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THE BETHEL BEACON ~ MAY 2018

A MESSAGE FROM THE PASTOR….

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, Since April we have been moving through the celebratory seasons of the Church. April started with the news of Easter Resurrection — Jesus lives and so shall we!! — and near the end of May we will close with Pentecost, (which last year was my first Sunday at Bethel. So by the church year we have journeyed a year) (Don’t forget to wear Red). Pentecost is the culmination of that new life of resurrection forged into the living, breathing Body of Christ, the Church. At Pentecost Sunday (May 20) we celebrate the birthday of the Church, the beginning of Christianity, the start of the new life in Christ breathed into the followers of Jesus through the promised Holy Spirit. The Spirit comes, we're told in Acts 2, as "a sound like the rush of a violent wind [that] filled the entire house where the disciples were sitting." It was a paranormal event: "Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among the gathered followers, and tongues rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, or understand people speaking in other languages, as the Spirit gave them this ability. When these men and women began to speak and/or understand languages they never knew before, the words that came forth from them were words that scripture says referred to "God's deeds of power" (Acts 2:11), specifically God's work of sending a Messiah, Jesus Christ. Peter declared: In the Book of Acts 2:22-25,32-33, & 36.

22 "You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know-- 23 this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. 24 But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. 25 For David says concerning him, 'I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken; 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear. 36 Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified."

This Spirit-filled and Spirit-moved activity and the proclamations that came forth during it led to the formation of a movement, a community, a gathering of people called out of the world's approach to life who now came together to follow Jesus and live out his love. This is the model of our new worship opportunity Koinonia. Acts 2:37-47 "Brothers, what should we do?" 38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him." 40 And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41 So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. 44 All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45 they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food

Church Telephone #: (402) 873-6218

Email: betheluccurch1887@gmail.com

Website: www.bethelucchurch.com

Find us on

BETHEL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

2400 CENTRAL AVE. NEBRASKA CITY, NE

68410

Rev. David Butz, Pastor

pastordavidbethelucc@gmail.com

Sunday School @ 9 am Worship time @ 10:00 am

Continued…

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with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. In our lives, birthdays come and go. The younger you are the more exciting and anticipated they seem to be. The older you are the less you want to note them. Perhaps it's not only that we don't like to think about how much older we're getting, but birthdays might also be forgettable because we'd rather not think about how we may or may not have made the most and the best of the years we've been given.

When we look at the birthday of the Church and look at what and who it seems the Christian Church has become over 2000 years and who and what we are today we might not want to mark our birthday. There's been a lot of muck and mire that the Church and Christians and Christianity have come to represent for many who have been burned, hurt, confused, or rejected by this group that claims to be the ancestors, the lineage of Jesus himself. But Pentecost can and should be a time to think about what's ahead for us. A birthday doesn't have to be limited to thinking of the years past, but like the birthday of a small child, let's get excited about what's ahead. We here at Bethel United Church of Christ are part of making the word "Church," the identity "Christian," the designation "Christianity" look and feel more like it's original intention: a community gathered to live out and live in the love of Christ. Let's grasp hold of the wonderful grace of God as God breathes into us again the paranormal force and power of the Holy Spirit so that we might be living by the Spirit's power, producing the Spirit's fruit, remembering and representing the words and ways of Jesus our Messiah, our Lord, our Savior. This Pentecost come and join us. We will be celebrating the Birthday of the church and communion. Happy Birthday Christian Church!! Pastor David Bethel is a happening church come and join us. We have many opportunities starting in May and June. Communion will be May 20th this month Due to Pastor being away on the first Sunday. First Fireside Chat for the year will be on Saturday May 19, 2018. Come and join us for fun, food, and fellowship. New Member Trip to St. Louis Meeting after church on May 20, 2018. PRAY – There is information about the P.R.A.Y.’s core work/study program. The P.R.A.Y. Programs are restricted by grade level. Students can only participate in the program for their appropriate grade. The younger awards generally take 4-6 weeks to complete. The older awards can take 3-4 months or longer. Student Workbooks, Counselor Manuals, and Mentor Workbooks. Students are required to record their answers in their workbooks. The curriculum lends itself to a series of lessons in a classroom setting. The final review must be conducted by the pastor. Awards can only be ordered through a registration process after all the requirements have been completed. P.R.A.Y. keeps a national registry of all award recipients. The P.R.A.Y. Program is for members of Protestant and Independent Christian churches. Our initial meeting will be Wednesday, May 30th at 5:30 pm.

