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September 8 Announcements

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

Rally Weekend: Plan now to attend worship on Sunday, September 11, as we celebrate the end of a beautiful Pacific Northwest summer, a new school year, a new program year and the beginning of Pastor Erin’s ministry as our Pastor for Faith Formation! Pastor Erin will be preaching at both the Saturday evening and Sunday morning services. Our Rally Sunday celebration will include a cookout, disc golf on the lawn, pickleball in the parking lot, and bicycle blackberry smoothies! Bethany will provide burgers, hot dogs, and chips. Everyone is invited to bring their favorite side dish or salad to share.

Blessing of the Backpacks: Calling all students! Bring your backpack to worship this coming Sunday, September 11, for a special blessing. Even if you forget your backpack, you can still come up during the children's message for a blessing on the new school year and a colorful tag that you can put on your backpack reminding you to: "Be Loved. Be Kind. Be You." Good advice for a great school year! 

Bethany Choir Rehearsals Next Month: The Bethany Choir will hold its first fall rehearsal on Thursday, September 17 at 7pm in the education building. The following week and going forward, rehearsals will be on Wednesdays at 7pm in fellowship hall. All are welcome. Contact Sylvia Cauter with any questions.

Rachel Circle Breakfast Meeting: Come for breakfast and help us plan for the new year on September 20^th at 10:00 am.  Meet our new officers, reconnect with those that you've missed over the summer, and make new friendships.  All are welcome.  Please RSVP to Jennie at  .

LWR School Kit Supplies Needed: Back-to-school supplies sales are already happening! Again this year Bethany people will make book bags to be filled and sent to school children around the world through Lutheran World Relief. We will fill and ship the book bags in October, for delivery in early November, when we also send quilts and baby kits. We’d love your help! Scan store sales ads for school supplies, purchase some of the items, and bring them to the labeled box in the narthex. Needed items include: 70-sheet spiral notebooks (wide- or college-ruled), 30-centimeter or inches/centimeter rulers; pencil sharpeners; blunt/safety scissors; unsharpened #2 pencils with erasers; black or blue ballpoint pens (no gel ink); boxes of 16 or 24 crayons; 2 and ½ inch erasers. More supply lists are also in the box. Office Depot/Office Max, Staples, Target, WalMart, Fred Meyer, Amazon, etc. may have what you want at good sale prices. Last year we shipped 81 school kits! With donations of supplies and book bags from many Bethanians, who knows? Maybe we’ll send 100 this fall!

Women’s Schola of Bainbridge Island: The Women’s Schola of Bainbridge Island will sing the Office of Evensong at 6 pm on Sunday, September 11, at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church. Come hear traditional plainsong, anthems, psalms, and chants, and let the grace of sung prayer refresh you for the week to come.

Tamara Siburg Ordination: Tamara Siburg has been called to serve at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Clinton Iowa. She will be ordained and installed on Friday, September 9, 5pm CST. Bishop Amy Current of the Southeastern Iowa Synod will preach and preside. A live stream of the service can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCIPNZEdfsQn2JQ7SSwE4_A

Altar Flowers: The altar flowers this weekend are provided by the Altar Guild.

Prayers are Requested: For Miriam Barrenger, as she recovers from shoulder surgery; for Mark Sather, son of Pat and DeMar, contending with serious health concerns.

Thank You to this weekend's Worship Assistants:

           Saturday 5:00pm – Greeter/Usher: Charlene Selvar; Lay Reader: Jennie Harris; Hospitality Hosts: Marlene & Al Orwiler
           Sunday 10:00am – Greeters/Ushers: David & Barbara Swartling; Lay Reader: Barbara Swartling; Communion Assistant: David Swartling; Hospitality Hosts: Andy & Debbie Rimkus

Next weekend's Worship Assistants:

           Saturday 5:00pm – Greeter/Usher: Joe Sommerseth; Lay Reader: Carol Fenner; Hospitality Hosts: Jim & Veronika Rohrscheib
           Sunday 10:00am – Greeters/Ushers: Eve & Mike Curtis; Lay Reader: Claire Dasler; Communion Assistant: Vicki Browning; Hospitality Hosts: Vicki Browning & Kristi Sutton

September 1 Announcements

Worship this Weekend: Both the 5pm Saturday service and the 10am Sunday service will take place outside on the patio this weekend while insulation work is happening in the sanctuary.

