Bethany Banner
In this issue:
Minutes of Meetings....................... Page 2
Activities and Events................................4
Max Lucado……………...............................6
Lighter Side…………………………………………7
Calendar................................................. 8
The Parish Paper (in separate attachment)
Pastor’s
Column
Advent Greetings to All in Jesus’ name –
As the Christmas music plays in the background,
and the cold fills the air, the signs are all around,
Christmas is near. But before we get to
Christmas, the season of Advent awaits us.
Advent, or “little Lent” is a time of reflection, a
time of hope, and a time of preparation. A time
when the Church joins together in hearing about
the hope of all those who came before Jesus, and
yet awaited with bated breath His first coming.
The season of Advent is also a purposeful time of
remembering the prophecies that were foretold
about the coming of Emmanuel, God with us.
And by the way, for all of you Spanish linguist out
there, the hope that we are talking about is
“esperar”, or hope that is founded on a promise,
God’s promise, which is repeated throughout the
Old Testament witness. And then as we draw
closer to Christ-mas, the Church remembers the
Joy of the shepherds, and hears the
announcement of the Angel, as Jesus’ birth into
the world that was created through Him, comes
to pass. What a beautiful time of preparation, as
December, 2016
we take these moments to remember, to hear, to
anticipate, and to prepare not just our homes and
food and gifts, but our hearts to receive anew the
baby Christ in the manger.
As we prepare, there will be several opportunities
to both prepare and to share about our hope in
this Advent time. As part of our worship services
for Advent, the Music and Worship Committee
has selected several beautiful Advent, and even a
few Christmas hymns to help us as we prepare
our hearts for Christmas. The Living Nativity
project is going to be an exciting opportunity for
us to join together with our friend’s in Christ
from Shepherd of the Prairie as we reach out to
our neighbors and friends in sharing the Good
News and hope of Jesus’ birth through a living
nativity scene. Many different gifts will be
needed as we both reach out through the
portrayal of the nativity story and as we greet,
serve and share with those whom the Lord will
call to come to see the Nativity on December 17th.
We will also be the host of the Ballard Ministerial
Association’s presentation of A Blue Christmas.
This is an evening vespers service of Christ-mas
remembrance, hope and promise for those who
are dealing with a time of grief and loss.
So, as we enter into this time of Advent, my
prayer for us is that we are both able to have a
purposeful time of preparation for His Christmas and a time of serving and sharing about the
hope that resides in us.
God bless us all in this Advent journey together!
Pastor Jesse
Minutes of Meetings:
Bethany’s Church Council Meeting of November 16, 2016
Attendance and preliminaries: Morey Hill, Rhonda Hill, Pastor Jesse Peterson, Cyndi Ringgenberg, Phil
Ringgenberg, Carol Ryerson, Barbara Kesl, Mike Olson, Bob Ryerson, Norma Newton. Also attending was Don
Brendeland representing Finance committee.
Consent Agenda: A motion was made to approve the Consent Agenda for November 16, 2016. Motion approved.
Pastor Report:
We are quickly approaching the end of the Church year with the beginning of Advent on Sunday November
27, 2016.
Several pastoral visits and meetings over the last month
Finalized our participation with the Ballard Ministerial Association in offering Blue Christmas as well as
worked with the BMA surrounding the Community Thanksgiving Supper and Service (November 23, 2016).
A month in review of the Ministries to celebrate within the church:
o The adult Bible School continues their walk through the Old Testament, which has provided timely
discussion surrounding from history that have been strikingly prophetic in speaking into situations
we encounter in our times.
o The Orphanage - Please continue to pray for Pastor Swen and his ability to locate new housing for
the Orphanage. More information indicates that they will not be without a home, however they may
have to move back to the parsonage of the church, which is not as close to schools, etc.
o A huge outpouring of toilet paper and food support for the Thanksgiving Food Pantry collection–
Thank you!
o Successful Orphanage Soup and Sandwich lunch – Thank you to Rhonda and the Outreach and
Service folks!
o Successful Hayride and Bon Fire – Thank you Chuck and everyone else; as well as a successful
Heritage Sunday Pancake breakfast which served about 20 people – Thank you gentlemen!
o As always, I hope I did not miss anyone???
