The CHIMES

Bethlehem Steeple is Replaced

Tri-North builders have rebuilt and installed the new steeple. With the exception of a $1000 deductable insurance has paid for cleanup, replacing the steeple, phone system, parts of the sound system, fire alarm panel and electrical outlets. Thank you to Phil Parker of American Family Insurance for their prompt response.

Many people have Monday morning quarterbacked the steeple construction and lightening protection. Before we rebuilt and replaced the steeple we contacted a company that provides lightening protection in the downtown area of the city of Chicago. According to their evaluation by separating the stainless steel cross from the rest of the building we provided the best possible protection.

Had the cross been grounded to the steel structure of the building much more damage, including fire, would have been done to the building. A grounding cable attached to the cross itself was absolutely out of the question according to these consultants. In other words, this was an accident that could not have been avoided and the previous and present construction of the steeple is providing the best possible protection to our church building.

Thank you to all of you for your patience in this time and to those of you who stepped up and provided the extra help that was needed.

Summer Mission Trip

The Mission Trip to Minneapolis is finally here. This year’s mission trip participants are: Dakota Cutsforth, Scott Gessner, Ryan Hess, Josh Inglett, Lindsay Jones, Jordan Jones, Ryan Kucksdorf, Jocelyn Martin, Noalyn Martin, Michaleen Melby, David Peterson, Marana Stone, and Danielle Schuld. With Ann Ciske, Jeff Melby and Pastor Dick chaperoning.

A great big thank you to the congregation for the generous support that will make the trip possible. Our last Fundraising effort raised over $1100. Thank you to Clyde and Dawn Bachmann for the brat sale, and all who donated plants and bake sale items or had their car washed. Flamingos were grounded with the flood waters but will start to roost again in the yards of the uninsured. To date a little over $3000 has been raised to pay for the mission trip expenses. We will share the good news of our trip on Sunday July 20. Please pray for our safe travel and compassionate service and learning in downtown Minneapolis Minnesota.

Two Sunday Morning worship

opportunities to begin after Labor

Day - Upon recommendation from the Worship and Music committee and much thoughtful deliberation on the part of your church council it was decided at the June council meeting that beginning September 7 our worship times will be 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. It was further discussed that Sunday school would meet from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. This schedule would remain in place until Memorial Day. At that time we will return to one service for the summer.

This was a difficult decision to make and big step for the congregation to take. We heard both the need for another worship opportunity and the desire to stay connected as a church family. We hope that we can offer a creative solution to this challenge.

First of all both Sunday Morning worship services will be identical. Praise team will continue to provide leadership once a month at both services. My hope is that the choir and Sunday school can sing at both services.

Additionally, the Worship and Music committee, Social Ministry, Christian Education and other groups within the church will be working together to provide joint, intergenerational events between services. The first of these events will be the Consecration Sunday Brunch as part of our Fall Stewardship Drive. Other events might include preparation for the Christmas and Lenten Seasons, projects that produce items for Lutheran World Relief. We are limited only by our own creativity and desire to stay connected as God’s Family serving Christ with Love.

Finally we will continue to work at expanding ministries at Bethlehem that provide opportunity for prayer, fellowship and service. In the coming two months we will outline what will be required for worship volunteers, fellowship hour, Sunday School and intergenerational events and projects. Please give your feedback and ideas to the church council and other church leadership. It would wonderful to hear a number of people come up and say “this is where I want to share my gifts.”

In Christ,

Pastor Dick

God’s Great Creation

Our summer worship theme is God’s Great Creation. To help us celebrate and enjoy God’s great creation our praise team will lead us in two outdoor worship services on the east parking lot of church. The second Sunday in July and August we will worship outdoors. The altar and Praise Team will be set up under the basketball hoop on the east end of the building. You are invited to bring your favorite lawn chair to sit on. Folding chairs will be available as well. If the weather does not cooperate (as in 18 inches of rain in 10 days in June) we will simply move indoors to the sanctuary as we did on June 8.

