September 2011

I guess I didn’t really realize the magnitude of the flood damage in Minot, ND until we were leaving the church and heading into the disaster zone. I was riding with a guy who lost his house and he looked over at me and said, “We need to run by the house I am staying at and grab my ID. You can’t go into the flooded area unless you have proof that you live down there.” That was the moment my stomach started to turn.

I had heard about situations like this on television but have never experienced anything like it. So we grabbed his ID and started to drive. I quickly noticed that we were driving downhill and within a couple of minutes I started to see huge dirt dikes and levies. Then I saw the first sign of flood damage. It was followed by the next house, and the next house, and the next house, and the next house, . . . all de-stroyed. It was complete devastation, 10 blocks wide, five miles long, destroying 4,000 houses! Houses, school, businesses all destroyed! It goes much deeper than that, though. It doesn’t take long to realize it wasn’t just material possessions that were destroyed but this flood destroyed goals, dreams and memories and delivered pain, stress, and strife.

Someone might be wondering: if the destruction was so bad what could one weekend mission trip accomplish? We took six people from Bethesda to help with flood relief and in one weekend we managed to rip two layers of siding off of one house and then remove all the wood floors from this same house (plus clean-up). We went to another house around 1 pm on Saturday afternoon. A middle-aged couple lived there and they had sought help from multiple agencies and groups, and no one came to help. They called Our Redeemers LB Church who sent three people to this house on Friday and then our Bethesda group on Saturday. When we got there on Saturday afternoon, the house was mostly intact with some walls on the inside be-ing gutted. By the time we left on Sunday, 90% of the house was stripped down. We helped rip off the walls inside (plaster and dry-wall), took the ceiling down since the water had risen to five feet from the top of this house. Then we took the siding off the house, ripped the roof off, and cleaned up. They still had a ways to go but we where able to bring hope to this couple. It wasn’t so much everything we did for them physically but it was that we came to help them. A group of people from Eau Claire Wisconsin spent their time and money to come and help a stranger.

Our time in Minot was very touching! The Lord used us and grew us in ways I didn’t even see coming. I would like to ask you to start to pray about going to Minot to help with disaster relief in October.

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. —Gal 6:2

Pastor Brandon PangmanPastor of Community Life

Sermons can be downloaded from our website at www.bethesdalutheran.org or purchased by calling the church office.

CONTENTSAll-Church Announcements 2–3Small Group Opportunities 4Adult Bible Fellowships 5Bethesda World Missions 6Children’s Ministries 7Youth Ministries 8–9Women’s Ministries 9–10HomeStars 10Other Opportunities 11Calendar INSERT

Sunday Service Schedule starting Sept. 11th

9:00 am – Traditional 10:30 am – Contemporary 10:45 am – Contemporary

(In Walker Hall) 6:00 pm – Contemporary

Worship Schedule!

coffee cup CafeSundays: 9:30–12:00 v Fellowship Hall

Please join us in the Coffee Cup Cafe for treats, coffee and con-versation! We would love to meet you!

Scenes from Mission Minot

NEWSBethesdaLutheran Brethren ChurCh

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All Church Announcements

Adult Choir Ministry 2011It will soon be time for the choir to reconvene. I hope

members have had a great summer and are ready to go. If you have not been a part of this ministry but are interested, please contact Lil Larson (715-835-5031) to discuss the possibility. It is a great group who have a significant con-nection musically, spiritually and socially.

The first rehearsal of the season is September 7th when we will prepare a special number to sing on the 11th, which is the 10th anniversary of the tragic attack on our country. I look forward to another season and seeing you all again.

Confirmation ClassesWe are excited to begin a new year of confirmation

ministry at Bethesda! The purpose of confirmation is for 8th & 9th grade students to establish a foundation for their faith and their lives, built around the core relevant realities of God’s Word and a personal growing relationship with Jesus Christ!

This year, the 8th grade junior confirmation class will meet on Wednesdays from 6:00–6:45 pm in Room 305 with Zachary Schroer as the leader.

The 9th grade senior confirmation class has a new op-portunity with an improved schedule for most 9th graders with the class moving to Sunday mornings, meeting at 9:00 am in Room 313 with Todd Lenz as the leader.

