From the Vicar
Crossing guards populate neighborhood corners. Front porch First Day Photos are all over social media. School buses roar down residential streets.

Sure signs that summer is over and fall is on the way.

The beginning of the school year brings new schedules and rhythms. Homework and carpools, work and extracurriculars claim space on the calendar.

And this year, we more fully emerge from the limitations of the pandemic. Two years of socially distanced patterns can now be reconsidered as we plan our days. Now is a perfect opportunity to be intentional about organizing the 168 hours available each week. The calendar is first filled with non-negotiables and maybe a vacation. Don’t forget time together, shared meals, and self-care!

And Bethesda is gearing up too. We bless backpacks, laptops and other representations of learning and teaching this Sunday, Sept 4th. We kick off the season with Fall Fantastic Feast on Sunday, Sept 11th. The following week, Learning Ministries after worship resumes. On September 8th, Creation Care 101 begins.

So many choices! Amidst the busyness, may your hearts be refreshed in Christ. May you find strength and resilience and respite and joy in God’s infinite grace.

Peace to You,

Vicar Gabrielle

Coming Up at Bethesda 

Save the Dates

Wednesday, September 14 - Dinner Church resumes on Zoom – log in from your dinner or kitchen table

Sunday, September 18 - Learning Ministries following worship resumes

Thursday, September 22 - Memorial Service for Mary Peterson, 6:30 pm

Sunday, October 2  - Blessing of the Animals, 4:00 pm

Sunday, October 2 - American Baroque Orchestra Concert, 7:00 pm

Saturday, October 15 - Bethesda at the Bowl (Yale Football Tailgate), 10:00 am

Sunday, October 30 - Concert Series: Reformation Concert, 4:30 pm

Sunday Worship Livestream

We stream Sunday worship services live on Bethesda’s YouTube Channel. Join us live at 9:30 am every Sunday or watch the recording afterward.

Click here to view this Sunday's bulletin.

Bible Study on Zoom

Bethesda's Bible Study meets every other Wednesday at 8:00 am on Zoom. The series on the Book of Acts continues on Wednesday, September 14.

When? Every other Wednesday at 8:00 am

Where? On Zoom, click here to join (or join by telephone: 203-432-9666; Meeting ID: 961 0888 6279)

Blessing of Backpacks on September 4
This Sunday, September 4, Bethesda will offer another blessing for backpacks. This is for all students, faculty, and staff beginning a new school year. You are invited to bring a backpack or other representation of your work for a blessing at the end of worship.

Confirmation Youth to Lake Wintergreen on September 4
Confirmation Youth and families will leave to canoe and kayak on Lake Wintergreen following worship. Bring a packed lunch. See Dan Cortright for more information ([email protected]).

Bethesda is participating with churches across the country in a national program called Creation Care 101. Starting September 8th, this program engages churches on the journey of restoring faith, justice, and creation.

Developed alongside advisors at Yale’s Forum on Religion and Ecology and Oxford University’s Laudato Si’ Institute, the Creation Care 101 Program connects the dots between faith, science, and creation care. This program is free and welcomes people from all parts of the Christian family.

Information Page 

Registration Page

8 Sessions, 1 Session per month

Free, Live via Zoom, will be facilitated

2nd Thursday of each month

Sessions are 1.5 hours and live at 7pm ET

Need to miss a session? We've got you covered - all who are registered automatically receive a recording of each session.

If you prefer not to register, you may join via this link, but you will not receive the recordings.

Questions? Reach out to Vicar Gabrielle

Fall Fantastic Feast on September 11

Next Sunday is a big day at Bethesda! Fall Fantastic Feast will include:
- Festive worship with a new communion setting created by Emilie Casey and others
- Introducing student staff and Bethesda house residents
- Welcoming LuMin students
- Cookout and potluck (bring a dish to share!)
- Diaper drive for "God's Work. Our Hands." Sunday (see below)

Diaper Drive on September 11

The amount of diapers The Diaper Bank of Connecticut provides to families in our state each week - 75,000! - does not completely meet the need. We can help!

