Serving in our local community
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New Beginnings Prison Ministry
Bell Ringing for Salvation Army
Bethlehem Mission House
A few years ago we repurposed our parsonage into a Mission House that is used to host groups coming to Longmont to help with rebuilding after the 2013 floods and with other area mission projects.
Since then we have had multiple groups in the Mission House. Many groups were working for St. Vrain Habitat for Humanity doing the ongoing rebuilding from the 2013 flood. The first group was with IOCC—International Orthodox Christian Charities. One missionary was from Baltimore, another from Pueblo and the third from Petaluma, California. They shared this thank you:
"Thank you for the lovely accommodations. This is a beautiful and comfortable home.
We've enjoyed our stay very much. It was so nice to have a home-away-from-home to come to after a day with Habitat. We enjoyed working with Habitat and did work as we never have before. What an opportunity for us to be blessed while blessing others.
Longmont is a beautiful city. We enjoyed experiencing downtown and going for an evening walk. Thank you for the delicious cinnamon/chocolate bread. Oh my! We are so grateful. God bless you all and thank you again."
~Lynette, Catherine and Jenie
Another was a group of eight from St. Petersburg, Florida. They all belong to a UCC church there. Their comment was that they have done many mission trips like this but these were the best accommodations they have ever had.
Recently, we met with the leaders of St. Vrain Valley Habitat for Humanity. We again agreed to house groups that come through them in our Mission House. We continue to have groups signed up for through spring of 2019.
We are blessed to be a blessing!
Atwood Shelter
Monthly Collections
The Atwood Shelter in Longmont is one of four shelters in Boulder County that provides emergency housing for homeless families with children. The shelters in Longmont, Boulder, Lafayette, and Louisville are operated by EFAA, the Emergency Family Assistance Association, which is a non-profit that has been in existence in Boulder County since 1918. They provide help to low income families in the areas of health needs, education, transportation, employment, housing, and food. More information on EFAA can be found on their website at https://www.efaa.org/.
In Longmont, the shelter includes two housing units. One is a four-plex, which houses four families, and the other is an apartment complex, which houses seven families. Of these 11 units, two are transitional units which people can stay in for two years—paying rent of $500 per month. The other nine units are short term units that house families for up to 16 weeks rent free. The units are fully furnished and provide families with all the supplies they need for daily living such as toilet paper, paper towels, diapers, personal hygiene needs, dish/dishwasher detergent, laundry detergent, bleach, all cleaning products, brooms, mops, bedding, towels, dishes, silverware, and pots & pans.
Bethlehem has a history of providing household needs to the shelter. Donations are always welcome—bring needed items to the bin in the narthex; write a check to Bethlehem with "Atwood Shelter" on memo line; designate the Atwood Shelter on your giving envelope; or use our online donation page and choose Atwood Shelter under Mission options. Those funds will be used to purchase items that the Longmont Atwood Shelter needs.
For more information or questions, please contact Phyllis Wright (pkwright1360@gmail.com, 303-763-0755).
University of Colorado Campus Ministry
Bethlehem supports the CU Lutheran Campus Ministry by donations, participation in events, and encouragement. Christus Rex is a welcoming community, whose members support one another in their faith journeys. The students enjoy caring, fun, and fellowship as a part of everything they do together! Special events include weekly Sunday evening dinners following worship, movie nights, ski retreats, a fall kick-off picnic, ethnic dinners, trips to special exhibits, and so on. For more information, contact Pastor Zach Parris (303-786-7137) and the CU campus ministry website.
ELCA "God's work. Our hands."
ELCA congregations across the country join together on the second Sunday in September to do service projects in their local community. Bethlehem teams up with First Lutherans. In 2014 we did flood relief, highway cleanup, quilting and Habitat for Humanity work. In 2015 we again shared a wonderful day of service with our brothers and sisters of First Lutheran then went out into the community to serve by doing highway or 
greenspace cleanup, digging up flower beds at Old Mill Park, working on the current Habitat build, quilting and assembling newborn layettes for Global Health. We assembled 60 newborn kits and completed seven quilts. At the 2016 "God's Work. Our Hands." day of service, care packages were assembled for the homeless—for the folks we see on our street corners with their cardboard signs. These care packages (food and personal items) were creatively packed into a new pair of socks. The socks have been distributed for you to hand out. Thanks to the volunteers who assembled them.