Parent/student orientation for the 8th grade junior con-firmation class will be in room 305 at 6:00 pm on Wednes-day, September 14th, and the 1st class on September 21st. Parent/student orientation for the 9th grade senior confir-mation class will be in room 313 at 9:00 am on Sunday, September 18th, and the first class on September 25th.

Please contact the church office to register for confir-mation, or with any questions: 717-835-5073.

You’re Invited!God created us to be in relationship with Him and

with others (Gen. 2:18), and He has established commu-nity with others as a central means for spiritual growth (Acts 2:42–47).

This fall is an excellent opportunity for each of us to pursue knowing and growing in Christ, belonging and caring in Community, and serving and sharing His Cause by joining with others to study God’s Word and to share our life experiences with one another. There are a num-ber of small groups and Adult Bible Fellowships (ABFs) ready to serve you, and more may be forming soon. Some study particular topics. Others study a book of the Bible or dig deeper into the sermon text. All are opportunities to encounter the living Jesus through God’s word.

Check out the information about which groups are forming on pages 4 and 5 of this newsletter, and find out which group might be a good fit for you! To get the most up to date information, check out our small groups page at www.bethesdalutheran.org/ministries/adult/small-groups.php and ABFs page at www.bethesdalutheran.org/ministries/adult/bible-fellowships.php.

We want to share the journey of faith with you!Brian Quade

Pastor of Ministry Development

NEW THIS FALL! Connect and Fellowship with other Single Adults (30s–50s)

This small group is designed to provide supportive Christian fellowship and the opportunity to experience community with other Bethesda single adults.

The first meeting of SALSA will be September 18 after the church services.

We’ll meet in the fellowship hall after service (about noon) for a short meeting to chat about the vision, future possible activities and needs of the group.

A light lunch will be served. To allow us to plan for food and any childcare needs please RSVP:

Carin at carin-rae@hotmail.com or Mary at mary.robinson@ahss.orgAny questions please contact us!

Salsa(Salt and Light Single Adults)

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Ever Thought about Becoming a Stephen Minister?

Bethesda will be training another class of Stephen Ministers beginning in January 2012. Ste-phen Ministers work alongside our pastors to care, encour-age, and provide emotional and spiritual support to people who are going through a difficult time, such as divorce, grief, hospitalization, unemployment, terminal illness, relocation, chronic illness, or loneliness. If you have gifts for caring, encouragement, and listening, please begin to prayerfully consider whether you might want to be part of this excit-ing ministry. If you think you might be interested, talk with one of our Stephen Ministry Leaders: Paul & JoDea Green at (715)839-9468, Judy Draper at (715)831-0189, or Pastor Venberg at the church office, (715)835-5073.

Our Stephen Ministers will meet on the 2nd & 4th Mon-day of the month for regular continuing education and su-pervision.

Stephen Ministry

What Do Stephen Ministers Do?

All Church AnnouncementsWhere did the Library Go?

Well, it hasn’t gone anywhere as of this writing, but by the first week of September, our church library will have completed its move to its new location in Room 309.

If you’ve never had a reason to head down to the far end of the building, now’s your chance! From the Library’s previous location, head west down the hall past Walker Hall (that’s the gym!) until you’re almost outside of the build-ing. Turn left at that far hallway and stop. You should be right in front of our new Library location in Room 309! (Look for the sign.)

We want to thank everyone who helped prepare for and complete this move. Your efforts are much appreciated. When the library is ready again for use, please come on in and check it out!

“John 6: 9” Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

Indeed, how far could one young boy’s lunch go?Jesus did a miracle. He was able to feed over 5000

people with that small amount. How did he do it? Did he just expand the pieces as they were broken off? He could have, and maybe he did. Or did the others around him also share the food they had brought for themselves with others when they saw what one small child was will-ing to do to help? What if each one of us were to help in someway? What would donating our lunch or lunch money for a week or maybe a whole month do?

This year the Deacons will be sponsoring the Octo-ber Food Drive again. We’ll be putting up signage and collection tables for the full month of October. We want you to start thinking of and collecting food that will be giving to our local food pantries. With the economy the way it is, our local food pantries are being heavily used, and they need our help. This is an opportunity for us as a church to do something significant to show our love for the people of our community. God has blessed this church in many, many ways. Let’s respond back by helping those who might be living right next to us by generously giving to this cause. We’ll have more on this matter in next month’s newsletter, too. In the mean-time, if you see a good value on non-perishable food items, pick them up and start storing up for the drive. Please think about and act on “How can I help? What can God do with my donations to help those in need?”

