Ministries and Community Outreach

Every spring married couples of Bethlehem head to a beautiful retreat center on the shore of Lake Geneva just over the border of Wisconsin.  The retreat begins on Friday evening and ends Sunday just before noon.  The couples enjoy fun, food, and games, along with a few informal learning sessions that are intended to enhance their marriages.  An ample amount of “free time” is included in the weekend as well.  

At Bethlehem we believe that God’s people are intended to enjoy the company of one another in recreational settings and activities.  A planning team is committed to creating a variety of regularly scheduled activities, many of which take place outside of the church setting.  

Recent examples include wine and cheese party, progressive dinner, bowling, Cougar’s’ game, bingo, white elephant bingo, Easter breakfast, mailboat tour, pizza party, Thanksgiving Dinner for seniors.

These photos show attendance at a Cougars baseball game and at a pizza party.

The Care Team provides loving attention to individuals who are going through difficult or stressful times.  The Care Team visits, calls, sends cards, brings meals, and provides general TLC to those who are experiencing extra burdens in life.

BECOMING YOUR CHILD'S HERO

    Do you have any concerns about your child as he or she grows up in our world today?  Specifically, do you have any "spiritual" concerns about your child?  Does your child know the truth?  Does your child know Jesus?  Do you plan on teaching your child about Jesus being the Way, the Truth, and the Life?

    "Truth" is an "endangered species."  We live in a culture that tends to believe that truth is "unknowable."  We cannot count on the world to tell our children about Jesus.  Parents are primarily responsible for this task.  As your child begins to experience this world's influence, she or he will become more and more exposed to spiritual lies.  You are not the only influence in your child's life, but you are the most important influence in his or her life.

    Here at Bethlehem, we have begun a ministry that is intended to help parents to become spiritual heroes in their children's lives.  You are invited to come and check out this ministry.  We meet here at Bethlehem on the 2nd Sunday of each month at 9:15am in our Fellowship Hall.  We would like to extend an invitation to you to come and learn how to be a "Heroe" in your children's lives.

This ministry strives to identify ways we can help members of the community. They have helped countless people in need through donations to their Mission of the Month and have recently included collections for the F.I.S.H. (Friend I Shall Help) Food Pantry and collecting Christmas gifts for AID which empowers and provides special services for individuals with disabilities, mental illness and more. Please contact the Church Office if you want to help out with H.I.S. Ministry.

The class is led by American Council of Exercise Certified Fitness Instructor Linda Bryant two or three times a week. Mature adults achieve overall wellness by learning about healthy lifestyle choices. Men and women of any age that want to get moving and have fun refresh and enhance their vitality and inner-health.

The Pilates based workout benefits include muscle strengthening and stretching to develop the body’s core, mobilizing the spine, and building agility, flexibility, balance and coordination, thus improving their internal and external body. Chair used for stability and all activities are chair or standing based.

Conducts fundraising projects such as the Spring In Rummage Sale and the Dickens Soup and Sandwich Luncheon and Bake Sale that contribute to worthwhile causes such as the FISH (Friend I Shall Help) Food Pantry, and many others. The Guild also  sponsors fun activities such as White Elephant Bingo.

This photo illustrates our Romanian School Missionary ministry.

Make about 200 custom quilts a year for those in need. Quilts are provided to Lutheran World Relief, veterans and their families, and victims of natural disasters.

S.O.S. is a group of ladies who have been blessed with the gift of knowing how to knit, crochet and also sew. Our mission is to provide items of comfort to those in need and surround them with warmth and caring in the name of Jesus, our Savior. 

Beautiful afghans are crocheted by a friend of our group and are given to the senior care home, military hospitals and others in need both in our community and other places in our country. Washcloths are knitted and supplied to our Sunday School children who place them with other treasures in their “Operation Christmas Child” shoeboxes which are sent to far-off countries around the world. Prayer shawls are knit to give comfort to those who are suffering numerous difficulties in their lives both in our congregation and wherever we hear of a need. Scarves, hats and mittens/ gloves are given to those in need of their warmth in our Bethlehem “Living Waters” Food Pantry, F.I.S.H. Food Pantry, and the Association for Individual Development (AID). Baby hats and afghans — knitted, crocheted, and sewed — are given to St. Alexius Hospital in their special care nursery for the tiny babies who have many medical issues. Also, aromatherapy hearts are being sewed for the preemies in that nursery. Most of the materials used in this mission are donated, but are also sponsored with funds made available to us from our Women’s Guild. 

We also craft items for the Christmas Bazaar/Boutique which is a Women’s Guild event who then use the funds for various missions at home as well as around the world. Everyone is invited to help in this important mission field. If you have any questions, please contact Dorothy Pigors at pigors@foxvalley.net.

People can enjoy a pleasant luncheon and support our community following the Dickens’ Christmas Parade. Every penny taken in is donated to the F.I.S.H. Food pantry. The food being served is funded by proceeds of the Dickens’ Bake Sale held the same day and by donations from Thrivent and a local business which also provides help for the event.

 Singers from the congregation accompanied by our organists and pianists perform at special events like the Christmas Concert and at selected worship services, especially at our Traditional worship services.

The congregation at our Contemporary worship service sings along as the band and singers perform Contemporary Christian Music live on stage and at special events such as the Memorial Day parade. The band includes instruments such as guitars, drums, and keyboard. 

The public is invited to our annual Christmas Concert followed by a social time with light refreshments. Music and songs are performed by the Bethlehem Choir, The Messengers Praise Band and Singers and by the Sunday School children. Everyone is invited to sing along with traditional Christmas carols.

Examples include the hosting of Cherished Place Adult Day Club, Alcoholics Anonymous and Dundee Township Historical Society Dickens’ of a Sale. Other community-minded groups are encouraged to use our facilities as well. Rental fees may apply.