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Pastor's Letter
"Holy Moments"
“Holy” means “set apart.” It means “special” and “unique.” It is what God makes you to be. It is what you become by the forgiveness found in the sacrifice of His Son on the cross. As we live and move and have our being in Him (Acts 17:28), every moment becomes holy to us.
The book, Church of the Small Things, encourages us to reflect on just that: “A life isn’t made from one thing, one big moment, or one huge success. It’s created moment by moment, often with pieces that don’t look like anything beautiful on their own but are the very fabric of who God meant for us.”
“Little moments… leave a legacy and light the way
to show us what really matters.”
“What if we made it a habit to embrace and celebrate the small?”
“The meal delivered to a sick friend, our kids being kind to the new kid at school, volunteering a few hours a week at a nursing home, or helping someone in need? Savoring a lazy Saturday morning in pajamas, listening to the sound of your children actually getting along, piña coladas and getting caught in the rain?”
The author writes, “I’ve lived long enough to know that often, the most memorable moments in life are the ones that sneak up on you.”
Take this moment to reflect on all of those other moments. God was using you and working through you even when you didn’t realize it. In fact, some of the times that He felt the farthest away, He might have been directing your steps the closest. This season as we reflect on God’s purpose for our church and our lives, let us remember that every moment matters to the one who made them for us.
Thank you for sharing this moment with me,
--Pastor Josh Schmidt
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May 2nd, Blue Zone's Walking Group, 5:15pm
May 5th, Women's I-Help, 5pm
May 5th, Madregalia Concert, 7pm
May 6th, CCAMB Family BBQ, Via Paraiso Park, 12pm
May 6th, John Goral memorial service, St. Philip's Lutheran Church, Carmel, 2pm
Ma 9th, Blue Zone's Walking Group, 5:15pm
May 16th, Blue Zone's Walking Group, 5:15pm
May 20th, FLY Dinner Fundraiser
May 20th, Zone 16 LWML Spring Rally, Our Savior, Salinas, 10am
May 21st, Voters' Meeting, After Church
May 23th, Men's I-Help, 5pm
May 23th,Blue Zone's Walking Group, 5:15pm
May 30th, Walking Group Begins, 5:15pm
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May Birthdays
May 5th, Rozita Zand
May 5th, Nathan Farish
May 9th, Mary Golden
May 11th, Elviera Messersmith
May 23th, Malcolm Beety
May 27th, Lindamarie Rosier
May 28th, Lori Glenn
May 30th, David Padlina
May 31th, Donna Aldrete
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President's Message
Board Report:
Voters Meeting after Church on May 21st, 2023
You are invited!
We will be looking at our budget and sharing reports from the Pastor, Evangelism, Youth, CCAMB and our Endowment Committee.
Some current news is that due to the market downturn, the Endowment Fund currently contains ~$55,000 less than it did a little over a year ago. The Board of Directors has received notice from the Endowment Committee that they recommend there be no distribution this year to give the Fund the best chance at recovering and the Board of Directors agrees. The Fund has distributed $21,264 in the last three years, through the Covid lockdown and while experiencing an economic downturn. As previously reported, Bethlehem remains debt free, and the Endowment Committee and Board of Directors continue to be committed to assist and support all of our ministries. If you wish to make a contribution to the Endowment Fund in addition to your tithing, simply note on your check that it is for the Endowment Fund. Thank you all for supporting our church, allowing us to implement all of the wonderful improvements and programs we now have! Thank God we have a congregation that has given over and above so that we can continue to grow!
Our Finances are strong, we are debt free, our income is coming up and our ministries are funded. It’s a blessing to be thankful for because every time we think some large cost is about hit God is blessing us with the finances to carry out His mission. Pray about your giving and keep it flowing as we are seeing increases is expenses as we grow in our ministries and in our Church.
Ken Goebel, Board President
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Evangelism Committee
As we prepare a budget for the coming fiscal year, the Evangelism Committee is reflecting back on what was accomplished through the Lord over the last year. We are thankful to God and to our congregation for all it was possible to do. Six families were helped through the Adopt-A-Family program, during Christmas and during times of crisis. BLC hosted a play and walking group with Blue Zones for children and their caregivers at Via Paraiso Park, and meaningful connections were made with people outside our congregation. The 2023 summer Vacation Bible School program was funded, and we look forward to its success. An outdoor bike rack was purchased to support congregation members and attendees of the NA, AA, and Al-Anon programs, and foster connection with the Blue Zones Program. Homeless men and women were provided lodging every month in our facilities through the I-HELP program, and fed by members of our congregation. A new outdoor smoking receptacle was purchased to show support for the NA and AA programs and their inclusion in our community. We began "Discipleship Sundays" to talk about how we can share our faith in our daily lives, and the seed of the idea for a Bethlehem Lutheran Church Volunteer Corps was planted, grew, and is being watered by our congregation members and their passion and love for God.
Please pray for our committee as we continue to plan our activities for the upcoming year, and if you feel moved by the Spirit to offer your help and support, please let us know.
