August 7 Announcements
Annual Bethany BBQ
Come this Saturday, August 9 at 6:00 for the annual Bethany BBQ. We will provide many delicious items for the grill: hot dogs, hamburgers, turkey burgers and veggie burgers. Buns, condiments and desserts also provided. Please bring sides and salads to add to the feast. (This could include cheese, lettuce, tomatoes etc.) There will be a sing-a-long for fun between bites. Set up for those who can help will start at 4:00pm. For questions, please contact Mary Jensen at
.
Pr. Kristy Available for Office Hours
Pr. Kristy plans to come over to Bainbridge on the 12:30 ferry on Saturday and stay for the BBQ. She will be at Bethany Saturday afternoon for anyone who would like to set up a time to talk. You can email her at
Call Committee Update
The Call Committee is pleased to inform the Bethany community that they have presented their candidate of choice to the congregational council! The next step is for the council to prepare an offer to extend to the candidate, the Rev. Dr. Martin Eldred. Pastor Eldred was born and raised in the Seattle/Tacoma area and attended Pacific Lutheran University. He studied theology at Wartburg Theological Seminary and has served calls at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran in Stevenson, WA, Hope Lutheran in Enumclaw, WA, Joy Lutheran in Eagle River, AK, and Holy Cross Lutheran in Herndon, VA. He is currently serving as an interim pastor at River of Grace Lutheran in Manassas, VA. Mark your calendars and plan now to attend our 10:00am service on Sunday, August 17, when Pr. Martin and his wife, Shelly will join us for worship and stay after for a ‘Meet & Greet’. Then return the following Sunday, August 24 for worship and a special congregational meeting to vote on calling Pr. Martin as Bethany’s next pastor!
Lutheran World Relief School Kits
It’s late July, and school supplies are on sale! That’s good news for folks who want to help students around the world with Lutheran World Relief school supply kits. Last year generous folks helped provide enough supplies for 101 kits from Bethany, and we could even top that number this year.
The supply collection box will be in the narthex, along with lists of items needed. Please take and use the list when shopping and donating, as LWR wants to guarantee uniformity and fairness to all recipients. We will collect supplies until October, when kits will be assembled and sent.
Thanks to generosity of Bethany members and friends, children in poverty-who otherwise might not attend school-have the chance for education and a better a life. You can be a part of this rewarding experience.
Buildings and Grounds Work Party
All are invited to a 1-hour work party at 10:00am Saturday, August 16, at Bethany, hosted by the Buildings and Grounds team. A variety of tasks will be offered, as we work to keep our premises in good shape. One pickup needed. RSVP to Rachel Pritchett at rachelpritchett@com.
Women’s Retreat
The Women’s Retreat is only a few weeks away! This weekend we will start collecting the fee for the retreat. Please send it to the church or put it in the labeled, decorated box you will see on the table in the narthex. Please pay $200 for 2 nights and 5 meals if you can. The base fee is $190 but we are hoping to collect a little extra to help pay for those who find the fee a bit steep. Please be sure to note ‘women’s retreat’ in the memo field of your check. If you have questions contact Collen Chupik (
) or Mary Jensen (
).
Supporting Glory Godwin
Bethany Lutheran Church has had a long-standing, close relationship with the MaaSae Girls Lutheran Secondary School in Monduli, Tanzania. We have hosted visits from teachers and students; pastors and members of the congregation have visited the school; a number of members sponsor students; in 2017 Barbara and Stephen Deines volunteered there as tutors. During their time at MGLSS, they met one of the older students, Glory Godwin. Since then, Glory received an ELCA scholarship to study at Concordia Lutheran College in Moorhead, MN. She served as a dorm resident assistant, worked in a medical lab and sang in the choir. Glory is a remarkable and gifted young person who hopes to serve the people of Tanzania. She has been accepted to George Washington University's graduate program in public health. She worked the year after she graduated from Concordia in order to help pay the cost of her tuition. If she works another year, she will lose her student visa and be sent back to Tanzania with no hope of return. Funds are still needed to cover the cost of this fall's tuition. If you wish to contribute you can do so three ways. In each case, please make a note that the donation is specifically for Glory Godwin. All donations will go to Operation Bootstrap Africa, a nonprofit that partners with Africans to create a brighter future. (Funds are due no later than 8/20/25.)
- You can send a check to OBA's Elemu Fund: OBA, 7100 Northland Circle North, Suite 403 , Brooklyn Park, MN 55428
- You can write a check to Bethany and designate it for Operation Bootstrap, Africa's Elemu Fund/Glory Godwin.
- You can donate online: bootstrapafrica.org
You can pray for Glory! She is trusting in God's presence as she works toward her goal. Barbara and Stephen Deines and Glory are grateful for any support you can give. And Barbara and David Swartling had the pleasure of connecting with Glory at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly last week!
CROP Walk
The CROP Hunger Walk is a nationwide movement sponsored by Church World Service (CWS) to raise funds to end hunger and poverty in the U.S. and around the world. Hundreds of religious groups, businesses, schools and others organize local Walk events in their communities each year, while others join the National Walk and choose their own location and experience. With leadership from a committed group of Bainbridge Island-North Kitsap Interfaith Council (BINK IFC) folks over time, BINK IFC has participated for many years and raised a significant amount for hunger relief. CWS has received 75% of those funds, with the remaining 25% going locally to Helpline House and Fishline. This year the need is even greater, and BINK IFC is looking for new and better ways to address growing food insecurity. We need to get started planning and the first step is to identify team leaders who could help with planning and spreading the word in our congregations. Our local CROP Walk event will take place the last week in September culminating with the CROP/DANCE on Sunday, Sept. 28th. Are you ready to sign up, share the fun, and be a TEAM LEADER for our Week to Feed Our Neighbors? If so, contact Debbie in the office for more information:
Pastoral Care at Bethany
Pastor Kristy Daniels and Pastor Erin continue to be available for Pastoral Care for congregants during this transition period. If you have a pastoral care need, please email or call the church office and Debbie will assist you. If Debbie is not there to take your call, leave a message or call the number provided for emergencies.
Prayers are Requested: for Sue Morris as she mourns the death of her father, Pastor Sam Hatlestad.
Altar Flowers: The altar flowers for this Sunday are given by Melanie and Doug Olson.
Thank You to this Sunday’s Worship Assistants:
Altar Duty: Kathy Dudgeon
Sunday 10:00am – Greeters/Ushers: Barbara & David Swartling; Lay Reader: Benay Nordby; Communion Assistants: Linnea Chu & Lynn Nordby; Hospitality Host: Kristi Sutton & Vicki Browning
Next Sunday’s Worship Assistants:
Altar Duty: Kathy Dudgeon
Sunday 10:00am – Greeters/Ushers: Eve & Mike Curtis; Lay Reader: Mike Curtis; Communion Assistants: Barbara & David Swartling; Hospitality Hosts: Call Committee & Congregational Council
Bethany is a Reconciling in Christ congregation, which is an affirmation of welcome that specifically names people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions, and also expresses a commitment to racial equity.