-
Ministry needs to consider in the future:
o Community Thanksgiving Supper & Worship Service in Huxley – We may need soup and sandwich
providers???
o Are you interested in helping out with a live nativity this Christmas? If so, please let Jenny Olson or
Pastor Jesse know.
o Mission trip with Pastor Scott Licht to India in January 2017.
o Please remember the BackPack Buddies and post-Thanksgiving needs when you are out picking up
groceries in the next couple of weeks.
 See the flyer posted on the bulletin board for BackPack Buddy monthly request.
o Is there something that the church does that you have passion and skills for? If so, if you are not
already doing it, please consider serving on one of our many, needed committees in 2017. We will be
looking for Council members, committee members, and volunteers such as lectors, ushers, etc.
Old Business:
o Nativity Project committee has been meeting and tentative date is Saturday, Dec. 17 from
4-8 p.m. Many helpers will be needed. The committee is planning a lunch after the service on Nov.
27 to discuss needs.
o Blue Christmas service will be at Bethany on Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 6:30.
o The Ballard Community Thanksgiving Service will be Wed., Nov. 23 at the Ballard Middle School following a
soup supper. Offerings will go to area food pantries and BackPack Buddies.
o Pastor Jesse, Cyndi and Phil attended the Iowa District LCMC annual meeting which was held in Clear Lake
on November 12. The theme was Fishers of Men, and Steve Lien, Coordinator of Pastoral Ministry,
challenged attendees to think about how we are reaching out. Cyndi provided a written summary and
shared some of the thought-provoking ideas. Thank you Pastor, Cyndi and Phil for attending!
New Business:
o Christmas Eve service was discussed. The service will be at 6:30. There will NOT be a church service on
Sunday morning, Dec. 25th at Bethany. Shepherd of the Prairie will have a service on Dec. 23rd at 7 p.m.
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o Pastor Jesse encouraged Committee members to be thinking about their reports for the Annual Report.
Jenny would like to begin compiling information for the report so it can be available prior to the meeting
which will be March 5, 2017. Council members were asked to think about ideas for the cover page for the
report.
o Pastor Jesse inquired about having a brief time reserved for prayer prior to the Sunday service.
Committee Reports:
SECRETARY REPORT: Approved via email, for printing in Bethany Banner.
TREASURER REPORT: Email sent to all.
PASTOR REPORT: Email sent to all.
OUTREACH & SERVICE: Nothing to report.
FINANCE: Nothing to report.
WORSHIP & MUSIC: Committee discussed of Christmas Eve church service start time and inquired with Ann Staudt
regarding time availability for her.
EDUCATION: Carol reported that they found costumes for the Nativity project. Mary will make new wings for angels
and new crowns for Wise Men. Some old programs were found believed to be from 1967! DB recalled being a
shepherd.
STAFF & VOLUNTEER: Bob reported that he will be in discussion with his committee regarding committee positions
needed for next year. S&V committee and Christian Education will be in need of two new members to meet the
minimum of three.
FACILITIES: Nothing to report.
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara Kesl, Secretary
The Collection Plate:
October offerings -----$12,825.00
Needed monthly ---------$ 6,498.34 (2016 offering budget divided by 12 months)
----Norma Newton, Treasurer
Bonfire and Hayride
Thanks to all of those who planned and hosted this
year’s bonfire and hayride! A great time was had by all.
The hayride through the field lit by the bright, full
moon was a memorable experience. Plenty of hot dogs,
s’mores, laughter and an amazing fire kept all in
attendance warm on a chilly evening.
