Bethlehem Lutheran

If you missed Deacon Heather's sermon this morning, please take listen to it on Spotify here:

9-8-24 Sermon - Deacon Heather by Bethlehem Lutheran Church This weekend we hear a story where Jesus is on ‘foreign soil’ and encounters a woman begging for help. Jesus himself seems to show partiality in his rather rude response to her. Is he speaking out of his human worldview, but transcends those limits when she takes him by surprise with her clever ...

Thank you to everyone who joined in this afternoon’s Rally Day picnic potluck! Celebrating Unity in God’s Diversity!

The food was delicious, the fellowship was delightful and we are so grateful for everyone to helped set up, prepared food, served food, joined in conversation, tied quilts, crafted and made the day special. BLC is looking forward to an amazing program year and we are excited that you are a part of it!

What a lovely Rally Day we had this morning at BLC! Thank you to everyone for kicking off the program year with Sunday School, Preteens’ Connect, Confirmation and a beautiful worship service!

Reminder: Bethlehem will host one worship service this Sunday at 10:45 am. We hope to see you there! And be sure to stay for the picnic potluck afterwards!

This weekend we hear a story where Jesus is on ‘foreign soil’ and encounters a woman begging for help. Jesus himself seems to show partiality in his rather rude response to her. Is he speaking out of his human worldview, but transcends those limits when she takes him by surprise with her clever response? This story shows us that God has no partiality.

This may be just the thing we need to hear this Sunday as we begin a new ministry year! Hearing this story may help us focus new intensity on our commitment to give witness to the vastness of God’s vision, the immensity of God’s mission. We really know just how deeply God loves the whole world—and that is exactly what the world needs to hear right now!

It's day and at Northern Illinois Food Bank we continue to provide nutritious food and resources for our neighbors, with dignity, equity and convenience, through partnerships and innovation. We envision for everyone in Northern Illinois to have the food they need to thrive.

Today and every day we are thankful for those who support our mission, from our team members, partners, donors, volunteers and neighbors.

The ELCA encourages all of us to be active participants in society, reflecting Christ's love through our actions and advocacy. Learn more about how you can engage with your community meaningfully through our Civic Engagement Guide.

With thanks to Tim Brown for today’s reflection on storyteller Madeleine L’Engle:

Today I would lobby hard that the church remember one of its premier contemporary storytellers: Madeleine L'Engle, Writer, Dreamer, and Master of Imagination.

Born in New York City in late 1918, Madeleine L'Engle Camp (she would eventually drop the Camp) was born to a pianist mother and a writer father, and took up her own writing discipline at the young age of eight. She was known as an awkward and shy child, and did poorly in school mostly due to her inability to assimilate. Because of her poor marks, her parents moved her around from school to school (and even physically moved, themselves) in an attempt to find the right fit for their family. Due to her social dis-ease, Madeleine found her home within the pages of the books that brought her comfort and friendship.

Madeleine graduated from Smith College and moved back to New York City to live as a writer and stage performer. She published her first two novels there, married actor Hugh Franklin, and birthed their first child, Josephine. Desiring a change of pace, the young family moved to Connecticut and became merchants of a small general store there as their family grew to add a son Bion and an adopted daughter, Maria.

It should be noted that even though she was writing this whole time, Madeleine had very little success getting her work published.

Because money was tight, the family moved back to New York City in 1959 so that Hugh could resume his acting career. Madeleine continued to write even though very little of it was read by anyone, and by 1960 she had finally finished what would become her seminal work: _A Wrinkle in Time_.

It was rejected by 30 publishers before finally being picked up.

I'll say that again for those in the back who fear that their work is no good: _A Wrinkle in Time_ was rejected 30 times before being published. It would go on to win the Newberry Medal for Junior Fiction in 1962.

Madeleine would continue to give herself away for those she loved even after having attained international literary success. She taught at a local school, volunteered at a local library, and was very active in her Episcopalian parish where she not only served with the community but also accepted a few writer-in-residence opportunities. All the while she continued to write for audiences young and old, both in fiction and memoir form, tantalizing the imagination of so many in this world.

