November 2020

online@www.bethelwels.org

SONLIGHT

Bethel Elders’ Meeting Minutes

October 12th, 2020 -- via phone

Our meeting opened with prayer at 5:55 PM

Elders present: Keith Witte, Chuck Johnson, Rollin Barkeim, Fred Lintelmann, Tim Bakeberg

Also attending: Pastor Cox

Secretary’s Report: The minutes of the August 18th, 2020 meeting had been emailed out to Elders previously.

Business items (no particular order of importance):

No significant changes pertaining to Matters of Membership or updates to Care Lists.

The topic of making private communion available for Bethel members who are uncomfortable in any group setting (large or small) due to Covid-19 pandemic concerns. Pastor Cox will contact some folks concerning this. Anyone who has these concerns is also encouraged to contact Pastor Cox to discuss possible options.

Several aspects of worship services were discussed in light of the indoor mask mandate in effect and other Covid-19 factors. All-in-all, the congregation seemed to be responding/handling matters well.

Some discussion regarding midweek worship services: consensus was to encourage use of worship videos and other media resources that have expanded since February -- these are available for everyone (members and non-members); given “one pastor / two-point parish” concentrate on Sunday morning for “in-person” worship (following Covid-19 protocol).

Some tentative dates / times for holiday worship services were proposed. Upcoming Sonlight newsletters will contain definitive information.

A brief update was given regarding Confirmation and Bible Information classes.

Our next meeting will be at 6 PM on Monday, December 14th -- via teleconference.

The meeting adjourned with the Lord’s Prayer.

Nathan Cox 11/1

Ciera Maliszewski 11/1

Aaron Cupp 11/1

Lucy Johnson 11/2

Mary Gilbert 11/4

Brooklynn Golden 11/4

Levi Cox 11/6

Kay Evenson 11/6

Russell Johnson 11/6

Don Hills 11/7

Gina Steinlicht 11/11

Dave Evenson 11/14

Carol Sacia 11/17

Wendy Thompson 11/17

Ariah Klukas 11/20

DeAndre Casey 11/21

Mike Gilbert 11/22

Kenneth Rebernick 11/23

Adam Johnson 11/23

Mark Pfaff 11/23

Leanna Bird 11/28

Bob and Michelle Hinzman

November 14

Carol and Dan Sacia

November 14

Dan and Amy Thorn

November 26

Due to Covid-19 we are limiting attendance to

only women of Bethel this year.

99 Birthday Balloons for Laverne!

Blue, purple, pink, yellow and green – 99 birthday balloons were a surprise on the morning of August 21 in Laverne Putz’s room at

Grandview Care Center in Blair. They sure helped him start his 99th birthday in a big way! With this kind gift from caring staff, lots of love from his family and friends, and 99 years of God’s good grace, it’s no

surprise that Laverne is sporting such a big smile in this birthday photo.

The Lord bless and keep you, our dear Bethel brother!

Women of the Word (WOW) Meeting Notes

Arcadia October 25, 2020

Advent by Candlelight: Due to Covid-19 we obviously can’t hold our annual event in the same manner we have in previous years. We discussed and decided (for this year) that we would just open this event up to the ladies of our church (no visitors). We will have a parred down version of what we have done before and will use one of the programs that we did in the past. The program will be held on December 6th at 2:00 PM. Please encourage your daughters to attend. If anyone has any comments or suggestions – please let me know. Church cleaning was discussed. Karla said that she had suggested to Pastor Cox and Ben Golden the idea of hiring a part-time person to clean the churches. Sandy Witte suggested that perhaps a fund could be setup for people to donate to which would help offset the cost.

Graduation blankets were handed out to Marina Eckart and Isabelle Mooney in August. We had a baptism during the summer so an engraved picture frame was purchased and given to Elliot Rotering. A confirmation frame has been purchased for Sammy Berg.

Wendy Eckart gave Janice a web site where we could order toilet paper – paper towel – soap for the dispensers – cleaning supplies. It is called Uline. Janice will look into their products and pricing. Bruce Arnoldy was gracious enough to take care of all this in the past, but now that he has retired we want to find a new source for these essentials.

Janice Knudsen

WOW – President

WELS Q&A* Planning for the Future

When the topic of money comes up, it seems we are very quick to reference the parable of the rich fool. However, this question is focused on the opposite side – not preparing for the future. On average, the typical American actually has very little saved for their later years. Long-term care is very expensive. From the perspective of assisted living, nursing homes, memory care, etc., one could hardly have too much saved. Is it sinful or irresponsible for people to say, “I’m not going to worry about it”? “I’ll let my kids or the government deal with it”? “Nursing home insurance is too expensive, so I won’t bother or worry about it. I’ll just go on Medicaid.” Many have a very cavalier attitude about the whole subject until it actually becomes a crisis. For Christians, what is the right approach?

