Bethel Blessings

1st Quarter newsletter

January – February - March

2025

“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” – Romans 12:4-5

Resources

Our Website:

https://blcsuth.360unite.com/home

Recommended Radio Stations:

-KICD 1240 AM Spencer, IA

First English Lutheran Church Service 8:00 AM

-KSCJ 94.9FM Sioux Center, IA

The Lutheran Hour Sun 8:30 AM

-KJIA 88.9 FM Okoboji, IA

Our Savior Lutheran Church – Norfolk, NE – online live worship service @ 9:00 am https://oursav.online.church/

Lutheran Public Radio https://issuesetc.org/

Iowa District West http://www.idwlcms.org/

Lutheran Church Missouri Synod https://www.lcms.org/

Bethel Service on Local Cable Channel: Bethel Services are broadcasted on Sutherland’s Local Cable Channel. Look for them on Channel WTTV 16 on Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. and Thursdays at 5:00 p.m.

A New Year but The Same Pardon

Richard Lauersdorf

From his book Together with Jesus.

“I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Jeremiah 31:34

What can you do with that water stain on the kitchen ceiling? Try covering it with ordinary paint, but it still bleeds through. Buy the special paint made to cover such stains, but you still see its faint outline each time you look at the ceiling.

Sometimes we act as if God deals the same way with our sins. As if Jesus merely covered them over and yet they’re still there. Notice what the gracious Lord said. He does more than cover our sins – he removes them. He doesn’t even remember our sins. Our sins are gone as if they never existed. All because he sent his Son to pay for them on Calvary’s cross.

Thank God we didn’t have to enter the new year with the stains of last year’s sins upon us. They’re totally gone – blotted out completely by the precious blood of the Savior. And the sins of this new year? There will be plenty of them. Old familiar ones that we fight against and yet fall back into. New ones that we stumble into because they sneak up on us. What shall we do, what can we do, with all their wretched stains?

The same thing we did last year. Bring them with tears of repentance to God, and thank him each day for this new year for forgiving our sins and remembering them no more.

Thank you, Lord for forgiveness that

remains new for us each day. Amen.

The last three months have been fast paced and out of the ordinary for the church council and the members of Bethel Lutheran Church. Only parish acts in October was that Pastor Ohlendorf was able to visit all the nursing home residents. Heath Negus fixed a few items in the men’s restroom. During the October meeting we had talked with Pastor Ohlendorf about Bethel calling him as our part-time pastor instead of just a vacancy pastor just until we found a full-time pastor. Pastor Ohlendorf agreed to do this and said that he would stay with us until God takes him to heaven. God had other plans for Pastor Ohlendorf because the next morning was when Pastor Ohlendorf passed away to be with God in his heavenly home.

Pastor Meyer then had the task of finding us a new vacancy pastor. Middle of October was when Pastor John Riebhoff came to be our vacancy pastor.

Pastor was able to meet with the nursing home residents and give them communion in both November and December. Because of all the changing around with vacancy pastor’s it was decided that the confirmation classes with Greata would be taught by Dwane Riedmann on Sunday mornings before the church service.

Harvest Festival and 90th Anniversary of the church was at the end of November. We served 53 people for our meal. The hand print cross looks nice on the basement wall. Aaron Oolman was going to see if he can find someone to move the church’s snow this winter since Sweeny’s are no longer doing this.

Advent Mid-Week services were the first three Wednesday’s in December and were rotated by Pastor Riebhoff, Pastor Meyer, and Pastor Stenzel.

The biggest news from the council is that we have voted as a congregation to become a dual parish with Zion in Paullina. As well, we have put in a call to a young man who graduated in December from Fort Wayne to be our pastor. Pastor Matthews’s installation will be January 12th at 4:00 pm.

The dual parish means that Pastor Matthews and Pastor Meyer will be shared between Bethel, Zion, and ZSJ school in Paullina. Pastor Matthews will mainly be at Bethel but will help Pastor Meyer at Zion and the school. Both churches are sharing in the expense of the new pastor only. We will still be our own church and Zion will be their own church. The dual parish means that we will always have someone taking care of the needs of the church. If you have any questions about how the dual parish works, please talk with one of the elders or someone from the call committee.

Voter’s Meeting

Sunday, January 19th

After the Church Service

Pastor Dave Matthews

Installation – Sunday, January 12

4:00 pm @ Bethel Lutheran Church

Fellowship Refreshments to follow service

Concordia League

In October we visited with Delmar Sickelka, Elaine Waggoner, Janie Ebel, and Bonnie Horstmann at the Hartley Assisted Living/Nursing Home. They enjoyed visiting as well as the cookies and snack bags that we brought them.

In November we has a soup supper with the residents of Wiloway. Afterwards we played a few arounds of BINGO with the residents. Everyone enjoyed the prizes that Chris and Bridget shared with everyone.

December meeting was a time of fellowship at Legacy’s in Sutherland. It was kind-of a Christmas party.

