THANKSGIVING IS THANKSLIVING! - Bethlehem Lutheran
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
November 2019
Pastor David Blair • James Hing, Organist & Choir Director
THANKSGIVING … IS … THANKSLIVING!
November is here! It is a month full of looking in the rear-view mirror of life. November 3
we will observe the Church’s annual day of remembrance of All Saints … those who have
gone before us and were faithful to Jesus and are now in his eternal presence by sight while
we are still living in Jesus’ presence by faith. Then, of course, the fourth Thursday of the
month (late this year on the 28th) we will observe our National Day of Thanksgiving (10 a.m.).
November is a time to look in the rear-view mirror of our lives and do so with a heart and
mind of Thanksgiving to God for all of the blessings of life, health, family, friends and most
of all, faith in our Lord Jesus that he has granted to us. This is true for all individuals, espe-
cially when another year of life is celebrated. Collectively, though as well, as the people of
God gathered together in faith and hope and love here at Bethlehem, we have many reasons
for which to give thanks to our God. How do we do so?
Here is where our Thanksgiving in words can become Thanksliving in our actions and deeds.
We not only look in the rear-view mirror of life with Thanksgiving, we also look forward to
the future in faith and hope with a life of Thanksliving. The Good News of God’s love for us
in sending his Son Jesus to live and to die on a cross and to conquer death for us motivates us
to move beyond good intentions. The Gospel is God’s DYNAMITE, his power to save and to
transform us for all eternity. Thanksliving is using all of God’s gifts, our time, our unique tal-
ents, and yes, our dollars and cents, really our very lives all for HIS GLORY. After all, they
are really all his! To assist us all in this ongoing challenge to live a life of faithful disciple-
ship, an article on page 2 in this November newsletter comes to you from the Board of Stew-
ardship. It is a wonderful devotional resource from our Synod. I encourage us all to use this
resource, to ponder the points from Scripture that it presents and to allow God’s Spirit to move
us toward ever greater faithfulness in the resources that our great and gracious God has gifted
to us all.
Pastor David
SDG (Soli Deo Gloria)
To God Alone Be the Glory!
SIMPLE GIFTS –
An LCMS series
of devotions on
STEWARDSHIP
Your Board of Stew-
ardship has been shar-
ing the message that
stewardship is not just
about putting money
in the plate on Sunday
morning. Stewardship
is about how we share
the gifts that God has given to each of us. It’s an act of worship that flows from God’s Word.
It’s about how we approach our everyday lives.
You will be receiving in your mailbox a series of devotions prepared by the Missouri Synod
Stewardship Ministry. Each devotion includes the theme of “gift,” with titles such as “The
Gift of the Gospel,” “God’s Gift of Creation,” and “God’s Gift of Life.” Each devotion in-
cludes a Bible passage, a meditation and a prayer.
You will find this series to be Gospel-centered with a focus on what God has done for His
people in Jesus. As you work through this devotional, we hope you will see the real “why” of
your stewardship, for you were created for this task by God.
The SIMPLE GIFTS series is one of several LCMS resources on Stewardship. You can find
this devotional series and additional stewardship resources at:
https://www.lcms.org/how-we-serve/national/stewardship-ministry
Submitted by Pastor David Blair and your Board of Stewardship.
WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY
Consider being part of the Wednesday evening group as Brent Begalka
leads the discussion on the Gospel of John. Brent’s goals for the evening
are to make it practical, interesting, focused and short! It begins at 7 pm
and ends by 7:45 pm. Photo by Dielda
There is no gathering on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Nov 27.
We thank Brent for his dedication and service.
2
NOVEMBER
We wish you continued happiness and God’s blessings!
Jurgen Feltmann November 1
Nathan Feltmann November 1 HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
Jayda Feltmann November 1
Andrew McNeal November 1 Myers, Todd & Beatrice November 1
Pete Maas November 2 Buechler, Jim & Sharon November 10
Sarah Zable November 5 Astala, Art & Pam November 17
David Blair November 6
Nathan Bumpus November 6 Pieczynski, Richard & Kristy November 20
The Martin Luther November 10 Happy 20th anniversary to Richard & Kristy
Earl Rogers November 11
Julie Dennis November 16 Hughes, Edward & Jeanne-K November 24
Andrea Mangold November 21 Muller, Gerhard & Sabine November 30
Emma Humphrey November 23
Marie Teel November 23
Pam Astala November 24
CeJae Troseth Tompkins November 24 MILESTONE BIRTHDAYS THIS MONTH:
Doug Gardner November 27
Hannelore Payne November 29
Andrew McNeal turns 5 this month.
Help us update our records.
If we don’t have you listed, please let
the office know. Our little Sarah is now an adult. She will be 18 on
November 5.
