The Christian Education Committee of Bethel Lutheran Church oversees the total educational program of the congregation. This includes determining the educational policies and selecting the personnel to facilitate the educational program. The committee has two paid part-time positions which they oversee. Teri Jorges is the Director of Tutoring Tots Preschool and Lori Swanson is the Christian Education Director.
Programs that the committee oversees and the personnel in charge of them are:
Library -- Mary Anna Anderson & Renate Emken
Tutoring Tots Preschool -- Teri Jorges
Confirmation -- Pastor Sites
Sunday School -- Deb Roberts
WINGS -- Intern Linda Hepker
SPLASH! -- Hulda Peterson
Vacation Bible School -- Judy Wissmann & Jane Weed
Bible Study Groups
Church Camp

Highest Attendance Awards Given

Sunday School for Youth and Adults

Christian Education is available through Sunday School classes beginning at age three through 12th Grade at 9:40 a.m. every Sunday. Adults Bible Study begins at 10:00 a.m. every Sunday. The Christmas program is given the last Sunday before Christmas.

One student from each grade level of Sunday School, from pre-school through 8th grade, was honored with special recognition at church services on Sunday January 18th. Each student received a gift and certificate.

Lori Swanson, Christian Education Director, stated that these students had the highest attendance in Bethel's Sunday School program for the fall semester of 2008 and expressed thanks and pride for the families who make Sunday School a priority. Karen Daffer, Christian Education Chairman of the Parish Planning Council, assisted her.

Receiving awards were: 8th grade-Austin Swanson; 7th grade-Taylor Ohrt; 6th grade-Andrea Exstrom; 5th grade-Lex Swanson; 3rd grade-Kaitlin Keffeler; 2nd grade-Caden Erickson; 1st grade-Anna Grace Weed; K-Sam Holt; and Pre-K-Brayden Keffeler.


Each Sunday from 9:40 to 10:40 a.m. the children form a relationship with teachers, friends and God.

Confirmation

Confirmation classes include fellowship and servant-hood activities for youth grades 6, 7, and 8.
One of the most fulfilling ministries you can have is confirmation ministry. At Bethel, we feel that this particular ministry deserves our creative best. We have found that if our confirmation program includes:

a multimedia Jesus and Bible centered approach

supported by positive parent guides

featuring small group life (learning, servanthood projects and fellowship) .
Therein lies the formula for a worthwhile and exciting ministry. We have found in Rich Melheim's FAITH INKUBATORS approach the best platform for all of this. E-mail us if you are interested.

We provide confirmation starting in the fifth grade with early Communion. The 3 year program then begins in the 6th grade running to the 8th grade. By 9th grade, they are interested in Senior League, Bible studies and activities. We provide Confirmation Camp for a week after their 7th grade year at Carol Joy Holling Camp near Ashland, NE. By their 9th grade year they will have memorized lots of scripture, Luther's Small Catechism, done sermon notes and participated several times in the acolyte program.

Adult "listener" hears memory verses

WINGS

WINGS is a Wednesday evening program that runs during the school year, September- April. It is for children age preschool - 5th grade.

The childred learn bible verses and earn WING DINGS. These may be spent at the 'store' monthly. They also cycle thru music and recreation. The 5th graders spend the second half of the year in the All-Stars program.  Darrell Wissman leads this program designed to help them say no to drugs, alcohol, and premarital sex.    

• Wings Registration Form
• Wings Fall Schedule
• Wings Parent Handbook
• Wings Volunteer Form

Church Camp

Our Church Camp is located at Camp Carol Joy Holling in Ashland, NE and the congregation provides camper ships for each youth attending.

• Click here to visit the camp web site.

Vacation Bible School

Power Lab was the theme of Vacation Bible School this year. AHA! Ninety-two children from preschool through 5th grade participated in Bible study, crafts, singing, games and snacks. The area was decorated in the "laboratory" theme. Each day we learned about a different Bible Point. Jesus gives us the power to be THANKFUL (Monday), HELP OTHERS (Tuesday), BRAVE (Wednesday), LIVE FOREVER (Thursday) and TELL OTHERS ABOUT GOD (Friday). Each day each child was given a Bible Buddy which had the Bible verse of the day printed on it. T-shirts were given to those who preregistered and each family received a CD of the songs that we sang during the week.
This could not have been done without the help of many, many, many volunteers. We (Kendra and Judy) were so impressed by those who volunteered to help with VBS. THANK YOU.
Kendra Fritsche and Judy Wissmann

Bible Study Groups

Bible Study Groups are offered during the year. We teach and believe that Bible study edifies our lives and provides excellent unity around Christ. We provide ongoing men's, women's and youth Bible study on books of the Bible, special topics or theology. At least twice a year we have available a living Discipleship class that opens up the Bible and doctrine for a deeper discipleship in Christ. Most of the year we offer at least 2 hours of Bible study for adults during the week apart from regular Sunday morning Bible study. Please, contact the church office for current offerings

SPLASH!

SPLASH! is a faith formation publication from Augsburg Fortress. When an infant is baptized into the Bethel family, Hulda Peterson visits the parents and presents them with the first packet of information from SPLASH! She explains the program and encourages them to work through the activities with their child Each month they will receive the Parent Pages that are filled with ideas to nurture early faith development through easy, everyday activities.

Library

Bethel's library has 1184 books available for check out. There are 145 videos, seven audio tapes, one CD, and thirteen DVDs. The library receives two magazines as gifts: The Christian Century and Christianity Today. Bethel Women provide the "Little Lutheran" and audio tapes of "Lutheran Woman Today."
The circulation averages 3.5 items a week. There were 132 books, 39 videos, and 14 DVDs & cassettes checked out in 2008.
Bethel has a Brown Bag Book Club that meets at noon on the fourth Wednesday of the month. They meet ten times in 2008 with an average attendance of seven. The group has discussed 65 books since it started in April, 2003.