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CONGREGATION MEETING
SUNDAY, January 20, 2008 at 12:30pm
Our next Congregation Meeting will be on Sunday, January 20th, 2008 at 12:30pm. The purpose of this meeting is for the election of Board of Ministry Officers.
Please submit names of nominees to the Sr. Leadership Team or the Church office by January 6, 2008.
Click here for the letter from our Board of Ministry.
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Notes from the Board of Ministry
October 17, 2007
My brothers and sisters in Christ,
Our important Congregational Meeting to approve the church budget for the 2007-2008 fiscal year was held on Sunday 9/30/07, following 11am service. Praise the Lord that we can openly gather, worship His name and conduct church business in freedom. May the Lord continue to guide, protect and bless our country. The new Board of Ministry and officers were introduced, and the diagram of the Board constellation, presented at the meeting is now on the church website for viewing. The Board had accepted the resignations of Elder, Ken Hritz and Director, Tom Onnen. The congregation officially affirmed the appointment of Tom Onnen as an Elder. Pursuant to our Constitution and By-laws, I appointed Tom Onnen to fill the vacancy of a Governing Elder on the Board, serving out the term vacated by Ken Hritz.
We were blessed with Pastor Mac’s presentation of the Ministry Vision and Plan for Bethlehem for this year. With our church facing many transitions, changes, and decisions, Pastor presented a plan focused on stability and unity. May it please the Lord.
Our Treasurer, Cindy Walker, presented a summary report of our year end financial status for the fiscal year 2006-2007, followed by a presentation and discussion of the budget for 2007-2008, approved for proposal by the Board of Ministry. While the church closed last year with a significant deficit, the proposed budget for 2007-2008 reflects an understanding of that, and prudent fiscal planning for the upcoming year. We were also blessed with an insightful and Godly presentation by Vice-President, Tim Amey, on the topic of “tithing to the district,” addressing misconceptions, but more importantly the faithful stewardship it reflects. The budget was approved by the voters, praise be to God, and may He bless our efforts in this year. I am appreciative of each and every participant at our recent voters’ meeting for their passion, participation, and willingness to share their hearts and minds. I am energized by the commitment we are making to His church here at Bethlehem! I am so truly grateful to the Lord for what He is doing in us, and through us. While we may not all always agree, we must diligently seek to honor and serve our Lord and Savior in all that we say and do. Our congregation has been, and continues to be, richly blessed with a multitude of individuals with a heart for service. With our eyes fixed upward, let us together, move forward. I am humbled and honored to continue to serve you, alongside the amazing staff, Board Members, Elders and our “soul” Pastor, here in His church at Bethlehem Lutheran.
The following week, the Board of Ministry monthly meeting was held at 8pm in Room 5 on Tuesday, October 9th, 2007. The Board engaged in a brief devotion and time of prayer to open the meeting.
The Board ratified the appointments of Tom Onnen as Governing Elder and Darrin Watson as Director, filling the position vacated by Tom Onnen’s resignation as a Director. Our Treasurer, Cindy Walker, presented the Fiscal Year 2006-2007 final year end report, and a discussion of attendance trends over the past three years, and into this year. The Board reviewed and approved an Amendment to the By-laws, to be presented to the congregation for approval. This Amendment will change the date of Board terms from starting on July 1, to starting on February 1. A copy of the Amendment and accompanying letter was mailed out to congregation members. There will be two open forums for discussion and questions, prior to the Congregational Meeting where a vote to approve the Amendment will take place. The forums are on Sunday, 10/21/07, following the 11am service, just prior to the Follow the Star “construction day,” and on Wednesday 10/24/07 at 6:30pm prior to Bible study. As a reminder, the next Voter's Meeting; for voting on the Amendment, as well as, presentation and discussion of the Campaign Readiness Study survey, is Sunday 11/4/07 at 12:30pm. Our pre-school continues to do well. Both, BLCS’s Preschool and Sandcastles After-school care held an open house on 9/27/07. Attendance was wonderful, and an exciting result was a large positive response from parents to our plan to begin offering “parenting classes.” Praise be to the Father for such blessings.
Please make every attempt to be at the Congregational Meeting on 11/4/07, for CRS survey results for Bethlehem Lutheran and the consideration of the important Amendment to our By-laws. Everyone’s participation is crucial.
