E-weekly Update for: Feb. 1-11, 2021 - Bethlehem Lutheran Church
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Bethlehem Lutheran Church
417 W 1st Ave, P.O. Box 638, Grand Marais, MN 55604
(218)-387-2227 www.sharingchrist.org blc@boreal.org
pastormark@boreal.org jbusche001@luthersem.edu
E-weekly Update for: Feb. 1-11, 2021
Oh, No! I have some January dates instead of February
dates! See corrections at the bottom of the newsletter:
Ruby’s and No Feb. date on the Drive-up Food
Distribution.
Trying to do too many things at the same time! Uggh!!
THE COOKIE PACK IS ON! The BLCW is asking for baked goods,
cookies preferred, for the Annual Valentine’s Cookie Pack. Special
requirements for this year: place cookies in snack-size plastic bags
(1-2/bag); mark if nuts/nut products are used in the recipe or if they
are gluten-free cookies. Drop off Cookies by Friday, Feb. 12th
12:30 PM. This year we will be making gift bags for 65 people. We
really could use your help with the baking! Thank you.
Taste testers are
available in the
office…if you
need any help.
Thurs. Feb. 4 8:00 AM Men’s Bible Study – Zoom & in Fellowship Hall
5:00 PM Recording of Service
Musician: Karina Roth, Sue & Eric Anderson
Reader: Cindy Muus
7:00 PM Executive Committee
Sun. Feb. 7 On-line Worship & Sunday School
Mon. Feb. 8 12:30 PM Bible Study – all are welcome
Tues. Feb. 9 1:00 PM Ministerium Text Study
Wed. Feb. 10 3:30 PM 6th grade Confirmation via Zoom & in Fellowship Hall
5:00 PM 7th & 8th grade Confirmation via Zoom & in-person
Thurs. Feb. 11 8:00 AM Men’s Bible Study – Zoom & in Fellowship Hall
9:00 AM Quilting
1:00 PM Ministerium Meeting
5:00 PM Recording of Worship Service
Musicians: Eric & Sue Anderson; Karina Roth
Reader: Kris Hedstrom
7:00 PM Church Council meeting
Readings and Psalm for Sunday Feb. 7th:
Isaiah 40:21-31
The creator of all cares for the powerless
Psalm 147:1-11, 20c
The LORD heals the brokenhearted. (Ps. 147:3)
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
A servant for the sake of the gospel
Mark 1:29-39
The healing of Peter’s mother-in-law
The gift of Holy Communion “The
Holy Spirit gathers people around the
means of grace—the saving Word of God
and the sacraments. From the table of
communion where Jesus Christ comes
with forgiveness, life, and salvation, God
sends us out to share the good news and
to care for those in need.” (Taken from
“All Creation Sings” a new supplement
to ELW hymnal.)
Our pastors are offering a brief (20
minutes) service for individuals or small
groups (no more that 9 people at a time).
Available appointments are at 11:00 AM
on Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and
Thursdays. If you would like to come in but those times don’t work, we will work
with your schedules. If you need transportation, we will work to get you here. Call
the office to make arrangements. We follow COVID procedures: face coverings and
physical distancing are required and sanitizing steps for communion.
We have appointments open on Sunday, Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thursday Mornings at 11 am. New
Appointments can be made by calling Denise to schedule.
Your prayers are requested for:
Emily Ulhorn; Carol Berglund; Peter James; Crystal
Nelson; Char Anderson; Milly Gestel; Lynn Schulte;
Samantha Wallner; Paulina Backstrom; Rhonda
Schulte; Daniel Hansen, Jesse Derscheid; Elsa
Sorenson; Kim Cesarek.
This week we pray for six member families: (1/25/21)
Janet Elmquist;
Cherie McLeod;
Oz & Jean Anderson;
Carol Ouellette;
Mitch & Cindy Everson;
and our Bible Study friend Lois Eyinck.
February Mission of the Month:
Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR)
Unfortunately, disasters are commonplace and funds are continually needed to provide direct
support in the aftermath. Because of this, the Church in Society Committee feels it is important to direct
funds to LDR on an annual basis. Some of you may recall that this was also our Mission of the Month in
February 2020 and we also directed funds to LDR in 2019.
The ELCA provides the following information about LDR on their website:
Lutheran Disaster Response strives to help the church continue to be church in the midst of disaster
- following Christ's call to bring hope and healing to our neighbor in need. Some key areas of work
include:
• Providing emotional and spiritual care for people who have been affected by a disaster and for leaders
who respond to a disaster
• Coordinating volunteers through our local affiliates
• Assisting refugees in a holistic way by meeting the varied needs of the community
• Promoting disaster risk-reduction by helping communities build their assets thereby reducing the
effects of likely disasters
• Providing long-term recovery efforts by addressing the unmet needs months or even years after a
disaster strike
LDR responds to weather and climate related disasters, health crises, and disasters caused by civil
unrest.
