Bethel Lutheran Church November 2010

the Bethel Beam

WE HAVE AN INTERIM PASTOR! Effective Novem-ber 1st we will be welcoming Pastor Dick Wendt as our interim pas-tor. He will be guiding us, not only in worship but also in the call process for our re-development pastor. We will post the pastor’s work schedule on line and in the Bethel Week. He will be working part time - 20 hours per week.

Bethel Lutheran Church November 2011

We have been the recipients of the choicest

bounties of heaven; we have been preserved

these many years in peace and prosperity; we

have grown in numbers, wealth and power as

no other nation has grown.

But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which pre-

served us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we

have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these bless-

ings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated

with unbroken success we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity

of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly, reverently

and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole of

the American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of

the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning

in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a

day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the

heavens.

(Abraham Lincoln 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation)

“WHAT I LOVE ABOUT MY CHURCH”

Here are some of the comments listed for the question above.

A good sermon The people who all feel like family, my circle Bible study, The sanctuary, it is peaceful and awe inspiring. The Christmas angels and the Easter display. The Wired Word, quilting. The presence of the Lord Jesus Christ who brings me here every Sunday. Breakfast, the members, the book club, small group Bible Studies and other gatherings. Ruth Circle and all the things we share. The willingness to pray for the concerns we all have. The sense of unity among the members. I love it when we have a drive for anything, be it food-sox- Thanksgiving baskets-towels. The people at Bethel donate

generously and happily. I especially love the fellowship here, quilting and circle

meetings. The new effort to revitalize. The friendly people, very caring, the gospel being preached, the 1st Sunday breakfasts, pulling together in time of change.

The breakfasts were mentioned by many as was Bible study and

quilting, friendly people and the beauty of the church.

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And Moses said to God,

―Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?‖ Exodus 3: 12 (NIV)

Exodus 3 and 4 tells us that Moses felt inadequate to do what the Lord was instructing him to do. He had a lot of excuses—I‘m nobody special, what if they don‘t believe you sent me, give me a trick to perform to prove it, I am slow of speech and finally he said, politely, send someone else!

The Bible is full of people who were happily obedient to God‘s call, but in this instance, Moses was not one of them. He cer-tainly was not like Isaiah who said, ‗Here I am; send me!‖ (Isaiah 6:8)

Most of us are like Moses. We like to live our normal lives, giving just enough to God so that it doesn‘t cause us too much dis-comfort or pain. We put some money into the collection plate, drop off a donation to the Goodwill, or say a short prayer for someone in church on Sunday. Your relationship with God could be so much deeper if you let Him lead you, if you let Him in.

Sometimes we might feel that God is asking us to do more, and we reply with Moses‘ excuses….I am nobody, I don‘t have the money or the skill, I‘m not talented, and no one would listen to me. Please Lord; don‘t ask me to do that, I just can‘t!

Every one of us does this to some extent. However, if you let God lead you, you will be surprised with what He can do through you. He made each of us for a purpose and gifted us in a way that we can carry out His purpose as He intended. Trust Him; He has a plan for your life.

God told Moses after each excuse that He would be with him, and that he would use him to do great things. He tells us the same. Let the Lord take you out of your normal routine, as he did with Moses. He wants to use you too; He wants you to use the gifts and talents that He has given you.

Ask Him for opportunities to express your love and faith. Go and be His hands, His feet and His voice, for His glory.

HOLLY BERRY

CELEBRATION

DECEMBER 3

11:30 AM

We are once again inviting the men of the congregation to our Holly Berry

Celebration.

Gloria Dei's act of God will feature excerpts from their upcoming dinner theater produc-tion of "Christmas at Uncle Phil's - No Room at the Diner". Stroll on over for some Christ-mas classics with a twist. The kitchen's been cleared of all jitterbugs, so you won't be hop-pin' or boppin' like last year! No Jive!

Uncle Phil's Diner - Where the food is fresh and so is the help!

STEWARDSHIP: THE MINISTRY OF GENEROSITY

Thanksgiving Baskets……...

We are once again giving thanksgiving baskets to 4 families in our Shoreline area. Please have the items you have signed up for to the church by Sunday, November 13th. Baskets will be packed and given out on Satur-day, November 19th. If you would like to donate money to be given for Thanksgiving baskets you can put that in the Sunday offerings

designated : “Thanksgiving Baskets”.