The next Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 13th, 2007, at 8pm. The Board of Ministry is also considering making a change to the regularly occurring meeting schedule. Please check with a Board member if you are planning on attending a meeting as a guest.
I ask for your continued prayers for this congregation, the Board of Ministry and the Board of Elders, that we may faithfully and humbly serve the Lord for His Glory here at His Church, Bethlehem Lutheran. I invite you to speak to your Board members, introduce yourself, ask them questions, and let them know of any concerns you would like to share. As always, I invite your comments and feedback to me.
May the Lord bless each and every one of you, and may he continue to grow us in our walk with Jesus, here at Bethlehem
In His Service,
Edward R Amey
Board President
ed@amey.net |
Notes from the Board of Ministry
September 17, 2007
My brothers and sisters in Christ,
The Board of Ministry monthly meeting was held at 8pm in Room 5 on Tuesday, September 11th, 2007, “Patriot Day.” The Board engaged in a brief devotion and time of prayer to open the meeting.
The Board convened for a little over two hours, primarily preparing the Budget proposal for the 2007-2008 Fiscal Year. A quorum for the Board also met prior to this evening’s meeting, on September 4th, 2007, to discuss and prepare the initial budget proposal for discussion and approval at the September 11th regularly scheduled Board meeting.
As a reminder, the next Voter's Meeting; for Budget discussion and approval and presentation of the Ministry Plan for 2007-2008, is Sunday 9/30/07 at 12:30pm.
The President and representatives of Pacific Southwest District of the LCMS, met with the Congregational on Wednesday evening 9/12/07 at 7pm in the Worship Center. Dr. Stoterau discussed the various types of support and options for Bethlehem in this time of transition, as well as an overview of “the call process.” If anyone has further questions, either not answered at the meeting or thought of later, please feel free to contact me. The church Business Administrator, as a guest of the Board, discussed the significant challenges in our church’s financial status, as well as observed improvements for the last quarter of the fiscal year and year-to-date. While the Lord continues to bless us richly here at Bethlehem, there are still many challenges we must face, and this has been taken into consideration in the budget preparations for 2007-2008. The church will end this fiscal year far short of the approved budget for 2006-2007, but with the excellent and frugal stewardship of our church staff, and sacrifices made by many, the church will finish the fiscal year being able to satisfy our fixed costs commitments. I humbly ask you to prayerfully consider how we can all endeavor to improve the church’s financial health in 2007-2008, and subsequent ability to continue serving the various ministries Bethlehem is using to “seek and save the lost.” The new Board Treasurer, Cindy Walker, will be presenting the proposed budget to voting membership at the 9/30/07 Congregational meeting.
Our pre-school has a full enrollment for the current term, and the school Director is actively seeking additional staff, to enable Bethlehem to enroll more children.
Please make every attempt to be at one of the church services this upcoming weekend (9/22-9/23), as we will be participating in the customized CRS survey for Bethlehem Lutheran. Everyone’s participation is crucial to a successful and informative survey. The Board, in accordance with our Constitution, tasked the Senior Leadership Team with providing the President with a list of candidates from which to appoint a Governing Elder, to serve in the position vacated by Head Elder, Ken Hritz. Many blessings and warm wishes to the Hritz family in this new chapter of their lives.
The next Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 9th>, 2007, at 8pm. This is going to be a wonderful year! May the Lord bless Bethlehem and our service to His Glory.
I ask for your continued prayers for this congregation, the Board of Ministry and the Board of Elders, that we may faithfully and humbly serve the Lord for His Glory here at His Church, Bethlehem Lutheran. I invite you to speak to your Board members, introduce yourself, ask them questions, and let them know of any concerns you would like to share. As always, I invite your comments and feedback to me.
May the Lord bless each and every one of you, and may he continue to grow us in our walk with Jesus, here at Bethlehem
In His Service,
Edward R Amey
Board President
ed@amey.net |
August 21, 2007
Notes from the President
My brothers and sisters in Christ,
The first Board of Ministry monthly meeting for the 2007-2008 Board was held at 8pm in Room 5 on Tuesday, August 14th, 2007. The Board engaged in a brief devotion and time of prayer to open the meeting.