Julie Dennis celebrates 4 decades this month.
MARIE TEEL Has Moved
Kennydale Golden Age
1806 Jones Ave. NE
Renton, WA 98056
It’s near the church. She would love cards or visits.
3
We pray for God’s ongoing mercy to all, especially for:
Our Members:
Gerhard & Sabine Muller, Cathy Wooden, Joel & Karen Jackman,
Juanita & Bud Reynolds, Kathy Zable, Bob Pankow, Gary & Kay Hanno,
Emma/Mark/LuAnne/Michael Humphrey, Harold Carlson, Jim & Sha-
ron Buechler, Andrea Mangold, Carolyn Parks-Hough, Frank & Betty
Downing, Marcy Hall, Kerry & Debbie Mason, Amber Wolf, Karen Begalka, Jerry Schuh, Jeanne-K
Hughes, Ted TeGantvoort, Aggie Brown, Glen Koppelman, Ray & Gretchen Engum, Robert & Janet
Lee, Elden & Dolores Fischer, Mardelle Hammond, Cynthia TeGantvoort.
Members Who Can’t Attend:
Pat Boydston, Laura Brester, Wanda Brooks, Betty Cowan, Jenny Iles, Evelyn Lundstrom-Weiss,
Jean Shaw, Marie Teel, Carolyn Warns, David Willett
Members Serving Our Country in the Military
Alex Murphy (Army), Kyle Murphy (Air Force)
Please advise the office if you
Our friends & relatives: have changes to the prayer list.
Randy & Renee Barger: her friend Erin, his mother Sandra
Laura Brester: daughter Sharon
Agnes Brown: nephew Craig, brother Joey
Jim & Sharon Buechler: her uncle Jim, friend Allan, his sister JoAnn, her brother James, his cousins
Leland & Carolyn
Frank & Betty Downing: granddaughter Stephanie, nephew Robert
Ray & Gretchen Engum: daughter & son-in-law Liz & Tracy, granddaughter Kathy, son Dennis
Jesse & Jeanie Hack: his mother Alice, his dad Don, her friend Leslie
Marcy Hall: son Matthew
Mardelle Hammond: friend Lynette, sister-in-law Barbara
Edward & Jeanne-K Hughes: son David
Mark & LuAnne Humphrey: friends Debbie, Karen, Alice, Arlene, Jeff, Dr Shields, Donald, Sam, Ernie
Gary & Joanne Jordanger: his brother Mike, daughter-in-law Crystal
Gene & Donna Kahn: grandsons serving in the Air Force Austin & Garrett
Dielda Kuhlmann: sister Brenda
Christie Lind: her former sister-in-law Peggy, sister Denise
Kathy Logan: her friend Barbara Evelyn Lundstrom-Weiss: sister Eleanor
Andrea Mangold: her brother Charles, sister-in-law Elaine
Kerry & Debbie Mason: his sister Lisann, her son David, friend Ada
Pat Mortrud: friend Brandi & family, Rev. Richard Flath
Bob Pankow: daughter-in-law Jennifer
Hannelore Payne: her son, Patrick, daughter Becky
Bud & Juanita Reynolds: grandsons Jacob & Kenneth
Linda Sheets: daughter Corrie niece Heidi
Sturgul, Tammy: husband James
Dick & Ellen Taylor: grandson Landon, granddaughter Caroline, his cousins Bill & Eileen
Cynthia TeGantvoort: son Victor, son-in-law Keoni
Carolyn Troseth: brother-in-law Tom, sister Viola
Carolyn Warns: daughter Debbie David Willett: cousin BJ, mom Carol
Amber Wolf: friends Nick and Robyn and their son Gage
Gil & Cathy Wooden: his brother Derlin, great grandson Nickolas
Kathy Zable: son John, daughter Margo Passeau, friend Denise, friends Tasha & family
All our friends and family members who are not yet 4Christians
JAMES ROGER BOYDSTON
Jim passed away on Sunday morning, October 20, at
his home. He was 84 years old.
Jim & Pat had celebrated their 60th wedding anniver-
sary on September 2.
They and their children became members of Bethle-
hem in February 1977. Jim was frequently a greeter on
Sunday mornings and attended the Saturday men’s
breakfasts until poor health kept him away. He & Pat
were active members of our Pinochle Club. He was a
valuable source of technical help for the church com-
puter system, and he provided aerial photographs of
our church building with his drone camera.
In 2015, he was honored as our Veteran of the Year.
He’s wearing a Bethlehem Lutheran Veteran medal-
lion in the photo. JIM BOYDSTON
March 19, 1935
He volunteered for the Renton Police Department, —
taking fingerprints and patrolling neighborhoods while October 20, 2019
people were on vacation.
