The STAR - Bethlehem Lutheran Church

The STAR
In this issue:
Pastor’s Page
1-2
Pastor’s Page
What’s Happening
at BLC
2-3
VBS Registration
4
Our Church Family
5
Parish Nurse
6
Preschool
7-8
Youth
9-10
PASTOR
Rev. Jeff Shearier
18865 SW Johnson St.
Aloha, OR 97003
PHONE
503.649.3380
FAX
503.649.1530
WEB SITE
www.blcfamily.org
EMAIL
blc.aloha@frontier.com
Bethlehem Mission
Statement
“Building the
family of God
through relationship
with Jesus Christ”
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 5
1
Moving Forward in Mission
When I applied to Concordia Seminary back in 1980, my approach to the
application was rather simple (some might say simplistic). When the application asked for the essay explaining why I thought the seminary was the
place for me, I simply quoted Psalm 40. The whole psalm. Looking back, I
am surprised they let me in.
I am thinking about Psalm 40 today. I remember those opening verses: I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He
drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog and set my feet
upon a rock, making my feet secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a
song of praise to our God. As those verses were appropriate so many years
ago, I find them appropriate again today.
The LORD has brought His people at Bethlehem through an interesting time. There have been changes in pastors; there have been changes in
the economy; there have been changes in who the people are who sit with
you in the pews. Thanks be to God, it seems we have reached a firm place
to stand. We praise our God together for His faithfulness and His help.
Our praises are sung in worship. Our praise takes the form of action
as well. David, in the psalm, is ready to act in response to God’s rescue.
We are ready to join him.
At the voters meeting on June 12, you will elect officers and receive a
budget for the next fiscal year. You’ve already had a look at the budget.
After you’ve voted on the budget, you’ll have the opportunity to fill out a commitment card to express what part of that work program you can support.
Instead of a “stewardship drive” as in past years, this will be our “ask.” We
will consecrate our commitments the following Sunday in our worship services—and folks that weren’t able to fill out the commitment card before will
have the opportunity then.
There’s been a Long Range Planning Task Force that’s been meeting since the beginning of the year. We’ve talked about where ministry is
going. The LORD has given a firm place to stand, but we don’t think He
wants us to stand still. We’ve been talking about what ministry might look
like at Bethlehem in three years—in five years. We are looking to continue
to build the family of God in this place through relationship with Jesus Christ.
God has been using our preschool these many years to connect us
with our neighborhood. Carolyn Meier has been our director for over 29
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years, but she has decided she will turn in her fingerpaint and crayons at the end of this next school year. As
Carolyn retires, what doors is the LORD opening? Council has established a Search Committee to decide
how we will fill the void left by Carolyn. We hope to have an answer by January of 2017.
What other ways can we connect with our community? The Long Range Planners have been looking
to see if the LORD is asking us to add a staff member who would fill that entrepreneurial, evangelicallyoriented and mission minded void left when the District called Bob Fossum away to be these things for the
larger church. In order to dream that dream, we need to increase the funds we have available for ministry
and mission.
While we continue to welcome new folks into our congregation, the Long Range Planners and the
Council feel that we need to do something about our debt. Plans are in the early stages for a Capital Campaign. Normally, capital campaigns result in something being built—like the Community Center. This time,
we will be building ministry as we look to reduce our debt. The more we can reduce our monthly mortgage
payment, the more resources we can dedicate to our mission. We follow David in the psalm in saying: “I desire to do your will, O my God….” There will be more information in the months ahead as we move forward
as the LORD leads us.
Joy in the journey,
Pastor Jeff Shearier
…
Rebekah Mission Society Meeting Minutes
May 19, 2016
1.
2.
3.
Business:
We will recognize the fathers on Fathers Day with a gift.
LWML District Convention was held in Eugene June 3-5. Debbie
Vosseler and Laurie Siewert attended.
The Bake & Craft Sale will be held the weekend of November 18-20.
Plan now on what you can make for our annual fundraiser.
We will not be meeting during the summer. Meetings will resume in September
on the 15th at 11:30.
