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"Promises to Keep"
All this took
place to fulfill
what the Lord
had spoken by
the prophet:
"Behold, the virgin shall con-
ceive and bear a Son, and
they shall call His name Im-
manuel" (which means, God
with us). (Matthew 1:22-23)
"Keep your promise!" Who
hasn't heard those words,
either from friends in school
or from your own children
wanting a treat? We put a lot
of weight on promises. "We'll
see" is an answer that gives
us hope, but "I promise" set-
tles the matter.
That's exactly what God did
for us. He gave us the hope
of a Savior, and then He
went one better-He gave us
gin shall conceive"-yes, in-
deed, in spite of every sci-
entific law and all the
weight of human history
against it. "And bear a son"-
oh yes, though as a woman
Mary had no Y chromosome
to give a male baby Jesus.
Never mind. God took care
of it. He had a promise to
keep.
And how wonderfully He
kept it! As Mary lay gazing
at her newborn Son, did she
think of the other promises
God was going to fulfill?
(Continued on page 5)
His own promise. And peo-
ple have been holding on to
that promise ever since the
days of Isaiah the prophet,
who first spoke it to an un-
believing king.
They were right to trust
God's promise, because
they knew that the Lord is a
faithful God. When He says
"Yes," He means it. When He
promises to bless, He does
it. Even when He promises
something utterly impossi-
ble, He carries it out. The
ancient Israelites saw this
when He rescued them from
slavery in Egypt. The impos-
sible came true.
And here again, with Mary
and her baby Jesus, God is
keeping His promise and
doing the impossible. "A vir-
The Newsletter of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, River Grove, Illinois
Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod Rev. Roger Gallup, Pastor
Regular Features:
Poinsettias 2017 1
Voter’s meeting Minutes 2
Hardest Thing You’ll Ever Do 2
Stewardship: New Year 3
Help Support Our Mission 3
Praying According 4
Encourage Your Pastor 4
An Extra Boost 5
2nd Annual Bronco Dinner 6
Smiling Can Start Chain Reaction 6
Inside this Issue:
Bd of Director’s Minutes 2
God’s Treasure Report 3
Flower Chart Information 5
Birthdays & Anniversaries 7
Calendar of Events 7
January 2018 Volume 12, Issue 1
The Bethlehem Star Page 2
“Serving GOD and the
community since 1898”
Board of Directors Chairman
Gerald Erjavec
847-671-1677
Vice-Chairman
Ray Bernero
708-456-4344
Secretary
Kurt Kugelberg
630-248-2571
Treasurer
Marian Sperling
847-288-0334
Financial Secretary
Tim Saar
847-455-2123
Deacons
Harry McGinnis
708-837-9753
Properties
Bob Schultz
At-Large
Liz Mork
708-453-2187
Diana Arndt
847-455-5193
At-Large-Diana Arndt
Motion to accept slate by accla-
mation
It was proposed that the New
Years Eve Service this year be
cancelled. Motion to accept
was approved by acclamation.
Meeting closed at 10:56am
with the Lord’s Prayer
Respectfully submitted for approval at
next year’s meeting:
Kurt Kugelberg, Secretary
Financial Secretary: Proposed
budget was distributed
Questions: There was a ques-
tion about item 3140 which
was explained satisfactorily.
With no other questions from
the voter’s there was a motion
to approve budget as submit-
ted by the Board (Kurt, Sue
second)
Budget was approved by ac-
clamation
Election: Slate of candidates
Vice-Chairman-Ray
Bernero,
Secretary-Kurt Kugelberg,
.Opening Prayer:
10:30am Pastor
Attendance: 26
Voters present
Approval of Last
Minutes: approved by accla-
mation
Pastor Report:
Zoar paid for new garage
and paving in rear &
paid off mortgage
Zoar established an en-
dowment of
$250,000
Treasurer: about $30,000 in
bank
BETHLEHEM LUTHERAN CHURCH VOTER’S MEETING: December 17, 2017
every time you sacrifice in or-
der to serve someone, you’re
sowing seeds of blessing you
will surely reap.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank
You for sending Your son Jesus
to be a servant that humbled
Himself to save me. I pray I can
be one that serves others to
help them in their life. In Jesus’
Name, Amen devotions.lccharities.org
a result both animals survive
and arrive at their destination
safe and sound. Instead of
seeing itself as a doormat to
be walked on, the goat sees
itself as a bridge to be crossed
over. So it becomes a win-win.
