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December 8 Announcements

Advent: Plan to attend worship this Sunday, December 11th for a special, interactive worship program. We won't have Sunday School or nursery care this Sunday so that we can all be together and participate in this special service. After worship, join us for caroling at Madison house where we'll spread the love of this Advent season. Please note: there will be no Saturday 5pm service on December 10^th so that everyone can enjoy our Advent/Christmas program on the 11^th.

Our Christmas Tree: A huge thank you to Karen Selvar, of Bainbridge Island Farms and Suyematsu Family Farm for donating the Christmas tree that will grace our Sanctuary. We encourage you to visit Bainbridge Island Farms on Manzanita Road if you are looking for a live tree as a way of thanking Karen for her generous donation.

Christmas Poinsettias: The Altar Guild will be decorating the sanctuary with beautiful poinsettias again this year and welcomes your donations to help cover the cost. Please consider making a donation in honor or memory of someone special in your life. Envelopes for the special donations will be available in your bulletin or on the table as you enter the sanctuary.

Christmas Eve Services: Bethany will have two worship services on Christmas Eve. Both services will include music and candlelight. The earlier 5:00pm service will feature a special message and gift for children. This early service will be slightly shorter. The later 10:00pm service will feature the Bethany Choir and include the Service of Holy Communion. There will not be a service on Christmas morning.

Office Phones: Have you had difficulty calling the office this week? Our existing phone system experienced a failure and we currently do not have voicemail capability. New phones are on order and should be here by next week. Over the next few days, email may be the best way to reach Bethany staff members.

A Thank You: Sonja Selboe gives thanks to Bethanians for their prayers and cards that lifted her spirits and moved her along in the journey to healing.

2022 Year-end Donations & 2023 Stewardship Campaign: A huge thank you to all who have turned in a 2023 pledge card. If you haven’t had a chance to submit your pledge card yet, please consider dropping it the collection plate or mailing it to the office by December 18^th. This will help the church council draft our 2023 budget. Year-end giving statements will be mailed by the end of January, 2023. Please note: any year-end donations that you want to count towards your 2022 giving statement must be received in the office by December 29^th so that it can be deposited on December 30^th. 

Altar Flowers: The altar flowers this weekend are given by Sonja Selboe in gratitude for God’s blessing of a loving family that cared for her during a recent medical experience.

Thank You to this weekend's Worship Assistants:           
          Altar Duty: Gail Christensen
          Saturday  – No 5:00pm service
          Sunday 10:00am – Greeters: Claire & Marty Dasler; Ushers: Alice & Bruce McCain; Lay Reader: Claire Dasler; Communion Assistant: Vicki Browning; Hospitality Hosts: Vicki Browning & Shirley Funk 

Next weekend's Worship Assistants:
          Altar Duty: Alice McCain
          Saturday – 5:00pm – Greeter/Usher: Jennie Harris; Lay Reader: Jennie Harris; Hospitality Host: Carol Fenner
          Sunday 10:00am – Greeters/Ushers: Barbara & David Swartling; Lay Reader: David Swartling; Communion Assistant: Barbara Swartling; Hospitality Hosts: Debbie & Andy Rimkus

December 1 Announcements

The December newsletter is now ready for your reading pleasure. Click here or pick up a copy in the narthex.

Faith Formation: Calling all kids in K-6 grades! Please join us for Sunday School for a special Advent lesson. We'll gather in the classroom just after the lighting of the Advent wreath and children's message during worship. As usual, we'll have a lesson, prayers, a craft, and a yummy snack! Adult education will pause throughout the month of December and resume in January.

Don’t forget to check out the Youth and Family bulletin board in the Narthex for important announcements, a calendar of events for Bethany families, and other fun things to know. In December, you can download Pastor Erin’s favorite Spotify Christmas playlist with the QR code posted on the bulletin board! 