Support For Local Coffee Farmers Through LWR
Lutheran World Relief (LWR) produces LWR Farmers Market Coffee in partnership with THRIVE Farmers Coffee, a coffee roaster with a passion for helping farmers lift themselves out of poverty and become self-sufficient and better able to support their families. LWR Farmers Market Coffee is sourced directly from farmers participating in LWR coffee projects. At this time, it is sourced completely from Nicaragua. Through their purchases, consumers also support and strengthen the work of LWR. For every pound of coffee purchased, THRIVE Farmers donates 80 cents to LWR's continued efforts to reach out to farmers around the world. Two varieties of LWR Farmers Market Coffee are available at BLC: Medium Roast and Dark Roast. Both are whole bean. The cost is $7.50 per bag.
For more information contact Carolyn Buck-Gengler (cbuckgengler@gmail.com or 303-651-0612).
Nicaragua Fair Trade
As part of our support for the Nicaragua Mission, Bethlehem hosts an annual Nicaragua Fair Trade Fair that promotes items made by the people of Nicaragua. For more information, contact Cathy Goodman.
Habitat for Humanity – St. Vrain Valley
Habitat for Humanity of the St. Vrain Valley- New Builds
The mission of the Habitat for Humanity of the St. Vrain Valley (HHSV) is to provide simple, decent, affordable housing to those in need. BLC supports HHSV by contributing financially, providing and serving workers' lunches, and providing volunteer workers. Current projects are in the Popular Grove area of Longmont (near South Main and Jersey St).
Flood Response
BLC is currently supporting flood relief work projects in partnership with HHSVV. Once a month, volunteers work on repairing resident's homes and properties that were damaged in the Sept 2013 flood here in Longmont.
ReStore
The HHSV ReStore located on Ken Pratt Blvd. receives household donations that are in turn sold to the public; the proceeds provide funding for additional Habitat build projects. Members of BLC contribute time and donations to the HHSV ReStore.
Habitat Build and ReBuild Days for BLC
The first build day is Friday, February 22, and we will be working at Poplar Grove, the last of the homes there.
2019 Habitat ReBuild Days
For 2019, discussion has centered on trying to help repair homes/trailers in the Glenns in Dacono. These are mostly 30 to 40 years old and therefore in need of fix-ups, bathrooms, and more. An Adult Forum is scheduled Sunday, March 10, when Habitat folks will talk to the congregation about what their plans are to help folks in the Glenns.
We have six dates scheduled in the Glenns for this year:
Saturday, April 27
Friday, June 21
Saturday, August 24
Friday, October 25
Saturday, December 7
Please sign up on the narthex west wall for our 2019 Habitat Rebuild Days. Contact Bob Cotton (303-651-6563, rcc.cotton@gmail.com) for more information.
For the 2016 Report for St. Vrain Habitat for Humanity:
Download the 2016 Report for St. Vrain Habitat for Humanity!107.55 KB
HOPE for Longmont
Homeless Outreach Providing Encouragement (HOPE) is an after-hours street outreach program providing life-sustaining support to the homeless community, while offering programs which encourage movement toward self-sufficiency. Bethlehem supports this outreach both financially and with volunteers; Bethlehem members donate and collect needed items; provide food; and have participants in the delivery program. Our contact is: Colleen Beyer.
Volunteer Opportunities:
Search and Save: HOPE’s nightly search & save mobile outreach service operates seven nights a week, 365 nights per year and is designed to engage with people experiencing homelessness at a deeper level. This incredibly important work establishes supportive relationships and increases the chances that individuals will access the array of programs to help them move off the streets and into housing. Search and save volunteers connect vulnerable individuals to services and provide emergency transportation to nighttime navigation in severe weather. For more info or to volunteer see http://hopeforlongmont.org/get-involved/ .