Adult Faith Formation – stay tuned for information about our next book study.

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Boy Scout Troop 353 is having a “garage sale”

to raise funds for their 2019 Philmont trek. Sale

is located in Fellowship Hall on Friday, June 1st

from Noon—? And Saturday, June 2nd from

8 am—? If anyone has any donations for the

sale, please contact Jen Hamilton at (402) 209-

3765 or Jen Tietz at 1-765-577-0160.

Vacation Bible

School

IN OUR PRAYERS IN MARCH AND APRIL

Justin Williams, Logan Drabek, Mason Wieckhorst, Ella Mathisen, Don

Grundman, Roy Murphy, Tim Worcester, JoAnn Weible, Helen Ramold,

Quintin Holman, Carol Biere, Cynthia Grundman, Lou Hauptman, Janice

Holman, Tanya Chapin and Tom Thaemlitz, Mac, Terry Francis, Helen Long,

Jeff and Amanda Evans, Phyllis Buss, John Brust, the family and friends of

Betty Blankenship, the family and friends of Ruth Wurtele, the family and

friends of Eldon Hammers, the family and friend of Roger Wieckhorst, the

family and friends of Jerry Jensen, the family and friends of Dennis Barrett,

and all who struggle with chronic illness, including those who reside in their

homes and long-term care facilities .

Our first fireside chat for the summer

will be Saturday, May 19th at 7 pm.

Remember to bring your lawn chairs

and any games you’d like to play.

On Sunday, June 3rd, we will be

voting on whether or not to

extend the pastoral call to Pastor

David. Be sure to show up if you

would like to vote!

Tanya Chapin and Tom Thaemlitz

welcomed “Adrian”, their foster

son, into their family on March

29th. He is a sweet 2 year old.

Katie Chapin is his Great Grand-

mother. We are so blessed.

Thank you for the prayers.

~ Katie Chapin

Thank you to everyone who brightened our

sanctuary with flowers, and who sponsored

bulletins during the month

of April.

Who: 3 yrs. old (and potty trained) through completed 5th grade What: VBS 2018!!! Where: Presbyterian Church When: July 23—27, 2018 9 am—Noon Why: Because it’s fun, that’s why!

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Roger & Karen Pieper

May 7, 1965

Alex & Natalie Sevening

May 14, 2011

Derek & Jessica Ferguson

May 19, 2012

Chuck & Shellene Funk

May 21, 2011

Stephen & Christine Luther

May 25, 2001

Kevin & Jan Pummel

May 25, 1975

BEST WISHES TO THOSE CELEBRATING THEIR BIRTHDAYS IN

MAY

Mike Redelfs 4th David Carpenter 5th Rylee Mills 7th

Delphine Griepenstroh 9th Katie Chapin 11th Sharon Kotas 11th

Brian Bando 12th Jason Stukenholtz 13th Grace Sinner 14th

LaVonda Bando 18th Anna Hotsenpillar 18th Dalyce Sudman 19th

Emily Meadows 24th Tyler Vock 25th Katheryn Walters 27th

Andrew Stukenholtz 28th Bill Walters 29th

LOOKING AHEAD TO JUNE

Fri. 1st & Sat. 2nd: Boy Scout garage sale in Fellowship Hall

Sun. 3rd: Communion and Food Pantry, VBS mtg. 6 pm at the

Presbyterian Church

Mon. 11th: Church Council 7 pm

Tues. 12th: Women’s Fellowship Brown Bag lunch Bday party at

Noon in Fellowship Hall

Sun. 17th: Father’s Day

Sun. 24th: Fellowship Hall reserved by Peggy Johnson

Last week of June: Confirmation Trip Week!

