March 28 Announcements
Holy Week Services
Please join us as we observe Holy Week. There will be a Maundy Thursday service tonight (March 28) at 7:00pm and a 7:00pm service on Good Friday (March 29). The Good Friday liturgy will include a series of readings, silent reflections and hymns lead by the Bethany choir.
Easter at Bethany
We invite everyone to join us for Easter Sunday worship! There will be no Saturday night worship or Sunday school on Easter so that we can all be together to worship and celebrate the risen Christ. There'll be singing and storytelling, a special message for children, and activities for the kids in the children's corner.
Happy spring break to our school-aged church family members! Sunday school will not be held on Sunday, April 7. This Sunday falls in spring break, but we pause Sunday school on the first Sunday of every month so that people of all ages can worship together in the sanctuary!
Children’s Books Drive
Please look for new or gently used children's books (there might be some on your own bookshelf!) that you would like to donate to Helpline or KIAC (Kitsap Immigrant Assistance Center). Both of these agencies provide books for children. According to USA Reads, 61% of low-income families have no books in their homes, while middle-income families have 13. Let's put more books they can keep in the hands of some Kitsap County kids. Age range: 0-12, Last day to bring books—Easter Sunday. Where—blue bin outside of our church library For KIAC—prefer Spanish, Spanish/English or Wordless books. They will also take appropriate graphic novels for the older kids. Questions? Contact Mary Jensen (206) 913-3236 or Benay Nordby (206) 356-2755
Pastor Erin Out of the Office
Pastor Erin will be away next week. Pastor Kristy Daniels of the Church of Steadfast Love will preach and lead worship on Saturday, April 6, and Sunday, April 7. Welcome Pastor Kristy! And thank you for being with us!
If you have a pastoral emergency while Pastor Erin is away, email or call Debbie for pastoral emergency contact information. Debbie will be in regular office hours (Mon-Thur 9am-3pm) next week. If you find the building locked during regular office hours, please use the doorbell mounted to the right of the main doors and Debbie will let you in.
Supporting the Rachel Circle
What beautiful weather we had on the 16th which we hope everyone enjoyed. It really was too nice to be inside. Seven hardy souls met in the fellowship hall and completed 3 quilts. The core group of quilters generally meets on Tuesdays from 10:00am until 1:00 or 2:00pm and will continue to do so. We realize that this time won't work for everyone and wondered if there would be a better time for people. Suggestions include a different day, evening, or maybe a quarterly Saturday. There are also things that you can do at home or on your own time to help support this important outreach. If you might be interested, please contact Jennie Harris at
. Thanks to all who make this outreach possible.
Amabile Spring Concert
Amabile Choir, under the amazing direction of our own Sylvia Cauter, invites you to their spring concert, All of Us. Concerts will be held at Bethany on Friday, April 12 and Saturday, April 13 at 7:30pm. North Kitsap Vocal Point, under the direction of Julie Gallant, will be special guests at the Friday and Saturday evening concerts. The concert will also be performed at St. Cecilia Parish on Saturday, April 13 at 2:00pm and feature special guests Sakai Intermediate Choir under the direction of Katie Gibbs. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at Dana’s on Bainbridge, or online at https://amabilechoir.org/.
BINK INTERFAITH COUNCIL SPRING CONCERT
The Bainbridge Island North Kitsap Interfaith Council will present a Spring Concert on Sunday, April 7at 3:00pm. The concert will take place at Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church. The Bethany Choir will be participating in the concert, which will be a wonderful time of sharing songs and musical offerings from the wide and diverse faith community. All are welcome.
Generous Bethanians
The Annual Martha and Mary Generations of Care Gala and Auction will kick off with an on-line catalog of items for bidding on May 20, ending on May 30th. Individuals, families, groups, and churches are encouraged to donate items for the auction. Themed baskets i.e. Family Game Night, A Spa Day, Outdoor Game baskets, Gardening baskets, perhaps coupled with gift certificates or tickets for events, restaurants, and/or local businesses are just a few suggestions that can be put together for bidding. Items should be presented to the Poulsbo campus of Martha and Mary by April 30. Proceeds this year will benefit our Silverdale early childhood and learning center. Each donation needs to be accompanied by a descriptive statement about the item’s value as well as the name(s) of the donor. For more information, please contact Linnea Chu or Benay Nordby.
HRB Event
HRB is hosting A Legacy of Harm: Racial covenants in Washington State and Kitsap County on Thursday, April 11 at 8:00pm. The event will be held at the Bainbridge Public Library. Discover the hidden history of segregation in Washington state with the Racial Restrictive Covenants Project. Despite being outlawed, racist restrictions persist in property records across the state — a toxic residue from an era when local governments actively promoted racial segregation. Join University of Washington researchers in exploring the local impact of housing segregation, the legacy of these practices on our communities, the archival research process, and the Covenants Homeownership Account Act (HB 1474), a landmark bill that will provide financial assistance to victims of racial restrictive covenants and their descendants. For more information and to register for free tickets visit https://www.housingresourcesbi.org/events/
Altar Flowers: Easter Lilies provided by the Altar Guild
Thank You to this weekend’s Worship Assistants:
Altar Duty: Nancy Wetzler
Saturday 5:00pm – No 5:00pm service
Sunday 10:00am – Greeters/Ushers: Debbie & Andy Rimkus; Lay Reader: Benay Nordby; Communion Assistant: Vicki Browning; Hospitality Host: Debbie & Andy Rimkus
Next Weekend’s Worship Assistants:
Altar Duty: Gail Christensen
Saturday 5:00pm – Greeter/Usher: Joe Sommerseth; Lay Reader: Carol Fenner; Hospitality Host: Carol Fenner
Sunday 10:00am – Greeters/Ushers: Barbara & David Swartling; Lay Reader: Barbara Deines; Communion Assistant: Barbara Deines; Hospitality Host: TBD