is Music Month!

The choirs of Bethlehem are preparing many musical offerings this month. 
 
April 14- Calvary's Love by Lloyd Larson - 9 and 10:30 services (no 8 a.m. service) 
We begin our Holy Week journey with our annual choral cantata. Complete with narration of the Passion story, the Good News Singers and orchestra will present the story of God's sacrifice and love for the world. 
 
April 18- Maundy Thursday 7 pm. 
The JuBellation Ringers will provide special music.
 
April 19- Good Friday 7 p.m.
The Good News Singers will reprise two songs from the cantata.
 
April 20 - Easter Vigil 7 p.m. 
The World Music Ensemble will lead this musical service. 
 
April 21- Easter Morning 
7:30- JuBellation Ringers
9:00 and 10:30 - Children's Choir and Good News Singers 

 Bethlehem Women of the ELCA- Giving Tree 

Bethlehem Women of the ELCA:
Mission Action and Giving Tree Schedule 2019

All through the year, the Giving Tree, at the entrance of the church, gives opportunities to help people.  There are different projects, with different leaders, but the same heart.

January
ELCA World Hunger Appeal // St. Andrew's Food Pantry
Cheryl Monreal


February
T.A.C.O.
Lori Cook


March
College Care Packages
Skye Svenningsen


April
Celebration of Lent


May
29:Eleven Maternity Home


June
Center for Global Awareness
Dianne Nichols & Gail Winterbourne


July 1st-8th
Vacation Bible School
Chris Matthews


July 9th-Aug 18th
Bethlehem Serves
Beth Nelson


Aug 19th-Sep 22nd
Pajama Project
Belinda Simonini


Sep 23rd-Oct 12th
Lutheran World Relief Ingathering: Quilts & Blankets
Scraps and Prayers Quilting Group


Oct 13th-November
Secret Santa
Cheryl Monreal


December
Community Resource Center (CRC)
Sheri Burtt


Ongoing
T.A.C.O. (soup kitchen)

 Giving Tree
Our May Giving Tree will support the 29:Eleven Maternity Home, a non-profit organization for women 18 and over who are facing an unplanned pregnancy. Services include medical care, education, counseling, and life skills.

 Bethlehem Women's Retreat

Save the Date!   The next Bethlehem Women's Retreat is scheduled for May 1 - 3, 2020 at Luther Glen.
 San Diego Habitat for Humanity- Upcoming Opportunities
For those who are interested in volunteering onsite in the next month or so, San Diego Habitat has online registration here: 

If you would like to volunteer with other people from Bethlehem, contact 
Jim Mastrogany, james.mastrogany@gmail.com.
 
San Diego Habitat is currently building in Logan Heights and El Cajon, with build days Tuesdays - Saturdays. The work day is 8:15 am - 3:30 pm with a 30 minute lunch break at 11:30 am.  The minimum age to volunteer on the construction site is 16.
 
San Diego Habitat also has great volunteer opportunities in the ReStores with locations in Kearny Mesa, National City and Escondido. Volunteers are scheduled Tuesday - Sundays at each store. The ReStore shifts are 10am - 2pm and 2pm - 6pm on Tuesday through Saturday and overlapping shifts of 10am - 2pm and 12pm - 4pm on Sunday. Volunteer tasks at the ReStores include helping receive donations, organizing the store, pricing new items and helping customers to load purchased items. The ReStore is Habitat's biggest financial supporter and help is always needed there. The minimum age to volunteer at the ReStore is 14.
 
Women Build is coming up in May! This event promotes empowerment, solidarity, learning, and pride in our community. It encourages women (and men!) to give back and help San Diego Habitat make a difference in the lives of local families. It is San Diego Habitat's biggest event for the year, and each builder is asked to fund raise or donate $300, which helps Habitat build more here in San Diego. May 2 nd, 4 th, 9 th, 10 th, and 11 th  still have slots available. More information can be found here:  
 
For any questions regarding volunteering, please email   volunteerservices@sandiegohabitat.org

 Choose To Serve (Outreach Ministries)

Upcoming Opportunities to Serve Others

April 3, 10, 17, 24   8:30-11:30am   Scraps and Prayers
April 15   3:30-5:30pm   TACO        
April 27   9:00-2:00pm   Pajama Project


Scraps and Prayers

This group sews quilts, and assembles school bag and fabric kits for people in need.  We meet each Wednesday morning from 8:30-11:30am in the Multi-Use Room.  We need your help cutting, sewing and tying quilts.  No experience necessary!  Come along for an hour or the whole morning; we'd love to share our scraps and prayers with you.  For more information, contact Kim Oswald at rdoswald@aol.com or Laure Reynolds at laurereyn@roadrunner.com.

TACO (Third Avenue Charitable Organization)

Socks & underwear are always needed for our friends at TACO, especially as the weather turns cooler. They need men's white athletic tube socks and men's briefs in all sizes. There will be a large black plastic tub labeled TACO in the Narthex for your donations. Let's see if we can fill that tub to overflowing!!   Thank you so much!!
 
