Annual Meeting… · 2020. 12. 24. · Annual Meeting: We are working hard to make Bethany's Annual...

The Good NewsBreakEvangelical News of Bethany Lutheran Church

A congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

We INVITE all; We GROW in faith; We GO to share God’s love and grace.

Vol. 21, Issue 1 www.bethanyricelake.org • 715-234-9028 January 2021

Inside This IssueCurrent Highlights! ................1From the Pastor .......................2Safely Regathering TF .........3-4Transition Task Force .........4-5BIC Task Force ....................... 6Youth News ..........................8-9Memorials/Thank Yous ..10-12Staff & Committees ........ 14-15

NOTICEAt the annual meeting, Bethany members will be voting on required changes to the church’s constitution. For the proposed changes, please contact the office.

Annual MeetingSunday, January 31, 2021

9:00 a.m.

Thank you to all who made this reimagined Bethany tradition possible! Available on the website.

I’ve become increasingly fascinated with the idea of starting over. Be it a Monday or a New Year, we seem to be obsessed with a clean slate. And while I (along with most if not all of you) are so ready to put 2020 behind us, January 1 is really no dif-ferent from December 31.We are still in a pandemic and we are still griev-ing the effects of this past year. We are still wait-ing for “normal,” or at least the “new normal,”

that bares the image of our past selves. As we all know, waiting is a hard place to be. I’m reminded of Dr. Seuss’ Oh, The Places You’ll Go! where he describes THE WAITING PLACE, where everyone is just waiting for time to pass, marked with the next mundane event, such as waiting for a pot to boil.A few days ago, I ran across this quote by Barbara Brown Taylor, who is a best-selling author, teacher and Episcopal priest.

“So if waiting is an aggravation, it is at least partly because we do not like being reminded of our limits. We like doing -- earn-ing, buying, selling, building, planting, driving, baking -- making things happen, whereas waiting is essentially a matter of being -- stopping, sitting, listening, looking, breathing, wondering, praying. It can feel pretty helpless to wait for someone or something that is not here yet and that will or will not arrive in its own good time, which is not the same thing as our own good time.”

I wonder what you heard in that quote. Are you frustrated by your limits? Have you managed to fill the “waiting time” that we are in with a long list of things to do? Have you taken the time to stop, sit, lis-ten, look, breath, wonder and pray? Have you felt powerless waiting on God’s time? I don’t believe that any one of these ways of dealing with “the waiting time” is wrong or bad. And perhaps you have moved through multiple reactions to this time as we wait for what is next.This past year has, without a doubt, been difficult for multiple reasons. It is likely that history books will write about the year 2020 as a dark time in history where several arenas of our lives became unsteady and full of turmoil. They will not be wrong, but this time of fumbling around in the darkness, trying to re-invent how we do life, should not be thought of as a waste of time. I see so much good that has come out of this “waiting time.” From quieting ourselves so that we can recon-

A Message from Pastor Luci

nect with God and friends, to becoming a “do-er” to help so many in need, we have not wasted this time.I have faith that the “waiting time” will end sometime in 2021 and for that I give thanks. But until then, I hold on to this last quote,

“I have learned things in the dark that I could never have learned in the light, things that have saved my life over and over again, so that there is really only one logical conclusion. I need darkness as much as I need light.” --Barbara Brown Taylor, Learning to Walk in the Dark

Pastoral ActsMaridale Jacobson

Funerals:

Safely Regathering at Bethany Task Force“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”--Romans 15:13The Safely Regathering Task Force, like you, is experiencing the most emotionally challenging Christmas many of us have ever ex-perienced. Our nerves are rather frayed, aren’t they? But we pledge to you and the Bethany leadership that we will continue to do our work of monitoring the science and guidance of this pandemic and advise on best practices to protect our community and Bethany family.At this time, (mid-December) we are finally seeing reasons for hope. While the rate of infection currently is still considered “un-

Annual Meeting: We are working hard to make Bethany's Annual Meeting as accessible as possible. Our plan is to have the meeting virtually via Zoom Conference Call. This means that you can attend with a video/audio connection over the internet or you can call into the meeting using a landline or cell phone. If neither of these options work for you, please contact the office and let us know. We are exploring the option of having a hybrid meeting of Zoom Conference Call and simultaneous parking lot attendance with our FM transmitter.