Congregational Meeting: Thank you to all who attended the congregational meeting last Sunday. The vote was unanimous to call Pastor Erin Grayson as Bethany’s Pastor for Faith Formation. Please keep Pastor Erin in your prayers as the Commission on Ministry of the Seattle Presbytery meets to approve this call and she officially begins as Bethany’s Pastor for Faith Formation. Watch for more information soon from Pastor Erin on fall children’s programs.

Rally Sunday: Plan now to attend worship on Sunday, September 11, as we celebrate the end of a beautiful Pacific Northwest summer, a new school year, a new program year and the beginning of Pastor Erin’s ministry as our Pastor for Faith Formation! Pastor Erin will be preaching at both the Saturday evening and Sunday morning services. Our Rally Sunday celebration will include a cookout, disc golf on the lawn, pickleball in the parking lot, and bicycle blackberry smoothies! Bethany will provide burgers, hot dogs, and chips. Everyone is invited to bring their favorite side dish or salad to share.

Bethany Choir Rehearsals Next Month: The Bethany Choir will hold its first fall rehearsal on Thursday, September 17 at 7pm in the education building. The following week and going forward, rehearsals will be on Wednesdays at 7pm in fellowship hall. All are welcome. Contact Sylvia Cauter with any questions.

Sanctuary Project Update: The insulation work started this week and continues through Friday, September 2. The building will be closed 9/1 & 9/2 while the insulation work is being done. There is a potential that the insulation work will continue Tuesday, September 6. Staff will continue to monitor emails and be back in the office next week once insulation work is completed. There will be signage to make sure no one enters the building while insulation work is happening.

LWR School Kit Supplies Needed: Back-to-school supplies sales are already happening! Again this year Bethany people will make book bags to be filled and sent to school children around the world through Lutheran World Relief. We will fill and ship the book bags in October, for delivery in early November, when we also send quilts and baby kits. We’d love your help! Scan store sales ads for school supplies, purchase some of the items, and bring them to the labeled box in the narthex. Needed items include: 70-sheet spiral notebooks (wide- or college-ruled), 30-centimeter or inches/centimeter rulers; pencil sharpeners; blunt/safety scissors; unsharpened #2 pencils with erasers; black or blue ballpoint pens (no gel ink); boxes of 16 or 24 crayons; 2 and ½ inch erasers. More supply lists are also in the box. Office Depot/Office Max, Staples, Target, WalMart, Fred Meyer, Amazon, etc. may have what you want at good sale prices. Last year we shipped 81 school kits! With donations of supplies and book bags from many Bethanians, who knows? Maybe we’ll send 100 this fall!

Supporting Martha & Mary: A huge thank you to all who donated towards treats for the M and M staffers (nearly 400 strong) when they get regularly tested for Covid. The response from the Bethany community to this appeal was incredibly generous and the Martha & Mary staff is very grateful for the support. They now have an abundant supply of snacks for the month of September thanks to all of you!

Women’s Schola of Bainbridge Island: The Women’s Schola of Bainbridge Island will sing the Office of Evensong at 6 pm on Sunday, September 11, at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church. Come hear traditional plainsong, anthems, psalms, and chants, and let the grace of sung prayer refresh you for the week to come.

Tamara Siburg Ordination: Tamara Siburg has been called to serve at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Clinton Iowa. She will be ordained and installed on Friday, September 9, 5pm CST. Bishop Amy Current of the Southeastern Iowa Synod will preach and preside. A live stream of the service can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCIPNZEdfsQn2JQ7SSwE4_A

Altar Flowers: The altar flowers this weekend are given by Linnea Chu in honor of Franklin’s birthday.

Prayers are Requested: For Miriam Barrenger, as she recovers from shoulder surgery; for Mark Sather, son of Pat and DeMar, contending with serious health concerns.

Thank You to this weekend's Worship Assistants:

           Saturday 5:00pm – Greeter/Usher: Gail Christensen; Lay Reader: Jennie Harris; Hospitality Host: Jennie Harris
           Sunday 10:00am – Greeters/Ushers: Alice & Bruce McCain; Lay Reader: Barbara Deines; Communion Assistant: Alice McCain; Hospitality Hosts: Vicki Browning

Next weekend's Worship Assistants:

           Saturday 5:00pm – Greeter/Usher: Charlene Selvar; Lay Reader: Jennie Harris; Hospitality Hosts: Marlene & Al Orwiler
           Sunday 10:00am – Greeters/Ushers: David & Barbara Swartling; Lay Reader: Barbara Swartling; Communion Assistant: David Swartling; Hospitality Hosts: Andy & Debbie Rimkus