Did You Know?
Information, history and facts about Bethany Lutheran Church and Early Childhood Education Center
The Stewardship Life of the congregation is overseen by the Stewardship Life Ministry Team
This ministry has 4 main objectives which are: -To engage members in growing in God-pleasing stewardship attitudes and practices -To promote the fervent support for missions and charities -To raise awareness and application of our Spiritual Gifts -To encourage generous tithing and gifting by all members. This team is presently represented by 7 members including Pastor Tim and is led by Gordon Bohlmann. Other members are: Hal Chase, Dean Stenzel, Rick Sitzberger, Reggie Farr and Dick Atkinson. As God’s stewards we Christians desire to live lives which bring praise and honor to our God!
We bring God praise and honor by both our attitudes, which include our thinking, and our actions. Our actions are influenced by our attitudes (where our heart is!), which thus makes our attitudes of vast importance. Do our actions always show us as Christians, or are they showing the world around us the kind of unchristian attitudes we may have and thus live by? Do we need to change? (to be continued) + Do we need to change our congregation’s “stewardship culture?”
+ What does that mean? You know about culture, like the Greek culture, the youth culture, the drug culture – well, every congregation also has its “stewardship culture!” What is our culture? Do we need change? + “The stewardship culture of a congregation involves the unique customs, values, and artifacts of the people who make up the congregation.” + The life of the Christian is the life of being a steward. Christians are stewards, just like being witnesses, whether we want to be or not! + Stewards are Christians who recognize the Lord Jesus not only as their Savior, but also as the God Who made them and continues to bless them with life. + Either we are stewards who please our Lord or displease Him! + As God’s stewards, therefore, we Christians desire to live lives which bring praise and honor to our God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! + What is the “stewardship culture” of Bethany Lutheran Congregation? Do we need to change? DID YOU KNOW….that the various colors used in our sanctuary follow the events of the church year through its different seasons…
+these colors are significant because they identify the different times of Jesus’ and the Church’s life… + during most of Lent the color was purple – a somber color – marking the lack of joy during this season….it is also the color of royalty and we see the Roman guards mockingly put a purple robe on Jesus as He was lead to His crucifixion… +on Palm Sunday the color changed to a deep, rich red- this color marks special days in our year which highlight the work of the Holy Spirit as He leads us – like His leading our Savior to the cross to win salvation for us… +for Maundy Thursday the color went back to purple, and then the altar was stripped bare in preparation for the sacrifice of Jesus celebrated on Good Friday… +there is no color expression for Good Friday, or maybe black, signifying our grief experienced in Jesus’ death… +then, on Easter Sunday the color is white – pure joy is expressed in the resurrection of Christ the Lord, who laid aside His burial clothes and arises in the purity of new life and expressing the hope that is ours! +Thanks to our Altar Guild for leading us through this pageantry of colors used to express our faith! |