Helen K. Slovick Scholarship
Applications are being accepted for the 2016 Helen K. Slovick Scholarship. Individuals who are entering the
field of teaching and/or church work are encouraged to apply. Applications are located at the Information
Desk. Deadline is July 18th. Please return completed applications to the church office. Questions? Call Dena
Bindewald at 503-642-5549. About the Helen K. Scholarship Fund ~ Helen was a devoted Christian woman
and long-time member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church. She was a life-long educator who had a passion for
teaching. Upon her death, a generous portion of Helen’s estate was gifted to Bethlehem. Because of her
commitment to the Lord and her passion for teaching, Helen’s family directed part of the funds to establish
the Helen K. Slovick Scholarship Fund. She would be happy knowing that she continues, in some small way,
to encourage and support young men and women with a desire to pursue careers in teaching and/or church
work.
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The Relationship Team invites you, along with our
VBS families to a Congregational Potluck. It will
be held on June 26th in the Community Center
following the 11am service. Please provide a
main dish, salad, or side dish to share. Dessert
will be provided - Strawberry Shortcake! We’d
love to see you there.
Comforts of Home Update
We wanted to let the congregation know that comforts of home will not be serving clients through
the summer. Kindred Partners (formerly Love INC) will be taking this time off to reassess and plan.
We will continue to take donations and keep the area in order as before, so you will not see any
change. If anyone has any feedback or questions, please contact Barb Bernard or Lesley
Weichbrodt. Below is part of a letter we received from Kindred Partners.
Thank you for your faithful service to families in need in our community. Thank you for partnering
with us, Kindred Partners (formerly Love INC), for so long. We are grateful. As you have seen the
number of calls for resources has changed over the course of the last five years. We have been
looking into the reasons for this and discussing with local leaders and other social services partners. There are a wide variety of causes, some encouraging and others not so much so. What we
do know is that the need for support from Gap Ministries is still large, but how our community accesses these resources is changing. Our goal is to adapt and adjust in order to create a stronger
network to serve families in need and to create greater opportunities for transformational experiences rather than transactional events.
With this in mind, we are planning to suspend our Gap Resource Center for the summer and to “reboot” at the start of the school year. We have been developing strong ties to the school district and
with principals and counselors. We recognize that teachers and administrators in our local schools
see and know our most vulnerable families in our community. We are also developing the Safe
Families for Children safety net across Portland - specifically focused on Washington County for
now. We recognize that the families that are served through this relational ministry are also in need
of resources that are provided in relational contexts. Our hope is to use Gap Ministries like yours to
engage these families and invite into community.
Thank you to Rick and JoAnna Refsland
for the generous donation of a new flag for
our church.
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Bethlehem Lutheran Vacation Bible School
June 20-24, 2016 9am-noon
18865 SW Johnson Aloha OR 97003
503-649-3380 blcfamily.org
For those entering pre-4 through 6th grade
Student’s Name __________________________________________M ___ F ___
Birthdate _________________
At time of VBS: Age ______ Grade going into fall of 2016________
Parent/Guardian Name___________________________________________________
Address _______________________________City__________ State ____ Zip ________
Day Phone __________________Night ___________________________
Cell _____________________ Email Address____________________________
Home Church __________________________ City ______________
Does your child have allergies or special needs (behavioral or physical) we should know about? If
your child has special dietary needs please bring your own snack each day. ____________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Does your child require or benefit from one-on-one support by use of an aide? ___ yes ___ no
If yes, please explain:______________________________________________________
Name one friend your child would like to be grouped with (We will try but can’t guarantee this will happen):
________________________________________________________
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, PLEASE NOTIFY: Name _____________________________________
Day Phone ________________Night ________________ Cell_____________________
Relationship to child ______________________________________________________
AUTHORIZED ADULT(S) TO PICK CHILD UP AT VBS:
Name(s) of those picking up my child:___________________________________________________
Phone Number(s) of Authorized Adults: _________________________________________________
Relationship(s) to Child:______________________________________________________________
_____ I consent to the use of photographs of my child in publicity, slideshows, & on the web.
_____ I do not consent to the public use of photographs of my child.
I give consent for my child to take part in all VBS activities under supervision, and agree that Bethlehem Lutheran Church
will not be held responsible for accidents. I authorize designated and background checked VBS Staff/Bethlehem Lutheran
volunteers to provide treatment for my child for injuries and/or illness but they will make an effort to contact me first. I
understand that the information on this form may be released to medical personnel in case of medical emergency. I
understand that the failure to disclose medical or emotional problems in advance may lead to serious consequences. I
verify that everything contained on this form is complete & accurate to the best of my knowledge.