The Bible says Jesus “made
himself nothing, taking the
very nature of a servant”. And
to do that you must focus on
other people’s needs instead
of your own ‘rights’. President
Calvin Coolidge once said: ‘No
enterprise can exist for itself
alone. It ministers to some
great need, it performs some
great service, not for itself, but
for others; or failing therein, it
ceases to be profitable and
ceases to exist.’ And what’s
true for any organization or
business operation, is true for
you. And here’s the best part:
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a
servant, being made in human
likeness. Philippians 2:7
The hardest thing you’ll ever
do is to put others first and
yourself second, because we
intuitively look out for our-
selves. Self-preservation is
man’s first instinct - but it
doesn’t work. Do you know
how two goats respond when
they meet on a narrow path
above a river? They can’t turn
back, and they can’t pass
each other because they lack
even an inch of spare room.
The goats instinctively know
that if they butt each other
they’ll both fall into the river
and drown. So how do they
handle it? Nature has taught
one goat to lie down so the
other can pass over it; and as
The Hardest Thing You’ll Ever Do
Volume 12, Issue 1 January 2018 Page 3
Date Attendance Income Goal Difference
Year * 5859 $255,974.56 $236,282 +$19,665.56
Dec 3 611 $2,158.00 $2,308 -($150.00)
Dec 10 571 $2,127.00 $2,308 -($181.00)
Dec 17 731 $2,662.00 $2,308 +$354.00
Dec 24 1331 $5,488.00 $2308 +$3,180
YEAR 6183 $268,409.56 $245,514 +$22,895.56
God’s Treasure Report
*The Year row are the totals for this church year prior to but NOT including the dates shown in
the rest of the table . 1includes Advent & Christmas services attendance
In other words, giving to the
church is not to be an after-
thought, given after everything
else is spent. In this way, it is
deliberate. We give regularly –
weekly, bi-weekly, monthly,
quarterly, or yearly – keeping in
mind our own strengths, weak-
nesses, and limitations. We set
it aside beforehand – before
anything else is spent.
From those first fruits, we set
aside a proportionate and gen-
erous amount. Ten percent was
the standard for the Israelites.
This was a command for the
ancient Israelites. We can give
as much as we want, but ask
yourself: do we really want to
be less generous than was
commanded of the Israelites?
Is the job of the New Testa-
ment Church bigger or smaller
than the job given to Israel?
And how are we to give it? We
give it with eagerness and ear-
nestness. We give it cheerfully
and with love, not out of com-
pulsion. For through the
preaching of the gospel and the
administration of the sacra-
ments, God has made us His
children, forgiven us all our
sins, given us grace upon
grace, promised us life ever-
lasting with Him in His king-
dom, and filled us with His own
Spirit, the Holy Spirit. This
makes giving a joy, as Jesus
said, “it is more blessed to give
than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
It’s that easy. And it is joyful.
For in stewardship, our gra-
cious and giving Lord invites us
to take part in the work that He
accomplishes here on earth,
providing for the ongoing
preaching of the gospel as well
as those who are in need. Tak-
ing part in that makes all our
work holy – work that is done in
service to the Lord as priestly
members of His kingdom.
Stewardship: ”A New Year...”
It’s a new year. It’s a time
when we take stock of the
year past in order to improve
the year to come. It’s a time
when we sit down to plan and
implement what we want to
accomplish and even change.
Part of that is planning our
stewardship for the coming
year.
Often we find this difficult
and daunting and even joy-
less. But it doesn’t have to
be. In fact, it is really quite
simple and full of joy. So here
are some tips to make that
planning less stressful. You
begin by answering these
three questions: Who are
you? To whom do I give? And
how much?
