Bethlehem Lutheran Church – Aloha, OR
LWML HOLIDAY BAZAAR & BAKE SALE
November 23, 2024
The Bazaar will be held in the Community Center on Saturday, Nov. 23 from 9am to 2pm and Sunday morning after both services. Please invite your friends and neighbors to come and shop. There will be quilts, crafts, baked goods, and more for sale!
The monies from this event are used to fund mission projects, purchase items for our own church, give out gifts for special events, help support seminary students, and fund other projects that might come up.
Preschool Wreath Sale
It’s that time of year again when the Preschool is holding its annual wreath and poinsettia sale. I have attached an order form to this email for you to print out and place your order. Credit card charges must be done in person with me on Sunday or in the church office during the week. If you are unable to come in you may mail your order in. Please post mark it by October 19th to ensure it gets to the preschool on time.
Mail to:
Attn: Laiva Hoffman
Bethlehem Lutheran Preschool
18865 SW Johnson ST
Aloha, OR 97003
Thank you for your continued support,
Laiva Hoffman
Bethlehem Lutheran Preschool
De-Thatching Your Life
Why does it seem that I wait until I face big changes to make the small ones?
Are you like that, too? What I mean is this: we’re facing a big change. We’re going to move in October to Colorado and retire. We’re going to put our house on the market. So all of those small maintenance things that I was going to get to “eventually” have to be done now.
One of those is caring for our yard. Sure, I mow. I’ve even been known to trim the trees and the bushes. With enough encouragement, I’ve even been known to rake the leaves. However, things like de-thatching the yard were not even envisioned.
Thatch is that stuff between the good soil and green, growing grass that inhibits the grass from doing its best and keeps the soil from really retaining the moisture from the rains. Thatch is a little bit of this and that little bit of that—moss, dead grass, decaying stuff—not good stuff. It needs to be gone. So you get a de-thatcher and let it do what it was made for.
I seem to see a sermon illustration in everything, so not surprisingly, de-thatching connected with living out faith. The author of the Letter to the Hebrews writes in Chapter 12: we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely and run with endurance the race set out for us, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. The author talks about de-thatching our lives.
We have this new life in Jesus. This life is His gift to us. On His cross, Jesus paid what we owed for our sin and set us free from the power of death. Easter means that a big change has happened. Jesus is alive!
This Easter season, as we continue to be amazed at this new life, ask the Holy Spirit and God’s Word to help you see the thatch in your life. Maybe, there’s some stuff that is keeping you from growing in your faith or celebrating the love that has been poured into your heart and life. Maybe, there’s some stuff that’s keeping you from keeping your eyes on Jesus. Is it time to de-thatch?
Joy in the journey,
Pastor Jeff Shearier
Spielbergian Trivia
Join us on Saturday May 6th at 2:30pm for Steven Spielberg themed Trivia!
Cost: $10 per seat or $70 per table of 8- $5 for child care- Proceeds go to Youth Ministry and the Bethlehem Community Service Team. Purchase your tickets on Sunday mornings after services, by visiting the office during the week, or by clicking on the button above.
Location: In the Bethlehem Community Center | 18865 SW Johnson St | Aloha, OR 97003
Food: There will be popcorn, drinks, and other goodies!
Trivia: There are 6 rounds of themed trivia questions!
Winners: Will get first place trophies and their name on the mighty obelisk of Trivia Trophy!
Bethlehem Lutheran Church - Aloha, OR 