Ecumenical Hymn Festival for Habitat

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Bethesda Youth:

January 29:  Youth are preparing Good Meals Soup for our lunch, and are invited to attend the meeting.

Sunday January 29th :
The ELCA has recently supported a new ministry that will gather young adults from across the church into small "living-learning" communities where the young adults will explore vocation and discipleship through service leadership, faith practices, and experiential learning.  The New England Synod has called Rev. Josh Graber to help develop the first site in New Haven, in partnership with other pilot sites across the country.  Josh will offer a presentation on this innovative new ministry for members of area churches in the Muhlenberg Room at Bethesda Lutheran (305 St Ronan St) in New Haven on January 29th from 7-8:15 PM.

Saturday, February 4
10 am – noon, planning sessions for Lent, Holy Week, Vigil and Easter in the Muhlenberg Room. Bethesda’s Music Director Lars Gjerde and Pastor Keyl will host a planning session for those interested in filling out the coming season of renewal in Christ.  We will generate ideas and projects related to our worship space, rituals, worship leadership, and song.    Like art?  Ritual?  Dramatic reading?  Decorating? Singing?  Setting up a room?  The Bible?  Coffee?  Come to this brainstorming session.  If you can, let Lars music@bethsdanewhaven.org or Pastor pastor@bethesdanewhaven.org know if you plan to come, or even if you are interested and cannot come.

4:30 – 7:30 p.m., Super Saturday Family Gathering in the Living Room.   Join us for a fun afternoon of conversation, games, movies and PIZZA.  Please bring a salad, munchies, or dessert to share.  Please let Priscilla know if you can come (Melendezp1@southernct.edu).  Priscilla has recently lost tons of addresses from her email, so invite others who may not have heard!

Sunday, February 5  4:00 p.m. Hymn Festival featuring several New Haven area church choirs and a chamber orchestra.  This Music Series presentation will benefit Habitat for Humanity.

Acolyte Ministry Training Sunday, February 12 at noon.  For current acolytes and those interested in serving.  The group will begin with a pizza lunch.  Contact Pastor Keyl if you plan to attend at pastor@Bethesdanewhaven.org.

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Bethesda’s Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, January 29 immediately following worship.  There we will hear annual reports, approve the 2012 budget, and elect leaders to ministry positions.  Following the meeting there will be a lunch.  Youth are making soup and there will be sandwiches and desserts.  Everybody is invited to stay.
Following the meeting there will be a pot luck lunch.  People with last names beginning with the letter A –L please bring sandwiches,  M – Z please bring cookies or bars.

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The current series of Book of Faith sessions focuses on the Holy Spirit. Titled “Blowing in the Wind” the individual sessions will lead our studies into topics like, the new birth, the promise of the Spirit, the coming of the Spirit, Sanctification, gifts of the Spirit, and the Spirit speaks.   We are called to go and witness to the Good News as Jesus teaches us about faith, love and hope in action for daily life.  The next meeting will be on February 1, 2012 and will conclude on February 15th in the Parish House Living Room.  A new series will begin on February 29 and continue bi-weekly

Everyone is invited to join us from 8:00 to 9:00 AM as we gather for early morning greetings, a light breakfast, Bible readings, and lively discussions.