So, who are you? The Table
of Duties in the Small Cate-
chism informs us. Are you a
hearer of God’s Word? Are
you a citizen of society? Are
you a member of a family?
Stewardship covers these
three estates: church, society,
family. We don’t particularly
struggle to give to society or
family. Our struggles, our diffi-
culties and our questions
arise in giving to the church.
So, what is our duty as mem-
bers of the church with re-
gard to giving? The Table of
Duties, again, gives us a
guide. If you are a hearer, a
member of the church who
receives instruction, St. Paul
taught: “Anyone who receives
instruction in the word must
share all good things with his
instructor” (Gal. 6:6). This
means the local congrega-
tion is primary.
Your pastor is the one called
to preach the Gospel to you
and administer the Lord’s
blessed sacraments to you.
Your congregation is the
place where those things
happen. Thus, when God
calls us to give to the church,
He has the local congrega-
tion in mind. For “the Lord
has commanded that those
who preach the gospel
should receive their living
from the gospel” (1 Cor.
9:14).
How much do we give to the
local congregation? Our only
instructions are these: to
give regularly (1 Cor. 6:1–2),
proportionally (1 Cor. 16:1–
2; 2 Cor. 8:12), and gener-
ously (2 Cor. 8:20) of our
first fruits (Gen. 4:4; Prov.
3:9; Lev. 27:30) with a spirit
of eagerness (2 Cor. 9:2),
earnestness (2 Cor. 8:7),
cheerfulness (2 Cor. 9:7),
and love (2 Cor. 8:23).
"Making His House Your Home"
www.worshipforshutins.org
DIRECTV Channel 377 -DISH Network
Sunday – 10:30 am
Network (TLN) –Comcast Cable 138
Sunday – 11:30 am
FREE Day-Old Bakery Open every Sunday morning
7:45am until 10:30am
for more information contact:
Harry McGinnis, Chair
708-837-9753
HELP SUPPORT OUR MISSION: Tithe On-Line
Bethlehem Lutheran Church has
now established the ability to
make offerings & contributions
online through VANCO.
You can make single contributions or set up a recurring
contribution or offering.
To contribute online, visit our web site at:
www.BethlehemRiverGrove.com
and choose “Donations” in the top banner
The Bethlehem Star Page 4
Bethlehem Church was
dedicated on Sunday,
Nov 4, 1951 it was built
adjacent to the old church
building
circa 1900 Bethlehem
Church (foreground) and
School (background)
Our Church Staff Pastor
Rev. Roger Gallup, M. Div., M.A.
Office 708-453-1113
Home 708-456-9028
Director of Music
Linda Erjavec, B.A.
847-671-1677
Secretary
Elizabeth Gallup
708-453-1113x10
“In every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known
unto God.” Phil 4:6
Would you like to submit a prayer request?
Prayer is very powerful & Bethlehem has a power-
ful prayer chain.
Sue Peavey, Chief Prayer Warrior
708-724-6582
We will do the rest and many prayers will be made
known to God.
cook allows a stew to simmer in
order to bring out all the flavors,
we need to ‘marinate’ our
minds in Scripture and allow it
to become part of us. When
that happens we’ll start to see
things change in our prayer
lives because the Spirit’s inter-
cession is tied to God’s will,
which is tied to His Word. In the
final analysis you may think you
know what you want, but God
knows what you need!
(Continued on page 6)
That’s what the Spirit does
when He searches our hearts
and interprets our requests to
the Father. But if the Holy Spir-
it is going to intercede for us
(appeal to God on our behalf)
we’d better learn what God’s
will is. And where do we learn
that? In His Word. Before we
can pray in the will of God two
things have to happen. First,
we must have a regular intake
of Scripture. God’s mind is
revealed in His Word, so when
you read the Bible you learn
how to pray the way you
should. Second, if our prayers
are going to hit the mark we
need to practice meditating on
the Scriptures. Just as a good
And he who searches our
hearts knows the mind of the
Spirit, because the Spirit inter-
cedes for the saints in accord-
ance with God's will. Romans
8:27 Since we sometimes pray out-
side of God’s will, part of the
Holy Spirit’s job is to change
our minds - not convince God
to give us what we want.
