April 13 Announcements
Congregational Meeting on April 23: At the request of the Affordable Housing Task Force, the Bethany Council has called a Special Meeting of the congregation following worship on Sunday, April 23. The proposed actions to be considered by the congregation were mailed to Bethany households last week. Copies are also available in the narthex. An informational Q&A session will take place following worship this Sunday, April 16. Those of you who attend the Saturday 5pm service are encouraged to come on April 23 for some coffee fellowship and the congregational meeting. We will need a quorum to approve the proposed items.
Sunday School: This week in Sunday school, we meet the character of Thomas, doubting Thomas to be precise, who wanted proof that Jesus was alive. We learn that Jesus met Thomas right where he was, amid his doubt, and invited him to come close, just as Jesus does with us. Join us for an interactive lesson, arts and crafts, fellowship with friends old and new, and a yummy snack! While the lessons are geared toward children in grades K-6, everyone is welcome to join us for an accessible and engaging session that we can all learn from. Questions? Contact Pastor Erin at .
Adult Education: The last session in the Adult Education series, Journey to Jerusalem, will be April 30 after worship. Brainstorming is in full swing for the next series, so please bring ideas and suggestions of topics you'd like to study. High school aged young adults (and beyond) are welcome and encouraged to participate and to offer their ideas/suggestions for future studies!
April IMPACT: Our monthly youth and family gathering, will meet on Sunday, April 16 from 4:00-5:30pm in Fellowship Hall. We'll have a pizza dinner and a make your own sundae bar dessert. We'll play a game and talk about what projects, interests, and topics you'd like to explore in the coming months--including reviving the Bethany garden! All are welcome! No RSVP is necessary, just drop in and enjoy the good company! Questions? Contact Pastor Erin at .
New Women’s Group Forming: Are you a woman who is interested in getting together with other women on a regular basis for friendship and discussion? A new group for working and stay-at-home women is in the planning stages and you are welcome to join us! Although the details are still being worked out, we'll likely meet monthly, sometime mid-week after dinner and bedtime routines (for moms with little ones at home). Pastor Erin would love to get your feedback as far as topics you might be interested in discussing and/or just what your ideal women's group meeting might look like. Please contact her at with your input and to get on the mailing list!
Blessing of the Quilts: Plan to attend worship the weekend of April 29 & 30 when the beautiful quilts made by the Rachel Circle will be displayed for a special blessing before being sent to Lutheran World Relief. You can support the work of the Rachel Circle by making a donation towards the cost of shipping the quilts. Quilt donation envelopes will be available in the bulletins or on the table in the narthex.
A Request from Rachel Circle: The Rachel Circle is looking for large and small plastic bins. If you've done some spring cleaning and have one or two empty bins laying around, they could use them. Rachel Circle thanks the congregation for their continued support.
A Huge Thank You to the Altar Guild: Easter Sunday at Bethany was a joyful time, and the beautiful altar reflected that joy. A huge thank you to Gail Christensen, Linnea Chu, Selina Johnson, Heather Ballaine, Carol Fenner, Barbara Swartling, and Vickie Bech for the amazing job they did preparing the altar and communion elements for us as we celebrated Easter and the resurrection. Special thanks to Ruth Bartunek for overseeing the transition of our sanctuary from Lent to Easter, and for her dedication to the Altar Guild.
Funeral Service: The funeral service for Wayne Richmond will be held at Bethany on Saturday, May 20th at 1:00pm. All are welcome to come and celebrate Wayne’s life.
Bethany Scout Troop: The leadership of Bethany’s Boy Scout Troop 1565 attended the April church council meeting to give an update on the troop. The troop has 31 active scouts, three of whom are Life Scouts (the last step before Eagle Scout). The troop takes part in service projects on the Bethany property every year, most recently helping with the removal of chairs from the sanctuary in advance of our sanctuary update project. Bethany member Doug Dudgeon is our charter organization representative to the troop. He reminded us that the Bethany troop has been active in our community for 52 years! We give thanks for this partnership across the years.
Amabile Spring Concert: The Amabile Choir, under the direction of Bethany’s own Sylvia Cauter, will present its 10th anniversary concert – United in Song – at Bethany on Friday, May 7th and Saturday, May 8th. Both concerts are at 7:30pm. They will also perform the concert on Saturday, May 8th at Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church with special guests Sakai Intermediate School Choirs. That performance will take place at 3:00pm. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at Dana’s on Bainbridge Island or through the Amabile website: https://www.amabilechoir.org/
Blood Drive at Bethany: Bloodworks Northwest will be holding a blood drive at Bethany on Friday, April 21. Appointments are available from 9:00am to 2:15pm. For more information, or to schedule an appointment, visit https://www.bloodworksnw.org/
Altar Flowers: We will have altar flower arrangements once again beginning the weekend of April 22/23. Please consider signing up for a special date that you would like to honor an event or remember a special person while you have a choice. For more information and to sign up, see the altar flower chart on the hall bulletin board.
Prayers are Requested: For Mabel Keeney who is recovering from outpatient surgery; for Shirley Funk as she recovers from shoulder surgery; for Pat Sather, a new resident at Fieldstone; and for Mary Coar who continues to gain strength and mobility at home following hip surgery.
Thank You to this weekend's Worship Assistants:
Altar Duty: Vickie Bech
Saturday 5:00pm – Greeter/Usher: Joe Sommerseth; Lay Reader: Rachel Pritchett: Hospitality Hosts: Veronika & Jim Rohrscheib
Sunday 10:00am – Greeters/Ushers: Eve & Mike Curtis; Lay Reader: Barbara Deines; Communion Assistant: Barbara Deines; Hospitality Hosts: Kathy & Doug Dudgeon
Next weekend's Worship Assistants:
Altar Duty: Gail Christensen
Saturday 5:00pm – Greeter/Usher: Jim Rohrscheib; Lay Reader: Carol Fenner: Hospitality Host: Carol Fenner
Sunday 10:00am – Greeters/Ushers: TBD; Lay Reader: Linnea Chu; Communion Assistant: Linnea Chu; Hospitality Hosts: Claire & Marty Dasler