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to pros-per you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” --Jeremiah 29:11We are entering the home stretch. The initial report draft has been reviewed by our team members, so we are getting close. Thanks to all for your input. Keep it coming.A couple of report sneak previews:

2020 Transition Task Force

controlled” in our region, and we await the effects of the holiday season, we are seeing some stabilization of the infection rate and a health care system that is adapting to care for our health needs. We pray that we see sustained downward trends in our region and nation.In the meantime:• We are joyful that a safe and effective vaccine is now being de-

livered around the country, and the regional medical commu-nity is prepared to vaccinate some of our front-line health care workers and most vulnerable.

• We are hopeful that the vaccine will be increasingly available so that all of us will benefit from its’ effectiveness and we can resume our lives without fear.

• We are grateful to all those who have offered rich and meaning-ful Advent and Christmas worship and service opportunities, and hope you were part of these as well. We are also grateful to you for your diligence and support, by practicing the safety guidelines recommended for all of our protection.

We encourage you to continue to be patient and cautious as we monitor the spread of the disease following the holidays and the roll-out of the vaccine to high-risk groups in our community.We trust that the rate of infection will diminish to the point that we can resume the familiar patterns of our worship life. That time is coming.If you wish to check our latest update, please check our Covid up-dates at http://www.bethanyricelake.org/resources/covid-19/.Pam Crouse, Chair, Safely Regathering Task Force

1. The most highly ranked CAT priorities overall were:• Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to reach

new people and incorporate them into the life of the church.• Make necessary changes to attract families with children and

youth to our church.These are closely related to our current goals of Growing Young and Growing Faith. The fact they are highly ranked CAT priorities may indicate we have yet to meet the expectations for these goals.

2. The next three overall ranked priorities indicate a desire to con-duct outreach ministries:• Develop ministries that work toward healing those broken by

life circumstances.• Expand outreach ministries that provide direct services to

those living on the margins of society.• Work to renew and revitalize the community around the

church by building coalitions with partners.3. The Transition Task Force recommends Bethany’s Mission and

Vision guide all we do. It is the leading principle for all processes, policy, leadership and staffing. Council, committee, leaders and staff job descriptions should all include how their role supports Bethany’s Mission and Vision.

4. Many wonderful things go on at Bethany, but there seems to be a lack of synergy between the groups and committees. One recom-mendation is to increase effective communication between the committees, the members of the congregation and other leader-ship groups by integrating them more tightly.

5. Members want to know what would be expected of them if they volunteer for a particular task force or committee. We recom-mend a Lay Leader institute be established where new and existing members can learn more about Bethany, how we operate, what our committees/groups do and how to be a more effective leader. The institute would be an excellent way to meet people, discover passions and engage in the Mission and Vision of Bethany.

Your Transition Task Force expects to have the second draft of the report for review January 7. Contact any task force member or check out Bethany’s Transition web page for more information.

In 2019, a special task force was created at Bethany Lutheran Church to look into the process to extend our welcome all people, including those who align with the LGBTQ community. The team came together and works under the auspices of the Welcome Committee. The core mem-bers of the team have continued to work on becoming recognized as a Reconciling in Christ Church within the ELCA. This effort will affirm our welcome to all - with no exceptions - by specifically indicating that we welcome those identifying with the LGBTQ community.In 2020, this work included having individual conversations with mem-bers of the congregation, including a question/answer information section in each church publication, hosting educational opportunities through CrossTalk, hosting Jacqueline Bussie (author of Love Without Limits) through a video conference, joining a Synod work group spon-sored by the Northwest Synod, surveying the congregation with a pro-posed welcome statement, adding library resources on inclusivity and meeting monthly through video conferencing. The task force has taken the results of our efforts to the Welcome Team and presented results of the efforts to Council throughout the year.After receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from a survey specif-ically geared to welcome ALL and from the Congregational Assessment Tool, the task force has presented the council with a proposal to become acknowledged as a Reconciling in Christ Congregation. The Welcome Team and the Church Council endorsed our efforts to present the fol-lowing resolution at the annual meeting.

