Bethlehem News - December 20, 2024
Click below to read updates from various ministries at Bethlehem United Methodist Church
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We are worshipping in person together this Sunday at 10:15 a.m. Sunday School will be at 9:00 for all ages. Remember, new worship and Sunday School schedule begins this week.
This week's worship service will be live streamed and recorded on our church website and on Facebook. Currently the worship bulletin is available on the website by clicking on the All Media tab, then the Media tab and then the Bulletin and Announcements tab.
The 2025 flower sign-up sheets are in the Church Office. Arrangements are $50.00 each and can be taken home after the end of the 10:15 worship service. Flowers can also be reserved using this Sign-Up Genius link (www.Bethlehemumc.com/flowers) and select the Sunday/Sundays you want or you may contact Dana Smyth 615-794-6721.
You may give online by going to the church website. If you have any questions about this process, please contact Ron Whitler.
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Please contact April Jackson, Director of Children's Ministries (ajackson@bethlehemumc.com) for more info on any of these children's activities.
Sunday Schedule
Each Sunday in December, we will gather at 9:00 a.m. for Sunday School. We will have some simple breakfast food for your kids, as we adjust to a new schedule.
Acolytes Needed for Sunday Worship
We are looking at the calendar for the new church year. Last year, we had a nearly full calendar with at least one of our Acolytes serving every Sunday! That is amazing! Let's continue strong and fill up the month of January. Let April Jackson know when your Acolyte would like to serve!
Children’s Church
Please make sure that you use the Sign Up sheets in the Narthex to register your children. If possible, please sign them in before the service begins. Children's church is offered each week.
Worship Bags
Worship bags are on the hooks in the hallway across from Pastor Craig’s office. Keep us in mind if you get tired of your Rubik's cubes or other quiet gadgets and want to donate new or lightly used items.
Nursery Available
Nursery is available for children 3 and under, every Sunday morning from 8:45 a.m. until the end of the 10:15 worship service.
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Please contact Alison Bocking (abocking@bethlehemumc.com) for more info on any of these youth activities:
Friends and guests between 6th and 12th grade are always welcome at all of our youth events!
Dear Parents and Youth,
A big thank you to the Ells and Castano Family for hosting us for our Christmas Progressive Dinner! We had a blast cruising around town, filling our bellies with delicious food and exchanging gifts. This Sunday, we will continue our Advent study, Almost Christmas at Sunday school. Youth group will resume on January 5.
Have you registered your child for Discovery Weekend? Our prayer is to have 20 young people from Bethlehem participate in this special weekend. Whether you or your child have been active or not, you are invited to this weekend. Everyone is invited to experience God’s love and find out how much God has to say.
Discovery Weekend is a spiritual formation retreat (imagine all the goodness of summer camp or VBS for teenagers crammed into a weekend!) held in the local church for youth in grades 6 - 12. Our weekend will be held January 10 - 12, 2025. We kickoff on Friday evening and wrap up on Sunday morning after the 10:15 a.m. worship service. Our theme is Rooted in God’s Love from the book of Ephesians. The weekend includes meaningful worship experiences, engaging discussions, and fun-filled activities. It all happens right on our campus at Bethlehem UMC with our entire church wrapping their arms around our youth.
Register: If you have a young person in grades 6 - 12, sign them up for Discovery Weekend. We want EVERY young person involved in this weekend! Deadline to register is January 2. The cost is $75. Payment is due on January 10. It’s really important to register early so we can plan for meals and parents can receive important details. REGISTER HERE: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe9xESOb2rHye3dihhm8NNAJup4IaaQIiPrJ4X3onS3v_ri0Q/viewform
Join the Discovery Team: We’ll need to fill 60+ volunteer slots throughout the weekend. We especially need parents to help fill the overnight roles. The whole church is invited to participate in the weekend through serving on the team, praying, providing meals and snacks, and more. Sign-up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044CA4AC2DA2F85-46943187-discovery#/
Pray: Please begin praying for this weekend and our youth community at Bethlehem UMC and make plans to attend the Church-Wide Prayer Service on January 11, at 7 p.m. in the Sanctuary.
A Prayer for Advent
God-with-Us, Emmanuel, Savior,
come to us, and bring us your peace.
Help us find our joy and our purpose;
restore us, and bring us your peace.
May the dreams that we have and our visions
give us hope, and bring us your peace.
Holy Child, come among us and claim us:
make us family, and give us your peace.
Coming One, awaken us to one another,
stir up our love, and give us your peace.
God-with-Us, Emmanuel, Savior,
be born in us, and give us your peace.
Amen.
by Steve Garnaas-Holmes
As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
Peace,
Alison Bocking+
Director of Youth Ministries
Upcoming Events:
Looking ahead:
• December 22 – Sunday School: 9:00 a.m., NO Youth Group
• December 29 – Sunday School: 9:00 a.m., NO Youth Group
• January 5 – Sunday School: 9:00 a.m., Youth Group Outing to Zoolumination
• January 10 - 12 – Discovery Weekend
Super Important Links:
Youth Calendar
Click here to view and subscribe to our new and improved Google Youth Calendar!
iPhone Users: Click here to subscribe to our Youth Calendar
GroupMe
Click here to join the Youth Parent's group chat on the GroupMe app.
Click here to pick a Calendly date
Do you have a soccer game, orchestra performance, community play you'd like Alison to attend? Or maybe a family game night? Dinner outing? Parent chat over coffee? Please sign up for a date and time. If the time exceeds one hour, please select an additional block of time.
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Monthly Mission
The next monthly mission will be Sunday, January 12, when we will collect pasta and pasta sauce. Please plan to bring your pasta and pasta sauce to the altar during the singing of the first hymn/song to share with those less fortunate. All items collected will be given to Feed America First.
Room in the Inn Needs YOU
It’s time to sign-up to help with Room in the Inn. Bethlehem partners with Room in the Inn (RITI) to host 10 homeless men every Saturday night from November through March. If you are interested in participating in this ministry, sign-up sheets are in the Narthex and Gathering Space or by using this Sign-Up Genius link: http://www.bethlehemumc.com/riti If you have any questions or need more info, please contact Mike Loring (mloring@live.com or 615-596-0985).
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Issues of the January/February Upper Room are in the black mailbox just outside the Sanctuary doors and on the tables in the Narthex. Contact Dana Smyth if you have questions or need more info.
If you’re moving through a particularly difficult place in life perhaps a Stephen Minister could help. We currently have Stephen Ministers available to help you through a difficult journey. Please contact Pat Smith (psmith@bethlehemumc.com or 615-794-6721) for more info.
If you have surgery planned or are ever in the hospital unexpectedly, please let the church know. You can email Dana Smyth or call the church office (615-794-6721). She will forward the information to the staff.