December Bible Study: The Rachel Circle Bible Study group will meet on Tuesday, December 6^th at 10:00am, followed by quilting and a soup lunch. The Women’s Bible Study group will meet on Monday, December 12^th at 9:30am. The Men’s Bible Study group will meet Tuesday, December 13^th at 8:00am.

Advent: Mark your calendars for a special, interactive worship program on Sunday, December 11. We won't have Sunday school on that day so that we can all be together and participate in this special service. After worship, join us for caroling at Madison house where we'll spread the love of this Advent season.

A big thank you to Kathy Dudgeon for organizing and facilitating the Advent log and card-making workshop on Sunday, Nov 27, the first Sunday in Advent. It was a lot of fun! There are extra logs and greenery in the fellowship hall. Swing on by and make one if you missed the extravaganza on Sunday! The cards will accompany the cookies and caroling on December 11.

Christmas Poinsettias: The Altar Guild will be decorating the sanctuary with beautiful poinsettias again this year and welcomes your donations to help cover the cost. Please consider making a donation in honor or memory of someone special in your life. Envelopes for the special donations will be available in your bulletin or on the table as you enter the sanctuary.

Flannel Sheets for Baby Kits: As the weather turns colder and the flannel sheets come out of the closet, if they need to be replaced, please consider giving your old flannel sheets to Rachel Circle. As you change your wardrobe from summer to winter, they also can use large or extra large cotton tee shirts. These both are used to make diapers for the kits.

Supporting Helpline House: Helpline is helping the seniors of our community celebrate the holidays by providing $25 gift cards to Eagle Harbor Books, Safeway, Ace Hardware, Amazon and Starbucks. Bethany has been asked to provide 25 of these gift cards. The cards will be distributed mid-December, so ideally, they would like to receive them by December 6. Please hand in to the church office or place them in the offering plate.

Thank You for Your Support: A huge thank you to those who dropped off items or made a donation in support of Martha & Mary. The items have been delivered and will be much appreciated by the residents when they receive their holiday gift bags.

Amabile Holiday Concert: The Amabile Choir of Bainbridge will be presenting "Songs of Hope, Joy, and Peace" on Friday, Dec. 2 at 7:30 PM and Saturday, Dec. 3 at 3 PM and 7:30 PM at Bethany Lutheran Church.   Tickets can be purchased from Sylvia Cauter or an Amabile member or at Dana's or online at amabilechoir.org.  Please invite your family and friends to join us for an evening of beautiful holiday music.

Drive-Thru Bethlehem and Nativity: Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church’s Drive-Thru Bethlehem town and Nativity is back! Within one week, the church’s parking lot is turned into the little town of Bethlehem allowing visitors to experience what life was like during the time of Christ’s birth - all from the comfort of their car. Roman soldiers, Wisemen, Villagers, live animals strolling though the town, and the apex of the visit - seeing the Christ child in His mother’s arms at the end of the experience. Drive thru 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, December 2 and Saturday, December 3. Free community event.

Altar Flowers: The altar flowers this weekend are given by Birgit and Norm Davis.

Thank You to this weekend's Worship Assistants:           
          Altar Duty: Kathy Dudgeon
          Saturday 5:00pm – Greeter/Usher: Dick Coar; Lay Reader: Barbara Michael; Hospitality Host: Gail Christensen
          Sunday 10:00am – Greeters: Jan Thrun & Lisa Deen; Ushers: Stephen Deines & Doug Dudgeon; Lay Reader: Barbara Deines; Communion Assistant: Barbara Deines; Hospitality Hosts: Linda & Tom Newlon 

Next weekend's Worship Assistants:
          Altar Duty: Gail Christensen
          Saturday – No 5:00pm service
          Sunday 10:00am – Greeters: Claire & Marty Dasler; Ushers: Alice & Bruce McCain; Lay Reader: Claire Dasler; Communion Assistant: Vicki Browning; Hospitality Hosts: Vicki Browning & Shirley Funk