Bethany Lutheran Church of Rice Lake, WI affirms it being an open and inclusive church. We welcome all, no exceptions, because God welcomes all regardless of race or culture, sexual orientation, gen-der identity, gender expression or relationship status. We welcome all without regard to addictions, physical or mental health, impris-onment, socio-economic circumstances or anything that too often divides us. Our unity is in Christ.

Acting on this intent, the Building an Inclusive Church (BIC) Task Force and the Welcome Committee make the motion that Bethany Lu-theran Church of Rice Lake apply for recognition by Reconciling Works to be designated as a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) ELCA church.Building an Inclusive Church Task Force Members: Byron Crouse and Laurie Carlsen (co-chairs), Pam Crouse, Dave Wilson, Ted & Carol Hakala, Amanda Amundson, Holden Burri, Keren Jorde

BIC Task Force

How great to watch the Messenger Street Kids perform today. Old news by the time you read this, but still worth mentioning and kudos to all involved!The Transition Task Force (TTF) has written and reviewed the initial draft report in December and are moving forward. A final draft should be ready mid-January for the church council. The council will share information with, and seek feedback from, the congregation. The TTF basically likes our current Mission and Vision statement, but think we need to be more intentional as a church. See TTF article on pages 4-5.Good news, it’s time to ready the Call Process team. There will be six team members of diverse backgrounds and maybe one or two alter-nates on the team. Kindly send/contact your nomination to any coun-cil member - be heard. Team members will be prayerfully elected by Church Council at our January meeting and presented at our annual meeting the end of January. Term of office can be relatively short, but does continue until installation of the newly called pastor.Bethany’s annual meeting is January 31, 2020 at 9:30 a.m. and plans are shaping up nicely. Rev. Erin Nelson from the synod will help host it. As Pastor Peter says from his military jargon, there will be POTS (Plain Old Telephone System) access for all, with optional online video (Zoom). Additionally, we expect to have drive-in parking lot attendees just like we do during Wednesday night services. Microphones will be available for members to respond/speak up. Our constitution requires election of council members be written, so a mail-in or drop-off ballot will probably be required and available. More details to follow as they become available.A special thanks to Wendy Denison, Joe Erickson, Chick Feather, Wen-dy Markgren and Dave Wilson for serving on the council nominations committee.Finally, thank you! I thought I was done with “committee work” but my call to council at Bethany changed that. It has been inspiring to meet and discuss futures with so many passionate members, that have so many awesome ideas. Recently I’ve also received some straight forward feedback from Bethany members and that is fantastic.In my humble opinion: If we didn’t care, we wouldn’t care, and we wouldn’t call. God’s work. Our hands.For all of you reading this, kindly reach out and connect with someone today. Be safe. Shalom, Bill Evans

Council Corner

Bethany Education & Youth News

January 2021

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in faith and in purity.” -- 1 Timothy 4:12

Sunday School: Classes are offered for students age 3 years-5th grade. Online lessons will resume Sunday, January 10, 2021 on the Bethany website. Lessons can be found under our At-Home Resourses button on the Bethany webpage. Access infor-mation was emailed out. Please contact Angie Buchli at [email protected] if you need the password. We can’t wait to see everyone again, so we will be continually assessing when and how we can safely gather again.

Preschool (ages 3 & up): Our preschool class uses the Frol-ic Preschool Bible and explore each story for two weeks at a time. Each lesson contains Bible stories and fun crafts.

Kindergarten-5th Grades: The K-5th grade classes dive deep into Bible stories with Spark: Activate Faith. Classes will explore the same Bible story for 3-4 weeks. The K-5th grade classes ex-plore stories through different workshops each week such as cook-ing, science, art and more.

Bethany Tots: Open to parents with children age newborn through three years and meets in November, January and April. Lessons will be take-home until safe to meet in person. This class will help equip parents of newborns-toddlers how to teach faith at home through group discussions, activities, crafts and games.