Interested in getting involved? Contact Sandy Woodruff (303-442-6391).
Inn Between of Longmont
The Inn Between of Longmont, Inc., provides transitional housing and services for diverse homeless individuals and families to help them achieve self-sufficiency and offers low-cost housing, case management services, parent support and education, life skills, conflict resolution, resource and referral. The Inn Between was created through a community-wide collaboration to address the problem of homelessness. The goal was to create a transitional housing program that would house the diverse client-population served by this collaboration and provide the services that would also promote stability and lead toward increased levels of self sufficiency.
The Inn assists residents to develop individualized plans that address their issues and needs, such as housing (first and foremost), education, job training, job search, and financial management, treatment for substance addictions, mental health issues, family relations, and goals and objectives for children when necessary.
Bethlehem supports the Inn Between with financial contributions, supply donations and holiday gifts for residents.
Sky Ranch Lutheran Camp
Sky Ranch, just north of Rocky Mountain National Park at an elevation of 9200 feet, is operated by congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Their programs and facilities are open to all.
Bethlehem provides monetary support, staff support and volunteers for maintenance projects, in addition to using the facilities for a variety of camp weeks and for staffing our Summer Day Camp in Longmont. For more information, contact Deaconess Kristen, or Pastor Peterson (303-776-3290).
Mother House
Mother House is a safe haven for pregnant women who are at risk. The house is located in Boulder and provides shelter to homeless pregnant women while teaching self-respect and the responsibilities of parenting and/or adoption during their residency at Mother House. Bethlehem supports Mother House through donations and work projects. For more information, please contact Jane Lahman or the Mother House at (303) 651-9304.
New Beginnings Prison Ministry
Cards for New Beginnings Prison Ministry
Do you have extra cards that you are not using? New Beginnings, our mission at the Women's Correctional Facility in Denver, gives cards to inmates several times a year so they can stay in touch with family and friends. There is a basket in the narthex marked "New Beginnings"! Appropriate cards of all kinds including Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Sympathy, Birthday, Valentine's Day, Blank cards, and Calendars can be donated. Questions? Contact Sandy Woodruff (or 303-442-6391).
Visit Denver Women's Prison
Thanks to Mike Smith who has agreed to be the new coordinator for our outreach to New Beginnings. Please contact Mike Smith about future opportunities to visit the New Beginnings ministry.
OUR Center
Since 1986, the Outreach United Resource Center, Inc., the "OUR Center", has worked to meet its mission to unify a safety net of available resources to help people with short term hardships meet their basic needs and move toward self-sufficiency. The priority is to assist families with children who are residents of the St. Vrain region. Assistance to households without children may be provided after a thorough assessment has been done and as resources permit. Bethlehem supports the OUR Center financially, through food and clothing donations, and by providing lunches on Sundays periodically throughout the year.
2019 OUR Center Lunch dates for Bethlehem:
BLC will host a luncheon for the OUR Center on Sunday, October 7. We need six first–shift volunteers for preparation from 10:00 a.m.–noon, and eight second–shift volunteers for serving and cleaning up from noon–2:00 p.m. If you haven't tried this before, it's a great opportunity to reach out to our community and have some fun with fellow volunteers. A signup sheet is on the table in the Narthex. Call Sandy Woodruff at 303-442-6391 with any questions.
2019 Lunch Dates:
March 31
June 2
August 25
October 17
"OUR Center Spotlight"
As one of the supporting churches of the Longmont OUR Center, the OUR Center wants to keep us informed of how our congregation can partner to help families and individuals in need. Therefore, they are sending a monthly "OUR Center Spotlight" newsletter and ask that we please share this list with you. We will be posting a copy in the narthex and also making it available here on our website. Please contact Elaine (or 303-772-5529 x224) if you have any questions.
