Important Worship Service Information:

As we suspend in-person events due to the Covid-19 outbreak, please check for recorded and live streamed worship events on Bethlehem's Facebook page. You do not need to be a member of Facebook to view the services.

We would like to encourage you to join us in gathering virtually for worship this Sunday, July 5, at 9:30 a.m. 

Call in worship: Do you know someone who wants to participate in our worship but does not have access to a computer or other streaming device? We have set up a live streaming phone number: 773-932-5545.

People can call the number and listen to the entire service both in real time (at 9:30 Sunday mornings) or after the service is over. People can opt in to have the service call them when worship is starting! Please share this information with friends who might be feeling particularly isolated without internet access at this time. 

UPDATE FROM THE TRANSITION COMMITTEE

Prayerfully Working Toward In-Person Worship

Bethlehem's transition committee is faithfully and prayerfully working toward the day when we will be able to return to in-person worship. This committee is carefully considering information and guidance from a variety of trusted sources. They will be making recommendations to the Congregation Council based on their understanding of what is in the best interest of the safety of our worshiping community, as well as the mission of our congregation. Please carefully read the letter below and then take the linked survey to give your input to this important process. Please keep this committee, our Council, and our entire congregation in your prayers.

Dear Bethlehem community:

I am writing on behalf of the church's Transition Team--the church's advisory committee which is providing guidance to the Church Council regarding our eventual transition from remote services back to in-person services--both to keep you apprised of the current situation with respect to the church's operations during the COVD-19 pandemic and to solicit your input regarding your needs and concerns moving forward.

As you are aware, the church has been closed to the public since the initiation of the state's stay-at-home order. Shortly thereafter, the Transition Team was assembled to offer guidance to the Church Council regarding how and when we should re-open. Our decisions are guided by many interests (sometimes competing), including the congregation's spiritual needs, the health and safety of our members, and state and local mandates and guidelines for operations during the ongoing pandemic. Recognizing that our actions impact both our members and the broader community, we decided early on to adhere to all guidelines issued by both Governor Pritzker and Mayor Lightfoot.

While our state is currently in Phase 3 of reopening, which generally does not allow for public gatherings of more than ten people, Mayor Lightfoot recently issued guidelines allowing for the resumption of religious services with up to 50 participants. This is in contrast to the state reopening plan which does not generally allow for public gatherings of up to 50 participants until Phase 4, which--assuming all guidelines continue to be met--would not occur until June 26th at the earliest.

Our current plan is to continue to keep the church closed to the public for everything except funerals, continue with virtual Sunday services via Facebook Live and phone streaming, and not even consider resuming in-person services until we enter Phase 4. Our reasons for this are many, with the most significant being that the virus obviously cannot distinguish between religious services and other large public gatherings, and while we are eager to reopen, we prefer to take a more cautious path that ensures we are not unnecessarily putting congregants at risk.

All this being said, we would like to hear your thoughts on reopening. And before we do, I wish to clarify just what in-person services will look like for the foreseeable future in light of current guidelines. First and foremost, the 50-person limit means that we will need congregants to reserve spots ahead of time so that we do not need to turn anybody away. We will need to develop a protocol for health screening, and train volunteers who will do these screenings. Congregants will have to wear masks at all times and remain at least six feet apart from those who are not members of the same household. Entries and exits will be staggered to prevent co-mingling. We anticipate there will be no singing. There will be no gathering before or after the service, and obviously no physical interaction. Communion will only take place with prepackaged bread and wine. We may have to deny entry to high-risk individuals, and we will need assurance that any children who attend are able to stay with their families throughout the service.

I share all of this with you so that we understand that reopening the church, whenever it takes place, will not be a return to normalcy. As has been the case when other public services and businesses reopen, compromises must be made to allow us to operate with minimal risk. We will not reopen until we believe it is safe to do so and have taken all proper steps to comply with current guidelines, but your input can help us to develop an appropriate timeline and know how best to develop a socially-distanced service that works for you. And with that in mind, we would like to know your concerns, your needs, and your preferences as we plan for our eventual reopen. Please take a few minutes to respond to the short survey below. We are here to serve the congregation, and your input will help us do just that. Thank you for your time, and if anybody has any questions they would like to ask or information they would like to share, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at rchibe@gmail.com.

In God's service,

Russ Chibe, Transition Committee Chair

Please click the line below to take the survey. 

Survey regarding return to in-person worship

Dear Bethlehem Members and Friends, 

In light of the CDC’s recent recommendations regarding gatherings of people in the wake of the spread of the coronavirus, Bethlehem’s Congregation Council has made the difficult decision to suspend all in-person events in our building. This applies to all worship services and to all other church and community events that use our building. The building will only be open to staff.

I want to emphasize that while our building will be closed, our congregation and our ministry remain very much open and active. During this time, we will be putting content online, as well as providing opportunities to pray together through the internet and phone. On Sundays at 9:30 AM, you will find a message and other opportunities to worship “together” through Facebook. Bethlehem’s staff will be updating our social media with content to guide you spiritually through this difficult time. If you are interested in setting up a prayer circle that meets by phone or have other ideas for how we can spiritually support you, please email or call Pastor Jennie (pastor@bethlehem-chicago.org, 773-445-7558).

In addition to providing opportunities to worship and pray together, we will continue to reach out to our neighbors, as well as those on the margins. We are delivering food to the food pantry, calling members to assure that everyone has the supplies they need and making pastoral phone calls to those who are hospitalized or otherwise in need. You are encouraged to check in with one another, check in with neighbors who might need a hand with grocery shopping or sharing supplies. If you or someone you know is in need of help picking up medications and supplies or have other needs during this time, please do not hesitate to contact Pastor Jennie or Susan Evans in the church office (773-445-7558).

We also can continue our advocacy work, calling on our representatives to approve emergency aid packages that benefit workers, health care providers, the vulnerable, and those already living on the edge (see the ELCA’s advocacy page for an action you can take today.) Let’s look for ways to support local businesses that are impacted by this stoppage. And we will be in touch with local services for those who are homeless for practical ways we can help that already vulnerable population.

Please know that you continue in our prayers as each of us navigates the many challenges that are to come from these “interesting times.” We welcome your prayers as we face unprecedented decisions and challenges. And perhaps we all do well to heed the words of Jesus, “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today” (Matthew 6:34). We turn to God in these times of worry and uncertainty, trusting in God’s abundant love and steadfast mercy.

Be well,

Pastor Jennie and the Congregation Council

Continuing Contributions

Members who normally contribute to our budget are encouraged to please continue to do so either by mailing a check to the church office or by making an on-line contribution.  Detailed instructions on how to do this, follow below. 

At the upper right corner of the home page is the word Donate. Click that and scroll down on the next page to the words MAKE A DONATION and click that. Scroll down again and it leads to a series of blue boxes with a range of amounts from $10 to $500 or a box where you can type in your own amount. Click one of these boxes and you are given a credit card option where you can type in your name, card number, expiration date, and CVV2 ( the security number from the back of your card), and your billing information (the envelope number is optional). Finally click the blue option that reads Make a Donation.

You may also see a tutorial video on on-line giving by clicking this link.

Click here for this month's calendar.