October 22, 2023

Fall Worship

Worship at 9:30 am

Followed by Fellowship and Learning Hour

Presiding Minister: Pastor Tim Keyl

Assisting Minister: Eleanor Lee

Organist & Music Director: Isaac Lee

Lectors: Maggie Astrup & Greta Lee

Altar Guild: Clarissa Youngberg

Livestream: Miles Kirschner

Tellers: Martin Gehner & Anna Franz

Ushers: Nora Lee & Chris Lee

Bread Baker: Chris Wigren

Coffee Set-Up:Marietta Meyer & Mary Ann Nelson

Worship Livestream

We stream Sunday worship services live on Bethesda’s YouTube Channel. Join us live at 9:30 am every Sunday or watch the recording afterward.

Click here to access this Sunday's bulletin.

This Week at Bethesda

From the Pastor

Intentional Generosity

The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)

We have begun awareness raising through the We Are Called Stewardship Response program shepherd by the fine team of Calli Micale, Blair Goodlin, Marietta Meyer, and Dianne Witte. Every year, at least once a year, it’s good to remember that there is a relationship between faith and giving. 

Faithful people are generous people. Camille, a visually-impaired elder parishioner in Elmhurst, Illinois phoned other elderly people every day to check in on them. She also had the phone

numbers of her elected representatives and was not afraid to share her opinions with them. She was sweet, and fierce, and generous.

Joyce doted on our children in New Hampshire. But our children were not the only recipients of Joyce’s funny and creative cards and thoughtful gifts. She was a keen observer of the gifts she was in so many, young and old. At our soup suppers Joyce brought her famous taco soup each week and our family looked forward to it. When anyone asked Joyce for the recipe, she would say, “I’ll give it to you if you never promise to make it for church, because it’s the only thing I know how to make!” Which was not true. Joyce was whip-smart, funny, loving, and generous.

My parents had wide arms of care. My mother, a cancer survivor, brought flowers and communion to the homebound and the sick with an empathy wrought from her long-term health experiences. My dad in his elder years would phone people on the prayer list simply mentioning that “this old pastor remembered them in his prayers.” Every Saturday night, the offering envelope was placed at the ready on the dining room table.

In this time of awareness-raising, I encourage you to consider generously giving of yourselves, to notice others’ generosity, and to be intentional about giving worship offerings through an estimate of giving for 2024.

Gratefully,

Pastor Tim Keyl

A number of years ago I worshiped with a congregation in India. At the time of the offering, after I had gone forward with my offering. I observe others coming forward with their offerings. In many cases, what they put at the altar was food. Often, it was a bag of rice. By the end of the processional offering there was literally a pile of food in front of the altar.

After worship, I asked one of the church leaders about the offering. In particular, I asked about the bags of rice. He said, “The people who worship here are very, very poor. They have no money. So each day, as they prepare food for their families, they put a small amount of rice aside. Each day they add to this amount, and then on Sunday they bring this to the church for

their offering. On Monday, we have a food sale for the public, and the proceeds of that sale fund our ministry.”

That is intentionality in giving. Those believers have a plan, and they conform to that plan each day as they set aside a small handful of rice for the Lord’s work. To be intentional in giving means to develop a plan and then live the plan.

–Charles R. Lane, from Ask, Thank, Tell

We Are Generous!

Bethesda members support more than our congregation's own ministry. We share our wealth beyond our walls with gifts to those in need. Thanks be to God for the money given in the third quarter (July-September) of 2024:

ELCA Hunger Appeal:   $ 900

ELCA Disaster Relief:   $1400

The Diaper Bank:       $ 220

Reconciling Works:      $ 25

Remembering Those Who Have Died on All Saints, November 5

Please add the names of loved ones you want included for the All Saints service on Sunday, November 5 to the white binder (located in the Narthex) or email the names to [email protected].

Names can be family members, friends, or anyone throughout history that you'd like to bring to God's mercy

Bethesda's Sustainable Future News

Click here to see the October update of the council newsletter.

Bible Study

Bethesda's Bible Study will meet on Wednesday, October 25 at 8 am on Zoom to discuss The Letter to the Romans.

 We will pick up at chapter 4, page 27, #11 of N. T. Wright's Romans which corresponds to The :Letter to the Romans 3:9-31.

 If we finish we will continue with Wright's chapter 5 which corresponds to The Letter to the Romans 4:1-25.

 To access the call on Zoom, join from PC,Mac, Linux, IOS or Android:

https://yale.zoom.us/j/96108886279

 or Telephone: 203 432 9666

Meeting ID:  961 0888 6279

Former students called to congregations in Connecticut invite us to their installations

Former student Rev. Ben Groth YDS MDiv ‘12 will be installed as Pastor of First Lutheran Church in New Britain, CT on Sunday, October 29 at 4:00 pm. Ben’s wife Chloe served as Bethesda’s first caretaker after Pastor Keyl arrived while she and Ben lived in the newly renovated apartment.

Former vicar Rev. Kurt Saenger-Heyl Wartburg Theological Seminary MDiv ‘23 (at Bethesda 2021-2022) will be installed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Westbrook, CT on Sunday, November 5 at 3:00 pm. The color of the day is red. Clergy are invited to process.

Stewardship Emphasis October-November, 2023

Thus says the Lord, the one who created you, O Israel, who formed you, O Jacob: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” -Isaiah 43:1

Dear members of the body of Christ at Bethesda,

We are called! 

God created us with gifts and called us through baptism into communities of faith where we can share those gifts. In this season, we are pausing to notice some of those gifts within ourselves and our communities, pausing to see what God might be up to in our midst. 