Jim served in the US Air Force from July 1957 to July 1965, and was stationed in Denver
Colorado, Little Rock Arkansas, Okinawa Japan, Vietnam, and Ellis Air Force Base in Las
Vegas.
He is survived by wife, Pat; children: Laura (Greg), Jacqui, Rita (Darrin), Don (Janene), Anne
(Scott); grandchildren: Ellen (Nathan), Carl, Makayla & Curtis, Carly, Kaci & Brody, Dustin
& Riley; great grandchildren: Hunter, Kiera and Rylan; his sister MaryJane of Cle Elum,
brother Bill of Portland, Oregon, and many nephews and nieces. Their son, Michael, died in
infancy.
His memorial service is scheduled for Sunday, October 27 at 2 pm at Merrill Gardens in Ren-
ton, Washington. He will be inurned at Tahoma National Cemetery in a private ceremony.
5
3 METAL CROSSES
On November 3, we will take a moment to
remember our loved ones who have passed
away this year.
A bell will be rung and a candle lit for each
of our members who died in the faith and
have gone before us to their eternal rest
with their Lord Jesus this past year. If you know who made the three
metal crosses or know the history
We remember Frieda Boelke, a faithful behind them, please contact the
servant for her entire 103 years of life. We church office or Dielda Kuhlmann.
remember Lucille Logan, who gave great Thank you.
hugs and was a loving mother, grandmoth-
er and great grandmother, and who is now
at peace and rejoicing with our Lord. We
remember Lige Brown, a Rosie the Riveter
at Boeing during WWII, a caring woman
who loved flowers, people, and the Lord.
We remember Raymond Mortrud, who
served in the US Army and was our coffee
barista, and who left us too early at the age
of 74. We remember Grace Hanson, an
extraordinary volunteer and a Rosie the
Riveter at Boeing during WWII. We re-
member Jim Boydston, who served in the
US Air Force in Vietnam and quietly
helped so many people in his lifetime.
We are thankful these people were a part of
our family.
Our recent reader board message.
6 Photo by Amber Wolf
MISSION BOARD IS
THANKFUL
I want to thank the mem-
bers of the Mission Board
who assisted with the Spa-
ghetti Dinner and Dessert
auction. The proceeds will
be used to support our Mis-
sions. Funds from Thrivent
were used to purchase the
food so that we could use Yum. Photo by Pat Mortrud
all the money from the des-
sert auction for the donation to our Missions.
We made $959 for our missions and had fun socializing with everyone. Thanks to
everyone who participated!
Our next project is to finish with the soft goods collection and send it off. Volunteers
with trucks and vans would be helpful as well as volunteers to pack them; let Ellen
Taylor or Marjie Boydston know. Date will likely be in early November,
Joanne Jordanger
Ellen Taylor, Joanne Jordanger, Betty Downing, Marcy Hall, LuAnne Humphrey,
Hannelore Payne, and Sharon Buechler coordinated the Spaghetti Dinner. Photo by
Joel Jackman
7
The Story Behind The Hymn
Now Thank We All Our God
In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus
for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
There are 138 passages of Scripture on the subject of thanksgiving,
and some of them are powerfully worded. The above quote from
1 Thessalonians is one example. Colossians 3:17 adds, “And what-
ever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
There are few hymns devoted exclusively to thanking God. Among
the handful we do have is "Now Thank We All Our God". It is Martin Rinkart
hymn #895 in our Lutheran Service Book. German Christians sing 1586-1649
this hymn (Nun danket alle Gott) frequently at national festivals
and special occasions of thanksgiving.
It was written by Martin Rinkart, a Lutheran pastor in the little village of Eilenberg, Saxony.
He grew up as the son of a poor coppersmith, felt called to the ministry, and after his theologi-
cal training began his pastoral work just as the Thirty Years' War was raging through Germa-
ny.
Eilenberg was a walled city and became a place of refuge for fugitives of the war. Famine and
disease occurred due to overcrowding. There was a tremendous strain on the pastors who ex-
pended all their strength in preaching the gospel, caring for the sick and dying, and burying
the dead. The pastors themselves took ill and perished until at last only Martin Rinkart was
left. In 1637, at the height of the epidemic, Pastor Rinkart officiated alone at the 40 or 50 buri-
al services each day, one of which was for his wife.
When the enemy demanded a huge ransom, it was Martin Rinkart who left the safety of the
city walls to negotiate with them, and he did it with such courage and faith that there was soon
a conclusion of hostilities, and the period of suffering ended.
Rinkart, knowing there is no healing without thanksgiving, composed this hymn for the survi-
vors of Eilenberg. It has been sung around the world ever since.
Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, in whom His world rejoices
Who, from our mothers’ arms, has blest us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.
8
O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed,
And free us from all ills in this world and the next.