God’s richest blessings to you as you serve Him.

Rod RueschFor the Deacons at Bethesda

Deacon’s Corner

Looking for a responsible individual to help with childcare during the Mom’s Study, beginning October 5th. If interested, contact Brittney Malone 715-878-4366 or brittney@bethesdalutheran.org.

Childcare at Church Needed

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God Sightings Small Groups Each week (typically by Friday morning)

we are posting discussion questions to our website to help groups discuss the text from the sermon. If you are leading a group that is discussing God Sightings, please contact Pas-tor Brian at brian@bethesdalutheran.org, so we can include you when we have additional resources, support, and encouragement.

Women’s StudiesSolid Rock Café

Monday Nights, 6:30–8:00 pmRms. 311 & 313 (Bethesda)

“A Heart like His: Seeking the Heart of God Through a Study of David” — We will begin this in-depth journey into the Scriptures to discover why King David was called “a man after God’s own heart”. Contact: Jane Louden, 715-835-6064 or janelouden@sbcglobal.net

Solid Rock Café Tuesday Nights, 5:15–6:45 pm

Room 313 (Bethesda)We are starting a new study on Tuesday, Sept. 13th entitled, “Decisions-Seeking God’s Guid-ance.” It is a nine-week study that will teach how to make decisions wisely, confidently, and in harmony with God’s will. E-mail or call if you would like to join us and to order a study guide. Price of the study guide is $8.00. Contact: Sue Henneman, 715-552-1378 or suehennemann@att.net; Pat Murphy, 715-839-1219 or patree@cvol.com.

Moms StudyTuesday Nights, 5:45 pm–8:00 pm

Bethesda LibraryRight now we are meeting Tuesday evenings (6-7:30 in the library). Beginning October 5th we will meet at the same time as Wednesday evening activities, while most of our children are busy with programs.Contact: Brittney Malone, 715-878-4366 or bmalone.cm@gmail.com

The Rachel CircleFirst Tuesday of the Month, 1:00 pm

Fireside Room (Bethesda)Tuesday, September 6, we will continue studying 1 & 2 Peter with Lesson #10, “Self-Discipline,” 2 Peter 1:1-21 from Max Lucado’s Life Lessons series. All are welcome to join us.Contact: Joan Albricht, 715-830-0221 or Louise Koxlien, 715-552-3873

Lydia Bible StudySecond Thursdays, 1:00 pmFireside Room (Bethesda)

We will resume again on September 8th with Chapter 7 of “Finally Into the Land.” Watch for more information. Contact: Grace Bailey, 715-214-4344

Rise Up!Friday Mornings, 6:30–7:45 am

Fireside Room (Bethesda)We have begun a new study on 1 & 2 Timothy. We are using the study guide, “Letters to Timo-thy: Discipleship in Action Fisherman Bible Studies”. All ladies are welcome to join us. Contact: Jackie Vold, 715-834-5775 ormjvold@gmail.com

Circle of FriendsFriday Mornings, 9:15 am

Circle of Friends Women’s Bible Study will be starting up again on September 9, 2011. We will be studying women of the Old Testament. Our study guide will be Life Principles from the Women of the Bible, Book 1 by Wayne Barber. Child Care will be provided.Contact: Mandy Heard, at 715-834-5246 or mandyheardu@gmail.com, or Chris Strasburg at 715-835-0721

Adult StudiesEmpty Nesters

First and Third Mondays, 7:00–8:00 pmFireside Room (Bethesda)

We are resuming again in the fall. Watch for more information. Contact: Brian & Janet Amundson, 835-0521

Wednesday Evenings7:00–8:00 pm

Fireside Room (Bethesda)Beginning September 14th the Wednesday evening adult Bible study will begin again. We will be meeting in the Fireside room at 7:00 pm and will be resuming our study of the Gospel of Luke with chapter 18. We would love to have you join us as we continue our study of this book.Contact: Pastor Venberg, 715-835-5073

Common GroundWednesdays, 6:00–8:00 pm

Room 204aWe will begin meeting again on Septem-ber 7th, using the weekly “God Sightings” readings as our basis for discussion. Join us anytime! Contact: Jay and Andrea Anderson, 715-836-9358