December "OUR Center Spotlight" for download407.5 KB
Quilting Groups
Bethlehem Quilting Queens
The Quilting Queens of Bethlehem Lutheran Church meet to tie and talk on Thursdays at 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon. The #1 priority is plenty of fellowship, fun and work. We cut, iron, sew, tie and produce an amazing number of quilts each year. We are always anxious to welcome any and all—male or female—to join us in cutting and tying patch work quilts. It's a really good time—belly laughs and giggles, eating a lot and drinking (coffee, that is)! Find more details and pictures at Connect/Quilters.
Peacemakers Quilters
Bethlehem members also participate in another quilting group in Heatherwood (founded by members from Bethlehem and Mt. Calvary Lutheran churches) who makes quilts to sell to support Lutheran World Relief, Nicaragua Mission, and ELCA World Hunger. We provide materials and members participate in the quilting. Our contact is Sandy Burrell, who can provide more information on the Peacemakers quilting group.
Relay for Life
Relay For Life® is a fun-filled event designed to celebrate survivorship and raise money to help the American Cancer Society save lives, help those who have been touched by cancer, and empower individuals to fight back against this disease. During the event, teams of people gather at schools, fairgrounds, or parks and take turns walking or running laps. Each team keeps at least one team member on the track at all times.
Safe Shelter of St. Vrain Valley
The Safe Shelter of St. Vrain Valley offers support, shelter, and information to victims or survivors of any abuse regardless of gender identification. There is also educational outreach for all which is bilingual. The Safe Shelter 24/7 Crisis phone is (303)772-0432 or (303)772-4422. More information can be found at: www.safeshelterofstvrain.org. BLC offers donations to support Safe Shelter.
Bell ringing for the Salvation Army
For the last several years, Bethlehem members have volunteered to be bell ringers for the annual Salvation Army Christmas Drive. If you are interested in signing up for a one hour shift, contact Duane Penny.
Lutheran Family Services
Furniture Needs
If you are doing some tidying up around the house and have any furniture or household items to donate to Lutheran Family Services' refugee families (Denver area), please call Jaime at 303-922-3433 to schedule a pickup! We are in particular need of dressers and dining tables and chairs. Also needed are lamps, side/coffee tables, night stands, sofas, living room chairs, mattresses and box springs in good shape. Or, if you don't have anything you can donate, funds to purchase furniture at thrift stores would be great too. Thanks! (We cannot accept sofa beds, TVs, desks, bookshelves, or king size beds—sorry!)
LFS Refugee Program Needs
The refugee program had a busy fall with increased refugee arrivals, and we hope to welcome even more refugees in the coming year—so we need your help! We are low on bedding (sheet sets, bed-sized blankets, comforters, and pillows) and cookware (pots and pans). Can you help give a warm welcome to a new refugee family by donating new or gently used items? If so, contact Jaime (jaime.blanchard@lfsrm.org or 303-217-5181).
LFS Annual Gala Donations
Silent auction item donations are needed for the 25th Annual Gala—LFS' largest annual fundraiser! Individuals and groups are encouraged to put together a donation. Can you donate a gift basket, gift certificate, or item to help raise funds for our human service programs? All ideas and items are welcome! All contributions are tax deductible. For more information or to schedule a pick-up, contact Katie Scherr, Special Events and Community Relations Coordinator, 720-541-6826.
Worship Times
Worship services:
8:00 & 10:15 a.m.
Learning hour: 9:10 a.m.
Nursery hours: 7:45 to 11:30 a.m.
Christian Preschool, Longmont, CO
Upcoming Events
Annual Congregational Meeting and Lunch: January 27, 11:30 a.m.
First Friday Fellowship: February 1, 6:00–8:30 p.m. hosted by Gloria and Charlie Wilson
Bethlehem Calendar
Click here to view all the upcoming events at Bethlehem.
Youth & Young Adult Programs
Check out the opportunities for youth and young adults.
New Pictures
Check out this new-
Chrismon Tree Timelapse under the photos menu.
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