All praise and thanks to God The Father now be given,
The Son, and Him who reigns with them in highest heaven,
The one eternal God, whom earth and heav’n adore;
For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.
Rinkart knew that our God is faithful even when the world looks bleak. He is full of bless-
ings, if only we look for them.
The inspiration for the first two stanzas comes from the Apocryphal Book of Ecclesiasticus,
chapter 50:22-24, which reads in part, “Now bless the God of all, who in every way does
great things.” The second verse references the sickness and disease of the Thirty Years War
and asks for strength during the trials of life. The last verse is a paraphrase of the doxology.
9
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW THE PERSON SITTING ON THE ORGAN BENCH??
LINDA KNEBEL
By Dielda Kuhlmann
Linda has been filling in as our substitute or-
ganist for a couple of years. When she’s not
playing the organ or driving a bus for King
County Metro, she enjoys working outdoors on
her 2.5 acres in Port Orchard. It makes for
long commutes but she feels it’s a fair trade-
off to be able to live out in the boonies.
Her music resume is impressive. She began pi-
ano lessons in 2nd grade and started on the
organ in 10th grade. Her grandmother was the
organist at St John’s Lutheran in Spokane for
40 years, and is the person who convinced her
Linda Knebel to play the organ. Linda received a music
scholarship to Seattle Pacific University. She’s
played at her home church, Beacon Lutheran, for many decades, as well
as a Presbyterian church in Everett and Amazing Grace Lutheran. She
played for 23 years at Hope Lutheran and performed about 8 recitals
there. It was at one of those recitals that our organist, James Hing, first
heard her play. She has subbed at various Lutheran churches in the area.
Linda was born in Seattle, and attended Amazing Grace school from kin-
dergarten to 8th grade. She’s only lived out of Washington state for one
summer, when she had a job in Alaska. She graduated from UW in 1988.
Her aunt and godmother is our very own Bethlehem member, Andrea
Mangold.
When asked what she’d like to share with us, she writes, “I love being
able to share with people that the organ does not have to be the boring
instrument some people may have the perception it is (little gray haired
women playing slow, boring music!!). There is so much variety and
wonderful music possible. I want it to create interest, joy and an en-
hanced worship experience.”
We are thankful to have Linda Knebel helping us sing praises to the Lord.
10The landscape team
planted 200 daffodil bulbs
on October 22, trimmed
the greenery by the flower
Pete Maas, Dick Taylor, Hannelore bed that has the lights, pruned the big fir tree,
Maas, Karen Marsyla, Karen Fritsvold and took home all the yard waste.
taking a quick break. Photo by Marjie The landscape chairwoman (me) is thankful for
Boydston all the help. A 15 minute coffee break with
homemade chocolate chip cookies did the trick,
and we were done before the rain came down.
- Hannelore Maas
We are off to a great start. We met for the first
time on September 20 with 16 of us. Carolyn
Troseth and Ed Hughes were the highest win-
ners. Jeanne-K Hughes was the only one to get
a double Pinochle.
We met again on October 18 with 17 of us. We
welcomed Marcy Hall who joined us for her first time. Karen Begalka and Carolyn Tro-
seth were the highest winners. Everyone was really enjoying themselves as we had 7
double Pinochles!
We have decided to change the time for our Pinochle games to 10:00 am. We will
start to play at 10:00 and then stop for potluck lunch at 11:30am. Hopefully this will
work better for everyone who has to leave at 2 pm.
Please join us. If you don’t know how to play, we would love to teach you.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
Sharon Buechler 11COME and stroll with us as we experience the
look and feel of an 1800 Victorian village for
Christmas passing by beautiful shops filled with
hand crafted and one of a kind gift idea. Enjoy
musical shows. The best part of this event is the
Singing Nativity; not to be missed.
The festival is at the Puyallup Fairgrounds.
The date for this event is Friday, December 6th We will carpool from Bethlehem at 10 am.
There is a sign up sheet in the hallway for those of you would like to join us. Depending on
how many go, I will try to get a group ticket rate. I guarantee you, this will put you into the
Christmas spirit!
Any questions, see Sharon Buechler. For more information about the event, check out
www.avictoriancountrychristmas.com/
GLUTEN FREE OPTION FOR COMMUNION
If you follow a gluten free diet, we have gluten free communion wafers available. When you
are at the altar, tell the elder you would like a gluten free wafer.
You can donate food
for REACH’s free
Thanksgiving meal.
Items are needed no
later than Nov 22.
Deliver them Monday
through Friday 8 am
to 2 pm at their Day
Center, 1055 South
Grady Way, Renton.
Needed items can be found at www.PerfectPotluck.com/HKTP6861 Contact
Kinza if you have questions: kinza@reachrenton.org or (206) 724-3872.
