May 6

• •Renewed in Faith:  Lord God, on this day and every day, renew us in faith.  Form and make us into a holy and royal priesthood that we may proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.  You are our cornerstone, the rock on which we live, move and have our being; through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Amen
• •Read more about this amazing opportunity to retire our debt:  Question and Answer Fact Sheet and Letter to Congregation/Brick Form

May 13

• Prayer of the Day:  Lord God, on this day and every day, renew us in faith. Form and make us into a holy and royal priesthood that we may proclaim your faithfulness to all generations. You are our cornerstone, the rock on which we live, move and have our being; through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Amen.
• •Join Pastor Ruth Ann at 9:00am in Room 210 to converse about Mary, the mother of God
• •Faith Milestone:  High School Graduation, 10:30am service
• •MOPS Annual Plant Sale:  a variety of beautiful plants and flowers available for purchase

May 20

• •Prayer of the Day: O God, strength of the powerless and light in all darkness:  Look in mercy upon your church, a wonderful and sacred mystery, that it may be an ark of peace in the midst of chaos.  Let the whole world come to see that what was fallen is being raised up, that what was old is being made new, and that all things are being restored to wholeness through the one from whom they first took being, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
• •The Rainbow Express:  Our Children’s music ministry will present this musical at the 9:00am service.
• •Annual Carnival Fundraiser to support youth going on mission trips to California and New Orleans.  10:15am – 12:00pm.  Dunk Tank, jumping castles and more!
• •Annual Business Meeting in the Great Hall, beginning as soon as the 10:30am concludes.  Please join us for this important part of our ministry at Bethany.  We need at least 100 members to participate in a quorum.

May 24

• •Bethany Early Childhood Center (BECC) Annual Spring Sing:  join us in the Sanctuary at 6:00pm to hear the little ones sing God’s praises.

May 27

• •Day of Pentecost:  Mighty God, you breathe life into our bones, and your Spirit brings truth to the world. Send us this Spirit, transform us by your truth, and give us language to proclaim your gospel, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
• •Guest Preacher:  Dr. John Arthur Nunes, President and CEO of Lutheran World Relief (LWR).  Read more in the May/June Beacon here.

Please stop in the Fellowship Hall on May 20 to pick up your 2012 Be the Blessing T-Shirt. All volunteers need a NEW T-shirt!  We have new sponsors and partner sites, so please pick up a new one to wear the weekend of June 3rd.  If you have not signed your waiver, please stop by the Fellowship Hall and sign one…then pick up your t-shirt!  If you forget on Sunday, you can stop by Adam’s office and pick it up during the week.  We will also be in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday, May 27th.

…OR the number of BTB registrations we’ve received!  Blessings zooming to a neighborhood near you June 3!

For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Jer 29:11

Dear Bethany Lutheran Church,

• June 10-16  Junior High
• June 17-23  Juniors/Intros
• June24-30  Confirmation (Junior High)
• July 1-7  Family Camp
• July 8-14  Senior High
• July 15-21  Confirmation (Junior High)
• July 22-28  Senior High
• July 29- Aug 4  Junior/Junior High/Intro
• August 5-11  Family Camp
• August 12-18 Junior/ Junior High

Yours In Christ,
Dave
RTLC

You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  1 Peter 2:5

Pastor Herb Chilstrom, author and first presiding bishop of the ELCA, visited Bethany May 8 and shared stories of faith and grace.

Prayer of the Day

Lord God, on this day and every day, renew us in faith.  Form and make us into a holy and royal priesthood that we may proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.  You are our cornerstone, the rock on which we live, move and have our being; through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Amen

Confession and Forgiveness

Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God,
Our Rock and our Salvation,
Who loves us as beloved children,
Who is the God of the past, present and future.
Amen.

Let us confess our sins,
Trusting that God will forgive us
And cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Silence is kept for reflection.

• Holy God, we confess that we have not loved you with our whole hearts.  We have rejected your mercy and withheld mercy from our neighbors.  We have been like stones.

• Merciful God, grant us again your Holy Spirit that we may be living stones, built into a spiritual house in you and with love for our neighbor.  This we ask in Jesus, our risen Lord. Amen.

In this is truth, Jesus Christ,
Atoned for our sins and laid the foundation of faith for all who believe.  

In the name of Jesus Christ + I announce to you the forgiveness of all your sin.  May God’s perfect love, cast out fear and lead us into the fullness of life.  Amen.

Following a disastrous fire, Bethany was built anew in 1987 and dedicated with these words, “Rebuilt in Faith.”   Throughout these 25 years, the congregation at Bethany has been both blessed to belong and a blessing to God’s people.  Through us and through our collective faith, gifts, and ministries, God has bestowed His many blessings, both on us as a congregation as well as on those we continue to serve within the local, regional, and worldwide community. 

 Now it is time for the people of Bethany to be “Renewed in Faith” by responding to a challenge to retire Bethany’s long-term debt of the past 25 years, incurred by the cost of the rebuilt sanctuary in 1987 as well as the expansion completed in 2003.  In mid-January, an anonymous donor challenged the people of Bethany to match a $700,000 contribution for this purpose.  In response, the “Renewed in Faith” program was developed by Church Council.

• R e s o u r c e s    for    R e b u i l d i n g •

• —-> Question and Answer Fact Sheet

• —-> Letter to Congregation – includes Brick design form