-Outreach Ministry

In Our

Thoughts

and Prayers

Continue to pray for those living in

nursing and assisted living homes

Audrey & Bob Anderson

Vera Anderson

Bev Baarstad

Don Brown

Harold & Dorothy

Crawford

Myrtle Fjarlie

Jack & Wilma Hagen

Ellen Hansen

Iva Kjosnes

Harold & Joan Martinell

Chris Mebust

Hank Peterson

Marjorie Romero Family

Jim Schoeld

Karen Schoeld

Dorothy Storseth

Page 3

PRAY DAILY FOR OUR

MEMBERS

NOVEMBER LIST

November 1 - Chris Pickrell 2 - Judy Goulet 3 - Chris Mebust 4 - Ruth Locke 5 - Arne Ramstead 6 - Logan Vermillion 7 - Donnamae Gfeller 8 - Jesse Grigsby 9 - Carla Salmon 10 - Audrey Anderson 11 - Aaron Salmon 12 - Nick Rudnick 13 - Joseph Himple 14 - Karen Anschell 15 - Emma Yonkman 16 - Rita Ramstead 17 - Leah Aegerter 18 - Sarah Vogel

19 - Jennifer Yonkman 20 - Lillian Routledge 21 - Warren Arnhart 22 - Katrina Schwerdtfeger 23 - Elizabeth Pickrell 24 - John Johns 25 - Chuck Vollbrecht 26 - Zappa Vogel 27 - Frank Nyland 28 - Craig Fjarlie 29 - Kelly Urdahl 30 - Karen Devine December 1 - Bruce Smith 2 - Savannah Schmidt 3 - Paul Grigsby 4 - Elia Smith 5 - Evie Nanninga

Paul Grigsby 8 Nathan Urdahl 10 Lars Swenson 11 Donna Sjoquist 16 Kirk Swenson 17 Annetha Schmitt 30

Camille Ross 4 Josh Rudnick 4 Wally Goulet 5 Lynlee Ritchie 9 Frank Moll 11 Delna Vermillion 11 Marjorie Romero 14

Colin Rudnick 13 Olive Kohanik 21 Bev Baarstad 22 Nicole Anschell 24 Lillian Routledge 26 Katrina Schwerdtfeger 26 Warren Arnhart 30

CELEBRATE

NOVEMBER

WE EXTEND OUR SYMPATHIES TO the Terrey Family

in the death of Liz’s brother in

October.

Olivia Cole % Candy Hoeschen 3883 Roche Harbor Rd Friday Harbor, WA 98250

Iva Kjosnes % Foss Home & Village 13023 Greenwood Ave N. Seattle, WA 98133-7308

Myrtle Fjarlie 15928 NE 8th St Bellevue, WA 98008

Celebrate November

Anniversaries Ed & Karen Anschell 4 Jacob & Jennifer Yonkman 12 Walt & Mary Himple 26

Page 4

November 3rd

next

gathering at

Bethel

7:00 PM

All Welcome!

Women of the Lutheran Church have been gathering for Thankofferings since the early 1900s. It is a tradi-tion grounded in our celebration of community. Thankofferings show gratitude for God‘s blessings. We are called to offer with joy and thanksgiving what God has first given to us. Thankofferings help Women of the ELCA provide resources, events, and programs. Thankofferings also support the organizations‘ crucial annual gift to the ELCA.

November reading-December discussion Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

by Ransom Riggs

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its aban-doned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a de-serted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an ad-venture in the shadows.

We invite you to join our book club.

In addition to our Thanksgiving Baskets and Christmas Giving Tree for a Latch Family and Compass Center, we will be giving gift cards and movie tickets to Mary’s Place for Homeless Women. They in-clude these as part of their gifts to the women at ChrIstmas. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will pro-vide the funds for the gift cards from the North Seattle Chapter in a total of $500. Judy and Carol will purchase the cards and deliver to Mary’s Place.

HOLIDAYS FOR THE HOMELESS

WOMEN‘S THANKOFFERING SUNDAY NOVEMBER 13TH

―The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.‖ Dr. Seuss

BETHEL HAPPENINGS

FALL INGATHERING

On October 21st Bethel delivered for the ingathering for Lutheran World Relief:

37 quilts 96 personal care kits

102 school kits

Thanks Chuck and Wally for delivering the items and thank you quilters for all your hard work!

A lot was accomplished in just 3 quilting sessions!

