May 2 Announcements
Reminder – No Sunday School This Sunday
It's the first Sunday of May! Church family members of all ages are welcome to worship together in the sanctuary. There is no Sunday school on the first Sunday of each month, however children are invited to participate in the worship service in a way that feels right to them--by coming forward for a children's message, lighting the candles, or offering a prayer. Please be in touch with Pastor Erin by email or before the service if your children are interested. Sunday school resumes next week.
Confirmation Exploration
Our first gathering to explore confirmation was full of energy, good questions, and thought-provoking conversation. We looked at some of the big questions about the church, its role in the world and how the Bible might be relevant to our lives today. And we took some time to get to know each other better and have some fun! We will gather again this Sunday, May 5, and then on Sunday May 19 from 3:00pm to 5:00pm in Fellowship Hall. All 8th – 12th graders are welcome, even if you weren’t able to attend the first gathering. We’ll continue to discuss these questions and more while we prepare ourselves for confirmation, which will be celebrated in worship on June 2. (You can read more about what confirmation means here.) Please let Pastor Erin know if you are interested.
New Bethany Cares Team
Bethany is forming a new team called "Bethany Cares" to help meet pastoral needs in the community. As a way of identifying who might have pastoral needs and who would like to join our Bethany Cares team, the council is asking everyone to complete a survey that will help us understand how we can better serve our church community when needs arise. The surveys will be available on a table in the narthex and we ask that you complete one the next time you attend worship or stop by the church. You can also print a survey and complete it at home by clicking here. Completed surveys can be placed in the designated envelope on the table in the narthex. They can also be dropped off or mailed to Debbie in the office. We thank you for caring.
May Bible Study
The Rachel Bible Study group will meet on Tuesday, May 7 at 10:00am. The Women’s Bible Study and Book group will meet on Monday, May 13 at 9:30am. Men's bible study will be postponed to Tuesday, May 21 as Pastor Erin will be away celebrating her daughter's college graduation beginning on May 14. We'll meet at 8:30 am in Fellowship Hall for prayer and scripture discussion. Please join us! Everyone is welcome.
Supporting Martha & Mary
Thanks to Bethany’s generous 2023 Auction contributions, Martha & Mary opened a beautiful new childcare center in Poulsbo this past January. Our 2024 campaign will benefit improvements to the Silverdale Childcare and Learning Center. Over 700 families are served by these facilities with a waitlist of 300 children. The 2024 online auction begins on May 20 and culminates on May 30. Gift cards, memberships, entertainment certificates and themed ‘baskets’ like Family Fun Night, Garden Work, Spa Party are examples of popular items. If you would like to donate funds towards an auction item, your Bethany delegates (Lynn Nordby, Kristi Sutton, Benay Nordby and Linnea Chu) will be happy to assemble themed baskets. Please make a check out to Bethany with Martha & Mary in the memo line. Envelopes to contribute towards auction items are available on the table in the narthex. Questions? Please see any of your delegates.
Spring Concert
Ovation Performing Arts presents Crescendo! in Concert. The concert, “Razzle Dazzle Spring”, will take place on Monday, May 6, 7:00pm here at Bethany. Admission is free although donations are gratefully accepted.
Altar Flowers: The altar flowers this weekend are given the Croker Family in honor of grandparents and parents.
Prayers are requested: For Lynn Nordby as he recovers from hip surgery; for Lynn’s brother Martin as he recovers from bowl surgery; for Nancy Wetzler as she recovers from knee surgery; for Helen Stoll’s sister Kris who is undergoing testing; for Vicki Browning’s sister Jerrilynn as she deals with puzzling medical symptoms.
Thank You to this weekend’s Worship Assistants:
Altar Duty: Vickie Bech
Saturday 5:00pm – Greeter/Usher: Joe Sommerseth; Lay Reader: Jennie Harris; Hospitality Hosts: Veronika & Jim Rohrscheib
Sunday 10:00am – Greeters/Ushers: Luanne & Tom Croker; Lay Reader: Barbara Swartling; Communion Assistant: Barbara Swartling; Hospitality Hosts: No Host
Next Weekend’s Worship Assistants:
Altar Duty: Gail Christensen
Saturday 5:00pm – Greeter/Usher: Carol Fenner; Lay Reader: Gail Christensen; Hospitality Hosts: Birgit Davis & Carolyn Weiss
Sunday 10:00am – Greeters/Ushers: Debbie & Andy Rimkus; Lay Reader: Doug Dudgeon; Communion Assistant: Doug Dudgeon; Hospitality Hosts: Kristi Sutton & Vicki Browning