Parent / Guardian Signature ____________________________ Date ______________
Family Doctor ___________________________ Phone # ____________________________
Insurance ______________________________ Policy # ______________________________
Registration Fee: By June 1st $13 ____ After June 1st $15 ___
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June Anniversaries
June 11
11
12
15
16
17
19
24
25
25
26
27
28
28
30
30
Kurt & Jennifer Larson
Teddy & Grace Peoples
Randy & Brenda Shults
Nathan & Ellen Bohlmann
David & Kristen Thomas
Bill & Karen Goode
Dave & Nan Dubberke
Mark & Debbie Vosseler
Mike & Lisa Burton
Mike & Patty Hornback
Gary & DeeDee Heyne
Tom & Cary Meier
Jeff & Laiva Hoffman
Dan & Sandra Seim
Jim & Chris Cullen
Paul & Cindy Schmick
11 years
62 years
40 years
35 years
8 years
38 years
40 years
21 years
22 years
33 years
46 years
18 years
13 years
14 years
43 years
37 years
June Birthdays
June 1
1
6
6
7
7
7
7
8
9
9
9
9
10
10
11
11
13
14
15
15
15
5
Darrell Hagen
Brynlee Whitten
Leo Hjelmeland
Ken Reid
Ben Lindow
Alex Rekow
Brenda Shults
Isaac Wegner
Patricia Winkler
Roy Fletcher
Bill Goode
Kathleen Stewart
Michael Wegner
Peter Bernard
Vicki McLaughlin
Sue Blair
Riley Brown
Alice Nyman
Barb Bernard
Ellen Bohlmann
Rick Braem
Karen Heldt
June 15
17
17
18
18
19
19
19
20
20
20
21
23
23
24
24
25
25
25
25
25
25
JoAnna Refsland
Paula Justad
Jerry Steindorf
Allie Harn
Dylan Weichbrodt
Inga Turner
Noah Turner
Wayne Williams
Kellie Boelter
Janelle Hagen
Tim Verney
Jim Johnson
Kristin Phillips
Mike Salzman
James Kendall
Yvonne Lindow
Rebekah Feldhaus
Shayna Harwood
Daniel Hornback
Amanda Long
Kari Rekow
Julie Siewert
June 26
27
27
28
30
30
30
Mike Turner
Randy Shults
Dwight Siewert
Dena Bindewald
Dan Lindow
Edd Trump
Gloria Wright
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Parish Nursing
Submitted by Dena Bindewald, R.N.
Zika
During my recent trip to Italy, I noticed signs posted in the Rome airport regarding the Zika virus. The CDC
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has issued travel advisories to those traveling to areas where the
Zika virus has been identified.
The Zika virus was first discovered in 1947 and named after the Zika forest in Uganda. The first human cases
of infection were identified in 1952. Zika infections were initially confined to the tropical areas of Africa,
Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands.
Because there has been much concern about Zika and how it might affect those who may be infected, I
thought I would share some facts about the virus:
Zika is primarily transmitted by mosquito bites.
Many people who get bit by a mosquito carrying the the Zika virus don’t get sick! And of those who do, they
don’t get sick enough to go to the hospital.
Symptoms which include fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes, are usually mild and resolve in several days to a
week.
People VERY RARELY die of the Zika virus.
The major risk is in pregnant women as the Zika virus can cause birth defects i.e., microcephaly (small head)
and other fatal brain defects.
The CDC is investigating a link between the Zika virus and Guillain –Barre syndrome (an uncommon condition of the nervous system that causes muscle weakness and sometimes, paralysis).
Prevention of mosquito bites is the key;
Cover exposed skin by wearing long pants and long sleeves.
Use a mosquito repellent!! The repellent must contain either DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of eucalyptus, or
paramenthane-diol. Choose an EPA registered repellent and FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ON THE CONTAINER!
If using a sunscreen, apply sunscreen BEFORE applying insect repellent.
You can treat clothing and gear with permethrine or buy permethrine treated clothing/items.
Take steps to control mosquitoes inside and outside the home.
Stay in places with air conditioning or window and door screens to keep mosquitos out.
Sleep under a mosquito bed net if you are overseas or outside and cannot protect yourself from mosquito
bites.
If you are planning to travel this summer, you may want to visit the CDC’s
Travel Health website to see if the country you plan to visit has any travel health
notices.