If you have any questions on any Evangelism Committee activities, please contact chair Brynn Kaufman at brynn.s.kaufman@gmail.com or (209) 609-6271.
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The Classical Christian Academy of Monterey Bay
Bethlehem Family,
Spring sprang into action here at CCAMB, we celebrated Easter, learned about animals, started our journal notebooks and enjoyed learning about great American inventions like the Chocolate Chip Cookie.
A Special thanks to all of you who pray and support us here at BLC. Mrs. Maxner is teaching us how to sing with accompaniment and Mrs. Zobel taught us to sketch sea animals by the ocean.
Please continue to pray for our school, families and camp.
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Hello from Concordia Seminary!
As always, before I continue, I want you to know how truly thankful my family and I are for your continued financial assistance. It allows me to focus my energy on my studies at the seminary and becoming a better pastor rather than working to pay tuition costs.
This semester seems to be picking up steam rather than coasting to the end. In addition to the many classes and their requirements, there have been many meetings for concluding students. As I mentioned in my last letter. The placement service is on 26 April (3:00 PM CDT for Vicarages and 7:00 PM CDT for Calls) and you can watch it on live stream (https://www.csl.edu/live) or YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/c/ConcordiaSeminary) or on the Seminary’s Facebook page. The Commencement service can be watched on (csl.edu/live) and it will be on 19 May with the diploma service at 10:00 AM CDT and the Commencement Service at 7:00PM CDT. I have also been told to prepare for my installation as a deferred/convertible vicar to start on 18 June. The location of my installation will be announced on 26 April!
I also mentioned in my last letter that my 90-year-old uncle was dying from kidney failure. He did eventually die in March. I know that he is now with Jesus and much more comfortable than he was during his final months however the grieving and mourning process is still real. I am proud that he and my aunt provided a strong Christian witness to everyone around them during the dying and grieving process. Thankfully, I was allowed to work ahead and miss a few classes prior to Reading Week at the Seminary. Therefore, I was able to drive back down to Texas and help my aunt with funeral planning during the week prior to the funeral. I was able to support her and help her grieve and handle some of the legal paperwork for a week following the funeral. As I mentioned earlier, my aunt did not have children and I try to serve the vocations of nephew and son with her as much as possible.
This will, most likely, be my final update letter this semester. As I mentioned earlier, I will start my deferred/convertible vicarage in June. Therefore, we will move from St. Louis at the end of May after my youngest son’s high school graduation. Please continue to keep my family in your prayers during this time of transition.
My sons continue to make me proud. My oldest was on the dean’s list for Purdue last semester and my youngest continues to do well in high school and will join his brother at Purdue this fall. My wife and I will celebrate our 24-year anniversary on June 5. When we married 24 years ago she was the love of my life and she still is today but, now, she is also my best friend. I thank God every day for all three of these loved ones that he placed in my life!
ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU!
If you want to send me a note, I would love to hear from you. My contact information is below:
Email: mikitsj@csl.edu
Address: 848 Charlesgate Drive, Olivette, MO
63132
In His Service,
Janis Mikits
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Life on Purpose
Life of Focus
May 7th | Easter
Acts 6:1-9; 7:2a, 51-60
1 Peter 2:2-10
John 14:1-14
LSB 477 Alleluia, Alleluia! Hearts to Heaven
LSB 564 Christ Sits at God’s Right Hand
LSB 633 At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing v.1, 5-8
WOV 671 Alleluia, Alleluia, Give Thanks
“But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” Acts 7:55.
Life of Focus
No matter what happens to us in the world, God gives us the ability to continue to look beyond it… focused on Him and His glorious presence.
Life of Witness
May 14th | Ascension Day
Acts 1:1-11
Ephesians 1:15-23
Luke 24:44-53
LSB 493 A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing
LSB 491 Up through Endless Ranks of Angels
LSB 821 Alleluia! Sing to Jesus
LSB 492 On Christ’s Ascension I Now Build
“And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?’” Acts 1:10—11.
Life of Witness
God gives us His Spirit to witness to the world, not to just stare at the clouds until He comes, but to encourage others to believe before His return.
Life of Trust
May 21st | Easter
Acts 1:12-26
1 Peter 4:12-19; 5:6-11
John 17:1-11
LSB 837 Lift High the Cross
LSB 479 Christ Is Risen, Christ Is Living
LSB 643 Sent Forth by God’s Blessing
WOV 752 Here I Am, Lord
“And they prayed and said, ‘You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen.” Acts 1:24.
Life of Trust
God provides the people we need in our lives. It’s tough when some come and go, but we continue to trust that He will provide others to be there for us and give us the ability to be there for others too.
Life of Spirit
May 28th | Pentecost
Numbers 11:24-30
Acts 2:1-21
John 7:37-39
LSB 497 Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord
LSB 498 Come, Holy Ghost, Creator Blest
LSB 642 O Living Bread from Heaven
WOV 687 Gracious Spirit, Heed Our Pleading
“And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’” Acts 2:12.
Life of Spirit
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