You are asking some very practical questions. Perhaps we could start by looking at some courses of action to

avoid.

One such idea is thinking that our plans for the future will successfully address every possible detail. James

4:13-15 teaches us that there are limitations to our plans and so we do best to put our plans into the Lord’s

hands.

Another wrong idea is that I don’t need to make any plans for the future at all. Scripture explains that

everything belongs to God (Psalm 24:1) and God entrusts his possessions to people, requiring that they be

faithful in managing what he owns (Matthew 25:14-30). Faithfulness in managing God’s possessions is fostered

by planning, as Jesus illustrated in the context of the commitment of Christian discipleship (Luke 14:28-33).

Avoiding those extremes will put us somewhere in the middle: recognizing the wisdom of planning and the

limitations of planning. As managers of God’s possessions, we will want to use the resources God has entrusted

to us wisely and faithfully.

The problem with the rich fool in Jesus’ parable, as the Lord explained it, is that he stored up things for himself

but was not rich toward God (Luke 12:21). His plans were entirely self-centered. God was nowhere to be found

in his plans because he had no place in his life for God.

Planning for something like long-term health care certainly displays kind consideration of others (Philippians

2:4) and is very much consistent with the Bible’s teaching that selflessness is to be the way of life for the child

of God (1 Corinthians 10:24).

“May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed” (Psalm 20:4). Those are the

inspired words of King David. Those words very nicely put the subject of planning in perspective. Plans are

wholesome activities for Christians, and God’s blessings are needed for the successful completion of plans.

*reprinted from the WELS website: www.wels.net

November 2020

Arcadia Galesville

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Worship with

Communion

G - Bible Class

9:30 – 11:00 AM

G hall used 11:30-1:30

G – Choir

6:30 - 7:30 PM

Confirmation

A – 3:00 – 4:30 PM

G – 5:30 – 7:00 PM

A -Bible Class

9:00 – 10:30 AM

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Worship

G- Council Mtg.

6:30 PM

G - Bible Class

9:30 – 11:00 AM

G hall used 11:30-1:30

G – Choir

6:30 - 7:30 PM

Confirmation

A – 3:00 – 4:30 PM

G – 5:30 – 7:00 PM

A -Bible Class

9:00 – 10:30 AM

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Worship with

Communion

G - Bible Class

9:30 – 11:00 AM

G hall used 11:30-1:30

G – Choir

6:30 - 7:30 PM

Confirmation

A – 3:00 – 4:30 PM

G – 5:30 – 7:00 PM

Arcadia

Food Pantry

1-4:30 PM

A -Bible Class

9:00 – 10:30 AM

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Worship G - Bible Class

9:30 – 11:00 AM

G hall used 11:30-1:30

G – Choir

6:30 - 7:30 PM

Thanksgiving

Worship

A – 5:30 PM

G – 7:00 PM

Happy

Thanksgiving

Day!

29 30

Worship G - Bible Class

9:30 – 11:00 AM

G hall used 11:30-1:30

G – Choir

6:30 - 7:30 PM

Confirmation

A – 3:00 – 4:30 PM

G – 5:30 – 7:00 PM

Worship 8:30 AM

Time for fellowship after the service.

Worship 10:30 AM

Sunday Morning Schedules

Galesville Sunday Ushers Greeters Cleaning Week of:

11/1/2020 Russ Johnson Darlene Johnson

Mark Pfaff Judy Howell

11/8/2020 Mike Gilbert Mary Gilbert Mike and Mary Gilbert

AJ Johnson Anita Lemke

11/15/2020 Fred Lintelmann Doreen Cox

Chris Hamilton Olivia Cox

11/22/2020 Leland Wier LaVonne Wier Area 1: Doris Fruechte

Seth McHenry Cassie McHenry Area 2: Carol Sacia

11/29/2020 Craig Yehle Tami Yehle

Jacob Yehle Emily Yehle

Arcadia

2020 Greeters Ushers Acolyte Fellowship

Treats 11/1/2020 Eileen Hanson Gary Putz Nichole Kasten Wendy Eckart

Greg Rotering

11/8/2020 Martin & Janice Gary Putz Robert Mooney Abby Rotering Knudsen Keith Witte

11/15/2020 Brian & Gina Steinlicht Chuck Johnson Adyson Sosalla Eileen Hanson Greg Rotering

11/22/2020 Greg & Ruth Golden Bruce Arnoldy Gaylene Mohror Jeremy Conradt

11/29/2020 Kathy Fonstad Jeremy Conradt Nichole Kasten Rosa Mooney

Bob Sosalla