From the Pastor for August 2011

I have three items of important news to share with you.  On July 17 the following members of the Church Council were installed during morning worship services.  Officers include Chad Manbeck, President; Robert Graham, Vice President; and Paul Sitz, Secretary.  Other Council members include Ed Chiarugi, Deborah Hernandez, Marti Jernberg, Erik Olson, Joseph Quick, Pat Serino, Bonnie Taskov and Richard Uzzell. One additional member is needed.  Please contact Chad Manbeck if interested in joining our Council.

The Church Council is excited to report two items that will shape our ministry in the coming months as initially announced during Sunday worship on July 24.  Richard Pearson was a long-time member of Bethlehem and faithfully served on the Church Council, Property Committee, Finance Committee and other groups.  Dick passed away recently following a lengthy illness and his memorial service at Bethlehem was well attended.  He remembered our congregation in his will with a generous designated gift.  His attorney and BLC member Bud Heimberg informed the congregation that Dick Pearson’s bequest of $200,000 to Bethlehem is designated for projects developed by the BLC Property Trust and Property Committees.  It stipulates that no more than $100,000 can be spent on a single project.  When the Pearson gift is received, the above committees will develop a proposal for ways to use the money on worthwhile property projects.  For additional information and suggestions you may have, please contact BLC Council chairman Chad Manbeck. 

A new development is taking place in the partnership of Bethlehem and St. Stephens Lutheran congregations.  Our partnership in ministry began in the spring of 2009 with financial support from the Metro Chicago Synod of the ELCA that enabled to offer Saturday Christian Education and Bilingual worship by St. Stephens Lutheran at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church site.  This outreach bilingual ministry in English and Spanish continued at our Bethlehem church for two years and we also developed several combined congregational events such as Thanksgiving Eve worship, Feast of Guadalupe, Santa Lucia and other fellowship experiences. 

Following extended reflection St. Stephens Lutheran Church decided to sell its church property in Carpentersville in the fall of 2010 and to discern the place and shape of its future ministry.  They requested an opportunity to worship for a time period while exploring where to locate their congregation. The Bethlehem Church Council agreed to welcome St. Stephens to worship in the BLC sanctuary at noon on Sundays and include their children in our Sunday Church School program. Combined Lenten weekday, Holy Week and Easter Worship also took place.

This pattern and practice of ministry together at the Bethlehem Lutheran church site has resulted in several outcomes.  St. Stephens Lutheran Church now desires to develop a longer term partnership with Bethlehem Lutheran. Initial conversations among representatives from both church councils have affirmed the principle that our two congregations continue to exist separately and work cooperatively in mutual ministry for our current and future members in the greater Elgin area.

At its July meeting the Bethlehem Church Council agreed to extend the working agreement with St. Stephens Lutheran for the remainder of 2011 with the understanding of further exploration and longer term planning.  A Cooperative Ministries Committee (CMC) is being formed to assist both congregations as we work separately and work together in fulfilling the commission of Jesus Christ to be his disciples and our mission to be his witnesses in the world.

This committee consists of 4 to 6 representatives each from Bethlehem Lutheran Church and St. Stephens Lutheran Church in Elgin, including its pastors and appointed lay members.  Members from Bethlehem include Pastor Art Puotinen, Chad Manbeck, Ed Chiarugi and Sue Quick.  Members from St. Stephens are Pastor Antonio Cabello, Vilma Dipaolo, Iskra Giles, and Samuel Renteria.  The group will meet at least quarterly and more frequently as needed and will report its findings and recommendations to the church councils of both congregations for further review and action.

Topics for consideration include Receiving Suggestions and Information from congregational members, Scheduling and Planning for Worship and Christian Education, Youth Ministries, Fellowship Events, Outreach, Marketing, Property Maintenance and Improvements, and Financial Arrangements/Stewardship.

The Cooperative Ministries Committee (CMC) has met once and plans to meet as needed to consider immediate concerns and to develop more detailed plans for review and action by Bethlehem and St. Stephen church councils and congregational meetings.