Bethesda will be participating in the ELCA “God’s Work. Our Hands.” Sunday on September 11 along with the other Lutheran churches in our area. Inspired by their service trip to Chicago in June, our high school youth will be collecting as many diapers as possible that day to deliver to the Diaper Bank in North Haven. Please bring diapers to church - any size, any brand - or make a donation (checks may be written to Bethesda with The Diaper Bank in the memo line). This is a one day only drive - so mark your calendars and update your shopping lists! Diapers on September 11! God’s work. Our Hands.

Learning Hour Fall 2022

You're Invited!

Bethesda values our families with children and we are excited to share our plans for learning together this fall!  We truly hope to see you and your family for fun learning, wondering, and playing about God’s love for us!

- Confirmation Class (entering grades 5, 6, or 7) led by Dan Cortright

- Early Elementary Class (entering grades K, 1, 2, 3, or 4) led by Nora Lee and Elaine Ramshaw

- Preschool Class (ages 0-6) led by Nora Lee and Elaine Ramshaw

Classes will meet following worship in the Education Wing. Confirmation in the Muhlenberg Room, and younger learners in the Yellow Classroom.

Younger students will enjoy music time, stories, crafts, and playing together. Confirmation students will continue their journey toward affirming their baptism. 

Please complete the online registration form! Whether you are able to come every Sunday, or only occasionally, we welcome you into our family of learning together in Christ however you feel comfortable.

Please reach out to Nora Lee ([email protected], 203-314-2814 for text or call) or Pastor Keyl ([email protected]) with any questions!

Forum Resumes on September 18
Our weekly learning forum in the Parish House Living Room will return at 11:00 am on Sunday, September 18. Adults of all ages (including teens and young adults) are welcome for a time of learning and conversation.

Please join us on Sunday, October 2 at 7pm for the first concert of Bethesda Music Series’ 2022–2023 season!

Join the American Baroque Orchestra, a New Haven-based period instrument ensemble, for a program spanning the historical globe in music. The program will include Benedetto Marcello’s rarely performed Violin Concerto in F, featuring world-class baroque violinist Edson Scheid; and movements from J. S. Bach’s Concerto in F minor for harpsichord and strings, featuring series artistic director Stephen Gamboa-Diaz.

Free admission; reception to follow. Donations accepted to benefit Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS).

Blessing of Animals Sunday, October 2 at 4 pm in front of the Parish House
Bring your pet dog, cat, iguana, fish, favorite stuffed animal, or what have you to remember St. Francis of Assisi and his care for creation and creatures. If you do not have a pet, come to sing, pray and greet our animal companions and their humans.

Bethesda-at-the-Bowl is back!

After a multi-year hiatus, BATB is back in full measure – meaning parking lot tailgating and a Yale football game. Mark your calendar on Saturday, October 15, 2022, when the Yale Bulldogs take on the Bisons of Bucknell University. Gametime is noon and tailgating will be from 10:00a–11:30a. This is a family friendly event. More information to come. Please contact Don Youngberg if you are interested – [email protected], (203) 464-3208. Boola Boola!  

See attached flyer.

New England Women of the ELCA Convention
New England Women of the ELCA Biennial Convention and Gathering - October 27th - 29th at Calumet. Register through September 21st here: https://bit.ly/3wD21IB or contact Vicar Gabrielle for paper registration forms.

Climate Change Concert

A Climate Change Concert is coming to Bethesda on Saturday, September 17 at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $20 or free for students.

Learn more at DignityMusic.org and the attached flyer.

Welcome, Ike Harijanto
Ike (EE-KUH) is starting as Bethesda’s YDS part-time intern this week. With an interest in music, she will be working primarily with the choir and at the organ with Stephen Gamboa-Díaz as her supervisor. You may already have met her these past weeks. We will offer blessing for new student staff and Bethesda House next Sunday, September 11 at Fall Fantastic Feast.