Here We Stand (HWS): Confirmation program for 6th, 7th and 8th grade students.Here We Stand is Wednesdays from 5:00-6:00 p.m. We will contin-ue meeting online only. Information on HWS is being emailed to families. Topics of discussion for this year will come from the Old Testament. For more information, please contact Angie Buchli at [email protected].

CONNECT: Open to 4th-5th grade students. Lessons are available online on our website for parents to do at home with their children. Contact Angie Buchli for information on how to access lessons. This is a two-year, pre-confirmation rotation of Bible lessons cre-ated for preteens or “tweens.” These are interactive, Bible-based lessons where youth learn how individual Bible stories connect to each other and to their own lives.

Club 9 Mentors & StudentsSunday, January 10 ~ 11:30 a.m.

Spiritual Gift Inventories

WELCA FundIn Memory of Maridale Jacobson By: Duke & Marlene Thurs By: Dave & Sue Hildebrand By: M.A. & H.A. Weber By: Gary & Laurie Rheault By: Lloyd & Sylvia Leitz By: Grant & Ruth Aaseng By: Patrick & Susan Smith By: Dennis & Mary Tollefson

Memorial FundIn Memory of Maridale Jacobson By: Margaret Dimpfel By: Charles & Sue Nyberg By: Sharon DeRusha By: John & Jennifer Stoltenberg By: the Adkins Family By: John Sutherland & Kathryn Beito By: Friends of Rhonda Keller By: Gary & Janice Solum By: Jon & Maureen Homstad By: John & Nancy Gardynecki By: John Mongerson By: Ione Gohl By: Ted & Kelly Osterbauer By: Addie Zellmer By: Members of Cable Deer Camp By: Doug & Kelly Brown By: John & Nancy Gerber By: Alice Johnson By: Dawn GonitzkeIn Memory of Loran Barta By: Delores Bjugstad

Hannah CircleIn Memory of Dagmar Jacobson By: Jamie Jacobson

Good Samaritan FundIn Memory of Maridale Jacobson By: Jack & Monica Berkseth

Radio FundIn Memory of Maridale Jacobson By: Donna Gagner By: John & Pat Olesczuk By: Susan Paudler By: Carolyn Lawrence By: Nancy Way By: Bruce & Barbara Norgaard By: Michael & Joan Solberg By: Debra Laber and MaryEllen Paudler By: Jeffrey & Lisa Goetz By: Bob Gerber & Roxie Olsen By: Jamie Jacobson By: Phyllis Burrows By: Dewayne & Sue Finstad By: Larry Partlow By: Charlotte Finseth By: John Jacobson Family By: Steven & Anne Josephson By: Loreen Juneau By: David & Jan JaspersonIn Memory of Loran Barta By: Mike & Annette Messner By: Regina Mueller

Music FundIn Memory of Maridale Jacobson By: Carol Barfknecht By: Jim & Carol Sevals By: John & Judy Jacobs

Memorials & Gifts

Memorials & Gifts, Con’t.We Share Food Pantry

In Memory of Maridale Jacobson By: Martha Jacobson By: Gordon & Ruth Gerland

General FundIn Honor of Darrel Bliese’s birthday By: William & Claudia SennholzIn Memory of Maridale Jacobson By: Don & Pauli Storm By: Daniel Rouse By: Kelly Osterbauer

Sunday SchoolIn Memory of Maridale Jacobson By: Edith Olson

Media ProjectIn Memory of Maridale Jacobson By: Bun & Paulette Hanson By: Gilbert & Carla Brandrup By: Mark & Barbara Johnson By: James & Lynn Gullicksrud By: Tony & Deberra Slagstad By: Heidi Timmers

World HungerIn Memory of Maridale Jacobson By: Suzanne Arnevik By: Richard & Teresa Sahli By: Daniel & Verda Sites By: Jim & Maxine Williams By: Bill & Diane LaDue By: Louree Kelsey By: Susan Schaefer

Quiting FundIn Memory of Maridale Jacobson By: Terry & Dawn Westphal By: James & Beverly Page By: Jane Lien By: Douglas & Merri Shupe By: Stacee Sevals By: D. & C. Lendle By: Mark & Suzanne Becker By: Michael & Michelle Richards By: Herman & Judy Friess

Please contact the church office to notify your church of con-cerns, including requests for Pastoral Care. For greater COVID safety, the office is closed, but staff rotates through the office and, when working from home, check voicemails regularly. For prayer requests, be sure and indicate that you would like many to pray, “confidential” or contact either pastor directly.