That’s why the Spirit ‘searches
our hearts’ in prayer. Some-
times words are inadequate;
you don’t always know what
someone’s really thinking or
wants based on what they say.
But if you could see inside
their heart you’d know exactly
how to interpret their words.
Praying According To God’s Will
He ap-
pointed
the
priests to
their du-
ties and
encour-
aged them in the service of
the LORD's temple. 2 Chronicles
35:2
The Bible says King Josiah ‘set
the priests in their duties and
encouraged them for the ser-
vice of the house of the
LORD’. Josiah did two things:
he instructed them, and he
encouraged them. Why? Be-
cause one without the other
doesn’t work! How often have
you left church feeling lifted,
encouraged and inspired by
the sermon? Question: Have
you ever thought of telling your
pastor how much it meant to
you, or sending them an email
to let them know you appreci-
ate their ministry? Pastors get
more kicks than kisses. Some
37% quit the ministry because
of discouragement. Did you
know that? Even the great
apostle Paul got discour-
aged: ‘When we arrived in
Macedonia province, we
couldn’t settle down. The
fights in the church and the
fears in our hearts kept us on
pins and needles. We couldn’t
relax because we didn’t know
how it would turn out. Then
the God who lifts up the down-
cast lifted our heads and our
hearts with the arrival of Titus.
We were glad just to see him,
but the true reassurance
came in what he told us about
you: how much you cared…how
concerned you were for me. I
went from worry to tranquility
in no time!’ (2 Corinthians 7:5-
7). Titus encouraged Paul in
two ways:
1) By showing up. ‘We were
glad just to see him.’ Like it or
not, when you don’t go to
church you’re saying, ‘Pastor,
you’re not worth coming to
hear.’
2) By offering encourage-
ment. ‘True reassurance came
in what he told us.’ This week,
encourage your pastor.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help
me encourage my pastor(s)
and those who have a spiritual
role in my life and thank them
for being used by You to guide
and direct me. In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
Encourage Your Pastor!
Volume 12, Issue 1 January 2018 Page 5
BRONCO Resale Shop 5517 St Charles Rd
(at Wolf Rd)
Berkley, IL HOURS OF OPERATION
M-T-Th-F: 10am - 4pm
Wednesday: 10am - 6pm-
Saturday: 9am - 3pm
708-240-4154 Walther HS Boosters
River Grove
Food Pantry “If everyone coming
to church brought just
one item each Sun-
day, think how many
lives we could touch.”
We collect tabs to
benefit Ronald
McDonald House.
Drop them off
in the Narthex.
Many thanks! Peggy Shabez
chairperson
1-630-253-3668
Pull Tabs
PLEASE USE OUR NEW:
Tuition Credit
Shopping Program for current & future students of
Walther High School
www.shopwithscrip.com Linda McGinnis,
Chairperson
708-681-1076
"Making His House Your Home"
Flower Chart 2018:
We are all aware that flowers
bring beauty to the altar as
well as joy to the giver. Unfor-
tunately, we have experi-
enced problems with receiv-
ing payment. If you are like
me we sign up when the flow-
er chart is produced and then
forget about it until the date
comes up and our name ap-
pears in the bulletin as the
donor. We leave church say-
ing we have to pay for them
and then time gets away from
us and the thought is forgot-
ten. Payment can be made
in advance or at least during
the month in which flowers
were requested.
God's blessings to each of
you who donate flowers and
thanks for helping with the
payments. Any questions you
may contact Liz Mork.
"Call his name Jesus, for He
will save His people from
their sins" (Matthew 1:21b).
"I will forgive their iniquity,
and I will remember their
sin no more" (Jeremiah
31:34b). "And He shall
stand and shepherd His
flock in the strength of the
Lord ... And He shall be
their peace" (Micah 5:4-5a).