The Board convened for two and half hours, conducting the business of two meetings in one, since there was not a meeting in July. I greatly appreciate the commitment and dedication of my fellow Board members, and all who serve the Lord by serving others here at Bethlehem. The 2007-2008 Board is very excited and looking forward to serving together, as we seek the Lord's Will in this time of change and growth for Bethlehem. The newest Board members elected at our Congregational Voter’s Meeting on 8/5/07 are: Rochelle Egan, Cindy Walker, Glen Lucas, and Edward Amey who was re-elected this term. Please join me in welcoming the newest members serving you on the Board of Ministry!
As is policy and practice for the first meeting of the new term, the Board of Ministry elected its officers for the coming term. The election results for Board Officers are as follows:
President: Edward Amey , Vice-President: Tim Amey, Secretary: Rochelle Egan, Treasurer: Cindy Walker Governing Elders selected to serve on the Senior Leadership Team: Tony Capitelli and Damon Letz
Many thanks to these individuals and to all who were nominated. The Board set the date for the next Voter's Meeting; for Budget discussion and approval and presentation of the Ministry Plan for 2007-2008, for Sunday 9/30/07 at 12:30pm. The Board has also scheduled two Board meetings in September. September 4th at 7pm - 2007/2008 Fiscal Year Budget discussion and development (only item on that agenda).September 11th at 8pm - Regularly scheduled BOM meeting (agenda still to be set).
Pastor Mac and Board President, Edward Amey, have been in contact with the Pacific Southwest District, and there will be a Congregational meeting on Wednesday evening 9/12/07 at 7pm in the Worship Center for the Congregational to hear from our District Representatives regarding the support and options for Bethlehem in this time of transition. This will follow the dinner/fellowship time and run from about an hour and half.
The church Business Administrator, as a guest of the Board, discussed the significant challenges in our church’s financial status for the last quarter of the fiscal year and year-to-date. The shortfall of income to expenses continues at a significant disparity. While the Lord continues to bless us richly here at Bethlehem, there are still many challenges we must face. The church will end the fiscal year far short of the approved budget for 2006-2007, but with the excellent and frugal stewardship of our church staff, and sacrifices made by many, the church will finish the fiscal year being able to satisfy our fixed costs commitments. I humbly ask you to prayerfully consider how we can all endeavor to improve the church’s financial health in 2007-2008, and subsequent ability to continue serving the various ministries Bethlehem is using to “seek and save the lost.” The new Board Treasurer, Cindy Walker, will be working with church staff and other Board members to develop the budget to be proposed at the 9/30/07 Congregational meeting.
The Board affirmed Lisa Korell as the Director of our pre-school and daycare. Sandcastles After-school Care is up and running on our campus. Both Bethlehem Pre-school and Sandcastles held an open house on 8/13/07, at which many new children were enrolled. The present financial outlook for the pre-school is dramatically improved. I encourage you to spread the word about these services to everyone you know.
In the interim of the vacancy of the Senior Pastor, the Board of Ministry authorized Pastor MacDougall with all the functions of the Pastoral office.
Governing Elder, Tony Capitelli, provide the Board with an update on our Campaign Readiness Study. The CRS leaders have developed the presentation for, “The Case,” to build at BLCS, and open forums will be meeting starting 8/25/07. There will be six forums, meeting on weekends, days and evenings over the next few weeks. All, members and non-members, are strongly encouraged to sign up and attend one. This where you can express your views, thoughts and feelings in response to specific questions about the upcoming potential Capital Campaign and building project.
This is going to be a wonderful year! May the Lord bless Bethlehem and our service to His Glory. As Pastor Mac so excitedly put it, "let's move forward, full steam ahead, with confidence, and encouraging one another in Christ."
I ask for your continued prayers for this congregation, the Board of Ministry and the Board of Elders, that we may faithfully and humbly serve the Lord for His Glory here at His Church, Bethlehem Lutheran. I invite you to speak to your Board members, introduce yourself, ask them questions, and let them know of any concerns you would like to share. As always, I invite your comments and feedback to me.