Men’s Studies

Monday Mornings, 6:30–7:45 amFireside Room (Bethesda)

We are currently studying the book of Romans. This is a great time to get plugged into this ear-ly morning study to start off your week right! Contact: Mark Miller, 715-456-8293 or mamaflac@yahoo.com

Tuesday Nights, 5:30–6:30 pmRoom 305 (Bethesda)

Step aside from your fast-paced, “too busy” world, to meet with a small group of men. Learn more from the Bible and how to apply it to a man’s daily life. We study different sections of scripture with help, at times, from Max Lucado’s books.Contacts: Stuart, 715-720-7771, snsbt@charter.net;David, 715-828-6156, dverhaagh@hotmail.com; Jeff, 715-563-8489, wilejeff@gmail.com

Band of BrothersFriday Mornings, 6:30–7:30 am

Room 305 (Bethesda)We are currently doing a study of the Book of Philippians. Join us as we discover the secret of Paul’s joy and experience his triumphant confi-dence in Christ. Coffee and pastries provided!Contact: Robert Bandolii, 715-529-0106

Small Group Opportunities

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Sundays • 9:00 amBranchesRoom 204c (Fellowship Hall)Variety of ages.Join us as we explore how contemporary life and faith inter-sect. Coffee and treats guaranteed, lively discussion likely. In September we will focus on faith and grace.Contact: Deb Hubbell at 715-839-0594 or dahshop@yahoo.com

iLessFireside Room, Room 102Ministry for 18+.iLess is an ABF designed to meet the needs and help in the spiritual growth of young adults in our Bethesda community. Contact: Pastor Brandon at 715-835-5073 or brandon@bethesdalutheran.org

SojournersRoom 305Variety of ages.Come and make a journey with us as we look into God’s Word to find out just what a Christian world view is. Contact: Allen or Jeanne Sternke at 715-597-3526 or jeannesternke@yahoo.com

Sundays • 10:30 amKingfolkRoom 204c (Fellowship Hall)Retired, or nearing retirement.On Sept. 11 when Kingfolk begins a new church year, it will be meeting in Fellowship Hall at 10:30. The speaker that week will be Todd Lenz who has served as a high school chaplain to athletes and has begun a program called, “Char-acter Coaching” which serves the spiritual aspect of high school athletes, an outstandingly successful program.

John and Kathy Wile, missionaries to missionaries, will share a scriptural lesson on Sept. 18. They always challenge us but leave us with hope on which to carry us through the following week.

Guiding us in making wise End of Life decisions will be Mary Thelen who works with the Mayo Health Systems. Her guidance should serve to be extremely beneficial for each one of us.Contact: Augie Wirkus, 715-831-0460

A.C.T.S.Room 305Variety of agesThis fall semester we are going to take a look at what the Bible says it means to be honest, moral, and a person of con-science in our personal lives as well as where we work. This will be a Bible study based on the book “Honesty, Morality and Conscience” by Jerry White. One of the central concepts of Christian fellowship is to support and encourage each oth-er. We will hear from business owners, teachers, employees, and managers whose stories of victory and failure can light the path before us. Separate from this study, we will hear testimonies, play trivia, and devote time to praying.Contact: Steve or Jodi Flaten, 715-832-8312, or Steve Louden, 715-835-6064 / b4ubuy1217@sbcglobal.net.

Seekers of GodFireside Room, Room 102Variety of agesAs a sequel to last spring’s study of the life and times of Eli-jah, we will study the prophet Elisha. This mixed-age group meets at 10:30 am, Sundays in the Fireside Room. Contact: Beth Smith, 715-875-4553, or Dennis and Diane Peterson, 715-839-8648.

Adult Bible FellowshipsAdult Bible Fellowships (ABFs) are groups that

meet in order to help us grow in our relationships to God and with each other. ABFs are committed to deepening our relationships, as well as growing new relationships. Bethesda has a number of ABFs available. Although ABF goals are similar, each group has its own identity.

ABFs generally meet at the same time children are in Sunday School. During the summer months, ABFs are typically not meeting on Sunday mornings, but some may still have scheduled opportunities to get together.

All ABFs will be starting up again with regular Sunday morning meetings beginning September 11th.