This pile, plus more, in the Sovacool’s garage, got picked up this past Monday, and will fill at least two, 70-gallon barrels for a trip to Ja-maica! In the pile are water bottles, wipes, deodorants and other nec-essary items, including 90+ aprons for the staff of West Haven!

Thank you so much for your prayers and words of comfort during this difficult time for the Passint family. The lefse treat will certainly be enjoyed, and with each bite, we will think how fortunate we are to be part of this church family. Fondly, the Passints

We thank you for your generous donation to the Building and Re-joicing Capital Campaign at Luther Park. We are looking forward to the future growth at camp, both in individuals as well as in the newly built Ministry Center. This can only happen with God’s great grace and your help, and for that we are deeply grateful. Thank you so much for your partnership in this project of growth and ministry! Christ’s Peace, Keith Newman, Executive Minstry Director

Thank You Notes

Women of the ELCA NewsAs we begin this new year, there is some good news that came from the Faith in Action newsletter for LWR quilters and kit makers. We reported last year that when the explosion happened in Beirut, a few shipping containers were lost. Here is the update: when the explosion in Beirut happened back in August, word came that several shipping containers filled with LWR quilts and kits had been lost in that explosion. On the morning of August 26, Faith in Action received an urgent update from their partner, Anera, who had been given access to the port and against all odds, the containers were ALL intact! They were assessed for damage and on September 22, word came that the sealed containers were safe and had been protected from any chemical contamination! A fourth container, which had been sent to Tripoli, was returned to Beirut, so the full shipment is now being shared with 24,000 of our neighbors in Beirut and across the country of Lebanon. “From the ashes of this crisis rises a beautiful ray of hope: your love, intact and powerful, in just the right place, at just the right time.” Thanks be to God that we can share in this great news when there is so much chaos going on in our lives these days.We will not be printing our WELCA Handbook at the beginning of this year, as we are not able to set any dates for upcoming programming until the pandemic is under better control. Once that happens, we will have updated booklets, printed and ready for your use. We can’t wait to do this! Gail will be contacting circle leaders with updates on their special friends’ lists at the beginning of the year.We wish you all a wonderful and happy 2021! Know we all are anxious to see one another again, in person.

Hospice Volunteers NeededWill you consider joing our team in offering compassionate care in Eau Claire, and surrounding communities, as a hospice volunteer?Friendly Visitor volunteers are a vital part of our hospice team pro-viding love, respect and care for our patients and their families. We are also in need of veterans to serve as veteran volunteers. As a vol-unteer, you help determine which tasks are best suited for you and the patient! Training and education are provided.For more information, call 715-214-2485 or email [email protected]. You can also visit our website at heart-landhospice.com/EauClaire.

Bill Evans, President [email protected] Crouse, Vice President ................... [email protected] Nelson, Secretary ............................... [email protected] Bailey ................................................ [email protected] Baribeau ............................................. [email protected] Bowman .................................................... [email protected] Denison ................................................... [email protected] Diercks ................................................ [email protected] Engel ...........................................................rlroberg@gmail.comAlexa Giddings ....................................................blueberri@charter.netMike Husak .................................husak.michael@marshfieldclinic.orgEd Skaw ..................................................................... [email protected] Wiedmann ...................................... [email protected]

Council

Interim PastorPeter Muschinske [email protected] Phone 314-703-1496

Associate PastorLuci Sesvold [email protected] Phone 715-225-0979

Director of Education, Youth & Congregational MinistriesAngie Buchli [email protected] Phone 715-205-2009

Director of Church BusinessDawn Paul [email protected] Phone 715-296-2817

Communications & Publications SpecialistLeah Hullinger [email protected]

CleanerAmanda Baker

Staff

Committee MembersAltar GuildAudrey Kusilek, Chair 715-205-8843

Caring CommunityGail Weber 715-736-0887

Community BuildingDave Wilson 715-234-2916

EducationAngie Buchli, Acting Chair 715-234-9028Tami Bowman - Council Rep.Kari Donze, Mackenzie Narins,Jennifer Nelson, Amy Pelle, Sara Scheu, DeAnna Westphal, Jan WilkingPr. Luci Sesvold - Staff Rep.