May the Lord bless each and every one of you, and may he continue to grow us in our walk with Jesus, here at Bethlehem
In His Service,
Edward R Amey
Board President
ed@amey.net
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February 16, 2007
Notes From The President
My brothers and sisters in Christ, Our first congregational meeting of 2007 was held on Sunday 2/11/07. Praise the Lord for such a large turn out! With a Sunday 12:30pm meeting, we were able to share a meal together, and then set about the business of our church. I presented an update on significant events since our last congregational meeting in September of 2006, our Treasurer, Tom Anderson, presented a report on our current financial condition, followed by some discussion on adjustments made by staff and leadership to offset our present shortfall, and we were blessed with a well prepared presentation by the Facilities Committee for restoration and new construction at our campus. While the church leadership apologizes for the occurrence of some “procedural errors” during the discussion time and subsequent motion to vote, the will of the congregation was the approval of the presented process for Restoration and Building for our church campus. Praise be to God, and may He bless our efforts in this project. I am appreciative of each and every participant at our recent Voters’ meeting for their passion, participation, and willingness to share their hearts and minds. I am energized by the commitment we are making to His church here at Bethlehem! I am so truly grateful to the Lord for what He is doing in us, and through us, here at Bethlehem. As is the process to build a new Sanctuary, we too, are a “work in progress.” While we may not all always agree, we must diligently seek to honor and serve our Lord and Savior in all that we say and do. Our congregation has been, and continues to be, richly blessed with a multitude of individuals with a heart for service. With our eyes fixed upward, let us together, move forward. I am humbled and honored to continue to serve you, alongside the amazing staff, Board Members, Elders and Pastors here in His church at Bethlehem Lutheran. Following the just two short days after the Voters’ meeting, The Board of Ministry monthly meeting was held at 8pm in Room 5 on Tuesday, February 13th, 2007. The Board engaged in a brief opening time of prayer and scripture reading. The Board Treasurer and church Business Administrator discussed some continued minor improvements in our church’s financial status following the January 2007 giving. The Lord continues to bless us richly here at Bethlehem. The Board then discussed the Pastor’s Report including specific recommendations for the school from the Director of Family Ministries’ evaluation. Cursory research into competing “corporate” preschools, marketing strategy, historical trending, staffing and procedural dynamics, equipment upgrades/additions, and increased interaction with “the church” were some of the points of discussion and recommendation. The Board approved a “Vote of Confidence” in the presented materials and recommended actions. An update will be presented in the Pastor’s Report at the next Board meeting in March 2007. The Board then acknowledged the vote of approval for the restoration and new construction process presented at the Voters’ meeting, by requesting staff be directed to initiate contact with LCEF, and schedule a discussion/presentation with the Board. The Board also received the first draft of the BLCS Personnel Policy Manual and the first draft of the BLCS General Operating Policy Manual, for review and recommendation. This will be readdressed at the next Board meeting. The next Board meeting is scheduled for March 13, 2007 at 8pm. I ask for your continued prayers for this congregation, the Board of Ministry and the Board of Elders, that we may faithfully and humbly serve the Lord for His Glory here at His Church, Bethlehem Lutheran. I invite you to speak to your Board members, introduce yourself, ask them questions, and let them know of any concerns you would like to share. As always, I invite your comments and feedback to me.
May the Lord bless each and every one of you, and may he continue to grow us in our walk with Jesus, here at Bethlehem.
In His Service,
Edward R Amey
Board President
ed@amey.net
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January 15, 2007
Notes From The President
My brothers and sisters in Christ,
The Board of Ministry monthly meeting was held at 8pm in Room 5 on Tuesday, January 9th, 2007. The Board engaged in a brief opening time of prayer.
The Board and the Technology Team continue to put out a call to anyone interested in serving in the area of Audio/Visual support ministry. No prior experience is required, you will be trained. Please prayerfully consider serving in this capacity, as the need is great! Please contact Pastor Brauer if you are interested.
The Board discussed the continued challenges of the significant shortfall in our current operating budget. The Board Treasurer and church Business Administrator discussed some improvements in our church’s financial status following the December 2006 giving. The Lord blesses us richly here at Bethlehem. Discussion was held regarding the near term and long term potential impacts to church operation. Church staff continues to be diligent in reducing expenses and all but eliminating “non-essential” spending. The Board requested next month’s Pastor’s Report to include specifics from School and Church staff as to how efforts are proceeding as reflected in the school’s business plan and in relation to the 2006 Ministry Plan. The Board requested Treasurer, Tom Anderson, present the Church’s fiscal report and the President, Edward Amey, present the overall status of our ministries, to the congregation at the next voters’ meeting.
