On Sunday we will hear God’s Word from Dave Denny and consider how we can apply it to our daily lives. This Living Word of God reminds us God’s unconditional love for us and challenges us to share that same love with others.

Walk with Bethel, Oct 3 at 9am–1pm.
We are starting a team and planning for the NAMI walk that will be in October. It seems early but with it being Mental Health Month, it makes sense to share the news now.

If you would like to walk with the Bethel group and start raising money for this great cause go to https://www.namiwalks.org/teams/83809. For more information on walking with Bethel, email Amanda Laughlin.

9:50–10:30am Kid Connection games, prizes, and treats on the playground area

noon–1:30pm Ministry Celebration BBQ with tri tip and chicken and side dishes will be provided. A free will offering will be taken to cover food costs.
Many of our ministries will have displays to update you on their activities and volunteer opportunities.

Please fill out and turn in your bulletin insert “RSVP Ministry Celebration BBQ” or contact Mary or call the church Office at 408-252-8500 to indicate:

• The number of people in your group coming to the BBQ so we can make sure there is enough food for all
• If you wish to bring and share a dessert
• If you wish to help with the BBQ event
• If you wish to reserve a half-table space for a ministry

All are welcome to gather for a leisurely walk, in downtown Campbell and eat brunch/lunch at Aqui's (restaurant is subject to change by the attendees). Tom Hoegel will take us on the church bus at 10am to Campbell and get us back to Bethel by 2pm. This is a great time to invite a friend or more. All are invited to take the church bus over-the-hill to Santa Cruz where we will walk the Wharf and have lunch at Contact Robyn Winegardner or Tom Hoegel for more info.

Please help to clean up the part of Calabazas Creek that Bethel has adopted between Vallco Parkway and Tantau Ave.

We will meet on the patio after the second service or at 12 pm in front of the gate on Vallco Parkway, this is across from Cupertino Mainstreet.

Please wear old clothes, boots, and gloves, bring a grabber if you have one and some water to drink. Participants must wear closed toed shoes. Children need to be supervised by their parent or another adult at all times.

Everybody needs to follow the guidelines from the Water District.

Contact: Hella Bluhm-Stieber for more info and to sign up.

Sundays Oct 4,11,18,25 9:50–10:30am and Wednesday Nov 4 7pm–8:30pm, in the Fireside Room

Come Learn, Listen and Grow Together
Join us for five Reconciled in Christ educational sessions!
What does it mean to deepen and expand our faith journey of welcome and inclusion for LGBTQIA+ people and their families? These five sessions invite us to learn together, listen to one another, ask honest questions, and explore how our church can more fully live out God’s call to love and welcome all people.
Each session will include opportunities for conversation and reflection, along with book, video, and website resources for continued learning and exploration.

Our Five Sessions

• Session 1 — Understanding Gender and Sexuality
  We’ll deepen our faith journey by exploring the gender binary system and learning more about sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
• Session 2 — The Power of Language
  We’ll explore the role language plays in welcoming and including LGBTQIA+ people in the church—and consider the implications our words can have for creating a truly welcoming community.
• Session 3 — Seeing Church Through LGBTQIA+ Eyes
  We’ll think about the church through the experiences and perspectives of people in the LGBTQIA+ community and consider how those experiences can shape and influence their faith journeys.
• Session 4 — Creating Places of Support and Safety
  We’ll expand our thinking about how the church can become a place of support, safety, belonging, and inclusion for LGBTQIA+ people and their families.
• Session 5 — Listening to LGBTQIA+ Voices
  Members of the LGBTQIA+ community will share their experiences in the church and help us understand what they need from us as beloved children of God.

Come join us!
Bring your questions, your curiosity, your experiences, and an open heart. Together, we can learn, listen, grow, and continue the journey toward a church where everyone knows they are welcomed, valued, and loved.

For more information, contact Angela Brown.

Join a group of about 6-8 people and meet once a month.

See the signup in the bulletin insert or contact Karen Polyak. We plan to start in October.

Summary
Bethel is following an expedited call process, guided by our Synod and designed for healthy churches like ours. It differs from a traditional call in two ways:

• Council as call committee
  Rather than forming a separate committee, your Church Council serves as the call committee, leading discernment on the congregation's behalf.
• A three-year term
  The initial call runs three years. The congregational vote comes at the end of the term — the decision to extend a permanent call.

The steps:

1. Council updates the profile of who we are and what we are seeking.
2. The Synod identifies and presents candidates based on that profile.
3. Council reviews the candidates and decides whether to proceed.
4. Candidates and Council meet for interviews and discernment.
5. If both believe it is the right fit, the Synod appoints the pastor for a three-year term.

Status
The latest (8/11) on the Pastoral call process is that our Ministry Site Profile has been published. This means that the call is officially open. Please spread the word so that our new pastor may hear and respond to the call. We expect to begin considering specific candidates sometime in September.

Bethel's Summer Congregational Meeting was held Aug 30. Council President Ellen Aist presided. We heard ministry reports and we approved the fiscal year '27 budget.

The Eric Hanson Award is presented each year to a Bethel member who exhibits Christian ideals and principles in all aspects of their daily life and participates in service beyond Bethel. This year's recipient was Hella Bluhm-Stieber.

You can see past award winners here.

A recording of the meeting is available online. Unfortunately, there was a problem with the audio at the beginning, but it was cleared up at time code 08:45.

Bethel's Out 'n About visited the Pacific Pinball Museum on Alameda Island. The Museum has approximately 100 pinball machines from all eras, all working and on free play. Pictured are Steve & Maggie Emmert, Mellissa Tristan, AJ and Ella.

Thanks to Tom for these photos. Click any photo to see a larger image.

The residents and staff of Family Supportive Housing graciously thanked the Bethel team for serving dinner on August 1st. The team served a pizza and hot dog dinner to about 100 adults and children. The kids really enjoyed the Melona ice cream bars while playing in the courtyard. (Pictured are Tori Evashenk and David Nadell.)
Thank you Bethel for supporting this ministry.

If you are interested in helping to prepare and serve a meal, contact Mark Evashenk.

Bethel Youth (Jr & Sr High plus College age) enjoyed their annual Float Trip on the American River, near Rancho Cordova. Bethel has been renting 6 person rafts from American River Raft Rentals for the past 52 years and are their longest running customer.

The traditional Lock-In for Middle & High School youth was on Saturday night, July 18.

Thanks to Tom for these photos. Click any photo to see a larger image.