―The prayers said around the tying tables in Spokane, sew-ing machines in so many church basements, Sunday school tables and sanctuaries all over the United States truly weave the Holy Spirit into each and every quilt that comes through LWR‘s doors. As those quilts are wrapped around the shoul-ders and spirits of those who receive them - over 300,000 people in 2010 alone - we know that God‘s Spirit is moving, renewing, and carrying His incredible love all over the world.‖ (from LWR‘s ―Faith in Action‖ newsletter)

Page 5

Taproot Theatre Company 204 N. 85th Street - Seattle, WA 98103

Box Office: 206.781.9707

Beasley’s Christmas Party By C.W. Munger

Based on a story by Booth Tarrkington November 25 - December 30

Author Booth Tarkington’s holiday classic reborn! When a curious journalist moves to a small Mid-western town in 1909 he’s captivated by his un-usual next door neighbor, gubernatorial candi-date David Beasley. Is Beasley crazy or does he just have more imaginary friends than we can count? Full of hope and heart, this holday tale will charm your whole family with it’s surprising twists.

$20 Tuesdays are Nov. 22nd & 29th Call the box office to purchase our

$20 tickets

November 12, 2011 Trinity Lutheran College

Everett, WA

5 PM Seated Dinner To RSVP for the $30 sit-down dinner,

make a reservation online or enclose a check to Holden Village, and mail to:

Holden Village 50th HCO Box 2

Chelan, WA 98816

Dinner Reservation must include entrée choice of either:

Wild Alaskan Salmon or Stuffed Squash

If you choose to go but don’t want to attend the dinner there is a 7:30 PM Evening Worship

Reservations by Nov. 1 www.holdenvillage.org

COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS

You

Are

Invited!

HOLDEN VILLAGE 50TH ANNIVERSARY

FALL CELEBRATION

An unprecedented and historic partnership of Lutheran World Relied and the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. Our goal is to mo-bilize U.S. Lutherans to raise awareness of malaria and its daily impact on the lives of people in Africa and to raise $45 million in the global effort to help end malaria deaths in Africa by 2015. LMLI is made possible through support from the United Nations Founda-tion.

Building on the success and strength of our networks already in place, the mission in Africa is straightforward: to teach people to recognize the symptoms of malaria, promote prevention and provide treatment and prevention resources.

Why Lutherans? Christ’s example of unconditional mercy forms our Lutheran response to malaria. We are called to serve the vulnerable and to re-spond with love, care and help to those suffering among us.

Lutherans have a storied history of helping people in need around the world. By combining proven field strategies, expertise and resources, LMI brings together a worldwide network of Lutheran partner churches, missionaries and service providers in the fight against malaria.

Every 45 seconds a child dies form malaria, a disease that is both preventable and treatable. There is global momentum to fight malaria. The will is present. The knowledge is present. It is now our time to be present to make a difference in the lives of millions of people.

How can I help? Pray for those suffering from malaria and for those working to prevent, treat and contain the disease. Learn more about malaria and then tell everyone you know. Get involved by inspiring and inviting people to participate. Give a gift to LMI. Your generosity will enable us to respond and serve our brothers and sisters in Africa.

LUTHERAN MALARIA INITIATIVE

Page 6

A Fall Gathering Sunday November 13, 2011

1:30 - 3:30 PM Our Featured Speaker: Jeannine Skinner, PHD

Memory Wellness Program at the University of Washington

Jeannine is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Washington,

VA Puget Sound Healthcare System Memory Wellness Program.

Jeannine’s research interest focuses on the relationship between physical activity,

cardiovascular health, and Alzheimer disease. She has particular interest in how exercise may improve cognition and cardiovascular disease in older minority populations.

Jeannine will be sharing the latest information on memory wellness.

Join friends of LMSN for a time of fellowship, learning and dessert sampling.

Lamb of God Lutheran Church 12509 – 27th Ave NE Seattle, 98125

Bring a favorite dessert to share. Coffee & tea will be provided.

Chaplain Arthur Werzner will update LMSN friends on the chaplaincy ministry within local hospitals.

Deaconess Charlene Rhoades-Koenigs will share the blessings of the Care Center ministry.

Everyone is welcome!

FROM ONE PUMPKIN TO ANOTHER!

A woman was asked by a co-worker, "What is it like to be a Christian?"

The co-worker replied, "It is like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch,

brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He cuts the top off and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."

COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS (continued)

LUTHERAN MINISTRY SERVICES NORTHWEST

Page 7

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Thank you for your prayers for my foot. I've been

able to walk and even exercise, but I still try to

elevate it when I sit down.

From October 10-19, we will be attending a re-

treat in Galveston, Texas, followed by an interna-

tional Bible translation conference in Dallas. We

trust that these will be beneficial both spiritually

and professionally.