A side note: On February 8, 2016, President Obama requested 1.8 billion dollars
in emergency funds for several organizations to accelerate research into a vaccine
and education for those populations at risk for the virus.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Preschool News
“WHATEVER YOU HAVE LEARNED OR RECEIVED
OR HEARD FROM ME, OR SEEN IN ME – PUT IT INTO PRACTICE.”
PHILIPPIANS 4:9
Mrs. Meier’s 4-Year-Old Class – Mary Heck, Teacher’s Aide
In the Merry, Merry month of May our 4 year old class:
. had a “wheely” great time riding bikes and scooters around the
front parking lot and raised $1890 for St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
. tasted lemons, pickle flavored popcorn and many other interesting
flavors on a day of tastes called “Yum-Yuck” day.
. went on a field trip to the Oregon Zoo and had lots of fun looking for
Alphabet Animals like Bears, Elephants, Monkeys, Penguins, Snakes,
Tigers and Zebras!
. watched a video at Chapel with Pastor Shearier about a chick hatching
and the hands that helped it. We have lots of helping hands to help us
as we “hatch” too, like our parent’s, grandparent’s, teacher’s and
especially Jesus’ loving hands.
. graduated on May 25 in a very special ceremony
. celebrated the beginning of summer at an All School picnic.
. said Good-Bye to our dearly loved friends, teachers and Preschool
. carry Jesus’ love in our hearts as we head off to kindergarten and the
rest of our lives!
Mrs. Meier’s 3-Year-Old Class – Mary Heck, Teacher’s Aide
Hooray! Hooray!! Hooray for our 3-year–old class!!! Our 14 littlest boys and girls have just finished their
very first year of school! We are SO, SO proud of them! We celebrate the many wonderful things they
have done this year. They learned how to say “Good-Bye” to Mommy and Daddy and “Hello” to their
teachers and new friends. They heard about GOD and how He made everything – the day and the night,
the sun and the moon, the trees and the flowers, the fish and the birds, the elephants and the bees. And
they know that God made each one of them with EYES, EARS, NOSE, MOUTH, HANDS and FEET and
a HEART that He fills up with the LOVE of His son, JESUS. And they learned that JESUS is with them
EVERYWHERE and that they can talk to Him ANYTIME in their PRAYERS. They had lots of fun sharing
His LOVE with their Preschool friends and teachers and even with the children at ST. JUDE HOSPITAL!!
We wish all of them a very HAPPY SUMMER and look forward to seeing them again in SEPTEMBER!
Mrs. Hoffman’s Blended ¾ Class – Nicole Huffman, Teacher’s Aide
What a great year this has been for my class! From learning our colors, ABC's and our 123's to all the
jam packed field trips and fun days we celebrated at school. Here are a few things we did with our alphabet: A is for Apple. B is for Bear, C is for Caterpillars, D is for Dog, E is for Elmer Elephant, F is for Fishermen, G is for God is great!, H is for home, I is for instruments, J is for Jesus, K is for Jesus is our King, L
is for Jesus is the light of the world, M is for me, N is for numbers, O is for obedience, P is for patience, Q
I
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s for Queen Ester, R is for rainbows, S is for safety, T is for talking to Jesus through prayer, U is for Umbrella, V is for victory, W is for water, X is for x-rays, Y is for yum/yuck and Z is for God is zealous. I am
looking forward to our next year where we can learn more about Jesus' love for us! I hope everyone has
an excellent summer!
Thank You
Many, many thanks to Pastor and Eric with providing us with our monthly Chapels and Kerry and Eric for
putting together our wonderful Worship services!
Rummage Sale
Stay tuned for this summer’s Rummage Sale to be held on August 18-20. Items may be brought in starting August 1.
Bethlehem Lutheran Preschool is going through some much needed advertising. I am asking families to
PLEASE "like" our Facebook page (if you are on FB), as well as review the preschool through facebook
and yelp and Greatschools if you have a child or grandchild who went through the program. This only
takes 5 minutes to do! Please SHARE with friends, family, your community, facebook page, etc. Also,
check out our NEW website page! We REALLY appreciate you supporting the ministry for our Bethlehem's Preschool. In doing this small thing, it exposes the preschool to more and more people, which may
improve our enrollment and continue the ministry of sharing God's love to children here at BLP. THANK
YOU SO MUCH!
"Like" Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/Bethlehem-Lutheran-Preschool-Aloha-OR-141566509194137/timeline
YELP
http://www.yelp.com/biz/bethlehem-lutheran-preschool-beaverton
Great Schools
http://pk.greatschools.org/oregon/aloha/preschools/Bethlehem-Lutheran-Pre-School/4144/
NEW WEBSITE
www.blpaloha.wordpress.com
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YOUTH NEWS
We would love your help with summer Sunday School! It will begin June
26th and go through August. We will put all the kids together and go
through Dr. Suess books every Sunday. Dr. Suess was a lifelong member of an LCMS church in Massachusetts! Each book is matched with a
Bible story and some fun activities! We are looking for a few adults to
help make it happen. Curriculum, cute kids, and helpful youth will all be
supplied for you! Sign up on the table in the narthex or outside the children’s ministry room for a day, a month, or a couple Sundays please!
Family Faith and Fun Nights: In the summer the youth group is both
Middle and High Schoolers who meet together on Sunday nights for a
meal, activity, and a devotion. We take time to meet in people’s
homes, parks, or someplace fun! We should go to Glowing Greens in
Beaverton. In the past we’ve also gone boating, played kickball, footgolf, been to Oaks Park and so much more! Let Eric know if your family is interested in leading us for an evening!
Puerto Rico: We currently have 14 youth heading to Puerto Rico along with
Barb Bernard, Lisa Burton, and Eric Oswald. They will be gone from July 1422nd helping out in San Juan with a VBS, basketball camp, painting houses,
and helping the homeless, so please keep them in your prayers as they prepare. There will be a parent and youth information meeting on the 26 th of June
at 1:30pm! Please join us for that!
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High School Graduates
Tori Allen: Tori is graduating from International School of Beaverton. She will be attending Oregon State University in the fall studying art as her major and art history and Spanish as her minors.
Jared Beale: Jared is graduating from Liberty High School. He will be attending Oregon State
University studying computer science.
Peter Bernard: Peter is graduating from Valley Catholic High School. He will be attending Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia and will major in animation.
Jaylynn Bernhardt: Jaylynn is graduating from Edison High School. She will be attending Southwestern Community College in the fall.
Jaymin Bernhardt: Jaymin is graduating from Edison High School. He will be attending Carroll
College in Montana in the fall.
Zane Burton: Zane is graduating from Tigard High School. In the fall he will attend Portland Community College or Central Oregon Community College.
David Gehlen: David is graduating from Valley Catholic High School. He will be attending Seattle
Pacific University in the fall.
Jake Speer: Jake is graduating from Health and Science School. He will be attending Oregon
State University to study chemical engineering.
Lauren Stewart: Lauren is graduating from Beaverton High School. She will be attending Portland
Community College in the fall to get a degree in their paralegal program.
College Graduates
Maddie Bernard: Maddie graduated from Pacific Lutheran University with a BA degree in Communications/Journalism and minors in Hispanic Studies and Sociology. She is returning to Camp
Lutherwood as a Media Specialist and Outreach Coordinator.
Rachel Feldhaus: Rachel graduated from Western Oregon University and will be heading to Arizona to attend grad school studying Occupational Therapy.
Other Graduates
Erik Refsland: Erik will be graduating from Navy Boot Camp on June 24, 2016 in Great Lakes, Illinois.
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We Worship
Worship Services:
Traditional Worship Service 8:30am
Contemporary Worship Service 11:00am
Voter’s Meeting June 12th
The agenda will be to pass a new
budget for the coming year, and to
elect church officers for the positions
of Secretary of the Congregation, and
the Chairman of the Congregation.
The meeting will be held following the
11am service in the Community Center.
Bethlehem Staff
Pastor: Rev. Jeff Shearier
jeff.shearier@gmail.com
Youth & Children’s Minister:
Eric Oswald
ericmoswald@gmail.com
Preschool Director / Teacher:
Carolyn Meier
tmeier@comcast.net
Parish Assistant &
Preschool Secretary:
Brenda Shults
preschoolbrenda@yahoo.com
Parish Assistant:
Kerri Christensen
blc.aloha@frontier.com
Worship Coordinator:
Kerry Bauer
kerrylena@gmail.com
Choir Director:
Dena Bindewald
dbindewald3@gmail.com
Bethlehem Lutheran Church and Preschool
18865 SW Johnson St. Aloha, OR 97003-3164
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