We hope you make an extra effort to come and worship on Sunday July 13^th as we praise God for creation even as we soak in the glory of God’s creation on a beautiful Sunday morning.

* * * * * *

Moving forward with securing a

Mortgage -

Through the work of Tom Parrish, the Finance committee, Kari Johnson and your church council we are moving forward to securing a church mortgage. At the June meeting the church council voted to pursue establishing a mortgage. This loan will combine our present construction loan and the overage loan. If we meet all of the requirements it looks like we will be locked in at a 6% rate of interest for five years on a 25 year amortization. This equals out to approximately $10,650 per month in interest and principal payments. At the end of 5 years the interest rate would be revaluated and the rate could go up or down depending on conditions. As soon as we have more details and information they will be communicated to you.

The following people have volunteered to Sponsor a

COFFEE HOUR during the month of July:

7/ 6 –

7/13 – Robert & Hope Fenske and Jane Clemmons

7/20 – Rebecca Gramer, Dianna Bush and Ed & Marie Rohrbacher

7/27 – Angela Pace and Brenda Ertl

for the month of July are:

7/ 6 – Dawn Ringelstetter & Kenny Jones

7/13 – Jenny Wohlfert & Joshua Smythe

7/20 – Shelly Lauth & Jordan Jones

7/27 – Pam Weiss & Noalyn Martin

* * * * * *

Listed below are the Communion Assistants for the Month of July

7/ 6 – Bill & Sue Barreau

7/13 – Jerry & Charlotte Gilman

7/20 – George & Kathleen Sparks

7/27 – Bill & Joan Swift

GREETERS for the month of July are:

7/ 6 –

7/13 – Debby & Shelby Smith

7/20 – Bill & Joan Swift

7/27 – The Kucksdorf Family

The following people have volunteered to be ushers

for the month of July:

7/ 6 – George Stewart

7/13 – Wade & Dahlia Werner

7/20 – Tim Peterson

7/27 – Tim Peterson

Altar Guild -Listed below is the Altar Guild schedule for the month of July:

7/ 2 – Carol Anacker

7/ 6 – Charlotte Gilman

7/ 9 – Judy Donahue

7/13 – Rachel Houk

7/16 – Denise Derey

7/20 – Rachel Houk

7/23 – Judy Haase

7/27 – Bobbie Goodman

7/30 – Denise Derey

Listed below is the Acolyte schedule for the month of July:

7/ 6 – Leah Barto & Holly Boaz

Runner – Lauren Gaffney

7/13 – Kyle Kjorlie & Anne Ritter

Runner – Amy Ryde

7/20 – Marcus Thompson & Isaac Zarecki

Runner – Marana Stone

7/27 – Mariah Colburn & Ryan Kucksdorf

Runner – Andrea LaBella

* * * * * *

Sermon Broadcast

The sermons broadcast on Sunday mornings at 8:30 a.m. on Radio Station WPDR AM 1350 are being

sponsored this month by:

7/ 6 – Clark & Mary Cupery

7/13 – Charlie & Nancy James

7/20 – George & Kathleen Sparks

7/27 – Stu & Carla Gerhardt

* * * * * * *

ALTAR FLOWERS

The following people will be supplying our flowers

during the month of July:

7/ 6 – Stu & Carla Gerhardt in honor of their

Wedding Anniversary.

7/13 - Howard & Dee Rasmussen in honor of

their 55^th Wedding Anniversary.

7/20 – George & Kathleen Sparks in honor of

their 9^th Wedding Anniversary.

7/27 – Jeff & Kerry Melby in honor of their 17^th

Wedding Anniversary.

With Christian Sympathy we remember the family & friends of Marian Clemmons who passed away on June 10^th. Services were held on Saturday, June 14^th, with Pastor Dick Inglett officiating.“Rest eternal grant them O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them.”

* * * * * *

Kevin Todryk and Kari Culver were married at our altar on Saturday, June 7^th.

We extend our best wishes to Kevin & Kari.