If you know someone who needs a meal, it will be served at 1 pm on
Thanksgiving at Luther’s Table, 419 South 2nd Street, Renton. It is across
from the Renton High School.
12LADIES SACK LUNCH & BOOK CLUB
RESUMES IN JANUARY
Eat - Pray - Laugh WE ARE THANKFUL FOR BOOKS & FELLOWSHIP
Max Lucado relates so well to ordinary people with light hearted wit, I couldn't
put the book down. My favorite chapter of “When God Whispers Your Name”
was Chapter 14 SEEING WHAT EYES CANNOT SEE. We need faith as a
child jumping into her father's arm. We need this faith for every day and tragic
times in our lives. We must trust God by figuratively jumping into his arms and
trusting him for our lives. (Like the marriage vows: for sickness and in health
until death, we must rely on him). We need to joyfully live for God when things
go well or bad such as sickness, death, failure, the stock market, finances,
business, jobs, church concerns and all our livelihood. God will catch us even if
we haven't been faithful. He will even save us from sin.
St. Paul was sentenced to death, yet rejoiced in his suffering and trusted God
to be with him through it. Noah trusted God when others were against him and
thought that he was crazy building the huge ark where there was no water.
Moses and Joshua had faith as they wandered around for 40 years in the wil-
derness. Ephesians 1:18-20 says: I pray that the eyes of your heart may
be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has
called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance to the saints and his in-
comparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working
of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the
dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms....
Whether we are paying attention or not, God is, and he is ready to catch us
when we leap or fall.
Karen Begalka
13Sun Mon Tue Wed
Office hours are
Office Hours
CONFIRMANDS meet Monday through Thursday
Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
after church every Sunday
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
in Pastor’s office.
3 FOOD BANK SUNDAY 4 5 6
ALL SAINTS’ SUNDAY
8:30 choir rehearsal 6 pm Trustees’ Meeting 6:30 Elders Meeting 7:00 Bible Study led by
9 Adult Bible Class 7 pm New Purpose Brent Begalka
10 Worship with Holy Communion
11:30 ANNUAL VOTERS’ MEETING
FALL BACK 1 HOUR
10 8:30 choir rehearsal 11 OFFICE CLOSED 12 13
9 Adult Bible Class FOR VETERANS DAY
10 Worship with Veteran Recognition 10-12 noon Stewardship 6:30 Call Team
11:15 Council meeting Meeting Meeting 7:00 Bible Study led by
DEADLINE TO NOMINATE A PASTOR TO Brent Begalka
BE CALLED 7 pm New Purpose
17 8:30 choir rehearsal 18 19 20
9 Adult Bible Class
10 Worship with Holy Communion 6:30 Call Team
Tentative date for New Member Sunday Meeting 7:00 Bible Study led by
11:15 Board of Education Meeting 7 pm New Purpose Brent Begalka
NEWSLETTER DEADLINE
24 8:30 choir rehearsal 25 26 27
9 Adult Bible Class
10 Worship 7 pm New Purpose 6:30 Call Team No Evening Service
11:15 Worship Team Meeting Meeting
Bethlehem members, if you know an ordained Lutheran minister who would be a good fit to
lead us here at Bethlehem, please fill out a Nomination Form and submit it to the office by
November 10. Forms are available in the office.
14NOVEMBER 2019
Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2
7 8 9 8:30 a.m. Men’s Breakfast at
Plum Delicious.
ible Study led by Baking Day & Set Up
Begalka 7 pm New Purpose for Bazaar 10—3 Annual BAZAAR
With BAKE SALE & LUNCH
14 15 16 8:30—1 Private use Social Hall
7 pm New Purpose NEW START TIME
10 am Pinochle & 3 pm Movie Matinee A Charlie
ible Study led by Potluck Brown Thanksgiving and Red
Begalka Badge of Courage
21 22 23
10 am Pastor Circuit Meeting
ible Study led by 3:30 Mary Martha Meeting
Begalka 7 pm New Purpose
28 29 30
10 THANKSGIVING SERVICE
ning Service
7 pm New Purpose
BETHLEHEM LUTHERAN CHURCH
1024 Monroe Ave N.E., Renton, WA 98056
blessings@BethlehemLutheranRenton.org 425-255-9772
www.BethlehemLutheranRenton.org
Pastor Blair email: Pastor@BethlehemLutheranRenton.org
cell phone:15206-291-4237THIS YEAR’S QUILT!!
Made by Jeanne-K Hughes
You’ll want to purchase a few tickets
for a chance to win this homemade
work of art.
It is a throw size, 51 1/2” x 68 1/2”.
The title is Vintage Iris and is made of
wine, green, cream, and pink in vari-
ous shades.
$1 opportunities to win the quilt are on
sale after church or Sundays, or call
the office if you can’t make it on a
Sunday. The winner will be an-
nounced at the end of our Bazaar on
November 9.