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Venbergs: • Pray for Gabe, Sylvia and Tevi, as they adjust to attending

an American mission school in N’djamena. • Pray for Dan as he organizes a seminar that will bring

the Chadian church and Lutheran Brethren International Missions (LBIM) staff together to explore partnering to reach the Muslims of Chad.

Gronseths: • Pray for the design and renovation of the English Forum

Coffee House. It will be a second ‘Mr. Mai’s Coffee House and Foreign Language Club.’

• Pray that the government registration process for the Coffee House will go smoothly, so that it can open this fall.

• Praise the Lord for the provision of most of the funds needed for start up, and for a couple who have committed to helping finance the first year of the Coffee House’s operation.

• Praise the Lord for Craig and Kristi Thomas, friends and former colleagues, who are working with John and Betsy during this critical start up period.

Contruccis: • Pray that Kent and Nancy will have God’s wisdom as they

make ministry plans for the upcoming months. • Pray for Sarah Contrucci, who is mid-way through her

master’s degree in International Development, and is interning in Kampala, Uganda. She will be there for 6–7 months, on a volunteer basis, as a project manager a non-profit company. Pray that Sarah’s financial needs would be met.

Wiebes: • Pray for Pastor Benjamin as he sells the Bola Bibles. • Pray that excitement will spread about the Bola Bible, that

people will read it, and that God will use His Word to bring many into His kingdom.

• Pray for Angelica Tagole, caretaker of Brent and Sandi’s house in the Bola village. She recently rededicated her life to the Lord, and wants to grow in the Lord and be a light in the village.

• Pray for the family as they adjust to life in Eau Claire, and for Justin, Daniel, and Karissa as they start school.

Wiles: • Praise the Lord for a rich summer, with less travel and more

ministry than usual. • Praise the Lord for the opportunity John has had to preach

12 times in Minneapolis for a pastor on sabbatical. The preaching preparation has served a dual purpose: to provide for the Minneapolis congregation now, and to bless the missionaries they will be serving later this fall.

• Praise the Lord for the opportunity to teach and provide pastoral care via video conferencing. Though not quite like being with people in person, it was powerful nonetheless.

• Pray for John and Kathy as they leave for Asia on September 23rd, returning November 17th. They start in Taiwan, and then spend most of their time farther west. It is their longest trip of the year, and is highly draining, highly effective, and highly busy!

• Pray that they will complete most of their preparations for sermons, teaching and workshops before they leave.

• Pray 1) that they will be ‘very present’ with each person they meet, 2) that they will know what Scripture to share in each setting, and 3) that they will have wisdom to meet the personal pastoral issues that arise.

Volds: • Pray for Justin as he cares for his children, Bradley, Jessie

and Levi. • Pray that the Lord might provide funds for the children to

attend a Christian school.

Bethesda World MissionsPraise and Prayer for Bethesda’s Family Around the World

Missions Conference set for October

The Bethesda Mission Conference is scheduled for the weekend of October 8th and 9th. Brent and Sandi Wiebe will share about translating the Bible into the language of the Bola people, and about their ministry among the Bola people, with assistance from members of the Bethesda Bola Bible Dedication Mission Team. Watch for more information about this special event!

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Find your place in Children’s MinistriesTeachers • Helpers • Music Leaders • Record Keepers

It takes 50 to 70 volunteers to run all our classes and programs. We still have many, many openings for the above positions. See the table in the foyer to find out where you can serve in Children’s Ministries! The kids can’t learn without your help!

The following are still needed:

• Teachers/helpers for all classes at 9:00 a.m. on Sundays• Teachers/helpers for 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds, and Kin-

dergarten, 10:30/10:45 Sundays• Small group leaders for 4th/5th grade, 10:30/10:45 Sundays• Music leaders both hours, all age groups (approx. 20 min.).• Record keepers (collect and track attendance and offer-

ing) for both hours.• Wednesday night teachers and helpers!

You can also contact Dawn by email or phone with any questions about these positions. Thank you for praying about and considering where God may want you to serve this year!

This year, as in years’ past, in Sunday school and on Wednesday nights, we want children to understand that God’s Word is relevant in their young lives and was writ-ten for them. God had them (and you!) in mind when the authors of the books of the Bible were inspired by the Holy Spirit in their writings. What a privilege to have these letters from God available to us to read at anytime and as we do so, we can be confident God will work in our lives and hearts and grow us to be more like Him! We are praying for you, as parents, that you will be an example to your children in the reading and application of God’s Word. Children’s Min-istries desires to support you in the responsibility you have as your children’s spiritual leaders! We would love to see

your children attend our Sunday and/or Wednesday classes. Please see the following article for information relating to these classes.