* * * * * *

Lukas Daniel Kubasik, son of Michael & Brenda Kubasik was baptized on Sunday, June 1^st.

AND

Mariah Leigh Gonzalez, daughter of mark & Kristi Gonzalez was baptized on Sunday, June 15^th.

Please remember Lukas & Mariah in your prayers.

* * * * * *

Vacuum Cleaner needed – The church needs to purchase a new industrial type vacuum cleaner. If you would like to contribute to the fund, please place your contribution in an envelope and mark it “New Vacuum”, and place it in the offering plate or drop it off at the church office.

Federal Disaster Aid

The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that federal disaster aid has been made available for the state of Wisconsin to help people and communities recover from the effects of severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding

beginning on June 5, 2008, and continuing.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated counties can applying for assistance by registering online at www.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speck impaired. The toll free telephone numbers will operate from 8

a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.

* * * * * *

Stewardship committee -

A newly forming Stewardship committee will begin meeting in early August. Brian Kjorlie is the Church Council liaison. The Stewardship committee is responsible for the shepherding of the gifts that God has given to Bethlehem Lutheran. Traditionally these gifts have been seen as monetary. The first task of the committee will be to plan and implement our Consecration Sunday stewardship drive. As this group forms our hope is that the traditional piece of monetary stewardship is just a small part of the role they will be playing the life of the church. The evangelism committee is doing a great job of helping people discover their gifts. It will be the task of the stewardship committee to see that these gifts are put use in service to Christ’s church. Please look to the August Newsletter for meeting date and time. In this next month please let Brian or the church office know of your desire to help service as a shepherd to the gifts of God’s people.

* * * * * *

Mowing and plantings thank you Mark Portzen and Bob Rehdantz for keeping the lawn mowed and looking nice. Thank you to Dick Olson for the church planters and church sign plantings and their maintenance. Thank you Ron Donahue and George Sparks for watering the planters.

God’s Family Serving Christ with Love.

Expanding Ministries update -

In May we introduced the process of Expanding the ministry of Bethlehem Lutheran. A small number of people indicated their interests. Each of them has received a written thank you for their input. Our initial responses indicated areas of interest around exercise classes, Cards and Healthy Weight Loss. A couple of these areas of interest were addressed immediately. Zumba, led by Kari Langkamp is off to a great start. On June 21 there was a gathering for playing

cards, with more planned in the future.

Included in this newsletter is another form. There will be a basket in the narthex to collect your surveys. Please make every effort to fill this out. You are not necessarily committing to anything. Instead we are looking to hear from you in

what areas the interest and energy of the congregation is located.

On Wednesday July 16 at 6:00 p.m. and Sunday July 20 at 10:15 a.m. you are invited to participate in two focus groups. These focus groups will look at the expanding ministry information that has been gathered and work towards a process of implementing new ministries in the life of the congregation.

Expanding Ministries Interest Areas

Bethlehem Lutheran Church

July 2008

Please review this page and check off as many areas as you might be interested. Those items marked with an * already exist in some form in the congregation. The rest of the listings are possibilities. We encourage you to write in more ideas. Do not get caught up in which area your idea falls under. Nor should you make too much of where each area is listed. What we are looking for is groupings of interest that will give us direction on which ministries and areas to expand.

(For multiple family members please write first initial by that person’s area of interest.)

Recreation Youth

o Golf League o Youth Group Activities*

o Softball League o Confirmation *

o Volleyball League o Sunday School*

o Basketball League o Sunday School*

o Walking/Hiking o Tutoring School Age Children

o Cross Country Skiing ______________

o Down Hill Skiing ______________

o Fishing ______________

o Zumba Exercise Class*

o Exercise Class Support Groups

________________ o Gluten-free support group

________________ o Loss and Grief group

________________ o Parenting support

o Healthy Weight Loss

o Alcohol or Drug Abuse

Social Ministry o Women who have Experienced Abuse

o Friday Night Fish Frys ________________

o Talent Shows ________________

o Communion Luncheons ________________

o Nifty Fifty plus*

o Cards (Euchre, Sheepshead, 500)