L'Engle understood that fantasy is the language we use to tell truths that are just too hard or deep to understand through common symbolism and dry prose. Fantasy is not an escape from, but an invitation deeply into, the heart of reality.

Children get this. Adults...not so much.

Madeleine was a convinced Christo-centric Universalist, claiming that no God could "punish people forever." She said she could not do that as a parent, nor wish it upon her children, so how could a loving God do so with their own creation?

After a lifetime of writing, speaking, and creating for humanity, Madeleine L'Engle slowly slowed her pace and died on this day in 2007. She remains a beloved author by so many and an ever-present voice of challenge to humanity. In a world obsessed with "did it actually happen?" L'Engle reminds us that a much more important and interesting question is, "It doesn't matter if it happened, does it happen?"

Madeleine L'Engle is a reminder for me, and should be for the church (and indeed the whole world), that fantasy tells deep truths, and perhaps religion would do well to not only acknowledge that fact, but lean into a bit.

Let those with ears to hear, hear.

-historical bits gleaned from public sources

-icon written by Jenny Kroik

"Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you" (Ephesians 4:31-32).

Bethlehem's next Baptism Class will be held Sunday, September 29, 10:00 am in the Fireside Room.

Baptism joins us to the body of Christ and to the mission we share as followers of Jesus. At Bethlehem, we always celebrate baptism within the context of worship, as baptism is the sacrament that binds us to God and to one another!

We tend to baptize infants and children, but baptism can be celebrated at all ages and stages of life. If you’re looking to have yourself or your child baptized at Bethlehem, please call the church office at 630-584-2199 or email [email protected]. Children are welcome and encouraged to attend!

"Information coming from trusted members of the community can go a long way to help voters navigate a potentially confusing situation. • Misinformation, disinformation, and even just plain confusing information can serve as a barrier to voting." Our civic engagement as people of faith can help. Learn more in a reshare from the Faith in Elections Playbook of Interfaith America https://blogs.elca.org/advocacy/trustworthy-information/

Read on for this week's Midweek Message from Colin Pilkington, our new Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministries at Bethlehem!

So, for those of you I haven’t had the chance to meet yet: Hi, I’m Colin, and I’m the new Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministries!

Here are the common answers to the questions already forming in your minds:

I’m 31.

I just moved into a rental home in Carpentersville with my fiancée Kathryn, our dog Cybil, our three cats—Cricket, Cloud, and Thea—and our surprisingly popular snake Salazar—he’s an Australian Carpet Python.

I’m originally from the Northern Suburbs up by Six Flags in Gurnee/Grayslake.

We moved up here from Lexington, KY where Kathryn just finished her PhD in Biology from the University of Kentucky and where I was working at Four Roses Distillery as a Tour Guide. Kathryn is now a professor at DePaul University in the Environmental Science and Studies Department. She’s originally from northern Florida and she’s more excited about the snow and cold than I am.

My Dad is from Kentucky, my Mom is from Wisconsin. I have one brother, Corey, who is currently working to be a butcher at a Mariano’s in Libertyville. I also have two unofficial siblings who have been my best friends for the majority of my life because sometimes you pick people to be family regardless of blood relations. All of them live in the northern suburbs about 45 minutes north of where we live.

I am a massive, self-proclaimed nerd. I have a deep love for fantasy and science fiction of many different varieties. I’ve been playing Dungeons & Dragons with the same group for almost a decade. I’ve been playing trading card games for longer, and video games even longer than that. I love the idea of adventure and action and the power of a good story. I’m trying to get back into reading for fun as well, but it can be difficult to not only find a captivating book but also find the energy to read it.

I have ADHD! My childhood diagnosis got reconfirmed a few years ago and I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside some fantastic people to help me with some of the challenges that come from ADHD. It’s also the source of a lot of my wonderful creativity and I can genuinely say I wouldn’t trade it for anything!