FinanceWendy Markgren 715-651-0905 Chair - TreasurerBill Evans - Council Rep.Joe EricksonDawn Paul - Staff Rep.

Green TeamLynn Koob, Chair 715-234-4149Ed Skaw - Council Rep.Joel Kohlmeyer, Kathy Lehman, Cindy Nymo, Don Storm, Renee Swanson, Eldon Vrieze

LibraryWendy Halverson, Chair 715-651-5887Norma Bergum, Elaine Gonske, Jill Holtegaard, Julie Hyllested, Julie Stone

Mission ConcernsAnnie Antonson, Chair 715-236-3133Mike Husak - Council Rep.Naomi Candler, Joan Gerland, Judy Jacobs, Elton Jorde, Carol Kohlmeyer, Shirley Peterson, Deb Stange, Pauli Storm, Maxine WilliamsPr. Luci Sesvold - Staff Rep.

PersonnelJolene Anderson, Chair 715-234-2397Pam Crouse - Council Rep.Gary Chilson, Eric Pelle

Property ManagementKeith Moffatt, Chair 815-218-6830Brad Wiedmann - Council Rep.Shirley Bergthold, Dave Jacobs,Joel Kohlmeyer, Lynn Koob, Wendy Markgren, Dave Myre, Eric Roethel, Tim Schnacky, Dave Sovacool, Josh WeinstockDawn Paul - Staff Rep.

StewardshipKevin Jacobson, Chair 715-822-2966Mal Bailey - Council Rep.Bob Gerber, Dave Schoonover, Mark VriezePr. Luci Sesvold - Staff Rep.

Trust FundTed Hakala, Chair 715-353-2733Mike Diercks - Council Rep.Rick Benson, Jordan EricksonDiane Peterson, Lenae SovacoolStefani Fiedler - Advisor

Welcome TeamKayelon Campbell Murphy Chair 715-651-7843Alexa Giddings - Council Rep.Laurie Carlsen, Karen Chilson, Con Eastwold, Lynn Sulackow

Women of the ELCAGail Weber, Co-Chair 715-736-0887 Paulette Hanson, Co-Chair 715-234-4919Jennifer Nelson - Council Rep.Pr. Luci Sesvold - Staff Rep.Angie Buchli - Staff Rep.

Worship & MusicPaul Hanson, Chair 715-234-6530Paul Baribeau - Council Rep.Andy Denison - Council Rep.Marla Koob, Tammy Roberg, Deb SlagstadAmy Brekke - Staff Rep.Pr. Luci Sesvold - Staff Rep.

Committee Members Continued

Offering Update as of November 30, 2020

Fund Amt Budgeted Amt Rec’d Expenses Deficit/ to Date to Date to Date Surplus

General $696,326.59 $565,319.84 $616,833.57 $-52,513.73

Building Fund Donations YTD: $71,271.56 Current Mortgage: $234,643.90

Thank you for your participation in and support of the life and mission of Bethany Lutheran!

Offering Update

Announcements & Opportunities

DEADLINES• The deadline for the February 2021 NewsBreak is Monday,

January 11.• The deadline for bulletin announcements is on Tuesdays.• All your articles MUST be in the church office on these dates as

it is important that we have enough time and room to fit every-thing into the Good NewsBreak and bulletins.

January Thought of the MonthTo know gratitude is to be thankful for everything.

Lent 2021 DevotionalPlans are underway to create a devotional booklet for Lent 2021. If you are interested in participating in this project, please con-tact the office.

Annual Meeting… · 2020. 12. 24. · Annual Meeting: We are working hard to make Bethany's Annual...

Documents

Transcript of Annual Meeting… · 2020. 12. 24. · Annual Meeting: We are working hard to make Bethany's Annual...