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Activities and Events
Those Who Serve in December:
Greeters: December 4 & 11 – Chuck & Cathy Potter; December 18 & 24 –Jerry & Carol Ryerson
Usher: Jerry Ryerson
Klokker: (December 11) – Eileen Primmer
Lectors: December 4–Carol Ryerson; December 11 –Eileen Primmer; December 18 – Darold Primmer; December
24–Christmas Eve Service @ 6:30 pm
Communion Preparation: (December 4) – Rhonda Hill
Communion Assistant: (December 4) – Morey Hill
Cookies: December 4 – Barb Kesl and Dolores Williams; December 11 – Eileen Primmer and Norma Newton;
December 18 - Bonnie Ballantyne and Julie Winchell
Hospice Cookies: December 15 – Cheryl Kalsem
Visits to less than mobile members:
December 1 -16 – Jerry & Joyce Peterson
December 17-31 – Chuck & Cathy Potter
Dates to Note on Your Calendar:
Saturday, December 3: 10:00 am BWOW Brunch at Blumster’s in Huxley. Attendees are invited to bring a
favorite Christmas decoration to briefly share it with the group—where you got it, why it is special, its tradition, etc.
Saturday, December 17: 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. Live Nativity event.
Wednesday, December 21: 7:00 p.m. Tentative Church Council meeting.
Don’t forget the food pantry – food or dollars. The second Sunday of each month (Heritage Sunday) has
been designated as the time to bring items for the food pantry.
Letters to India: Next batch goes out December 12th with hope of reaching the children in time for Christmas –
Please get them to the mailbox by then!
Backpack Buddies: The fourth Sunday of the month has been designated for donations for the Backpack buddies
program, which will begin collection for the following month. The items of request for December are for making
potpie which includes Bisquick, cans of mixed vegetables and cans of chicken. Also, gift cards to stores such as
Walmart, Aldi’s and Fareway, etc. are greatly appreciated.
Happy Birthday:
December 4 - Marcia Berrett; December 9 - Morey Hill; December 13 - Chuck Potter; December 19 - Donna Kallem;
December 23 - Norman Berrett; December 23 - Gene Hermann; December 25 - Carol Ryerson; December 26 - Mary
Nehring; December 26 - Scott Stensland; December 26 - Wendy Stensland
Anniversaries :
(None this month)
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Reflections of L.C.M.C. Iowa District Meeting on November 12, 2016
The location was a gigantic additional site two blocks from Zion Lutheran Church in Clear Lake, Iowa termed “The
Dock”. Within this renovated bakery goods shipping building, there is a large sanctuary, reception area, dining room,
gym, nursery and gathering space in the kitchen. All very impressive.
Pastor Pat Hill of Zion gave a message during the morning worship time. The Greek word, “zogreo” means to take
alive, ensnare, to take captive, to catch. It is mentioned in Luke 5:10 when Jesus is speaking to Simon, the fisherman,
about becoming s fisher of “men”. Wise Christians are intentionally searching and focused as they are fishing.
Pastor Steve Lien, the keynote speaker, mentioned to keep sharpening ministry tools as congregations are the
frontline of ministry. L.C.M.C. is a resource. The world may change but message of salvation is the same. There is
power in even speaking the name of Jesus as savior and Lord.
I was able to briefly meet and speak with Pastor Ntwari Gakunzi, president of 500 congregations in Burundi and the
Congo who have a relationship with L.C.M.C. He gave me a brochure about the ministries in this region of the world.
Pastor Jesse, Phil and I attended this daylong event.
Submitted by: Cyndi Ringgenberg
Library News
We have cleaned most of the books out of the Library that were purchased or donated in 2010. These books are on
the white metal cart in the Library on the east wall. Please take any or all that you want,
read and donate to some other needy organization. There are some good ones. We have about 600 books in the
Library that are taken out almost every Sunday. Thanks to all who donated books this year and to all our faithful
readers. Look for more book reports in future newsletters. If you have donated a book or read one from the Library,
we would like a short book report to let others know what the book is about and anything you would like to tell us of
interest in the book.