Mary-Martha Bazaar Saturday November 9 10 am to 3 pm
LUNCH SERVED ALL DAY. Vendors, homemade crafts, bake sale,
gently used items, and 2 items up for raffle this year!
STARBUCKS BASKET OF GOODNESS
$1 tickets are on sale for a flavor-full basket of tastiness. If you don’t drink
coffee, this would make someone a wonderful Christmas gift.
Drawing for winner will be on November 9, after the bazaar ends.
RAVE & THANK YOU to Thrivent Financial for granting us the funds to purchase all the
lunch supplies for our bazaar! This means more money can go to some very worthwhile
charities.
16MARY-MARTHA SOCIETY
On being Thankful
We have a busy couple months ahead of us!
One thing that has been on my mind is "counting"!
When I get up in the morning I count out my
pills. Then I count how many cups of coffee I have
time to drink before I get onto my next projects.
We count how many things we have on our sched-
ule today, how many projects we need to do, how
many miles and stops we need to make. A lot of
people have wrist counters to keep track of how
many calories they burn or how many steps they
have walked in a day. My questions are:
Do you keep track of how many talks you have
with God each day?
Are you thanking him for all the little things in
your life?
Or do you just turn to him when you need some-
thing?
November is Thanksgiving! Let's get in the habit of thanking our friends, our acquaintances,
and especially God for the love and life He has given us!
Carolyn Troseth, Secretary
RAVE & THANK YOU for the unknown person who put LWML pins in the mailboxes
of Mary-Martha officers. Your kindness was much appreciated.
RAVE & THANKS for the $17,000 raised at the Oktoberfest for Lutheran Ministry Services
NW at Pilgrim Lutheran Church. Those dollars will be doubled with a matching grant from
Amazing Grace. You can still donate to LMS-NW through the end of this year, and your con-
tribution will be doubled! They provide minister support to hospitals, care centers & prisons.
17COUNTING OUR FALL CLEANING TREASURES
3 clay flower pots
2 rabbit pelts
And an ankle weight
While cleaning and organizing the candelabra closet downstairs in the
bride’s room, we discovered a treasure trove of items. And we learned
that the plural of fez can be fezzes or fezes!
First thing we encountered were a lot of dead spiders. Our previous cus-
todian, Larry Brester, always used to say we only had Lutheran spiders at
church. We are happy to report that all the Lutheran spiders have gone
on to a better place.
There’s no way we would have guessed that an antique washboard was in
the closet. Here’s a partial list of other interesting
items we uncovered:
• Hula hoop
• Handmade clay pot with “c.g. period 6” scratched
into the bottom. It was returned to the young
girl who made it 37 years ago. See photo.
• Metal Easter egg holders in the shape of carrots.
• One black ankle weight
• Several wicker lids that didn’t fit any of the bas-
kets. Too many wicker baskets to count.
• Homemade bows & arrows made out of PVC pipe
& foam, also returned to their creator
• A set of 3’ tall speakers
• Rope, a lot of rope
• Rabbit furs C.G. Cyndee Gardner was
• Jigsaw puzzles reunited with a clay pot she
made in school
• A box labeled ‘Jewish stuff’ which actually con-
tained menorahs and yarmulkes.
• 3 clay flower pots that the owner had been missing for over 10 years.
• 2 decorated 3’ tall Christmas trees
• A very large pyramid made out of cardboard
• 2 fezzes
• Feathers
• A poster of several Roman gods
• A 6’ tall cardboard cutout of a man dressed as an ancient census taker
• Children’s green choir robes
18
Continued on next page• CANDLES! A surprising number of candles were in the candelabra clos-
et. Some were used. Some were new. Some were straight. Some were
bent. Some were white. Some were colorful. But none of them fit any
of the candles holders that we have at church.
It was a lot of fun cleaning out this closet. If you have a Fall Cleaning sto-
ry to share, send it to Dielda.
Dielda Kuhlmann & Teresa Feltmann
PUMPKIN CAKE
We thank Joanne Jordanger for providing
this delicious treat at our October Mary &
Martha meeting.
CAKE
1 box yellow cake mix (reserve
1 cup for topping)
1/2 cup melted marg or butter
1 egg
Mix and spread into 9 X 13 pan.
FILLING
1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 can evaporated milk
2 eggs slightly beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt & cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger & nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
Mix & pour over cake mixture in pan.
TOPPING
Mix 1 cup cake mix, 1 tsp cinnamon,
1/4 cup sugar.
Add 1/4 cup chopped nuts and cut in
1/4 cup marg or butter, then
sprinkle over filling.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50 - 60 minutes,
until done. Enjoy.