Alternates for Serving at TACO- We also need a few people who would be willing to be "on call" to come help serve the meal the 3rd Monday of the Month if we are short of people. We have to be there by 3:15 and are done serving at 5:30. I generally have room for a couple of people in my car and we do have a good time! If you are interested and/or have any questions, please call me, Lori Cook, at 760 207-0432.   Thank you so much!

Pajama Project
The Pajama Project Kicks off it's 23rd Year!

We distributed 1235 pairs of PJ's and Sleep Pants last October and are ready to wash flannel and begin again!

We will begin our"Work Party Days" this month, our schedule for the year is below.  Come to cut out PJ's and make "kits" to be taken home to sew.  We Always need more sewers if you, or someone you know, would like to sew these cozy PJ's, which warms the heart, ours and the recipients! 

We also always need volunteers to provide lunch on one of our Work Party Days for 8 to 20 hard working people.  Please contact Belinda Simonini if you are willing to help with this.

2019 Work Part Days:  Drop in and stay as long as you would like between 9:00 and 2:00 on these Saturdays:  February 23, March 30, April 27, May 18, June 15, July 27, August 24 and September 28

Thank you for your support of The Pajama Project Bethlehem!
Warmly Yours,
Belinda Simonini
760-822-9573 
belindasimonini@gmail.com
Prayer Shawl Ministry

Five new beautiful shawls were added to our inventory. We have already distributed three shawls this year. If you know anyone who would benefit from receiving a prayer shawl (if he/she is going through a particularly difficult or joyful time), please contact janet.mastrogany@gmail.com,  Please continue to create at home at your own pace - & if you are interested in learning how, we will pair you with an experienced knitter/crocheter! We meet every other month 9-11 at church (before or after your favorite service) for a casual drop in opportunity to knit/crochet and visit together.   

Patterns are available at  www.shawlministry.com Here is a quote from their website: "Shawls...made for centuries universal and embracing, symbolic of an inclusive, unconditionally loving, God.  They wrap, enfold, comfort, cover, give solace, mother, hug, shelter and beautify. Those who have received these shawls have been uplifted and affirmed, as if given wings to fly above their troubles."  
 
Contact Janet Mastrogany 619 980-8671   janet.mastrogany@gmail.com 

St. Andrews Food Pantry

St. Andrews food pantry needs our help.  Every Thursday morning  a team meets at Gelsons market in Carlsbad to pick up food and transport it back to the food pantry. If you can devote one Thursday a month to this project your help would be appreciated. If interested please contact Bob Moran at St. Andrews at 760-487-1630 or  bobpatmoran@cox.net

CRC (Community Resource Center)

The Community Resource Center is in need of volunteers to help sort food from the annual Letter Carriers' Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on May 11th. This is the largest one-day food drive in America, and CRC will be the recipient of food that comes to the Encinitas and Solana Beach post offices, providing critical supplies for their food pantry. Volunteer opportunities are available in the afternoon at the Encinitas post office and some strong volunteers able to lift 25-50 lbs. are especially needed. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Sheri Burtt at sherissb@gmail.com for more information.

CRC works to end hunger, homelessness and domestic violence in North County San Diego. As a provider of integrative services, CRC's programs include a domestic violence emergency shelter, hotline and prevention/education outreach; a Therapeutic Children's Center; professional counseling; legal advocacy; food and nutrition distribution center; homelessness prevention; and rental and housing assistance. All of CRC's programs are designed to assist participants to successfully navigate their paths of safety, stability & self-sufficiency. CRC relies on our community support. Click here to see the many ways in which you can help CRC to help those in need!

Contact: Sheri Burtt at sherissb@gmail.com.

Es Por Los Ninos
 
Es Por Los Ninos is a binational non-profit organization helping children, women and adolescents infected with the AIDS virus in Baja California Mexico.  Lacking financial resources and education, this vulnerable population is struggling to survive.  For 20 years, the members of Bethlehem have supported Es Por Los Ninos, by donating clothing, supplies and money, including gifts from our Secret Santa program and school bags assembled during Bethlehem Serves.  Donations are welcome at anytime; please call Cheryl Monreal for more information.
 
Contact:  Cheryl Monreal   760-942-1482

 Stephen Ministry

Stephen Ministry: Part of Something Big!

As a Stephen Ministry Congregation, Bethlehem Lutheran Church is part of a big network of care. There are thousands of Stephen Ministry congregations representing more than 150 Christian denominations across the U.S., Canada, and the world.

The Stephen Ministries headquarters is based in St. Louis, Missouri, and can connect our Stephen Leaders with Stephen Ministry congregations virtually everywhere in the country. So if you have a relative or friend far away who is in need of care, talk to one of our Stephen Leaders, Molly Hall, or Laure Reynolds. They may be able to connect your friend to a Stephen Ministry congregation in his or her own neighborhood.
 ELCA Advocacy 
ELCA Advocacy Update

Lutheran Lobby Day - California - Wednesday, May 29, 2019 
Lutheran Office of Public Policy - California has scheduled a Lobby Day at the Capitol in Sacramento for Wednesday, May 29, 2019. Details will follow, but you may want to save the date. Lobby Days are designed to allow citizens to meet with their state legislators to discuss issues of importance to them. It is a powerful experience to be able to express our faith-based positions on policies to our representatives.
 
