Events

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Upcoming Events

Smile for our new pastors!

Members of the camera club may ask you to pose for a photo that includes your smiley face and your name tag with both your first and last names on Sundays. These photos will be shared with our pastors.

The Power of our Words Meet-up

April 13, 2024

How do we learn to live as a life-speaker? How do we tame our tongues so that we become people who speak life – over others and ourselves? We’ve all experienced the power of words – to hurt and to heal. In Proverbs 18:21, the Lord tells us: “Life and death are in the power of the tongue.” One of the things we will look at is what God says about you vs what YOU say about yourself and if that lines up.  Are there lies you told yourself long ago that are creating negative emotions in your life now?  How does that affect your health?  Come join me as we renew our HOPE, increase our FAITH, get filled with God’s LOVE, and learn about the power of our WORDS!  There will be biblical teaching, discussion time, joyful movement, and biblical meditation all in this short morning session.

Sunday Forum with Lutheran Campus Ministry Pastor and Students

April 14 @ 10:30 a.m., Good Shepherd Chapel

What does it mean to be a welcoming church? How can we be more welcoming not just to visitors and guests but to everyone?

On Sunday, April 14, Pastor John Worzala Dumke and students from Lutheran Campus Ministry will share their perspective on welcome and inclusion as it relates to young adults and students in particular. The Rev. John Worzala Dumke is the Interim Campus Pastor & Director at Lutheran Campus Ministry since November, 2023. Pr. John also serves as the Associate Pastor at Luther Memorial. He is an alum of the UW – Madison and has served on the LCM board for many years. He’s excited to be doing ministry with and among the students at the Campus Center and feels very strongly about the special gift that LCM is, has been, and can be in the lives of our young people.

Youth V Adults: Epic Battle of the Generations

Wednesday April 17, 6 – 8pm

Do you ever wonder what we do in youth group? Come and See…

Youth in 5th-10th grade and your adults, join us for food, fun and friendly competition.

Third Sundays Together: April 21

April 21st, 10am – 11am

Bethel Youth, let’s worship together on the third Sunday of each month at 9:00am.  We will sit together at the front of the sanctuary, on the lectern side.   After the service, youth and adults are welcome to meet in Sacred Grounds to discuss our questions about the liturgy, readings and sermon. This will serve as the Confirmation Instruction lesson for the week.

Spring Caring for Creation Events

Save the dates for a series of four special creation-care events, organized by Bethel’s Caring for Creation group, Kids & Family Ministry, and Youth Ministries.

Sunday April 21 ‒ Earth Sunday Worship and Forum

Pastor Joann Conroy returns to preach and to present a 10:30 Caring for Creation forum. Pastor Joann, who preached memorably at Bethel in November 2022, is president of the ELCA’s American Indian and Alaska Native Lutheran Association and a member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux.

Sunday April 28 ‒ Take Out the Trash!

9:00‒12:00: Enjoy a short field trip to Bethel’s parking lot to visit the Dane County Trash Lab ‒ a 27-foot trailer filled with fun displays and activities for kids and adults.

10:30: Caring for Creation forum on reducing waste and better recycling with guest speaker Brian Johnson (Madison Recycling Coordinator). The nursery and school-age childcare will be available until noon.

Wednesday May 1 ‒ Healing the Creation Vespers at 6:00 pm, led by Bethel youth

Saturday May 4 ‒ Church in the Wild at Bethel Horizons at 10:00 am

Not just an outdoor church service, this will be an invitation to experience “the grace of wild things” (Wendell Berry) as we wander and worship in the wild. We’ll conclude with Communion ‒ led by our synod Bishop Joy Mortensen-Wiebe ‒ and an earth-friendly (and free!) lunch.

Men’s Book Study

The Men’s Book Study will be starting a new book on April 5th so if you could replace the old announcement with the one below, it will be appreciated.

The Bethel Men’s Book Study meets every Friday at 8:00 AM in room 120 (Sanctuary Level) for one-hour to discuss primarily non-fiction books.  The next book will start Friday April 5th and continue for five-weeks.  The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray is about the curator of J.P. Morgan’s collection of rare manuscripts, books and artwork who becomes a fixture in New York society all the while hiding her checkered background.

Please consider joining this lively discussion; if nothing else for the delicious coffee and pastries.

Volunteer Appreciation Ice Cream Social

Sunday, April 14, 2024 @ 10:00 a.m. in the Sacred Grounds

Bethel Church is blessed beyond measure to have so many volunteers who give their time serving God and our community. We would like to thank you for all that you do, each and everyone one of you! Thank you for serving with a willing heart and a joyful spirit. Please join us, so we can serve you. All are welcome!

1 Corinthians 12:4-6
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

New Member Orientation

Saturday, April 27th, from 9am – 1pm

If you or someone you know is interested in joining Bethel – please know that our next orientation is set for Saturday, April 27th from 9am-1pm in Good Shepherd Chapel. And guess what? – there is intel that Pastor Lauren Wrightsman plans to be a part of this session, both as a participant and as a leader. We are stepping into a new next phase of Bethel Lutheran Church, and if you’re new to Bethel, or a fence sitter in terms of becoming a member, or now is just the right time – plan now to attend this informative half day gathering. Should you have questions, or simply just want to register – please let Alice Mowbray know, either by email alicem@bethel-madison.org or office phone, 608.257.3577 x222 so that we can plan for lunch and for childcare, as needed. During this season of Lent, as we look to the light and hope of Easter Sunday, add this consideration to your prayers. We look forward to having you more intentionally in our midst!

Friendship Club

The next meeting for Friendship Club will be our end-of-year picnic on Friday, June 14 at Lakeview Park, on Mendota St, off Allen Blvd.  Appetizers are at 5:30, we’ll eat at 6:15 and New Horizons Swing Band will entertain us at 7:00.  Though retired, Steve Nelson will cater our meal. Cost:  $14.  Please contact Judi Griffin to make your reservation, 608 222-9290 no later than Tuesday, June 11. No parking on the grass!

Getting the Love You Want Workshop

Save the date: Saturday and Sunday, July 20 and 21, 2024, Getting the Love You Want workshop for all couples at Bethel!

Most couples don’t know what to do when the blush of romantic love wears off and they find themselves “wanting more,” wondering what happened and what to do about it. This workshop not only answers the questions you may have but more importantly gives you the insight and tools you need to restore or enhance the love, commitment, and passion needed to create a life-giving relationship.

Caroline and Jason Bernhardt-Lanier, married 30 years, are experienced workshop presenters engaging diverse couples worldwide. Caroline has a PhD in counseling and is an advanced certified Imago therapist and clinical instructor with the Imago International Training Institute. Jason is an executive director for the global Spiritual Changemaker Initiative, with a background in strength-based coaching and organizational leadership.

Please email Caroline for more information (cbl@imagocenterdc.com) and Kathy with questions. (kathyforde1212@yahoo.com).

Puerto Rico Trip Update

Our 24th Annual Mission trip to Puerto Rico has come and gone. Although it was a small group this year, we were able to get the work done that they were hoping for.  A member’s house was in dire need of paint. It has been needed since Hurricane Maria in 2017. She loved the new look and was very emotional.  The other project was the construction of a wall at the entryway to the church.  Setting blocks and mixing concrete island style – by hand. In a few months they will have a company finish plastering the wall.

We would like to again thank the Bethel Foundation for the continued support of this mission and to people that have donated to the Puerto Rico account fund. We look forward to 2025 being a 25 year celebration and work trip.  More information to come on this. If you ever have any questions please contact Phil Ingwell Jr.