The Board also revisited and discussed at length, the November 2006 presentation by the Facilities Committee. The Board requested Director and Facilities Committee member, Damon Letz, to meet with the committee to prepare a presentation with recommendations for the next voters’ meeting, and to then be the Board presenter of this material.
The Board of Ministry voted to hold the next Voters’ Meeting on Sunday, February 11, 2007 at 12:30pm. Please plan to attend, as a great deal of important information will be presented, and we will be called upon to prayerfully consider recommendations by the Facilities Committee and Board of Ministry.
I ask for your continued prayers for this congregation, the Board of Ministry and the Board of Elders, that we may faithfully and humbly serve the Lord for His Glory here at His Church, Bethlehem Lutheran. I invite you to speak to your Board members, introduce yourself, ask them questions, and let them know of any concerns you would like to share. As always, I invite your comments and feedback to me.
May the Lord bless each and every one of you, and may he continue to grow us in our walk with Jesus, here at Bethlehem.
In His Service,
Edward R Amey
Board President
ed@amey.net
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December 15, 2006
Notes From The President
My brothers and sisters in Christ,
The Board of Ministry monthly meeting was held at 7pm in the Youth Modular on Tuesday, December 12th. The Board engaged in a brief opening time to reflect on the many amazing ministries, activities, and efforts of the family of Bethlehem Lutheran Church and School. Congratulations to Bethlehem on another beautiful and amazing “Follow the Star”! May our efforts in this be pleasing to the Lord. A special message of deep gratitude to all those who served in the many aspects that go into this fantastic production!
The Board of Ministry discussed, at length, the need for additional support and involvement of new volunteers for those serving our congregation “behind the scenes” running the Audio/Visual systems. The Board and the Technology Team continue to put out a call to anyone interested in serving in this aspect of the ministry. No prior experience is required, you will be trained. Please prayerfully consider serving in this capacity, as the need is great! The Board also asked that Pastor Brauer take the lead in securing additional volunteer staff for the Audio/Visual service.
The Board also discussed the continued challenges of the significant shortfall in our current operating budget. The Board Treasurer and church Business Administrator discussed the near term and long term potential impacts to church operation. Church staff has been diligent in reducing expenses and all but eliminating “non-essential” spending. The Board requested next month’s Pastor’s Report to include specifics from School and Church staff as to how efforts are proceeding as reflected in the school’s business plan and in relation to the 2006 Ministry Plan.
Potential dates and times were brought up for the January Congregational Voter’s Meeting. The date/time will be set at the January 9, 2007, board meeting. The Board of Ministry also voted to move the next meeting to 8pm, and the Board of Elders were in agreement, and will move to the 7pm time slot, allowing the Board of Ministry more time to conduct business.
I ask for your continued prayers for this congregation, the Board of Ministry and the Board of Elders, that we may faithfully and humbly serve the Lord for His Glory here at His Church, Bethlehem Lutheran. I invite you to speak to your Board members, introduce yourself, ask them questions, and let them know of any concerns you would like to share. As always, I invite your comments and feedback to me.
May the Lord bless each and every one of you, and may he continue to grow us in our walk with Jesus, here at Bethlehem.
In His Service,
Edward R Amey
Board President
ed@amey.net
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November 17, 2006
Notes From The President
My brothers and sisters in Christ,
The Board of Ministry monthly meeting was held at 7pm in room 5 on Tuesday, November 14th. The Board had the opportunity to welcome the newest Elder, Fred Beach!
The Board was blessed to have a presentation from the Facilities Committee, outlining a well prepared “phased” approach to repairing and upgrading our current facilities, as well as embarking on building new facilities here at Bethlehem! The Board is looking forward to presenting the congregation with this plan at our next voters’ meeting.