New to Bethesda? Interested in volunteering at worship?
If you are new to Bethesda and looking for a way to serve in Sunday worship (or a longtime member looking to assist in new ways), reach out to the office assistant John Aden after worship or via email ([email protected]). He can speak with you about weekly worship leadership roles (reader, usher, altar guild, etc.) or consider other creative outlets for you to contribute to the worshiping community at Bethesda.

Bethesda Calumet Walk Team
Between July 1 and August 31 twenty-two two- and four-legged members of Bethesda walked, biked, swam and paddled nearly 4,200 miles to support Camp Calumet. Bethesda's team included the Judd, Cortright and Franz Families, Callie Micale, Dianne Witte, Richard Ford, Blair and Aura Goodlin, Kurt Saenger-Heyl, Gail Labadia, Becky Lerud, and Ari, Lorraine and Lucas Peterson. The theme of this year's event is "Walk-the-Walk" and this is something the Bethesda team did in so many ways. Our miles combine with 109 other teams to rack up more than 100,000 miles for Calumet!  Thanks to all who represented Bethesda in this event. Go team!

2023 Companion Synod Trip

Join pastors Tim Keyl, Wendy Anderson, and Scott Howard on a life-transforming New England Synod Companion Trip to the 2023 Companion Synod Trip on February 2-17, 2023. Our theme is Sitting Under the Vine and Fig Tree, an image of peace and unity among nations found in Micah 4.

Upcoming Commemorations

Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig, bishop, renewer of the church, died 1872

Friday, September 2, 2022

Grundtvig was, with Søren Kierkegaard, one of the two great Danish theologians of the nineteenth century. As a pastor, he battled the prevalent idea that Christianity was more a philosophy than divine revelation. He wrote over a thousand hymns.

Peter Claver, priest, missionary to Colombia, died 1654

Friday, September 9, 2022

Born into Spanish nobility, Claver became a Jesuit missionary, and served in present-day Colombia. His ministry was focused on the enslaved people who arrived there. He gave them food and medicine, learned their dialects, and taught them Christianity.

Prayer Requests

For healing and strength: Henry Morris; Mary Ricketts, friend of Chris Wigren; Kathryn and Karolyn Lee, aunts of Chris Lee; George Arndt, father of Lynn Arezzini; Robert Gritz, brother-in-law of Blair Goodlin; Michelle Lee, friend of Christina Castañeda; Mark Barnett, nephew of Becky Lerud; Marie Gray; Sonja Krummrey; Maureen Anderson; Natalie Denardis, granddaughter of Gail Denardis; Shirley Farm; Anne and Lee Keck; Kay Leone; Molly Dinneen; Karen (Starbranch) Blitch, daughter of Chuck Starbranch.

For those serving in the military.

For our partners in the Gospel: the congregations and schools of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) and LuMin Campus Ministry.

For Bethesda New Haven: that God continues to guide us into the future with ministries of witness, service, hospitality, and care while building up our community in all its diversity.

For those in candidacy for rostered leadership in the ELCA: Natalie Benson and Calli Micale.

For those who mourn: the family of the Rev. Joseph Bourret, a retired pastor who resided in Glastonbury, CT, who died on August 28, 2022 at the age of 93. An ordained pastor for 64 years, Concordia Lutheran Church, Manchester CT, Gethsemane in Manchester NH, St. John in New Britain and Christ the King, Windsor CT are among the congregations he served, in addition to service as an interim pastor in the New England Synod. Pastor Bourret served as interim pastor at Bethesda prior to Pastor Mike Merkel’s arrival in 1994. Among Joe’s survivors are his wife Patricia and his daughter Rev. Rebecca Bourret, also rostered in the New England Synod ELCA. Arrangements are incomplete but are anticipated in September.

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