⇒ What disasters is LDR currently responding to? Where might Bethlehem's collective funds be
directed? While BLC's Mission of the Month funds will be directed to where LDR sees the greatest
need, the following examples have recently been highlighted on LDR's Facebook page:
⇒ COVID-19 - Since January 2020, we have supported responses in 39 countries around the world
including the United States, plus five global responses, that address a wide range of needs, from
supplying personal protective equipment and medical equipment; to provision of food and other
necessary supplies; to water, sanitization and hygiene and awareness education. Additionally, 28
synods and three social ministry organizations have received LDR support for congregational feeding
ministries, such as food pantries, hot meal delivery and meal distribution.
⇒ A magnitude 6.2 earthquake shook Indonesia's island of Sulawesi on Friday, January 15. At least 42
people have been killed and 600 people injured. These numbers are expected to rise as rescue teams
continue clearing the rubble from homes, a hospital, and other buildings. The earthquake triggered
three landslides and the island continues to be hit by aftershocks.
⇒ Winters in Mongolia are often harsh but when they are more extreme than usual, they are called
dzuds. Due to climate change, dzuds are expected to be more common and more intense. Dzuds
have many consequences for Mongolian herders. When they lose livestock due to extreme weather
conditions, they lose their primary source of income, leading to food insecurity and poverty. LDR
provides immediate assistance to communities that suffer from unusually cold weather. We've
provided winter clothes for children in Nepal and children in refugee camps in Serbia, as well as
blankets for villagers in India.
If you feel called to financially support the work of LDR in February, please note "LDR" or "Mission of
the Month" on your contribution. You can also stay informed on the ELCA's response by visiting ldr.org,
liking Lutheran Disaster Response on Facebook and following @ELCALDR on Twitter.
In peace, Jessica Markusen, on behalf of the Church in Society Committee
.
Electronic giving…is available by filling out a simple
authorization form which you can get from the office. There is
also an online giving option on our website, if that suites you
better.
Thrivent Choice Dollars:
Ready to give back? The choice is yours.
Through Thrivent Choice, you can contribute to organizations and causes
you care about – and influence how Thrivent distributes some of its
charitable funding. 1-800-847-4836 (remember: this needs to be done every
year, it is not automatically renewed.) Deadline is March 2021. (1/6/21)
https://www.thrivent.com/what-we-offer/generosity/thrivent-choice.html
Christ in Our Home daily devotionals are in! Jan – March 2021 edition. Regular
print-size and large print versions are available. Stop by and pick one up, or contact the
church office to have one mailed out.
Still Looking to Hitch a Ride to Duluth:
6 bags of quilts for donation to either
the Red Cross or the Damiano Center.
Call the office for details. (1/27/21)
Snowbirds: Please notify the office if you will be wintering
at a different address. Thank you (and send sunshine to us!)
(1/26/21)
World Hunger Change Jar:
Please drop off your spare change for World Hunger
relief.
Our shopping cart is EMPTY.
(actually, we have LOTS of empty grocery bags but no food!)
Please drop off your food or monetary donations at church. (1/20/21)
Vaccine Updates can be found on the COVID-19 Hub
site at www.cookcountycovid19.org
If you are in need of a face mask, we have a few baskets
of free cloth face coverings at church, including smaller
sizes. If you have specific needs please call Denise.
About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with nearly 3.5 million members
in more than 9,100 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the
church of “God’s work. Our hands.,” the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus
Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA’s roots are in the writings of the German
church reformer Martin Luther.
New START: ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton has been joined by 21 U.S. religious leaders in a
Jan. 19, 2021 statement to President-elect Biden’s transition team calling for an extension of the New Strategic
Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) agreement. This is a nuclear arms reduction treaty, jointly agreed to by
the United States and the Russian Federation 10 years ago, that will automatically expire on Feb. 5, 2021,
unless the two parties agree to extend it.
