August 13, 2023
Summer Worship
Worship at 9:30 am

Presiding Minister: Rev. David Grafton

Preacher: Rev. David Grafton

Assisting Minister: Chris Wigren

Lectors: Greta Lee & Jarrett Watson

Altar Guild: Susan Berube

Livestream: Miles Kirschner

Tellers: Nora Lee & Chris Wigren

Ushers: Eleanor Lee & Nora Lee

Bread Baker: Tyler Fair

Coffee Set-Up: Mary Ann Nelson

Organ: Maria Coffin

Cantor: Richard Ford

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 access this Sunday's bulletin.

Coming Up at Bethesda

You Scream, I Scream, We All Scream For...

The annual Ice Cream Social is this Sunday, August 27th at 4:00 pm.

Bethesda's annual neighborhood ice cream social brings new students, new neighbors, and old friends for an afternoon.

Bethesda House Residents will scoop. A jazz ensemble will entertain. There are likely to be games for children of all ages.

Volunteers are invited to set-up and clean up. You are invited to bring cookies or dessert bars to share. Look for additional information in the next weeks. Plan to wear your Bethesda t-shirt. And if you need a t-shirt, please contact Leigh Cromey with your size at [email protected].

Former Vicar, Kurt, Is Getting Ordained at BLC!

Fall Fantastic Feast

Fall Fantastic Feast is Sunday, September 10 beginning with 9:30 am worship and followed by a cookout and potluck outdoors (weather permitting)

New England Synod Bishop Jim Hazelwood will be our guest and preacher for this year's Fall Fantastic Feast. On that Sunday, we will offer blessing for new staff and Bethesda's ministries.

Following worship, we will eat a shared meal with grilled items at Bethesda's paved circles. You are invited to bring food to share.

Volunteers are invited to set-up and clean up, staff the tables of food, and work the grill.

Blessing of Backpacks and for the New School Year Sunday, August 27 and September 3 during Worship

Bring your selves, your backbacks, your computer, or a sign of your involvement in eductaion. At the end of worship, blessings for a new school year will be offered for students, teachers, and staff of various kinds for all types of schools.

Giving Garden Needs Harvesters!

Bethesda’s Giving Garden is producing but nobody is picking.

Leigh picked 20 cucumbers and there are still peppers, tomatoes, beans, eggplant, and broccoli ready and on the way.

Please help if you can.

Eleanor is Back and Says Thank You!

See her letter here

We Need Volunteers for August

Email administrative assistant, Tyler Fair ([email protected]) to volunteer for needed roles!

The following roles need filled for August 20th: two ushers, two tellers, livestream, and coffee hour set-up

Pastor Tim and Pastor Kari Henkelmann Keyl return from their summer sabbatical Tuesday, August 22

They are currently on retreat at Weston Priory in Vermont, thanks to a synod sabbatical grant. They offer their continued gratitude to Bethesda for their prayers for refreshment.

Education Hour for all ages resumes Sunday, September 17, from 11:00 am to 12:00 noon on Sunday morning

Bethesda Bible Study Details

The Bethesda Bible study meets every other Wednesday from 8AM to 9AM.

We will be meeting on Wednesday, August 16, 2023 at 8 AM to finish discussing Act of the Apostles  along with NT Wright's Acts.

After that, we will be studying Paul's Letter to the Romans, along with the associated chapters in N.T. Wright's Romans.

Weekly Zoom link for meeting: https://yale.zoom.us/j/96108886279 

Mission Investment Fund (MIF) Loan Update

Look for the Chimney in the Narthex - there you will find a QR code to give online. Let’s see how quickly we can pay back this loan!

Remember, for the cost of one fancy cup of coffee a week, together we can buy down this ten year loan!

You can choose to contribute online here or by notation in the comment line of a check. Thank you for your generosity!

Ministry at Bethesda

For pastoral care, please reach out to Elaine Ramshaw, congregation council president [email protected] , (203)747-1343

Deacon Jeff Hazewinkel will also be available after July 16th at (219)929-8684.

For other needs, reach out to Bethesda's administrator, Leigh Cromey [email protected]  or (203)787-2346.

Prayer Requests

For healing and strength: Rebecca Lerud; Jack Hayward, family member of Miles Kirschner, who recently had neck surgery; John Ferreira, nephew of Chris Couture; George Arndt, father of Lynn Arezzini; Marie Gray; Sonja Krummrey; Maureen Anderson; Shirley Farm; Anne and Lee Keck; Kay Leone; Molly Dinneen; Matthew H., cousin of Tyler Fair

Prayers of gratitude for former vicar, Kurt Saenger-Heyl, who was called on July 30th to be the pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Centerbrook, Connecticut.

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 House and Yale Divinity School students.

For our Ecumenical Partners Worldwide: We pray for Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. The Ecumenical Prayer Cycle takes us through every region of the world over the course of a year.

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 or seeking candidacy for rostered leadership in the ELCA: Natalie Benson, Tyler Fair, Calli Micale, Tim Bergeland

For Pastor Tim and Pastor Kari Henkelmann Keyl on sabbatical May 22-August 21, that they may be renewed.

For Bethesda members traveling over the summer: Maggie Astrup and Max Marmor spending time in Minnesota and Austria through August; the Franz Family in Alaska early August; Ike Harijanto who will be in Germany until the end of 2023.