As we consider the many ways we offer ourselves and our time, we encourage you to notice how others in our congregation and community are making an impact by being the person God created and called them to be. There is a display at church where you are invited to name ways you see people using their gifts to serve others, bring beauty to the world, share kindness – anything that represents them being who they are in ways that positively shape our common life. At the display you’ll find post-it notes to write those down. If you can’t make it in person, send them by postal mail or to [email protected].. As each individual gift is shared we will begin to see a deeper picture of the ways God has created and called us as a whole faith community. 

As we look then at what we are being called to in this place and time, we also offer our financial resources to support the ministry to which we have been called. We invite you to prayerfully consider an increase of one-half percent of your income to offer to the church in the coming year. You might especially consider how you might grow by a percentage or stretch a bit further as you respond to God’s call to share your gifts. As a way to note your commitment to yourself and to help the congregation think about its capacity for mission in the coming year, we invite you to fill out an intentional giving card (found here Stewardship Pledge Form 2024.pdf) and bring it to worship with you on or before Sunday, November 12,  or mail or email it to the church office (see email above) in advance. Then join us on November 12 for a special potluck celebration after worship.

Throughout these weeks we are reflecting in worship and in other parts of our ministry about this question of the gifts we are being called to share. We hope you can join us as we celebrate God’s movement among us.  

In Christ, 

Pastor Keyl and the Stewardship Team (Callie Micale, Marietta Meyer, Dianne Witte, and Blair Goodlin)

We Need Volunteers for October

Email administrative assistant, Tyler Fair ([email protected]) to volunteer for needed roles!

Thanks for volunteering and signing the orange binder! The following roles need filled for October 29th: livestream and coffee hour setup.

Soup at Home is BACK!!

You are cordially invited to our first SOUP DINNER gathering to share soup, bread, salad, dessert, and conversation on Friday, November 3rd at 6 PM at Priscilla and Aníbal’s home (59 Nutmeg Hill Rd., Hamden).

Bring your bowl and bring one of these items if you wish:

Soup Volunteers:

Meléndez/González

Judds

Need one or two more

Bread 

Salad

Dessert

Wine (if your bottle is not consumed, you can bring it back for the next Soup at Home)

Learning Hour Sunday after worship for all ages

Learning Hour begins after worship for these groups (snacks provided):

Children in Primary Grades (or younger, too!) meet with Elaine Ramshaw and Nora Lee. They gather in the yellow classroom at the end of the education wing on the right for songs, stories, and sharing.

Confirmation Youth (Middle School) meet with Dan Cortright in the Muhlenberg Room at the end of the education wing on the left to continue their exploration of the resource Manna and Mercy.

Youth, young adults, and all others will meet in the Parish House Living Room. Pastor Keyl will lead a conversation about The Spirituality of Money and Generosity in the Parish House Living Room.

Bethesda At The Bowl

Due to predicted rain, sadly Bethesda At the Bowl has been cancelled this year.

Constitution Update

Earlier this year the Council suggested there may be sections of Bethesda's constitution that could be amended to more accurately reflect our current ministry. After a preliminary meeting in May, a task force began a comprehensive review of the constitution this month. The group will conclude the review in early October and recommend changes for Council members to consider at the October 23 meeting. Updates approved by the Council will be brought to the congregation for approval. Those ably serving on the task force are: Ian Bjorkman, Ellen Doon, Blair Goodlin, Pastor Tim, Dianne Witte, and Clarissa Youngberg.

MEF Matching Grant in support of Student Ministry 

Join the Mission Endowment Fund in supporting Bethesda's Student Ministry fund. Your dollars will be doubled!

Bethesda has hosted a series of three Vicars in as many years. They have each enriched our community in countless ways, not to mention the opportunities, challenges and learning that we provided for them! While we are taking a break from that ministry currently, there is a small negative balance in the student ministry fund for items already paid out. Your contributions will help satisfy this commitment.

The MEF grant will match all donations up to $2,800. Please donate today by designating "Student Ministry Fund" through Tithely, PayPal or by check.

Play on! Music of Shakespeare and his time

With soprano Sherezade Panthaki, Piffaro — the Renaissance Band, and the Elm City Consort

Friday, Oct. 27 at 5 p.m.

Beinecke Library (121 Wall St.)

FREE

 A musical celebration of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s First Folio, featuring earlier settings of songs from Shakespeare’s plays — quite possibly the tunes sung at the first performances of “The Tempest,” “As You Like It,” and “Measure for Measure.” Music by Shakespeare’s contemporaries, including William Byrd, will also be performed alongside dances and popular tunes from the streets and pubs of Tudor England.

Prayer Requests

For healing and strength: Michele Meyer, daughter-in-law of Marietta Meyer; Ray Bussolini, Pastor Betsy Williams, Les Swenson; Linda Johnson; Paul Denardis, stepson of Gail Denardis; John Ferreira, nephew of Chris Couture; Marie Gray; Sonja Krummrey; Maureen Anderson; Shirley Farm; Anne and Lee Keck; Donna Nardciso, friend of Michaela Natal; Kay Leone; Molly Dinneen; Matthew H., cousin of Tyler Fair.

For our partners in the Gospel: the congregations and schools of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) and LuMin Campus Ministry; for Bethesda House and Yale Divinity School students.

For our Ecumenical Partners Worldwide: The Caribbean. The Ecumenical Prayer Cycle takes us through every region of the world over the course of a year.

Pray for an end to violence in the Middle East: Donations are being received from Lutheran Disaster Response, or you may give through Bethesda, memo: “ELCJHL.” To see church-related responses, click on this link.

For Bethesda New Haven: that God continues to guide us into the future with ministries of witness, service, hospitality, and care while building up our community in all its diversity.

For those in candidacy or seeking candidacy for rostered leadership in the ELCA: Natalie Benson, Tyler Fair, Calli Micale, Tim Bergeland, Jordan Baker.