Sunday school starting Sept. 11th9:00 a.m. — classes for 3-year-olds through 5th grade

grouped together every two years.

10:30/10:45 a.m. — classes for 3-year-olds through 5th grade (2nd/3rd grade and 4th/5th grade grouped together). The second hour will have children arriving at 10:30

and others arriving at 10:45. They will have separate open-ing/closing music times but will have the same class (les-son) time. 10:30 children leave at 11:30. 10:45 children leave at noon.

Please note: many classes have been moved for this fall to adjust for the Walker Hall service. Please check the maps posted around the building to see where your child’s class will be meeting.

Wednesday nights starting Oct. 5th6:45 p.m.–8:00 p.m. — classes for 4-year-olds though 5th

grade (two groups, 4 yrs–3rd gr. and 4th/5th grade to-gether.) Preregistration is encouraged! You can fill out a registration card for your child at the table in the foyer.

Children’s Ministries

www.bethesdalutheran.org(715) 835-5073

Dawn RicoChildren’s Ministries Directordawn@bethesdalutheran.org

Karen RateringChildren’s Ministries Assistantk.ratering@sbcglobal.net

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TTERS FROM

GOD1

JOHN 5:13

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Orientation NightThis is a night where par-

ents and students alike can come together and hear all about the Youth Ministries at Bethesda. We will explain our overall vision and how we plan to accomplish that vision through the specific ministry programs. You’ll be able to meet the Volunteer Lead-ers, hear about all the things students can be involved in, ask questions, see the Big Events Calendar, meet other parents and students, and even sign the yearly waiver form! Refresh-ments will be provided so please plan to join us. Orientation for High School Ministries is Sunday Sept. 11 at 7:30 pm, and Middle School Orientation is Wed. Sept. 14 at 6:45 pm.

Mission: Denver updateWhat an incredible experience this was! We did a Prayer

Walk around the neighborhood, had lessons on Poverty and The Gospel, served breakfast at homeless shelters (at 5:30 am!), heard stories from homeless people themselves, cleaned and organized at a local school, went door to door inviting people to a block party, and played at the park with kids from the neighborhood. Through it all God opened our eyes to see people as He does – we all are broken and in need of love.

Students and leaders alike were able to grow in their faith and learn how to live their lives as a follower of Christ. Feel free to ask any of the students more details about their trip!

See You at the Pole

Do you ever feel overwhelmed with all the bad news about this generation? Do you ever wonder if kids can sur-vive as a Christian in this world? As an adult, it’s often dif-ficult to know what do to do. Well, what if your student(s) gathered with other Christians around the flagpole at their school on the morning of September 28 and laid this pe-tition before God, “Father, may Your will be done on my campus as it is in heaven”?

What if they really meant that prayer? What if you sup-ported them to make this a reality? How would that change your child? Their friends? Their school? Your church? Your community?

See You at the Pole™ can provide a powerful connec-tion between Christian students on your campus to pray and reach out all year long to make a difference in their genera-tion. That is good news!

Encourage the students you know and their friends to be a part of See You at the Pole™, as they take their place in history with millions of other students on this Global Day of Student Prayer. Meetings generally occur a half-hour before school begins.

The theme for this year’s “See You at the Pole” is “Con-verge.” More information can be found at www.syatp.com.

Youth Ministries

Weekly ScheduleHigh School Youth Group: Sundays 7:30–9:00 pm

The Bridge: Middle School Youth Group: Wednes-days 6:45-8pm

Chad ShifferDirector Youth Ministrieschad@bethesdalutheran.org

Ryan RicoMiddle School Youth Directorryan@bethesdalutheran.org

High School CalendarSunday, Sept. 4th — No One23Sunday, Sept. 11th — High School Orientation,

7:30 pm, Walker HallSat., Sept. 17th — Walk for Life, 9:00 am,

Owen ParkSunday Sept. 18th — One23: “Who is Jesus?”