--Eileen Primmer
Affiliated and Neighboring Organizations
Madrid Home
The Madrid Home needs volunteers to wrap the donated items the week of December 12th until all gifts are
wrapped. Hours to work are from 8 a.m - 4 p.m. You can call Tanae Hollar at 515-795-3007 to schedule a time.
Arrangements for evening time slots also can be made. Thanks for your help in wrapping these gifts.
Kumla Dinners Serving begins at 11:30 a.m. at Ballard Creek Assisted Living in Huxley on Monday, December
12. Reservations preferred. Free will offering, but suggested meal price is $6/ meal.
Who: Anyone who has suffered life-altering loss and needs a
time and place of solace during the holiday season
When: Tuesday, December 13 at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Bethany Lutheran Church,
Kelley, Iowa
Sponsored by the Ballard Ministerial Association and Soderstrum Funeral Home
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Pray for Unity
On the last night of his life Jesus prayed a prayer that stands as a
citadel for all Christians:
“I pray for these followers, but I am also praying for all those who
will believe in me because of their teaching. Father, I
pray that they can be one. As you are in me and I am in you, I pray that they can also be one in us. Then the world
will believe that you sent me” (John 17:20–21 NCV).
How precious are these words. Jesus, knowing the end is near, prays one final time for his followers. Striking, isn’t it,
that he prayed not for their success, their safety, or their happiness.
He prayed for their unity. He prayed that they would love each other. As he prayed for them, he also prayed for “those
who will believe because of their teaching.” That means us! In his last prayer Jesus prayed that you and I be one.
Of all the lessons we can draw from this verse, don’t miss the most important: unity matters to God. Why? Because
“all people will know that you are my followers if you love each other” (John 13:35 NCV). Unity creates belief. How
will the world believe that Jesus was sent by God? Not if we agree with each other. Not if we solve every controversy.
Not if we are unanimous on each vote. Not if we never make a doctrinal error. But if we love one another.
Unity creates belief. Disunity fosters disbelief. Who wants to board a ship of bickering sailors? Paul Billheimer may
very well be right when he says: “The continuous and widespread fragmentation of the Church has been the scandal
of the ages. It has been Satan’s master strategy. The sin of disunity probably has caused more souls to be lost than all
other sins combined.”
Could it be that unity is the key to reaching the world for Christ? The world will be won for Christ when the church is
one in Christ. If unity is the key to evangelism, shouldn’t it have precedence in our prayers? Shouldn’t we, as Paul
said, “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3 NIV)?
Nowhere, by the way, are we told to build unity. We are told simply to keep unity. From God’s perspective there is but
“one flock and one shepherd” (John 10:16). Unity does not need to be created; it simply needs to be protected.
Where there is faith, repentance, and a new birth, there is a Christian. When I meet a person whose faith is in the
cross and whose eyes are on the Savior, I meet a brother or a sister. Wasn’t that Paul’s approach? When he wrote the
church in Corinth, he addressed a body of Christians guilty of every sin from abusing the Lord’s Supper to arguing
over the Holy Spirit. But how does he address them? “I beg you, brothers and sisters” (1 Corinthians 1:10 NCV).
When the church in Rome was debating whether to eat meat offered to idols, did Paul tell them to start two
churches? One for the meat-eaters and one for the non-meat-eaters? No, on the contrary, he urged, “Christ accepted
you, so you should accept each other, which will bring glory to God” (Romans 15:7 NCV).
Is God asking us to do anything more than what he has already done? Hasn’t he gone a long way in accepting us? If
God can tolerate my mistakes, can’t I tolerate the mistakes of others? If God allows me, with my foibles and failures,
to call him Father, shouldn’t I extend the same grace to others? If God doesn’t demand perfection, should I? “They
are God’s servants,” Paul reminds us, “not yours. They are responsible to him, not to you. Let him tell them whether
they are right or wrong. And God is able to make them do as they should” (Romans 14:4 TLB).
