Bethlehem Lutheran Church

Pastor Christopher Nelson

First, I would like to give a huge thank you to all who made our Christmas celebrations so wonderful. Literally hundreds of people gave time and talent. It is the congregation that makes these things happen—your commitment, your faithfulness, your talents and generosity all combine to demonstrate God’s love for us in the gift of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Those of us privileged to serve with you as your staff are in awe of the work you do, and the spirit you share. Look for another service to be added in the afternoon of Christmas Eve next year. It was clear at 4:00 p.m. that we could have filled the church twice over with the more than 1000 people who were there!

Now we look forward to a very exciting 2006. We have learned the power of focusing the entire congregation, from children to our oldest adults, on a specific campaign, like we did last year during the 40 Days of Lent. You are now invited on a spiritual journey called Share the Spirit that will begin on January 22, continuing through the end of February.

Share the Spirit is a capital stewardship campaign, in which we will be trying to raise $3.5 million to live out the next step of our vision to be the Center of Discipleship and Mission for Jesus Christ that God is calling us to be. Together, we will help shape the future of our ministries, as we use our giving to expand our children’s and health ministries, not mortgage payments. Together we will reach into south Minneapolis with a church aimed at reaching the tens of thousands of people who do not have a relationship with the God who has made all the difference in our lives. Together we will reshape and transform a building that has served us well for fifty years, but which is now in need of some major work so that we can continue to serve our children and youth into the 21st century.

But Share the Spirit is about far more than paying for our vision. It is about growing in our prayer lives and our worship lives, as we continue to ask God “What do you want me to do? How can I best serve you?