7:30 pm, Youth RoomSunday Sept. 25th — One23: “Who is Jesus

to You?” 7:30 pm, Youth Room

Wed. Sept. 28th — See You at the Pole @ Lo-cal High Schools

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Women’s Ministries

On Saturday, September 10th, we will be hosting the Beth Moore Living Proof Live Simulcast. Doors will open at 8:00am, and the simulcast will broadcast from 9:30am-4:30pm. The day will include worship led by Travis Cot-trell and teaching led by Beth Moore. There will also be a resource table with many of Beth’s materials available for purchase. Cash or check only.

Ticket prices: $15.00 advance and $20.00 on the day of the event. Your ticket includes admission to the event, morning and afternoon snacks, Gloria Jean’s coffee, and a listener’s guide to use during the teaching session. There will be a break for lunch, so grab your mom, sisters, friends, neighbors, and co-workers and make it a “Girls’ Day”. You can bring a picnic lunch, have something delivered to the church, or go out to eat.

Tickets are available now! You can contact Bethesda’s office to order at 715-835-5073 or come into the office.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call the office or Karen Biel at 715-577-6865.

We hope to see you there!

Three words: Gigantic. Leaf. Pile.

Does it get any better than that? You bet it does! When that gigantic leaf pile is at the Point, and you’re jumping in it with all of your closest friends! Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth graders are invited to join us each fall for Middle School Mania. A chance to get away for a weekend and reflect on what God is doing in the midst of adjusting back to school. It’s the perfect way to kick off the fall!

Join your friends from Bethesda at Inspiration Point Bible Camp for Middle School Mania for the weekend of October 7th-9th. Cost is $85 plus $20 for gas. A $10 dis-count is applied if the $85 is postmarked to camp by Sep-tember 23rd. If you are interested in going, please fill out the form on the camp website (www.ipoint.org) and sign up with Ryan.

Youth Ministries

Youth Ministries WebsiteThis is an important tool that we as a church have spent

significant resources into reshaping. We in Youth Ministries know how important it is to parents and students to have key information, so know that we are working hard at up-dating our portion of the church website each week to offer you the latest information in a timely manner. Please use this resource and let us know how to make it better. (www.bethesdalutheran.org)

Middle School Mania

Help Wanted: Sunday School

Youth ministries are still looking for Sunday school teachers for this year. We still need teachers at both hours for the high school class and a teacher for the 9:00 AM service for the middle school class. If you are interested in serving in this manner, please contact Chad or Ryan. Middle school classes are being rearranged, and all grades (6th-8th) are in one class. The middle school class will be held in the youth room, and the high school class will meet in room 311.

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Nursery News

HomeStars

Homeschoolers involved in HomeStars will jump into the school year with our Tuesday activities on September 13th at Bethesda. Our Tuesday Family Activity will start off the day at 10:45–12:00pm, with a guest speaker, Kathy Mentink, sharing her missionary work in Haiti. After lunch, the Tuesday class will begin at 12:30 with classes (and nurs-ery) for kids of all ages. The Parent Support Meeting, with a devotional on humility and discussions on meal planning and getting started with homeschooling, will run concur-rently with the classes until 3:10.

Our planned field trip for the month will be a tour at Ashley Furniture in Arcadia. Middle school activities are planned for September 9th at Bethesda (details will be at our website).

If you are homeschooling, join HomeStars and take part in all the activities. If you have any questions, contact Linda Swenson at 715-834-0713, or check out our website at www.homestars.me.

A Homeschool Support Ministry of Bethesda Lutheran ChurchMartha Moments

Chippewa Valley Women’s Connection Presents . . .

Saturday, Sept. 24th, 9:30 am – 4:00 pm, Eau Claire Wesleyan Church

2405 Keith St. Eau Claire

Join with women from all over the Chippewa Val-ley for a special day of con-necting, reflection, and re-newal with Susie Larson.

With enthusiasm, hu-mor, and conviction, au-thor/speaker Susie Larson has spoken to thousands of women locally, nationally, and internationally. Her books include Embracing Your Freedom, The Uncommon Woman, Alone in Marriage, and Balance That Works When Life Doesn’t.

