Love Beyond the Wedding Day A Special Valentine Dinner For All Couples Saturday, January 26 Check-in 6:00 p.m. Catered Dinner 6:30 p.m. East Campus Family Center on Ravine Road Guest Speaker Bishop Daniel Thomas Registration required by January 21 Call Parish Center 419-885-5791 OR Email: Joanne Denyer at jdenyer@ stjoesylvania.org for reservations. Freewill donation.

The Rose Procession On January 20, we will recognize as a parish the 46th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. The traditional Rose Procession, in which participants representing the last 46 years will process with a rose and place it at the altar, will be at the 9:30 Mass. At all the other Masses, there will be a special blessing. Please consider having members of your family participate in the procession. We need participants between the ages of 1-46. Contact Ellen Breininger at emb14@bex.net if you can participate. Please pray earnestly at these liturgies for protection of the lives of the unborn as well as for the women and men whose lives have been personally and deeply affected by abortion. May they feel the healing power of His unconditional love, through our prayer. May we seek always to see through the eyes of Christ.

Joseph’s Meals This weekend, Saturday and Sunday, January 12th and 13th will be sign up weekend for anyone interested in helping with our monthly, parish food donation to the Helping Hands of Saint Louis Soup Kitchen. Tables will be in the back and front of church with lists of various items that are needed. Please sign up to make a pasta dish or to provide other foods or supplies. The drop-off point for these items will be at the East Campus, off of Ravine Drive on Wednesday morning, January 16th, between 8:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. If you would like to help but can’t make this time frame, please contact Larry or Deb Gaster at 419- 466-4885 or 419-460-7386. If you would like to contribute to this outreach program, please make your check payable to Saint Joseph Social Outreach. Thank you in advance for your generosity. Continue reading »

Today’s tip is this: Do a Bible tune up.

Do you have a Bible (or Bible app) that is in a translation (1) you can understand and (2) you enjoy reading?

If not, download an app or buy a new Bible today.

January 6 Worship: Epiphany/Communion Scriptures: Psalm 72:1-7; Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12 Sermon: “Following the Star” The term “epiphany” comes from the Greek meaning “appear, reveal, shine, give light.” Starlight led the magi to discover the birth of a new hope, a gift to the world, a baby who would himself be called “the light of the world.” By what means can we follow the pointing to where Jesus can be found in our lives today?

January 13 Worship: Baptism of Our Lord/Christian Unity Scriptures: Isaiah 43:1-7; Psalm 29; Acts 8:14-17; Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 We join our friends from St. Paul Lutheran Church in their House of Worship. Diversity is a messy thing. Why can’t everyone just believe the exact way that we believe? What can we gain from concentrating on what unites us, as opposed to what divides us?

January 20 Worship: 2nd Sunday After Epiphany Scriptures: Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 36:5-10; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; John 2:1-11 Sermon: “Surprising Signs” Sometimes we fall prey to the tendency to see God’s activity in predictable places. We forget that scripture show us, again and again, that God acts in unexpected ways. Our scriptures today remind us to stay open to the new places and new ways that God’s work is revealed. We must take notice of God’s surprising activity in the world. Continue reading »

Please join us at….

220 Cedar St, Pemberville, OH 43450

(419) 287-4182 or bethlehempemberville.org

Saturday, December 29: Serve a meal at Mosaic ministries

• Register soon!
• Facebook event page
• Sign up to serve

Sunday, December 30: The Tech Wise family presentation and conversation

• Register by Friday midnight to help us plan for food…
• …but please come whether you are registered or not.

Our Annual Rose Procession, Sunday,January 20th, 9:30 a.m. Mass in solemn recognition of more than 60 million babies killed since the legalization of abortion in 1973. We will have 46 individuals,representing each year from 1973 to 2019.Those interested in participating are encouraged to contact Ellen Breininger (embreininger@gmail.com)or call 419-266-1410.

Love Beyond the Wedding Day A Special Valentine Dinner For All Couples Saturday, January 26 Check-in 6:00 p.m. Catered Dinner 6:30 p.m. East Campus Family Center on Ravine Road Guest Speaker Bishop Daniel Thomas Registration required by January 21 Call Parish Center at 419-885-5891 Freewill donation to cover the cost of food and wine. Email: Joanne Denyer at jdenyer@stjoesylvania.org for reservation.

The next Anointed session will be Saturday, January 5. We will be volunteering at the LaPosada Family Shelter. Please encourage your high school students to attend – helping others is a worthwhile experience. What is Anointed? ANOINTED is a Saint Joseph ministry geared towards students who have been confi rmed (SJS parishioner isn’t necessary). We plan on meeting 5 times per year, typically on the 5th Saturday of the month. We will meet from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., starting and fi nishing on the Saint Joseph campus. After gathering together and discussing social issues, we will go out into the community and serve others. After the service portion is done, we will regroup back at Saint Joseph to discuss our experience and pray for those we’ve served. Yours in Christ, Abbey Riley Continue reading »

Christmas Worship Schedule
Sunday, December 23 9 am: Children’s Christmas Play followed by light refreshments (no Sunday school)
Monday, December 24 6 pm: Service of Lessons and Carols 10 pm: Service of Candlelight and Communion
Tuesday, December 25 10 am: Worship with Holy Communion Sunday,
December 30 9 am worship (no Sunday school)

YOGA CLASS OPEN TO ALL on Mondays, 7 p.m., in the church’s Fellowship Hall. Cost is $5 per person.

Mission Action Project THIS MONTH WE ARE COLLECTING… Non-perishable food items for the Community Food Pantry. Please help stock these items in December: • Tuna & Chicken • Spaghetti • Pancake Mix • Syrup • Ketchup & Mustard • Juices • Paper Towels

MOSAIC MINISTRIES On Saturday, Dec. 29 from 5:00-7:00 pm, we will provide food and serve a meal for 200 people in need at Mosaic Ministries at 1842 Broadway in Toledo. We need people to serve the meal and donate food. Families with kids are encouraged to help; we have jobs that are appropriate for everyone! If you would like to donate items but cannot attend, please contact Becky Buchman at (419)467-9585 or Pam Frankfather at (419)265-2109. Sign up online at tinyurl.com/mosaic12-29.

Bethlehem Lutheran Church 220 Cedar Street, PO Box 344, Pemberville, OH 43450 Phone: 419-287-4182 Email: office@bethlehempemberville.org

Christmas Mass Servers: (only listed names available at time of early bulletin deadline) 4:30 Emma Jones, Aiden & Isaac Positano 6:30 A.J. and Alex Britt, Isabel Peron 8:30 Derek Morgan, Logan Ostrowski, Heidi Forgach 12:00 Caroline Fawcett, Christian and Catherine Jaskulski 9:30 3 to be fi lled 11:30 Jack Kasprzak, 2 to be fi lled

We will have a Parish celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Rite of Penance) on Tuesday evening, December 18th at 7:00 p.m. in the Church, it will include Advent Vespers, and all are invited to attend. The cry of the prophet to “prepare the way of the Lord” (Isaiah 40:3) echoes throughout the season of Advent. Our Church has long used this mantra as a call to the faithful to celebrate the Sacrament of Penance as a preparation for Christmas. Our spiritual preparation is to remove any sin from our hearts so that we might be ready to accept Christ’s presence worthily, and His gift of peace. Continue reading »