Fill the Choir Loft May 4: Ever wondered what it is like to sing with the choir? Want to know what it’s like to sing with the strength of the organ right behind you? This is the day for you! The Adult Choir is hosting “Fill the Choir Loft Sunday” at the 9am service on May 4. Join in singing one anthem that can be learned in a brief rehearsal at 8:10am in the Gloria Room. You can even wear a choir robe! Please call Keith, 253-3609.

Serve at Caritas Foodshelf in May: Bethlehem will help staff the Caritas Foodshelf (behind Tenvoorde Ford) on Wednesdays May 7, 14, 21, & 28. Shifts on those dates are 12:45-4:30pm and 5:45-8:30pm with 4-6 people needed to welcome clients and serve as “personal shoppers” assisting clients with selections. Sign-up at the SERVE Board.

Serve Place of Hope Meals: During the summer months (May-September) Bethlehem will again provide & serve meals for the hungry at Place of Hope Ministries. Sign up sheets for May 14, 15, 28 & 29 are now posted on the SERVE Board. “Kid-friendly” meals are needed on Thursdays for participants in a special youth program. It’s a great opportunity to sign up together with family, friends or groups from church.

Schumacher Boys Benefit May 16: Bethlehem member Jason Schumacher, father of 3 boys and husband to Nicole, died unexpectedly on September 28, 2007. A Family Event is planned for Friday, May 16 at Mulligan’s Event Center to raise money for a College Fund for the boys. The evening begins at 4:30pm with inflatable bouncers and other fun events for the whole family! A silent auction from 4:30 to 7:30pm. A spaghetti dinner will be served from 5-7pm. A local cover band made up of school staff, “Hot for Teacher”, will provide fun dance music from 7 to 9:30pm. Tickets are $10/person; children 5 & under admitted free. Tickets will be on sale in the Square on Sundays April 27 & May 4. Supplemental Funds are being provided by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

A Syttende Mai Celebration on May 18: A special Centennial Event honoring Bethlehem’s Norwegian heritage is planned for Sunday, May 18. The day begins with worship! Following worship enjoy some Scandinavian treats. Dancers from the Sons of Norway Lodge will also share some Norwegian Folk Dances. And following the 11am service a potluck lunch will feature a Bethlehem Syttende Mai tradition—ham loaf. Please bring a dish to share at this smorgasbord.

Couples Group Invites Adults to Bats Game: In May the Couples Group invites all adults to join them at the St Cloud River Bats game on Saturday, May 31. Tickets are on the Charter Sports Deck, a three-level deck on the third base line offering fans a festive atmosphere, a tremendous view of the game, and unlimited food & soda all for $22/person. You must RSVP with Katie by May 17 to reserve your tickets. The All-Church (kids included) Day at the River Bats will be Sunday, July 27, watch for more information on this outing in the June/July issue of The STAR.

VBS & Day Camp Registration Now Open: Vacation Bible School for children age 4-Grade 6 is June 9-13, from 9am to noon each day. $25/child. Register online, or use the registration form available for download HERE. Luther Crest Bible Camp will be sending a Day Camp Team to St. Cloud July 21-24. This day camp, meeting 9-3pm daily, is for children in Kindergarten through Grade 3. $45/student.

Cookbook Orders Continue: Pre-order your Centennial Cookbook today, just $15/copy guarantees you receive your cookbooks when they arrive in late summer. With over 1,100 recipes by busy cooks for busy cooks, they'll make great gifts for any occasion! Order yours at the table in the Square or the Magi Gift Center. Questions? Julie, 202-1330 or Julie, 251-6470.

Cantus Joins Local Chorales at BLC May 4: Great River Chorale, will be joined by the professional men's ensemble Cantus and the Youth Chorale of Central Minnesota, for a concert on Sunday, May 4 at 7:30pm. Tickets go on sale April 26!

VBS & Day Camp Registration Now Open: Vacation Bible School for children age 4-Grade 6 is June 9-13, from 9am to noon each day. $25/child. Luther Crest Bible Camp will be sending a Day Camp Team to St. Cloud July 21-24. This day camp, meeting 9-3pm daily, is for children in Kindergarten through Grade 3. $45/student. Register online, or use the registration form available for download HERE. Luther Crest Hard copies are available at the Discipleship Ministries Bulletin Boards. More about these programs will be shared at April parent meetings.

Names Matter at Bethlehem: All who regularly worship or participate at Bethlehem are invited to order reusable name tags! These high quality vinyl badges come in your choice of fastener: magnetic or clip. To order yours: stop by the table in the Square; suggested donation: $2 each. Your new name tag will be ready the next weekend!

Use New Search Engine to Support BLC: If you search the internet, there is a simple way you can support the youth and families of Bethlehem. GoodSearch is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up through simple actions in your everyday life! Just Click HERE or go to www.goodsearch.com and enter Bethlehem Lutheran Church - Saint Cloud as the charity you want to support.

Interested in Membership?: CLICK HERE to learn more about membership at Bethlehem.

Bethlehem Concert Series: Music to Stretch the Mind and Feed the Soul. Click here to view the concert schedule.

Sermons are Now Podcast: Miss a sermon? Want to hear part of a great sermon again? Want to comment on something mentioned in the sermon? A blog at http://blcsermons.blogspot.com has the audio and a brief overview of each sermon posted. iTunes users can also subscribe to the podcast from the site.

Seeing STARS???  Keep your eyes open for SHOOTING STARs, BLC's new e-mail announcements with information about coming events. We hope that this is one more way to get the word out about all the good things that happen here. If you haven't received a Shooting STAR yet we likely don't have your address in our database. Please send us your e-mail address at blchurch@bethlehemlutheran.org and you can then receive the next Shooting STAR.