19CHURCHES AROUND THE WORLD
We continue this month with two churches James Hing visited on his recent trip to
Switzerland, Greece and Italy! Last month showcased The Little Metropolis in Athens,
St Peter in Zurich, and the Milan Cathedral.
Schlosskirche in Interlaken, Switzer- James Hing enjoyed visiting Saint Mark’s
land. This “Castle Church” was built Basilica, the cathedral church of the Roman
in 1133 as a monastery, and con- Catholic Archdiocese of Venice, Italy. The
verted to a castle church in the 18th basic structure of the church dates from
century. It’s noted for its stained roughly 1060 to 1100.
glass work.
Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Listowel, Ireland
was visited by Halley Kuhlmann Gentil and her
family in October. It was built in 1829 from local
stones. The church livestreams their Sunday ser-
vices so people can watch it wherever they are, on
their computers.
Photo of Don & Dielda Kuhlmann’s grandchildren
in front of St Mary’s.
20Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial
Overlooking Omaha Beach, France
There is a chapel on the hallowed
grounds of this WWII cemetery in
France but this is a photo of the
grave marker for Sgt Allen Alfson.
It is one of 9,388 grave markers at
this cemetery.
Sgt Alfson was a first cousin of de-
ceased Bethlehem members Esther
Weigelt and her sister Alpha
Burpee. Esther was Ellen Taylor
and Karen Jackman’s mother.
Dick Taylor shares this photo with
us.
ALLEN S. ALFSON
Sgt 359 Inf 90 Div
North Dakota June 20, 1944
Treasurer Report As of September 30, 2019
Total Income $ 117,774.21 63% of budget
Expenses $ 117,591.22 63% of budget
Net Profit $ 182.99
Equity $13,397.19 (money not in a designated fund or memorial account)
We are at 75% of the year.
Submitted by Kathy Logan, Treasurer
21Wellness Corner By Jeanie Hack
It is fall again. There are things we all need to
do to stay healthy and safe. I checked out the
CDC, and this is what they had to say.
Prepare your home
Winterize your home to help protect yourself and your family from any potential damage the
cold temperatures and snow may bring. Follow these tips to keep your home safe and warm:
• Check your heating systems.
• Clean out chimneys and fireplaces.
• Closely monitor any burning fires or candles.
• Check your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors.
• Remove ice and snow from walkways to prevent slips and falls.
• Keep an emergency kit in your home that includes flashlights, extra batteries, a first-aid
kit, extra medicine, and baby items.
• If you lose power, your kit should also include food and water for three days for each fam-
ily member, warm clothing if you have to evacuate, and toys and games for children.
Prepare your car
Is your car ready for winter travel? It’s not too late to winterize your car. Check out these car
care tips to prepare you for winter driving:
• Check your tires and replace with all-weather or snow tires, if necessary.
• Keep your gas tank full to prevent ice from getting in the tank and fuel lines.
• Use a wintertime fluid in your windshield washer.
• Make an emergency kit to keep in your car. Include water, snacks, first-aid kit, blankets,
flashlight, extra batteries, portable cell phone charger, and emergency flares.
Prepare your family for outdoor winter activities
Remaining indoors during the winter is appealing. But you and your family may want to ven-
ture outdoors to enjoy winter activities. When you do, take these steps to prevent serious inju-
ries and illnesses, like hypothermia and frostbite:
• Wear layers of light and warm clothing, a wind-resistant coat, waterproof shoes, and a hat,
gloves, and scarf.
• Work slowly when engaged in outdoor tasks, such as shoveling your driveway or remov-
ing snow from your car.
• Take a friend and carry a charged cell phone when participating in outdoor activities.
P.S. This is the perfect time to get your flu shots!
Be well, stay safe, God bless, and Happy Thanksgiving. The fact we are all here and together
is a wonderful blessing. 22MOVIE MATINEE
Double Feature Saturday November 16 at 3 pm
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is an animated classic film from 1973. It
is 25 minutes long and is suitable for all ages. It has the familiar Peanuts
characters: Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Sally, Peppermint Patty, Marcie,
Franklin, Snoopy and Woodstock. It comes with a parental warning that
the words ‘idiot’ and ‘blockhead’ are used.
Maybe you had to read the novel by Stephen Crane in high school but
this 1951 black and white movie adaptation of The Red Badge of Cour-
age is gentler than the book. The plot centers around how a young re-
cruit (Audie Murphy) faces the horrors of war. He vacillates between
wanting to fight in the Civil War and doubting his own courage. It is 69
minutes long and Not Rated.
Before we show the movie on Saturday, we will share the connection
between one of our Bethlehem members and the star of this film, Audie
Murphy.
LADIES’
CHRISTMAS PARTY
Thursday Dec 5 at 3:30 pm
Pat Eskam, Ellen Taylor, and Car-
olyn Troseth are planning the en-
tertainment and food.