o Christian weight watchers Community Service Community Service

o Play group for parents with toddlers o Medical/Free Clinic

________________ o Access to Government Services

________________ o Estate Planning

________________ o Financial Planning and Consultation

o Pre-School Education

o Food Pantry*

o River Haven Homeless Shelter*

________________

__________________

Working with Other Churches Church Service Activities

o Crop Walk* o Quilting*

o Week of Prayer for Christian Unity o Knitting & Crocheting*

o Faith Dialogues o Choir*

________________ o Praise Team*

________________ o Prayer Chain*

________________ o Homebound Communion Servers

________________

Study and Learning _______________

o Bible Study* _______________

o Text Study*

o Meditation

o Parenting Church Committees

o Relationships o Women of the ELCA*

o Men’s Breakfast Bible Study o Stewardship*

________________ o Finance*

________________ o Worship and Music*

________________ o Evangelism*

________________ o Christian Education*

o Liturgical Arts*

Gardening/Care of Creation o Care of Creation*

o Sharing Garden Produce o Property*

o Develop and Maintain Church Prayer Garden ________________

o Host Gardening Club ________________

o Develop and Maintain beauty of Church’s 20 acres ________________

________________

Church Work Groups

o Men who Like to Do Stuff

o Funeral Luncheons*

o Meals on Wheels*

________________

SEASONS OF THE FIELD ...

The Season is vacation, visitors and tourists. When you receive this our family will be in the middle of a two week vacation and I would like to share with you Inglett's Insights from vacations past.

1. The other line always moves faster and if you enter the other

line it will then grind to a stop.

2. They say a skunk cannot smell its own scent. Yet after walking

around an amusement park all day, sweating like a horse, with pop

and food spilled on you; it is possible for a skunk to smell its own

scent and it doesn't smell like roses.

3. The hotter the day, the darker the surface on which you walk.

4. The whirlpool in your hotel will wait to break down until the day

you arrive.

5. Finally, when you are on vacation you cannot get lost because

somebody will always tell you where to go. And after all no matter

where you go there you are.

Now I have observed two things from Inglett's insights. Number 1 is that the world is too large. For there are wars and rumors of wars continually on this planet. But not once at a zoo or amusement park, in an area no more than 3 miles square, have I ever seen a fight break out. Smelly people crunched together, on hot asphalt, standing in slow moving lines, from every country and language on earth were able to live together for a day. Our world is too big and maybe we need to see life as a walk through a zoo and that every one else smells just as bad and is just as hot as we are.

Secondly, I have observed that some people made their vacation a vacation for those around them. While others made their vacation an ordeal for all, a quest to be conquered. They had "earned" their vacation and they were going to enjoy it no matter what the cost to themselves or others.

I pray in this season of vacation and tourists that we can see the whole world as small and that what we do effects everyone around us. And that we see our time of vacation as a gift from God to enjoy and to share with others.

In Christ

Pastor Dick

Vacation Bible School will be taking place on August 4^th through August 8 at the Portage United Methodist church. Please join us from 8:30 am until 11:30 a.m. and have a BLAST with Power Lab. We still need adults and junior high/high school students to sign on as helpers. Please contact Kerry Melby at 742-7819 if you want to join in on the fun.

Parents please register your child/children using the enclosed form. Send it, or take it to the Methodist church as soon as you can. Planning is much easier if we know how many are going to be attending. We are still collecting white t-shirts, and watch for signs in the narthex in the coming weeks for items you can donate.

Text Box: Power Lab VBS
2008
REGISTRATION FORM
(ONE PER CHILD)

Name: ______________________________________ Child’s age: _____________

Street address: _______________________________________________________

City: _________________________________ State: __________ Zip: ___________

Home telephone: ____________________ Cell: _____________________________

Home e-mail address: ___________________________________________________

Last school grade completed: __________ Date of birth: ____________________

In case of emergency, contact: _____________________________________________

Pick-up Person: