YOUR GIVING MAKES A DIFFERENCE
In case you missed it...
At the annual meeting we introduced
a set of four words that help begin
to build a framework for how we
move forward. Known; Challenged;
Changed; Sent.
Technology has allowed us to be more
connected than ever before. We can
have many thousands of relationships
across the globe. It’s incredible. The
shadow side is that many of those
relationships lack depth. People need
to be known more deeply. We need
to be able to be vulnerable with each
other and talk about and wrestle with
big issues as a society, but increasingly
there are fewer safe places for these
hard conversations. Often what
we hold on to as certain isn’t, and
that’s okay. Part of what God does
is challenge our notion of who we
are and how the world works. As we
encounter God we are changed. God
promises to meet us in Word and
sacrament where we’re reminded that
God loves us as we are and loves us
too much to leave us there. All this
that happens in the context of this
community sends us into the world to
be signs of God’s grace.
We’re at the early stages of using this
framework. Our first efforts will be
to cultivate a genuine curiosity about
the Bible. Firmly rooted in God’s word
better equips us to see what God is
up to in our midst. In September
we’ll begin “A Year of Jesus” in which
we’ll focus on 1 story about Jesus
each month. You’ll hear more about
this in the coming months. In the
meantime, thank you for your support
and participation in the life of this
congregation. Through us God is able
to accomplish more than we could ever
imagine.
-Pastors Ben and Mary
by Pastor Bob Wertz, Pastor of Stewardship and Planned Giving
A pastor friend recently asked me when we were talking about our respective
churches, “Has Bethlehem always had such a wide reach?” We were talking about
some of our mission work beyond the walls of our Minneapolis and Minnetonka
sites, and he was intrigued by the breadth and depth of Bethlehem’s many and
diverse local, national, and international outreach ministries.
Those ministries just got even more broad and deep, thanks be to God!
At its Ja nuary quarterly meeting, the Bethlehem Foundation granted $10,000 to
support a ministry 6,200-plus miles away. Sponsored by Bethlehem member and
Sunday School teacher Sara Spafford Freeman, these resources will be directed
to help fund a vital therapeutic program in East Jerusalem and the West Bank
to help children suffering from developmental disorders, post-traumatic stress
disorders and strained familial relationships. Run by the Spafford Children’s
Center (SCC), a fixture in East Jerusalem that has supported Palestinian children
and families with medical and social services for over 90 years, this program
identifies children and mothers who experience crippling stress in their daily
lives due to the effects of the occupation and the lack of quality schools and
reliable employment.
By bringing mothers and children together in activities designed to improve
their communication, give them an outlet for stress, and reinforce the traditional
strengths of Palestinian families, the SCC is helping build resilient relationships
designed to sustain the children and parents.
Sara has said, “The SCC is incredibly grateful to the Foundation for this timely
support. It couldn’t have come at a more strategic time, knowing as we do that
tensions in Palestine have increased lately as Israel’s internal politics have shown
new signs of strain.”
The Foundation supports and funds outreach ministries in concert with the
two other funding mechanisms—the annual fund and the designated partners
identified in the mission appeal—to continually increase the mission footprint
of the congregation. It happens only because Bethlehem members continue to
generously support all three. Please contact me with ways you can support the
Foundation, the annual fund, and/or the 2017-2020 Opening New Doors mission
appeal at [email protected] or 612.312.3368.
Concerned about the 2017
Tax Law and how it might
have an impact on your own
charitable giving?
On Sunday, March 11 following worship
at both Minneapolis (the Gallery) and
Minnetonka (Fellowship Hall), a team of qualified members will be available
to answer your questions. Even though a number of reductions, credits, and
adjustments have been repealed or curtailed, the charitable deduction came
through the process essentially unscathed, and was even enhanced for some
donors. Stop by the tables to ask your questions, and pick up some information
that will be made available.
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