All ladies of Bethlehem and their
friends are invited to attend.
We will soon be collecting for our Your food bank donations will be
poinsettia fund. We are looking for the collected at the party.
best priced options. You may take the
plant home with you on Christmas Day We hope to see you there!!
or leave it to be delivered to a member
23
who can’t make it to church.DING DONG
Rain, snow, or shine, we’ve been ringing our bell on Sundays
at 10 am since Palm Sunday 2017. Let Dielda know if you’d
like a turn!
On September 29, we had 10 year old Nathan Bumpus
and 90 year old Mardell Hammond ring our morning bell.
Mardelle says her church in Spearfish, South Dakota
had bells but she never got to ring them. She reports
that getting older is all right. “I get special treatment
wherever I go. People are so kind.”
Nathan will be 11 in November. He is home
schooled and working on materials beyond his ‘5th
grade’ level. His favorite subject is science. For
fun, he plays with his friends at the park and online.
He likes to go bowling. When asked whether he
liked bells, he politely said “They’re ok.” When
asked what message he’d like to share with the read-
ers, he promptly said, “I love my family.”
October 6 was LWML Sunday so a few
members of Mary Martha, dressed in
purple and gold, volunteered to call us
to worship. In the front are Karen Be-
galka, Marcy Hall, Betty Downing, and
Sharon Buechler. In the back are Jeanne
-K Hughes, Pat Mortrud, and Dielda
Kuhlmann,
Photo by Jon Kuhlmann
24Three delightful young bell ringers called
us to worship on October 13. It was a
cool gray morning but they enjoyed being
up on the roof.
Ezekiel Sturgul turns 3 on October 27. He
likes dogs. He loves ice cream and gym-
nastics class.
Roman Sturgul proudly stated that he is 5
1/2 years old and is in kindergarten. His
favorite activity at school is recess. He
looks forward to starting swim lessons
soon.
Lucy Sturgul is 7 1/2 years old and in second grade. Her favorite activity is P.E. She is in-
volved in ballet and tap dancing, and will soon be taking swim lessons.
On October 20, we had birthday ‘twins’ Caro-
line and Betty toll our bell. They are both cele-
brating birthdays on Tuesday, October 22.
Caroline Hough was born in Exeter, California
which is a little town near Fresno. She grew up
in Ashland, Oregon. She will be 79 years old on
Tuesday.
Betty Downing was born in Tioga, North Dako-
ta. She remembers her North Dakota church
had a bell. She moved to Washington when she
was 8 years old. She will celebrate her 86th
birthday in two days.
25Mission Board offers this hymn for our THANKFUL November edition.
Start your shopping at smile.amazon.com. Select Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Renton,
Washington as your designated charity. We will receive 0.5% of your purchase!
26PLACES TO GO AND THINGS TO DO
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 3 Turn clocks back 1 hour
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 9 Breakfast. Men meet at 8:30 a.m. at Plum Deli-
cious for fellowship and food.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 9 Annual Bazaar & Bake Sale &
Lunch 10am—3 pm. Tickets available for a chance to win a
beautiful handmade quilt and a Starbucks basket. See page 16
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 15 Pinochle & Potluck 10 am. NEW TIME. See
Page 11.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 16 Matinee 3 pm. A Charlie Brown Thanks-
giving & Red Badge of Courage. Page 23.
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 21 Mary Martha Meeting 3:30 pm. Hannelore
Payne will lead the devotions. Pat Eskam and Jeanne-K Hughes are our host-
esses.
WEDNESDAY EVENINGS at 7 pm, November 6, 13 & 20. You are invited to at-
tend the Bible Study Class. See page 2.
KEEP PRAYING! PRAYER GUIDE Volume 8 on pink paper was distrib-
uted to Bethlehem members. It contains a different Bible verse and pray-
er suggestions for every day from October 13 to November 11. You are
encouraged to say your own prayers also, as the Spirit moves you.
27Bethlehem Lutheran Church
1024 Monroe Ave N.E.
Renton, WA 98056
November 2019
Celebrate at Bethlehem
this holiday season
Thanksgiving Nov 28 10 a.m.
Wednesday evenings 7 p.m.
Advent Dec 4, 11, 18
Sunday Dec 22 10 a.m.
Children’s Program
Tuesday Dec 24 7 p.m.
Christmas Eve
Candlelight Service Thankful for our handmade banners!
Wednesday Dec 25 10 a.m.
Christmas Morning Service
Our Vision:
Bethlehem Lutheran Church dreams to be a place of prayer in our community where
the love of God is embraced, the Word of God is proclaimed, relationships with Jesus
Christ are transforming, and the Holy Spirit guides us to shine to our neighbors and
friends. 28You can also read