"For the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of the
glory of the Lord as the wa-
ters cover the
sea" (Habakkuk 2:14). God
has kept His promises in
the past, and He will keep
His promises in the future,
to the very end of the
world.
PRAYER: Lord, thank You
for keeping Your promises.
Help me to trust in the
ones You have yet to fulfill.
Amen.
From The Lutheran Hour
"Promises to Keep" (continued from page 1)
“An Extra Boost”
tion just a bit easier.
When God calls us to
serve or to suffer in ways
that are too much for us,
we can ask Him to give us
a boost in our faith as well.
The father of a troubled
child did this when he said
to Jesus, "I believe; help
my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24b)
Ask the Holy Spirit to help
(Continued on page 6)
fact she could go
and see for herself,
and He also provid-
ed her with a safe
place to stay while
she adjusted to the
incredible news of her own
pregnancy.
See how kind God is! Mary
didn't ask for a sign, like
Zechariah did, but God
gave her one anyway. Mary
didn't ask for protection
against her parents' anger
or Joseph's grief. But God
provided anyway. He gave
her that extra boost that
made an impossible situa-
good to go.
I rather think this is what
God was doing with Mary
when the angel told her
about Elizabeth's pregnan-
cy. Mary was handling the
conversation well; she did
not reject what the angel
told her, and all she asked
was how this baby would
happen. But God was ask-
ing her to believe one of the
greatest miracles in human
history. And so, even
though she didn't ask, He
gave her a little boost-He
told her about Elizabeth's
pregnancy, which was a
(Gabriel said) "And behold,
your relative Elizabeth in
her old age has also con-
ceived a son, and this is
the sixth month with her
who was called barren. For
nothing will be impossible
with God." (Luke 1:36-37)
Have you ever taken a little
child to wash his hands or
get a drink of water from
the drinking fountain? If so,
you've probably had to
boost him up. Toddlers are
too small to reach it on
their own. But a boost from
an adult knee or a lift under
the armpits, and they're
The Bethlehem Star Page 6
circa 1927 Bethlehem Church
& Parsonage prior to remodel-
ing of church building which
occurred in 1928
Our old church altar
Sundays-6am-WGN 720AM
Daily Devotion-Lutheran Church Charities
www.devotions.lcccharities.org Read or listen to a great daily devotional
www.lcms.org/witness
The 2nd Annual
Bronco Benefit
Dinner will be held on
Sunday, January 28th
at Elmcrest Banquets in
Elmwood Park. This important
fundraiser helps students,
with financial need
For event sponsorship, pro-
gram ads, auction donations
or dinner reservations, visit
Walther.com/dinner.
From The Lutheran Hour
er leave you nor forsake
you (see Hebrews 13:5).
PRAYER: Lord Holy Spirit,
help me when my faith is
weak and the challenges
are great. Strengthen me in
You. Amen.
you. Read God's Word, the
Bible-that is a time-tested
place where people find
help in time of trouble.
Come to the Lord's Supper.
And remember your Savior
loves you dearly and has
said to you that He will nev-
“An Extra Boost” (Continued from page 2)
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help
me to meditate on Your Word
and to pray knowing that You
know what I say and mean. In
Jesus’ Name, Amen
devotions.lccharities.org
Praying According To God’s Will (continued from page 3)
When I smiled at them, they could hardly
believe it; their faces lit up, their troubles
took wings! I was their leader, establishing
the mood and setting the pace by which
they lived. Where I led, they followed’ Job 29
v 24-25
Smiling Can Start a Chain Reaction
The Value of a Smile: it costs nothing, but cre-
ates much. It enriches those who receive it,
without impoverishing those who give it. It
happens in a flash, and the memory of it
sometimes lasts forever. None are so rich that
they can get along without it, and none so
poor but are richer for its benefits. It creates
happiness in the home, fosters good will in
business, and is the countersign of friends. It
is rest to the weary, daylight to the discour-
aged, sunshine to the sad, and nature’s best
antidote for trouble. Yet it cannot be bought,
begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is no earthly
good until it is given away.