Presiding Bishop Eaton on Christchurch Mosque Shooting
 
Proposed Budget for 2020
"The Fiscal Year 2020 budget proposed by President Trump would increase hunger and poverty in our nation and around the world, exacerbating root causes of poverty and heightening migration tensions." ELCA Advocacy urges congress to reject this budget in favor of a bipartisan budget that better reflects our shared values.
 
ELCA Advocacy Connections
A review of congressional legislation currently being monitored by ELCA Advocacy.
 
ELCA Advocacy 
Here is the March Advocacy Update
 
For information or questions about Bethlehem's Advocacy Team, contact Karin Kloehn at blcadvocacy@gmail.com.  
 Interfaith Rotational Shelter
Bethlehem InterFaith Rotational Shelter 2019
 
Good News! BLC will be hosting the Interfaith Shelter at Bethlehem again this year! For those newly interested, we partner with the Interfaith Shelter Network which is a collaborative effort through local congregations, human services agencies and government entities to provide shelter, services and resources to the homeless San Diegans throughout the region. The shelter is coordinated at BLC by Blair Lindberg and Diane Langager.
 
Bethlehem will be hosting the shelter in the Multi-Use Room beginning March 31-April 14th. Seaside Community Church, who partners with us, will be taking the first week this year. We will be taking the second week, Sunday, April 7 -14, providing all of the volunteer efforts for food, dinner prep etc.
 
Church volunteers set up temporary housing in the Multi-Use Room (MUR) and Family Center (FC). The guests arrive daily at 5:30 pm at the MUR. They eat dinner nightly in the Family Center at 6:30 pm, then retire back to the MUR for the night. The guests leave early in the morning (7:30am) for employment, seeking employment, or for school and are not allowed to stay in the shelter during the day. There are a variety of ways you can volunteer to help with the shelter.
 
Set up ~ Donate Food ~ Be A Greeter ~ Serve Dinner ~ Overnight Hosts ~ Laundry ~ Transportation ~ Take-down ~ Cash Donations
 
For more information and to sign up to volunteer go online to:
 
www.signupgenius.com , register to join, then search "Bethlehem Lutheran Church IFS 2019" If you are already registered, you should receive an invitation in the mail.
 
Online not for you? Contact Blair Lindberg, 858-663-5681, or yourblairness@gmail.com
 
Thank you to all who make this such a successful and rewarding venture for many each and every year!!
 
Blair and Diane
Blair 858-663-5681 yourblairness@gmail.com
Diane 760-271-2072 dslangager@icloud.com

 Feed the Homeless Program

Bethlehem has volunteered to help with "Feed the Homeless Program" at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church on the 4th Saturday of each month from 9:00 am to 12 noon. We are in need of volunteers. If you are able to participate please sign up today outside or contact Naida Malchiodi at naidalouise2@yahoo.com .  

 Church Property Maintenance Requests

Notice something on our church campus that needs fixing? Concerned about lighting, air conditioning/heating, water, etc.? We have a property manager who can take care of your concerns. Please call or leave a message with the church office (760-753-1026) or email property@blcenc.org and someone will get back to you.

 Newsletter Now 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.

 Need Help?

Join us in meeting the needs of our North County community. The new Resource Book in the church office has resources that can help those in need. Be equipped to help those who may be experiencing hard times. If you know of a helpful resource or are having difficulties finding the help you need, please contact Sarah Breding at sbreding@cox.net.

 AmazonSmile

Bethlehem is now participating in the AmazonSmile program. This is a great way to easily benefit our congregation when you are shopping online.

Bethlehem will receive 0.5% of the price of eligible online purchases automatically when you use the smile.amazon.com website. See the website for more details.

 Thrivent Financial

Choice Dollars
 
The Thrivent Choice® program lets eligible members recommend where some of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans' charitable outreach funds go by directing Choice Dollars®. Bethlehem Lutheran is an eligible recipient of these funds.
For more information click on the link below, 
https://www.thrivent.com/thriventchoice/program/dollars_details/index.html   or contact your Thrivent congregational advocate, Dennis Astroth at 858-354-3566, or dennis.astroth@gmail.com.

 Online Giving

Online Giving

A Green Path to Stewardship

 

We are always looking for ways to make giving more convenient and environmentally friendly. With today's online financial tools, it has never been easier to set up and track regular giving, special offerings and donations to specific areas. Just follow the easy steps provided with our new online service and you will be surprised at how easy it is to be a regular giver at whatever level seems right. We have expanded on the services provided by the same Minnesota-based online service that has managed our electronic giving for a number of years. They serve thousands of churches, and the service is secure, maintaining privacy. 

 

How to get started...

You may access the online service by clicking on the link on Bethlehem's web Stewardship page. Once you are on the site, you may use your checking account, or your debit or credit card information. If your cards are on a mileage program, you can gain frequent-flier miles while helping support the ministries of Bethlehem.

Dear  ,

 

Thank you for registering with our e-mail announcement and update service at www.blcenc.org

 

Yours in Christ

Bethlehem Lutheran Webmaster

webmaster@blcenc.org