1095 Cloud Avenue • Menlo Park • CA • 94025 • Church: 650.854.5897 • Preschool: 650.854.4973

www.Bethany-MP.org • www.LittlestAngelsPreschool.com

April 2016

News from Pastor Jon “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light.” Luke 11:33 In This Issue •

Doebler Scholarship

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Secondhand Drinking Speaker Series (4/7)

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Women’s Ministries

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LSS Big Day of Giving

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Youth Group News

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Lighthouse : A Contemporary Praise Service

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Angelic News

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Missions Dinner (4/11)

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Announcements

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Parents’ Night Out (4/23)

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Lifetree Café Calendar

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Breakfast Bible Studies (4/9)

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Wine, Cheese, & Jesus! (4/14)

• Upcoming Events

o Knitting Group (4/7)

o Speaker Series (4/7, 4/21, 5/5)

Why Lighthouse? That question can be asked for a variety of reasons. Why are we beginning a new worship service? Why is it called Lighthouse? What will be different about the new service? What will be the same? A few years ago, I was attending the first year of a free conference called Best Practices, which is held annually in Phoenix. The presenter began by explaining that most people think lighthouses are in places simply to warn ships of the nearby coastline. However, there was a time when lighthouses were staffed by people who would not only keep the light running, but they were prepared to rescue those who might be cast into the sea if their ship ran aground. Similarly, we are called by God, not only to reflect the light of Jesus, but to care for people who may be lost, or in need of assistance. The presenter went on to say that some people enjoyed the camaraderie of the lighthouse and lost the vision for helping others. He encouraged us to see church as a place from which we go to help others and not just a social gathering place.

o Breakfast Bible Studies (4/9) o Youth Group Event in Rocklin (4/9) o Missions Dinner (4/11) o Board of Directors Meeting (4/21) o Parents’ Night Out (4/23) o Lifetree Café (Wednesdays @ 6:30 PM) o Lifetree Café (Thursdays @ 9:15 AM)

. . and much more!

It has become increasingly clear to me that more and more people are unable to worship on Sunday mornings and need alternative times and dates in order to gather in the name of Jesus. (continued on page 2)

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News from Pastor Jon (continued from page 1)

It has also become increasingly clear to me that different people enjoy not only different styles of worship, but are looking for different ways to live out their faith life. Our Sunday evening service will provide a time which is more convenient for people who might be unable to worship on Sunday mornings. It will not meet the needs of all people, but it is a first step toward providing more days and times for people to gather and worship. Similarly, we have gathered a praise team to lead worship with contemporary worship songs. I understand that these songs are not favored by all people, but I also understand that not all people enjoy classic hymnody. Yet, both forms of music give praise and honor to God, which is the purpose of our worship. There is one other aspect of Lighthouse which will be an extension of what we already do at Bethany. We work to meet needs in our community, across the nation, and in other countries with our mission partners. Some of this work is very “hands on,” while other parts of this work are done by others with our support. Lighthouse will provide worshippers with the opportunity to be the people who plan and carry out the mission activities with the offerings they provide. One last aspect of Lighthouse is that it will be a little less formal than our morning service. Now, compared to church when I was young, our morning service is already less formal. Compared to other Lutheran churches in the Midwest, the church of my youth was less formal than those in the Midwest. So, it all depends upon your perspective as to what is normal. However, reverence for God does not depend upon the formality of our clothing, or whether we speak with each other in the message, or when we stand. Reverence for God is a state of the heart…and really a state only God can judge. So, we begin. Many people will never visit Lighthouse, but I ask that you would pray for our witness to Jesus and our outreach to people who need the message of Jesus. For those people who are struggling to come to church in the morning, I pray Lighthouse will be a new opportunity for you to enjoy the community of believers who worship together at Bethany. God’s Peace, Pastor Jon

Doebler Scholarship Applications are now available for the Doebler Scholarships for the 2016-17 academic year. These college scholarships are intended to encourage students toward Lutheran higher education. If you are considering college this year or in the future, Lutheran colleges have core strengths in a variety of areas. See Pastor Coyne for further details. Applications are simple (no essays required!). Get yours now in the church office or visit www.bethany-mp.org/scholarship. Deadline for submission is May 31. These awards are a result of the Doebler Trust disbursement to Bethany in 2012 and the decision by Bethany’s Board of Directors to designate $3000 annually for scholarships, sometimes awarded to one student and other times divided among several others, depending on the number of qualified applicants. Primary candidates are those attending Concordia universities, but others will be considered. We give thanks for the wise stewardship and generous gift from the Doeblers that made this possible.

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Women’s Ministries The mission donation for April will go to Bayshore Christian Ministries. In 1984 a group of Stanford and Santa Clara University students began studying the book of Amos. As they read about the injustice of disparity between the wealthy and the poor in Ancient Israel, they reflected on their own experience in modern day America. Resolving to do something, they moved into East Palo Alto and held Bible clubs, including summer camps, for the youth in and around the community. Shortly afterward, they offered tutoring programs in reading and math. In 1987 Bayshore Christian Ministries (BCM) incorporated as a holistic nonprofit. The mission of BCM has been to equip the youth of East Palo Alto and Belle Haven to grow spiritually, gain life skills and develop as leaders so they have hope and a future. In 2003 BCM put down roots on Beech Street, building a 10,000 sq. ft. facility, where today summer camps, Bible studies and tutoring are still offered, along with opportunities for leadership development, life skills coaching, and job training. As the youth grow, BCM continues to support them by providing college scholarships, summer internships, and staff positions. With the support of our partners – individuals, churches, and foundations – BCM continues to grow and impact the lives of people in the community, serving close to 400 youth each year. Their vision is to disciple the next generation of community leaders who will lead in their homes, workplaces and communities. For more information, visit their website at www.bayshore.org.