Banko, Justin 03-Jan
Husby, Cody 03-Jan
Saar, Angela 03-Jan
Sepulveda, Cherish 04-Jan
Sundt, Sharon 06-Jan
Shabez, Jamie 09-Jan
Johnson, Samantha 11-Jan
Lara, Laura 13-Jan
Bernero, Ray 12-Jan
Hansen, Cassandra 16-Jan
Lutzow, Joseph 16-Jan
Olson, Beth 17-Jan
Virzi, Nicole 17-Jan
Kazumura, George 20-Jan
Kosior, Jamie 21-Jan
Jauch, Janice 21-Jan
Fuerst, John 22-Jan
Schutt, Derek 22-Jan
Sundt, Angela 22-Jan
Hansen, Kim 25-Jan
Kruse, Clifford 25-Jan
Capron, Peter 26-Jan
Gallup, Elizabeth 29-Jan
Kater, Harry 31-Jan
Birthdays
Volume 12, Issue 1 November 2017 Page 7
NONE ON OUR LIST
Do you want to add to our Birthday or Anniversary list?
Contact the Church Office:
708-453-1113 or just send us a note!
Anniversaries
"Making His House Your Home"
Note: (C) denotes Common Cup Communion Service and (I) denotes Individual Cup Communion Service;
January 2018
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
31 01 02 03 04 05 06
Happy New Year
7pm Choir
07 08 09 10 11 12 13
Epiphany
8:15am Bible Study
9:15am Service (I)
10:30am Coffee and…
5 to 8pm Portillo’s
Fundraiser (see page
1)
7pm Women’s Bible
Study
7pm Choir
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
2nd S after Epiphany
8:15am Bible Study
9:15am Service (I)
10:30am Coffee and…
5to 8pm7pm Women’s
Bible Study 7pm Choir
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
3rd S after Epiphany
8:15am Bible Study
9:15am Service (I)
10:30am Coffee and…
7pm Women’s Bible
Study 7pm Board Meeting 7pm Choir
28 29 30 31 01 02 03
4th S after Epiphany
8:15am Bible Study
9:15am Service (I)
10:30am Coffee and…
7pm Women’s Bible
Study
Bethlehem Lutheran Church 2624 Oak Street
River Grove, Illinois 60171
Celebrating God’s Love since 1898
What We Teach and Confess As Lutherans
-There is one true God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
-All People are born in sin, and we sin against God every day.
-Jesus Christ is our Savior. He is true God and true man. He came from heaven, lived a perfect life in our place and died
a sacrificial death on the cross for all.
-Jesus rose from the dead on the third day and opened the gates of heaven to all who trust in him.
-God accepts all who believe in Jesus even though there is no merit or worthiness in us.
-So that we might believe in Jesus, God has given us the ministry, which is the preaching of Christ and the
Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Through these, God also gives us the forgiveness of sins.
-When God brings people to faith, He also produces many good works in our lives. These are done, not to earn grace,
but to do God’s will and please him. We love him because he first loved us.
-God has given every man, woman and child a calling in life. Within that calling He directs us, and through His Word,
strengthens us to live for Him.
-The Bible is the inspired Word of God. The Bible is free from all error and contradiction in all that it says. The Word of
God brings us to Jesus our Lord.
ADVANCE EQUIPMENT
MANUFACTURING COMPANY
CHICAGO, IL
WORSHIP SCHEDULE Sunday 9:15am Service
Communion is celebrated every
Sunday; common cup on the
1st, 3rd and 5th Sunday & individual cup
on the 2nd and 4th Sunday.
CHURCH: (708) 453-1113
PASTOR: 708-456-9028
NEWSLETTER
Please e-mail any articles you want
included in the next newsletter to:
We’re on the Web!
Visit us at:
www.bethlehemrivergrove.com
8:15am Sundays— For all you Early Risers used to
coming to the first service - Join
us for coffee and a topical discus-
sion of the Bible with Pastor Gal-
lup. Everyone interested in learn-
ing more about the Word are
welcome!