After our return from Texas we have just a month

until we depart for Ghana on November

20. Please pray that we will be wise in setting

priorities for rest, reflection, study, family visits,

shopping, and packing.

We will arrive in Ghana on November 21st, and

on the 25th we will fly to Nigeria for the start of

the Gwoza Hills Translation Project. Tom and I

will each be working with a new lan-

guage. Please pray for a good start for us, espe-

cially since I will be working with a language that

is much different from Waja, the language I

worked with in the last project.

Thank you for praying. Your prayers are our "first

line of defense" in bringing God's Word to those

who don't have it in their heart language.

God's blessings,

Mary

Mary and Tom Holman

(pray that Mary’s computer will be repaired by the time they leave for Ghana)

UPDATE

FROM

TOM AND MARY

HOLMAN

COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS (cont.)

MISSIONARY NEWS

Each year, Equal Exchange makes a 20 cent donation to the LWR Small Farmer Fund for each pound of product purchased through the Project. Over the past 15 years, Lutherans have bought 1250 tons of coffee, tea and cocoa, raising over $550,000.

Discover more and order at www.lwrcoffee.com or call (774) 776-7366.

LWR COFFEE PROJECT

Northwest Washington Synod, ELCA

5519 Phinney Ave North - Seattle, WA 98103-5829

Telephone: 206-783-9292

Fax: 206-783-9833 - Email: office@lutheransnw..org

Page 8

The Spirit News for the congregations of the Northwest Washington Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran

Church in America Volume 26, Number 10 November 2010

How do we give thanks this year? That is not a question about what is on the menu for the annual Thanksgiving Feast. It is a question about how we see our world and ourselves. Walter Brueggemann in his book Journey to the

Common Good argues that the forces of empire and Pharoah are always working from the scarcity, fear and control. In con-trast, the people of Israel learned in the Wilderness that God brings abundance, shalom and the presence of God. He ar-gues that Jesus’ feeding miracles continue this pattern. We live in a time when our consumer culture wonders if there will be enough (scarcity). Our threats used to be color coded and the world seems out of control. Brueggemann argues that this is how the world is when we ignore the Word of the Lord that has come to us. It is a compelling argument.

It is easy to over-focus on what we don’t have or what we might lose. While our anxiety increases, our fears look to quick fixes so that we can say that we are doing something about our situations. Our desire for a church that was like we remember

is a symptom of our participation in this longing. Like the peo-ple of Israel complaining in the wilderness that they at least had meat when they lived in Egypt, so we look back with long-ing to times that were not as good as we remember them. The Word of the Lord came to…..That is the good news in Brueggemann’s analysis.

The Word became flesh and lived among us. That is the good news for us. Our relationship with God and with the rest of creation comes from the abundance of God who comes among us. Samuel Torvend argues that our response to the poor comes from God’s abundance at the Eucharist. Our life together, the common good, is based in God’s abundant and generous response in creating and re-creating us. The harvest is in. The economists will tell us if we have enough. The people of faith should rise up and affirm that we have more than enough. We have the blessings of God to share and these blessings, like manna, are sufficient for each day. We give thanks to God for God’s presence in countless ways. So the food that we eat, we can share. The grace that we live in is not ours, but God’s to be extravagantly poured out into the world. The hope that we have comes from God.

Thanks be to God

God’s Generous Response by The Rev. Wm Chris Boerger, Bishop

Congratulation

Leymah Gbowee! Just two days before learning that

she was a recipient of the 2011

Nobel Peace Prize, Leymah

Gbowee was speaking

to a captivated audience at Queen

Anne Lutheran

Church in Seattle. The Nobel Peace prize

was awarded to Gbowee for “non-violent struggle for the

safety of women and for women’s rights to full participa-

tion in peace-building work.” Gbowee, a member of the

Lutheran Church in Liberia, is responsible for organizing

a non-violent women’s movement that brought an end to

a 14-year civil war in Liberia. The starting point of the

women’s move

(cont. on p. 9)

Page 9

Honor our veterans Veterans Day, which is November 11 each year, is a holiday to honor America’s veterans

for their patriotism and willingness to serve and sacrifice for our nation’s common good.

Christians follow the Prince of Peace, so war is a dilemma that often challenges people of

faith. Some Christians are pacifists, while others believe in a “just war.” Many believe that

the goals of freedom, justice, equality and democracy are worth the cost required.