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Youth Group News SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, April 9 – Pre NYG Block Party for youth attending the NYG in

New Orleans. The block party will be at St. Matthew Church in Rocklin, CA. live-band, DJ, free food, inflatable’s, photo booth, and much more!

There will be a

Our youth are excited about serving at the Missions Dinner, Monday, April 11. Please don’t forget to RSVP – www.bethany-mp.org/missions2016. Our Youth Groups will be hosting a Breakfast Burrito Bar on Sunday, April 24, immediately following service. Thank you all for your love, support, and prayers! Peace, love, and joy! Blessings – Pilar

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Angelic News - Littlest Angels Preschool To Err is Human, to Forgive is Divine! It is impossible to live in the world without getting hurt, offended, misunderstood, lied to, and rejected. It’s a fact; making mistakes is human! It is also a fact that being a kind and forgiving person is inspired by God alone. Forgiving others is not easy, especially when we feel like we have been wronged unfairly. So forgiveness can sometimes feel like it goes beyond our human nature. As humans, we like to hold on to our feelings of “I know I am right and you are wrong!” So, when we do forgive we are being Godlike (divine)! Forgiveness is an act of love, mercy, and grace. How do you feel when you fail to forgive? I can tell you that when I fail to forgive, I lose that peaceful and calm feeling. I feel guilty, angry, and irritated; physically, my heart rhythm changes and I get a headache. These symptoms persist until I restore the broken relationship by showing forgiveness, giving a hug, and wiping the slate clean! I am then at peace once again. The Bible teaches us much about forgiveness. In Ephesians 4:32, we are told that we are to forgive because we have been forgiven by God. “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” We are to forgive over and over in obedience to God. “Then Peter came up and said to Him, “Lord how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times” Matthew 18:21-22. Just like Jesus’ forgiveness never runs out, neither should ours. Our virtue at preschool this month is “I can show love when others hurt me;” I can be forgiving. Forgiveness is a difficult concept for children. It is a skill. Forgiveness is taught by example and, don’t we know, it requires practice. Children develop forgiveness in stages as they develop social skills and gain experiences. We explain to the children that when we practice forgiving others, we help our broken hearts heal from our hurts. We want them to understand that forgiveness brings good feelings to all parties involved. Some children are forgiving by nature. They move on quickly, preferring to get back on course and find their happy place. But, oh my goodness, other children don’t. They plant their feet in the ground and stand firm. They don’t want to forgive. They would rather be miserable and alone. It’s understandable. We all experience different emotions throughout the day, and sometimes it’s just better to spend some time alone and think about things. And then find some resolution. It is so important to take the time to teach children to be divine and that they can forgive. Here are some suggestions that might be helpful: • Let the child express their sincere feelings about being hurt • Acknowledge what happened and show some support • Take your child away from the scene and encourage him to vent for a few minutes (stomp feet, clap hands, clap thighs, etc.) • Talk it out with the friend after you have rehearsed the script together • Encourage your child to be empathetic…help him think about what the other friend was feeling and why he did what he did • Say the words…I forgive you! “One of the secrets of a long and peaceful life is to forgive everybody everything every night before going to bed!” I’m all for happy, unbroken hearts. How about you? Kathy Stinson, Director

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Announcements It’s time to renew your subscription to The Lutheran W itness magazine or begin a new subscription! The price is $15.96 for 11 issues for the subscription year beginning with the June/July combined issue. To renew your subscription or begin a new subscription, please make your check payable to “Bethany Lutheran Church” with an annotation “Lutheran Witness” and send it to the Church Office or put it in the Sunday offering plate. The order deadline date is April 21.

Tour of Sunny View Manor - You are invited to join the Seniors in Transition for a bus trip to Sunny View Manor, a Lutheran Retirement Village in Cupertino, on Thursday, April 14. We will leave from Redeemer Lutheran Church in Redwood City promptly at 1 p.m., enjoy the trip in the Redeemer bus, tour Sunny View Manor and enjoy refreshments there. A donation of $25 (or what you can give) toward the cost of the bus is appreciated. Please sign up with Linda Bradley at 650-854-5897 by April 6 as space is limited.

Communion Clean-Up Volunteers needed! A volunteer or volunteers are needed, especially for the month of May and July – December. Can you do a week or two? The entire month? We are all so fortunate to partake in communion every Sunday. Once the service is over, however, the communion serving pieces need to be cleaned and put away. While it may not seem like an important task, it truly is, and only takes about ten minutes to complete. I can't speak for everyone, but when we have communion I am reminded anew and personally that it was for m y sin that Jesus died upon the cross and it was for m y redem ption that He gave His life. I would be very grateful to see more volunteers sign-up to clean-up the communion serving pieces, and am happy to review the procedure with anyone unfamiliar in how it's done. Please consider volunteering for this important task that benefits everyone in the congregation. Many thanks! Julia Mensing.

You’re Invited! Join us for Forte’s Spring Performance on Friday, April 15 at 6:00 p.m. Forte is Bethany’s After-School Music Enrichment Program led by Holly Smolik. Forte students will be performing rhythmic songs, singing, playing hand chimes, bells, and piano. Reception to follow in the Family Center.

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