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The Bethel United Church of Christ Church Council met in regular session Monday night, April 9 at 7pm in Duensing Chapel. In attendance were President Chip Johnson, Mark Francis, Mike Redelfs, Norm Brown, and Lynn Wurtele. Also in attendance were Pastor Dave, Church Secretary Sarah Bando, and Michelle Francis from the Spiritual Council. President Chip Johnson called the meeting to order. Pastor Dave gave the opening prayer. Secretary Norm Brown read the minutes from the March 9 Church Council meeting. The minutes were approved as read. Sandy Ried Financial Secretary presented the Financial Statement in writing. Mike Redelfs made a motion and Lynn Wurtele seconded to pay the bills. The motion carried. Pastor Dave gave his report: Confirmation was Palm Sunday March 25th. Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services were held at Bethel UCC. Pastor Dave preached at the Community Good Friday service at the First Christian Church. 30 members attended the Easter Sunrise Service in Fellowship Hall and 9 people attended the First Wednesday Evening Service on April 4. No Memorial Report from Margaret Brust. Michelle Francis gave the Spiritual Council Report. The Nebraska City High School Baccalaureate Service will be at Bethel United Church of Christ May 6 at 6:00 pm. Norm Brown will be Pulpit Supply on Sunday Morning, May 6, which will also be Senior Recognition Day. There will be a wedding in December. The Spiritual Council discussed having a Junk in the Trunk Silent Auction, and possibly having a concert with the band “ReleasT”. Serving hamburgers and hot dogs on the Jaycee’s July 4th Celebration and possibly have a service on Teenage Bullying and Suicide at the church. Sarah Bando gave her report: She's still working on the Church Directory. The AA banquet will be Saturday April 28 in Fellowship Hall. Mike and Brenda Wieckhorst will have their Plant Sale from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm in the Sunday school classrooms. The Church Women United May Fellowship Luncheon will be May 4th in Fellowship Hall. Nanette Meleynek will be having an indoor sale at Loren Meleynek's house April 27, 28, and 29 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. She is looking for volunteers from the church to come help with the sale. Our church is a backup for Laura Anderson's wedding September 2. Primary Election will be Tuesday, May 15, with voting in Fellowship Hall. The Board of Christian Ed: Sunday May 6 will be Senior Recognition with Breakfast for the Seniors and their families and Mentors. Sunday May 20 will be Sunday school Teacher Recognition and 4th quarter attendance awards and the Church Picnic will be at Arbor Lodge. Bohl Plumbing does not do maintenance contracts but Bohl’s will do service on the air conditioners and furnaces. The Search Committee met with Pastor Dave on Friday April 6 to discuss his feelings on being called as permanent Pastor at Bethel . Norm Brown made a motion and Mike Redelfs seconded to extend the call to Rev. David Butz as Pastor at Bethel UCC on Sunday, June 2. The Search Committee will present the contract for Pastor Dave Butz at the May 14 Church Council Meeting. There being no further business, the Church Council meeting closed with the reciting of The Lord's Prayer. The next Bethell UCC Church Council Meeting will be Monday Night, May 14 at 7pm. Respectfully submitted, Norm Brown

CHURCH COUNCIL

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BOARD OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION ——————————————————————————

The Board of Christian did not meet this month, but things were discussed via email/

text. Plans were finalized for Senior Recognition Breakfast, and invitations were

made and sent out.

Reminder: May 20th will be a busy day! Teacher recognition, 4th quarter

attendance awards, and our All-Church picnic will all be that day.

Our next meeting will be Monday, May 14th at 6pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Sarah Bando, Secretary

Our annual church picnic will be Sunday, May 20th following worship at

Arbor Lodge. The Board of Christian Education will provide the meat and

drinks. Please bring a side dish or desert to share (not required), and your

own table service. If you have any games you like to play, bring those too!

SAVE THE DATE!

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Bethel United Church of Christ Spiritual Council Meeting Minutes

Pastor’s Office ~ Monday, April 2, 2018 7:00 pm

Present: President Paula Ramold, Vice-President Michelle Francis, Secretary Burt Weible, and Neal Niebruegge.

Paula called the meeting to order, Pastor opened with a prayer. Burt read the minutes of previous meeting. Michelle made a motion to approve the minutes as read, Neal seconded, motion carried.

Pastor Report: Pastor commented that we had 30 attendees to the Sunrise service and 94 to the 10:00 Easter service. Overall it was a busy Lenten season. Future events include and another upcoming Baptism on May 13th, and December Wedding. Discussed more details of recent ALICE training. This is training on violent intruders, and is a acronym for Alert, Locate, Isolate, Confine, and Evacuate. Because of tips from this class he would like to relocate the position of some our security cameras and possibly upgrade the system. He also commented that because of HIPPA restrictions hospitals no longer inform Pastors when a member is admitted. If you are in the hospital or know you are going to be admitted and would like a Pastoral visit please let him or the church office know. He also commented that our building sits empty most of the week and would like to see it used more. If anyone knows of a group that needs a meeting location please let them or the church office know and arrangements could be possible. Pastor has also been working on a list of individuals considered home bound members that he would like to visit, and he continues to work on the Pray program discussed during the March meeting.

Old Business: Paula has arranged for Norm Brown to fill for Pastor David on May 6th. The council also discussed the upcoming week day worship services, Michelle has been busy making additional signs to get the word out. We also discussed possible fund-raising ideas. Look for more to come.