Up coming Events

January 22nd we are have a devotion and regular meeting. We are wanting everyone to bring ideas on what they would like to do through out the year. Chris and Bridget will be in charge of the refreshments and devotion for the January meeting.

All are welcomed to join us at Concordia League. Sharing the Love of God through devotions and the fellowship of church members.

Christian Outreach

Trunk-N-Treat was a big hit again this year. We have 8 cars that decorated and we had 100 kids come through this year.

Harvest Festival and the 90th Anniversary was enjoyed by many. We served 53 people. Everyone enjoyed the historical items and the hand print cross llooks very nice in the basement entry. It’s not to late to add your hand print to the cross if you have not done so yet. Just find a member of Chrisitian Outreach and we will help you. We have all the paint here at the church.

This year we decorated a Christmas Tree in the Johannsen Center for the Old Fashion Christmas in Sutherland. During that weekend we also had our cookie decorating table. Thank you to all who make cookies, frosting, and help work the booth.

December 8th, we went Christmas caroling at the Hartley and Sutherland nursing homes. The residents enjoyed our singing and visiting with them.

Either in January or February will be hosting a Meet & Greet with Pastor Matthews and his family. May be looking at a Friendship Sunday where church members ask a friend to join us for worship, with the possibility of a potluck meal afterwards. Follow your bulletins for more information.

February 21st, at South O’Brien Elementary we will be do the “High Five at School” before school starts for the day.

College Care Packages – We have 10 College Students this year. We send out three care packages to them through out the year. We are asking for money donations this year, so that we can personalize the care packages to each student.

Jack Farquhar - Payon Farquhar

Lydia Hustedt - Dante Johnson

Reid Nelson - Husdon Oolman

Jordan Sickelka - Sydney Sickelka

Willa Sickelka – Wylee Sickelka

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the LYC!

The last quarter of the year was spent hosting our annual “Movie Night in the Barn”, raking the church lawn and parking lot, having our annual spaghetti dinner fundraiser, putting up the church Christmas tree and nativity, and celebrating the birth of our Savior with supper, devotions and white elephant exchange.

We had 25 kids join us for our movie night. We watched “The Boys in the Boat” while eating popcorn, cookies and sipping hot chocolate. We served 90 people at our spaghetti dinner raising $1,100. Thank you to all who attended and those who donated ingredients.

Our Christmas devotion focused on God’s promises to us and the gifts He graciously gives to us. The ultimate gift of God being His own Son, our Savior.

This upcoming quarter of the year will be spent taking down the tree and nativity, having regular meetings and hosting a Poverty Simulation by Love, Inc. of Sheldon at the church basement on Wednesday, February 19. The congregation is invited to attend the simulation with our youth and parents. We will have a bite to eat at 6:30 and the simulation will start at 7:00. A Free Will Donation will be available to offset the cost of the meal and program.

We had 10 children perform in the Sunday School

Christmas Program during the church service on December 15th. The kids did a great job! They also went outside and reenacted the manager scene.

We took a break for a couple of Weeks and we will restart on Sunday, January 5th at 9:15 am. We have been studying bible stories of the Old Testament.

Christmas Poinsettias
Thank you to everyone who sponsored poinsettias on our altar this Christmas season. Those honored include the following: Bridget & Chris Sickelka in memory of Delbert Bretschneider, Don and Darlene Sickelka, and Alan & Delma Mueller; Elaine Waggoner & family in memory of Glen Waggoner; Fran & Dan Oeffner in memory of Oeffner and Rossow family members; Roger & Mary Postma in memory of Clarence & Evelyn Postma; Delmar Sickelka in memory of Clara Sickelka; Vernice Rahbusch in memory of John Rahbusch; Mark & Connie Cody in memory of Ken & Lois Cody and another in memory of Dick & Bev Thiel; Linda Nellis in memory of Dale Nellis, Melanie Ford, and Jason Nellis. A poinsettia was also donated in memory of Pastor Ray Ohlendorf.

January:

2	Heath Negus
4	Liz Peters
5	Tonya Oolman
8	Elaine Waggoner
10	Loretta Johannsen
12	Sydney Sickelka
13	Hudson Oolman
15	Dan Waggoner
16	Carol Wittrock
22	Jan Oeffner
24	Merle Jalas
27	Aaron Oolman Jessica Mahler
29	Karlene Negus
30	Dale Amendt
31	Sheryl Hustedt Leah Morris

February:

4	Gerald Lange Mirabella Mews
6	Briar Stoll
7	Mark Drefke Karolyn Farquhar
8	Hannah Jurgensen
10	Brindle Johannsen
20	Zachary Peters
21	Greta Hustedt
25	Jaymee Smith
26	Mike Johannsen Reid Nelson Sara Sickelka
27	Carolyn Rohrbaugh

March:

3	Alison Harmon-Sickelka Robert Oeffner
6	Shelby Johnson
7	Lee Cody Lisa Huckaby
11	Regina Mills
13	Jenny Johnson
21	Marilynn Horstmann Heath Mews
24	Sawyer Stoll
25	Denny Litka