God’s ship is a grand vessel. Just as a ship has many rooms, so God’s kingdom has room for many opinions. But just
as a ship has one deck, God’s kingdom has a common ground: the all-sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Will you pray with me for the day when Jesus’ prayer is answered?
--©Max Lucado (taken from In the Grip of Grace, Thomas Nelson, 1999)
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The Lighter Side
Day After Christmas
The pastor was looking over the crèche the day after Christmas when he noticed that the baby Jesus was missing. He
went outside and saw a little boy pulling a new red wagon. In the wagon was Jesus.
We walked up to the boy and said, "Hi, there. Where did you get the baby Jesus?"
The boy answered honestly, "In the church."
"Why did you take him?" the pastor asked.
"Well," said the boy, "I prayed to the Lord Jesus and asked him for a wagon for Christmas. I told Him that if He gave
me one, I'd take Him for a ride in it."
Forest Gump and St. Peter
When Forest Gump died, he stood in front of St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. St.Peter said,
"Welcome, Forest. We've heard a lot about you." He continued, "Unfortunately, it's getting
pretty crowded up here and we find that we now have to give people an entrance
examination before we let them in."
"Okay," said Forest. "I hope it's not too hard. I've already been through a test. My momma
used to say, 'Life is like a final exam. It's hard.' "
"Yes, Forest, I know. But this test is only three questions. Here they are."
1) Which two days of the week begin with the letter 'T'?"
2) How many seconds are in a year?
3) What is God's first name?
"Well, sir," said Forest, "The first one is easy. Which two days of the week begin with the letter 'T'? Today and
Tomorrow."
St. Peter looked surprised and said, "Well, that wasn't the answer I was looking for, but you have a point. I give you
credit for that answer."
"The next question," said Forest, "How many seconds are in a year? Twelve."
"Twelve?" said St. Peter, surprised and confused.
"Yes, sir. January 2nd, February 2nd, March 2nd …"
St. Peter interrupted him. "I see what you mean. I'll have to give you credit for that one, too."
"And the last question," said Forest, "What is God's first name? It's Andy."
"Andy?" said St. Peter, in shock. "How did you come up with 'Andy'?"
"I learned it in church. We used to sing about it." Forest broke into song, "Andy walks with me, Andy talks with me,
Andy tells me I am His own."
St. Peter opened the gate to heaven and said, "Run, Forest, Run!"
PLEASE NOTE:
Each month, there is an attachment to the Bethany Banner called the Parish Paper. We are asked to print this notice every month to protect the
publisher’s newsletter copyright:
Bethany’s purchase of a subscription to The Parish Paper INCLUDES
1.
Permission to provide copies to our congregation’s staff and attendees in any of the following ways: E-mail, Postal, and newspaper.
2.
Permission for our congregation’s staff and attendees to (a) photocopy or electronically distribute for local use as many copies as needed, (b)
use for meetings, training events, and our Web site.
Our congregation’s members and staff do NOT have permission (a) to delete the copyright notice, (b) to re-write, change the wording of
sentences and paragraphs, or (c) to give ANY THIRD PARTY—other than our staff and constituents—permission to photocopy or reprint (in any
quantity, no matter how small, whether for free distribution or for sale)
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December 2016
at Bethany Lutheran
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday Wednesday
Thursday
1
Friday
Saturday
2
3
BWOW Brunch
at Blumster’s
10am
4
5
6
7
12
13
14
8
9
15
16
10
Worship at
9:30 a.m.
Communion
Sunday school
at 10:45 a.m.
11
Worship at
9:30 a.m.
Sunday school
at 10:45 a.m.
18
Worship at
9:30 a.m.
25
Letters to
India
deadline
19
20
Deadline for
Bethany
Banner
Submission
26
21
22
23
Church
Council
Meeting at
7:00 p.m.
27
28
17
Live
Nativity
4-8pm
Cookies to
Israel Hospice
House
24
Christmas
Eve Worship
at 6:30 p.m.
29
30
31
Christmas
Day
No Worship
service
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