This is the start of my 10th year in Youth Ministry! I love working with children and youth because they know how to stretch you and ask those zany, weird, awesome questions that really push you in your faith—in great ways. I got into youth ministry because I wanted to be someone that could be there and speak into lives like mine was spoken into as a teen. God decided that I was going to do a lot more learning than speaking, and I can confidently say I’ve been doing a lot of learning. I’m really excited this year to dive into community with our children and youth as we learn together. I’m also really excited for some fun things we have in the works, especially with the high schoolers—remember, that mini-golf challenge on the 15th is still there, cause I’ve been practicing!

Bethlehem drew me in for a number of reasons, but the biggest one was that I saw a community of faith who openly said “We want to put priority on our Youth and Children.” Folks that is huge in a time where, “post-covid,” a lot of churches are making tough decisions about staff. Another major thing that drew me here was the church’s openness, warmth, and willingness to sit with tough topics. Not many churches are willing to tackle things like Christian Nationalism. Not everyone is willing to put in the effort to become a RIC church. Perhaps the biggest draw was the excitement in everyone I met. Everyone in the search team had something unique they loved and were excited about for Bethlehem, as were all the youth who came to my in-person interview. By about the halfway point of that in-person interview I was more than ready to say ‘yes’ because that energy excited me!

Y’all have been so amazingly friendly, welcoming, and downright awesome! I truly cannot thank you all enough for coming up and introducing yourselves, telling me about yourselves and asking how my move went or how I’m settling in. Y’all really know how to make a guy feel like part of the family!

So that’s most of the basic questions out of the way. My challenge for you now is to come introduce yourself to me and ask something more “Out of Left Field.” Ask me something weird, wild, and fun! I’ll do my best to ask some weird questions in return!

Peace and God Bless,

Colin

Hey BLC! We need help with the setup and cleanup for the potluck picnic this coming Sunday, September 8. Can you help out?! If so, contact Craig Collins at [email protected] or comment on this post!

We will start moving tables and chairs out of Fellowship Hall onto the preschool parking lot at 9:30 am and should be done by worship at 10:45 am. After the picnic is over, we will return the tables to Fellowship Hall. Thank you in advance for your help in making this event great!

Thank you to everyone who worshiped with BLC this past Sunday! We are grateful to the many disciples who worshiped, served, sang, read, played music, distributed communion, and prayed together.

As we wrap up Ministry Month at BLC, we hope you were able to hear about the numerous ways you can get involved in the many ministries BLC has to offer!

This coming Sunday, September 8, be sure to pick up a flyer listing details on how you can register or sign up with various BLC ministries!

And if you missed worshiping with us this past weekend, be sure to check out our YouTube channel at bit.ly/BLCyoutube to watch worship or Spotify to hear Pastor Krista's sermon at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bethlehem-lutheran-/episodes/9-1-24-Sermon---Pastor-Krista-e2nv13c

🎃👻 Help share the Spirit of Halloween with the individuals and families we serve by donating to Mutual Ground's Halloween Costume Drive!

🍭 We are collecting candy and gently used or new costumes in all sizes!

Donation Drop-Off Information:

🕐 Mondays: 8:00 AM -1:00 PM
🕐 Wednesdays: 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM
📍Mutual Ground: 418 Oak Ave. Aurora, IL

When dropping off donations during normal donation hours, please stop at Door #2 and ring the doorbell on the sign.

Please drop off donations by October 11, 2024.

💜 Your kindness and generosity will help us make this Halloween extra spooktacular for our clients!!

"For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

Registration for BLC's Children & Youth Ministries for the 2024-2025 year is OPEN! We are looking forward to a great year with our BLC Youth!

Sunday School:
Programming begins September 8 at 10:00 am in Education Hall
Register here: bit.ly/BLCSS2425

Preteens' Connect:
Programming begins September 8 at 10:00 am in the Youth Room
Register here: bit.ly/BLCPTC2425

Confirmation:
Kickoff meeting for parents and students on September 8 from 10:00–10:45 am during Education Hour in Ekstrom Hall.
Register here: bit.ly/BLCC2425

We are in need of a few more Children & Youth Ministries teachers! If you can lend us a hand in making Sunday School & Preteens' Connect special for our children this year, we will take care of all the prep work. Please contact Colin Pilkington ([email protected]) or Leslie Blount ([email protected]) if you are interested and available to volunteer.