Whatever individual Christians decide about any given conflict, most Christians believe that men and women who

strive to make this world free of tyrants are to be respected. As Winston Churchill said, “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”

Thank you to all the men and women who

served or are now serving our country.

ment was war fatigue, said Gbowee, a mother of six

children. She grew tired of watching children die from

hunger and “waking up every morning and not knowing

whether a tomorrow was possible. You can’t plan for the

future.” Along with thousands of other women from

across Liberia, Gbowee wanted to dream of a better

community. She decided it was time to stop the war and

called together women

of all faiths—Christian, Muslim, indigenous and

others—from across Liberia to “step out,” recognizing

that Liberian women can play a critical role in peace

building. Gbowee’s story is chronicled in the

documentary Pray the Devil Back to Hell. She has

just completed her memoir, Mighty Be Our Powers:

How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at

War -- a book that examines “the power of

women and the power of faith in getting you (out)

from the darkest place in your life,” she said.

Gbowee was a keynote speaker at this year’s

Triennial Gathering in Spokane. For the full

press release on Gbowee please visit

www.elca.org.

Convention highlights October 8, 2011

Three business meetings were held during the day before during and after meeting in the beautiful new sanctuary at Queen Anne Lu-theran Church. We shared prayers and many songs in the morning and afternoon while business was conducted. The budget for 2012-2014 was approved, new board members were elected and we enjoyed the keynote speaker Betty Brandt. She also brought us up to date on the programs offered by Churchwide WELCA.

Seventy one women attended the convention comprised of 18 delegates, board members and observers. Bishop Chris Boerger greeted us from the NW Washington Synod, thanking WELCA for their programs and ministries. A special report was given on Keymah Gbowee. She was a key note speaker at the July Triennial convention and is close to the heart of the members of Queen Anne Lu-theran. The members had hosted her recently when Keymah was here for a book tour. It had just been announced that morning, that Keymah had been one of the recipients of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize. She was honored for mobilizing women across ethnic and reli-gious dividing lines to bring an end to the long war in Liberia, and to ensure women’s participation in elections. The movie “Pray the Devil back to Hell” is the story of her struggle and success in bringing peace to Liberia.

There were two workshop opportunities at the convention, each presented twice so everyone could attend each presentation. Pastor Craig Lofthus from The Fathers Ranch in Tonasket WA., a Bible based residential counseling ministry for women and girls, spoke about the ranch’s program for addictions of various kinds. He also shared a short video about the ranch whose program lasts for 6 months to a year and is free to all. The women work on the ranch and receive counseling while applying the Bible to their lives. Of those who com-plete the program the success rate is 98%.

The other speaker was Donna Oiland “A Wise Woman Cultivates a Contented Heart”. Her speaking ministry is called “Radiant Joy”. She works in the Dept. of Spiritual Care at Evergreen Healthcare in Kirkland WA. She is a certified laugh leader with the World Laughter Tour and does educational programs for Cancer Lifeline. The comments from the attendees were very positive for both of these pres-entations.

The day ended with a closing worship service with Eucharist by Pastor Wayne Bacus Queen Anne. - Lynlee Ritchie, Delegate.

Northwest Washington Synodical Women’s Organization Convention

Bethel Lutheran Church

17418 8th Ave NE

Shoreline, WA 98155

Phone: 206-362-4334

Fax: 206-362-6019

Interim Pastor

Dick Wendt

Secretary

Judy Goulet

Organist

Karin Kajita

Office Hours

Tuesday-Friday

8:00 am - 4:30 pm

Worship Schedule

9:30 AM

Sunday School

9:45 AM Sunday

Adult Education

8:15 AM

The Wired Word

11:00 AM

Hebrews Study

Communion

1st & 3rd Sundays

Special dates in November

All Saints’ Day 1

• Daylight-Saving Time ends 6

• Veterans Day, November 11, 2011

• Christ the King Sunday, November 20,

2011

• National Bible Week, November 20-27,

2011

• Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2011

• First Sunday of Advent, November 27,

2011

All Saints Day 1

Daylight Savings Time ends 6

Veterans Day 11

Christ the King Sunday 20

National Bible Week 20-27

Thanksgiving Day 24

First Sunday of Advent 27

DAYLIGHT

SAVINGS

TIME

ENDS

NOV. 6 !

Remember to set

your clocks back!

“I have never understood why anyone

would roast the turkey and shuck the clams and crisp the croutons and shell the peas and candy the sweet potatoes and compote the cranberries and bake the pies and clear the table and wash the dishes and fall into bed exhausted when they could just as easily sit back and en-

joy a hamburger or a pork sandwich.”

- The Turkey