The cost for the event is $25.00. Register by Sept. 10th and save $5.00. Registration with checks payable to Chip-pewa Valley Women’s Connection should be sent to: Judy Ramsey, 3214 Ellis Ave., Eau Claire, WI 54701. Any ques-tions? Call Judy at 715-832-3452

Women of Faith, 2011October 21–22

Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MNLadies, interested in attending Women of Faith this

year? Contact: michelleheinzen@yahoo.com, or 715-797-3834. The full cost of this 2 day event is $169.00. This in-cludes: • Tickets to the conference and concert • Hotel Accommodations (based on 2 person occupancy) • All transportation • Boxed lunches on Friday and Saturday • Dinner Friday Night (Buca Italian Restaurant- Catered

at Hotel) • Continental Breakfast (Saturday)

Escape from the everyday at a Women of Faith weekend and be refreshed, encouraged and inspired. Because the God who loves you can do far more than you can ever Imagine.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!

Ephesians 3:20 (MSG)

Dates, locations, times and talent subject to change.

Imagine weekendFriday 10:00 am – 3:30 pm

7:00 pm – 10:00 pmSaturday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Saint Paul, MNOctober 21–22, 2011 Xcel Energy Center

Group Leader Name

Contact Information

Group Price

lisa harper luci swindoll kim cash tate sheila walsh nicole johnson henry cloudnatalie grant mary mary

musical guests special guestdrama byspeakers

angie smith

The APPLE Pregnancy Care Cen-ter will be training new volunteers be-ginning in early October and finishing up by Thanksgiving. Firm dates have not been set, but the training will be either Monday or Thursday mornings and will be held at the APPLE office at 2600 Stein Blvd., Eau Claire.

APPLE stands for “Aiding Problem Pregnancies with Love and Encouragement”. Your help is needed! If you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, are a compassion-ate advocate for life, love people and enjoy listening to oth-ers, and have a desire to touch lives, God can use you and we would love to have you serve Him with us in pregnancy care ministry. By participating in the training you will be equipped to meet with our clients in the office or help with the Walk-Ins on Thursday evenings. Cost for the materials is $20.00. For more information, or to register, call APPLE at 715-834-5254 or Pam at 715-832-9629.

Please prayerfully consider helping out in at least one area in the church this Fall. It might be easy to think that since we are a large church, we have plenty of help, but that is not necessarily true.

If you haven’t received a Service Ops card yet, pick one up at the Welcome Center. The card lists several areas where you can help out. Check a few boxes, and hand it back in. You will then be contacted by someone supervising that area. Questions about serving? Contact kristin@bethes-dalutheran.org

I would like to move to Eau Claire and am looking for an apartment or house to share with someone, or to be a roommate with an elderly lady looking for companion-ship or help.

I would also be interested in renting a small, one-bedroom apartment with a garage as well. If anyone can help, please call me at 715-861-3257, or 507-840-0352.

Thanks,Vicki Bignell

Housing Needed Immediately

We are looking for some items to use during our fur-lough. We need two dressers, two desks, an end table, a double bed, and four bicycle helmets.

If you have any of the above that we could borrow, please contact us at 715-456-6843.

Thanks for all you’ve done already to welcome us. We’re looking forward to getting reacquainted with you all this year!

Blessings,Brent & Sandi Wiebe

Justin, Daniel, & Karissa

From the Wiebes

Service OpsService Ops

Looking for an individual to shadow an 18 year-old boy with autism as a Job Coach. Approximately 8–10 hours a week on Wednesday and Thursdays from 9:30–1:30 pm. No experience necessary, just a passion for individuals with special needs.

If interested please contact Matt or Cindy Waller at 715-577-7529 for further details.

Job Coach Wanted

11

APPLEVolunteer Training

APPLE Pregnancy Care Center’s annual Walk for Life will be held on Saturday, Sept. 17th in Owen Park, Eau Claire. Registration begins at 9:00 am and the walk begins at 10:00 am. Please join us in raising funds for the ministry of APPLE. Your support helps provide accurate informa-tion and compassionate assistance to hundreds of women and men each year. We offer comprehensive, positive alter-natives to abortion. Check out www.friendsofapple.org for more information, or call 715-834-5254.

Walk for Life

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BethesdaLutheran Brethren ChurCh

123 W. Hamilton AvenueEau Claire, WI 54701715-835-5073www.bethesdalutheran.org

C3Christ … Community … Cause

A vision for clarifying who we believe God is leading us to become.

f a l lk ick -o f fSEPTEMBER

11u Pig roast and corn feed! u Fun and games for the kids!u New Walker Hall Worship

Service begins, 10:45 amu Sunday School and

Adult Bible Fellowships begin!