Our church office will be closed Monday, September 2 in observance of Labor Day.

Please join in a three-part upcoming Faith Forum sponsored by Bethlehem Brothers: Faith and Politics. We will meet on Sundays: September 15, October 6, & November 10, from 4:00–5:30 pm in Ekstrom Hall. Read on for more details!

The gospel of Jesus Christ at its very core is political, but not in the way that we have come to define the term “political.” Jesus declared himself to be King. But he does not allow us to put him in our political boxes. These are major themes in Political Gospel – Public Witness in a Politically Crazy World, a book by Patrick Schreiner.

In three upcoming forums, we will examine what it means to be constructively active in the political arena, whether one is Republican, Democrat or Independent, while at the same time acknowledging our allegiance to Jesus our Lord and Savior.

We have invited Pastor Ron Feltman, Senior Pastor at Epiphany Lutheran Church in Elmhurst, to help us explore on September 15, the key ideas in Schreiner’s book, and what it means for our Christian witness.

All Bethlehem disciples, including high school youth and guests, are welcome!

Be sure to check out this link (youtube.com/watch?v=642mmhJ6WPQ) to watch a short interview with Patrick Schreiner about Political Gospel.

For more information contact Bethlehem Brothers Advisory Team members, Craig Collins ([email protected]) or Paul Dayton ([email protected]). For more information on the Bethlehem Brothers ministry, visit our website at bethlehemluth.org/bethlehembrothers

Please note, our regularly scheduled Faith Forums will resume in Ekstrom Hall from 10:00–10:45 am beginning Sunday, September 15.

Join us in preparing food for our neighbors at Lazarus House on Saturday, September 14! Visit bit.ly/LazarusSept2024 to sign up to serve.

If you cannot serve on the exact service date, you are still able to help out our neighbors in need of food! Prepared food can be dropped off the Thursday or Friday prior to the service date at Lazarus House. Please be sure it is labeled with the date it is meant to be served—example: "This item to be served on Saturday, September 14." More details about food items can be found on the sign-up page.

Learn more about how BLC supports our neighbors at Lazarus House by visiting bethlehemluth.org/ministries/

Expansive Church 2024—Grant Applications are NOW OPEN!

Visit bit.ly/2024GrantApp to access the online application.

Visit bit.ly/2024GrantAppPrintable to access a printable application. Mail completed applications to:

Bethlehem Lutheran Church c/o Deacon Heather Feltman
PO Box 3850
1145 N. 5th Ave
St. Charles, IL 60174

What is Expansive Church 2024!

Expansive Church 2024! is an outreach initiative of Bethlehem Lutheran Church (BLC), St. Charles, IL. This program is an incubator or an accelerator for entrepreneurs and nonprofits with innovative ideas to address social issues.

How does Expansive Church 2024! work?

This initiative seeks grant applications from entrepreneurs and nonprofits with business models that address social issues and/or community needs. A selection process defined by a team of Bethlehem disciples will determine eligibility and grant awards in December of the current calendar year.

Are there certain focus areas?

Expansive Church 2024! awards grants to organizations building solutions to address homelessness, affordable housing, refugee resettlement, criminal justice reform, racial equity, poverty, human rights, employment, health care, community development, and education. NOTE: Other programs and initiatives may be considered based on their individual merits.

For any questions, please reach out to Deacon Heather Feltman at [email protected] or Lori Linkimer at [email protected]

For more information on Expansive Church 2024, visit bethlehemluth.org/ministries/

September is Hunger Action Month and we are going Orange! 🍊 Did you know Orange is the national color of hunger?

This September, you can get involved and help solve hunger with Northern Illinois Food Bank! Check out ways to take action and get involved this month. ➡️ https://solvehungertoday.org/ham

"Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of his spirit, washed in his blood. This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long" ("Blessed Assurance," ELW 638).