New Business: Discussed possibly having a least one Altar communion during the year and discussed the Altar cloth schedule for the upcoming months. Cloths will remain white until Pentecost Sunday when they will be red. Then back to white until June 10th at which time we will go to green.

There being no further new business, Neal made a motion to adjourn, Michelle seconded. Pastor led us in the Lord’s prayer.

Next meeting May 7th at 7:00 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Burt Weible, Secretary

SPIRITUAL COUNCIL

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BETHEL UCC WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP

Pastor David opened the March 13th Bethel Women’s Fellowship meeting with prayer. There were 10 present at the pizza luncheon. Minutes of the last meeting were approved and new yearbooks were passed out. Bills were presented and paid. Thank you’s from the families of George Stukenholtz, Helen Johnson and Harold Hauberg were received, as well as Hoyleton Youth & Family Services for a $25 donation.

Bonnie Wurtele has been sending cards out and Katie Chapin visited Georgia Teten. If anyone wishes they could send a note or card to Don Grundman, Sharon Kotas or Carol Biere.

We have been blessed with many alter flowers. Pastor changed out a light in the big kitchen and is planning on switching an outlet back on in the little kitchen, where the cook top used to sit. Connie Gieseking says the Prayer Chain is working fine- if anyone wants their email added to let her know.

Our October Harvest Breakfast was a success and we have tentatively set a date for October 12, 2018 for this year’s.

BWF hosted the CWU World Community Day. 24 sisters as well as Pastor David attended, Stacie Higgins shared The Edge Neb City Presentation. We took up the CWU offering with our local offering being $1026.

New Business: Easter Sunrise Breakfast will be taken care of.

May 4th the CWU Friendship Luncheon will be hosted here at Bethel. The theme is

“Reaching for Wholeness In Gratitude for God’s Presence”. Mary is making tickets and Sarah is making posters (invites) to be handed out. We will meet Tuesday, April 10, 2018 for a planning meeting at noon.

Our next scheduled meeting is June 12th

with a Brown Bag lunch Birthday Party at noon. All are welcome!!!!! Mary will provide the cake. We closed our meeting with least coin to CWU, offering and a closing prayer. We ended with Passing the Memory Flower in remembrance of Gladys Huss.

Respectfully,

Michelle Francis

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Thank you to all who brought Easter lilies to honor and memorialize

their loved ones. They were a beautiful addition to our Easter service!

Thank you as well to everyone who helped in any way during Holy

Week and with Easter services.

In Remembrance of: From:

Rev. Edwin & Lucille Brown Norm, Nancy Melivin & Gary Liesemeyer & Nick Brown Jack Hamilton & Caleb Hamilton The Hamilton Family Joy & Dorothy Reese Kathy, Jan & Ken Arnold Griepenstroh Delphine Griepenstroh, Dean & Sue Griepenstroh

Cliff Allen Mildred Allen,

Dean & Sue Griepenstroh

Nelson & Della Murphy , Burt & Cindy Weible

Bud, Rosalee, & Jennifer Weible

Gladys Huss Harold Huss

In Honor of:

Maddie, Josie, Anna, Ben, Emily, & Olivia Grandma & Grandpa

(BJ & Sandy Ried)

10th Wedding Anniversary Chad & Danielle

Barrett

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Bethel United Church of Christ

2400 Central Avenue

Nebraska City, NE 68410

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

SCHEDULED TO SERVE MAY 2018

LAY LEADERS May 6 May 13 May 20 May 27

Sarah Bando Mark Francis Sandy Ried Dennis Marshall

GREETERS May 6 May 13 May 20 May 27

Jane Kreifels/Cindy Kreifels Buck Hammers Delores Schreiner Ramold Family USHERS May 6—May 13 May 20—May 27

Burt & Cindy Weible, Michelle F., Paula Ramold Dean & Sue Griepenstroh Chip & Erin Johnson

SOUND SYSTEM

May 6—May 13 May 20—May 27

Stephen Luther Dennis Marshall

ACOLYTES May 6 May 13 May 20 May 27

Mason Wieckhorst Landon Ferguson Elizabeth Luther Madisen Tietz

Keston Holman Lilian Graham Brianna Johnson Volunteer MOWING Weeks of May 6: Stephen L. May 13th: Allan B. May 20th: Dennis & Carol M. May 27th: Jake Sinner

COOKIE FELLOWSHP:

Katie Chapin FLOWERS: Sarah Bando