In signing on to the agreement, Eaton recalled the words of the prophet Isaiah: “[The Lord] shall judge between
the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears
into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah 2:4). Follow the ELCA on social media Do you follow the ELCA on social media? Keep informed with church news, events, pictures and video across many platforms. Look for us at Facebook.com/Lutherans; @ELCA on Twitter; @ELCA on Instagram and YouTube.com/ELCA. We are church together! Engage your faith through these online communities of Lutherans. ELCA Vision Claimed by God’s grace for the sake of the world, we are a new creation through God’s living word by the power of the Holy Spirit; Gathered by God’s grace for the sake of the world, we will live among God’s faithful people, hear God’s word and share Christ’s supper; Sent by God’s grace for the sake of the world, we will proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed, serve all people following the example of our Lord Jesus, and strive for justice and peace in all the world. ELCA Mission Marked with the cross of Christ forever, we are claimed, gathered and sent for the sake of the world. This is the mission statement of the ELCA. As members of the ELCA, we believe that we are freed in Christ to serve and love our neighbor. ELCA Advocacy Website: ELCA.org/advocacy Email: washingtonoffice@elca.org Social Media: /ELCAAdvocacy ELCA Racial Justice Ministries Website: www.ELCA.org/Our-Work/Publicly-Engaged-Church/Racial-Justice-Ministries ELCA Young Adult Ministry Website: www.ELCA.org/Our-Work/Congregations-and-Synods/Young-Adult-Ministry Social Media: /ELCAYoungAdults ELCA Public Health https://elca.org/PublicHealth ELCA current news & events: https://www.elca.org/News-and-Events How one Lutheran congregation moved out of “building mentality” https://youtu.be/trgt28JGPes New Life Lutheran Church, Texas The purpose of the Northeastern MN Synod is to nurture a Christ-centered climate conducive to healthy, mission-focused congregations and their ministries throughout the world!
Lutheran Links:
Northeastern Minnesota Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
NE MN Synod Women of the ELCA
ELCA Youth activities in North East MN Synod www.nemnsynod.org/youth
Companion Synod Relationships
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia (ELCIR)
• Lutheran Church of Honduras - Iglesia Cristiana Luterana en Honduras (ICLH)
• South Andhra Lutheran Church of India (SALC)
Living Lutheran: offers weekly eMail digest and the website offers a wide variety of resources, stories, missions, and lots
more. https://www.livinglutheran.org/
Gather Magazine: offers “Daily Grace” email devotions and the monthly magazine is basis for the monthly BLCW Circle
Bible Studies. The website offers a wide variety of resources, stories, missions, and lots more.
https://www.gathermagazine.org/
Bold Café, the on-line monthly magazine for young adult women.
Bold Connections, a monthly e-newsletter. Get Gathering 2020 information here.
Interchange, a quarterly e-newsletter for leaders
Local Volunteer Opportunities and Help for our Community:
I don’t have the February Date yet. Let me know if you do.
Food Distribution on Wed. Jan. 20 at
Noon at the CC Community Center
There will be boxes of non-perishable food available for
pick up in your car on Wednesday, Jan. 20 at Noon in
front of the 4H building. Please line up coming down
4th Ave. West, stop in front of the 4H building to have food
boxes put in your car/ truck, and then exit out on county
road 7. Anyone welcome, first-come, first-served. Call
Diane at 387-3015 if you have questions.
Care Partners volunteer as a care giver, chore volunteer or provider of senior rides. Please contact Christie
at 387-3788. Care Partners staff is ready to help you think through and document your end-of-life wishes. Call
(218) 387-3788 - they are checking often for messages and will return your call as soon as possible. For lots of
information and helpful links, go to their website.
“Cook County, How can we help?” https://www.facebook.com/groups/163229658040798/
Local Facebook group offering help. Our community continually finds ways to help each other.
Cook County Food Shelf: to volunteer, please contact Gwen at 387-9860.
The Cook County Food Shelf is open EVERY MONDAY 3-5 pm and the FIRST Wednesday of every month
5-7 pm
“If you know someone who could use the food shelf, Please, please tell them to come in or call me.... we
have emergency boxes of food and some produce.” -Gwen Lenz
Our shopping cart is low and is begging for more food! You may drop off donations at the church
during work hours. The food shelf also accepts monetary donations. You may send them directly to:
Cook County Food Shelf
PO Box 51
Grand Marais, MN 55604
Ruby’s Pantry: Food distribution is always the second Tuesday of the month. The next
Drive Through Pantry will be January 12, 2021
February 9th at the Cook County Community Center.
Volunteers are needed from 3:00 to 6:00pm – NEW
HOURS. Contact: rubys@boreal.org. They are looking
for volunteers to help.
Vehicles should come down Creechville Road from the Gunflint Trail. The recommended
donation is $20 per bundle of food, but no one will be turned away. If you eat, you qualify for
Ruby's Pantry.
First & Second Thrift Store: Is an opportunity to volunteer and earn money for your
favorite charity (i.e., BLC). They are always looking for volunteers in a variety of ways.
Call the store at 387-1826. The store has reopened – check for times and shopping
requirements.
Oddz & Endz Thrift Store is a non-profit run by volunteers and designating their profits back to the
Community. They accept larger furniture items and are always looking for volunteers. Call the store at
370-0615. The store is now re-opened. Store hours are Monday, Friday & Saturday, 10 am – 4 pm.You can also read