The Board of Ministry approved the addition of a third worship service on Sundays, tasking the Board of Elders with implementing the most appropriate time for that service to be held. The Elders voted to start a third service on January 7, 2007 to be held at 11am. This will require additional support and efforts on the part of those serving our congregation “behind the scenes” running the Audio/Visual systems. The Board and the Technology Team put a out call to any interested in helping in this aspect of the ministry. No prior experience is required, you will be trained. Please prayerfully consider serving in this capacity, as the need is great!
The Board also discussed the significant shortfall in our current operating budget. The Board Treasurer and church Business Administrator discussed the historical trends and congregational changes leading up to the current status. Church staff has been diligent in reducing expenses and all but eliminating “non-essential” spending. The Board requests our family here at Bethlehem engage in a time of prayer and fasting, seeking the Lord’s guidance on how we are to please Him as we proceed in these serious matters.
I ask for your continued prayers for this congregation, the Board of Ministry and the Board of Elders, that we may faithfully and humbly serve the Lord for His Glory here at His Church, Bethlehem Lutheran. I invite you to speak to your Board members, introduce yourself, ask them questions, and let them know of any concerns you would like to share. As always, I invite your comments and feedback to me.
May the Lord bless each and every one of you, and may he continue to grow us in our walk with Jesus, here at Bethlehem.
In His Service,
Edward R Amey
Board President
ed@amey.net
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October 11, 2006
Notes From The President
My brothers and sisters in Christ,
The Board of Ministry monthly meeting was held at 7pm in room 5 on Tuesday, October 10th. The Board has begun to make adjustment to its operating procedures, in order to bring us more in line with what we learned from Pastor Lucas’ seminar on Policy-based Governance on October 3rd. This will be an ongoing process, but one we are excited about and feel will allow the wonderful staff we are blessed with here at Bethlehem to effectively reach our Congregational goals. Both Boards will be meeting together for a second seminar by Pastor Lucas in November.
The Board approved the creation of a “Technology Taskforce” led by Board Vice-President Timothy Amey, in order to create clearer organization and aligned efforts with regard to the many technologies used here at Bethlehem (Audio-visual, computers, Internet, security, etc.)
The Board was also blessed to have a presentation from Habitat for Humanity and Thrivent Build by Board member, Jim Duncombe and congregational member, Neele Schmidt, informing the Board of a wonderful outreach opportunity for the community of Santa Clarita.
I ask for your continued prayers for the Board of Ministry and the Board of Elders, that we may faithfully and humbly serve the Lord for His Glory here at His Church, Bethlehem Lutheran. I invite you to speak to your Board members and let them know if there are items or concerns you would like addressed at the next Board meeting in November, and as always I invite your comments and feedback to me.
May the Lord bless each and every one of you, and may he continue to grow us in our walk with Jesus, here at Bethlehem.
In His Service,
Edward R Amey
Board President
ed@amey.net
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October 5, 2006
Notes from The President
My brothers and sisters in Christ,
We will begin our new fiscal year with the voters’ approval of the budget at our Congregational meeting on Tuesday 9/26/06. I am excited about the commitment we are making to His Congregation here at Bethlehem!
I thank each and every participant at our recent Voters’ meeting for their passion, participation, and willingness to share their hearts and minds. When we openly share in a Godly way, we grow closer and more aligned with His purposes. I am so truly grateful to the Lord for what He is doing here at Bethlehem. Our congregation has been, and continues to be, richly blessed with a multitude of individuals with a heart for service. I am humbled and honored to serve you here in His church at Bethlehem Lutheran.
Our Fall worship schedule is in full swing with Bible studies, children’s church, Wednesday night Meals that Matter, and three services each weekend. Attendance at Sunday services is growing, and we are seeing more children attending each service.
The Board of Ministry was blessed to receive a wonderful training seminar, presented by Pastor Lucas, on October 3rd, on Church leadership and service to the congregation. The Board is looking forward to using this information to grow as team, to deepen and widen our service to the Lord here at Bethlehem.
The next Board of Ministry meeting is at 7pm in room 5 on Oct. 10th. All are invited to come and observe how your elected Board operates. I welcome and encourage each of you to be involved, speak to your Board members, and share your thoughts and feelings.
May the Lord bless each and every one of you, and may he continue to grow us in our walk with Jesus, here at Bethlehem.
In His Service,
Edward R Amey
Board President
ed@amey.net
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