WORSHIP
Schedule
Education Hour
Sermons
Baptism
COVID
Worship Schedule
Worship at Bethlehem follows the same basic liturgical pattern: gather, word, meal, send.
We celebrate first that God gathers all kinds of people together in this place. Then we listen to God’s Word—a word that comforts and challenges us with the good news of Jesus Christ. We share in the communion meal, and then we send each other into God’s world, equipped to be of service.
We look forward to seeing you at church!
We hope you find worship at Bethlehem engaging, spirit-filled, and meaningful! If you have questions about our worship services, we’ve put together a list of Frequently Asked Questions that you may find helpful. You’re also welcome to email us at office@bethlehemluth.org.
To learn more about additional programming and upcoming events at Bethlehem Lutheran, please visit our Upcoming Events page..
Education Hour
Sunday School
Our Sunday School program begins when children are just 3-years-old, allowing even our youngest disciples to explore God’s love. We have classes at 10:45am on Sunday mornings from September through May each year, where children will learn about Bible stories and God’s love through songs of celebration, crafts, and play. For any questions please contact Pastor Paisley at pastor_paisley@bethlehemluth.org or Leslie Blount at leslie@bethlehemluth.org.
Sunday School Ages 3-3rd Grade—Education Hall
The Confirmation program at Bethlehem is designed for 6th through 8th grades, with Confirmation Sunday at the end of the 8th grade year. Last year we spent the year dwelling in Manna & Mercy that showed us God’s work in this world from the beginning of time until the present day. This year, we move to more of the practicalities the Christian faith, including units on Worship, the Creeds, the 10 Commandments, and more. Each unit is four weeks, with the first week being a Large Group and Small Group gathering to introduce the unit. As a way of recognizing and supporting that we learn differently, the following three weeks, students will have given many choices on how to engage the material and will “choose their own adventure” within the given parameters. Each Sunday during the typical education hour, there will be one of the choice opportunities being held at church that can be attended if students would like to use that towards their requirements.
With this new method we have significantly less required dates in order to respect busy schedules. However, it is mandatory that students attend the monthly unit introduction session, written in blue on the confirmation calendar. It is also expected students attend the first four weeks of confirmation as to continue to build a community amongst our youth.
There are other large group days centered around service and community engagement that are highly encouraged, but not required. Please mark these dates on your calendar as soon as possible to ensure your child’s standing in the confirmation program. If there are conflicts, please be in touch with Pastor Paisley.
There will be two orientation meetings for students entering into the program this year: Sunday, September 3, at 11am in Fellowship Hall and Wednesday, September 13, at 7pm on Zoom. Entering students must attend this with at least one parent or guardian. If they do not, they will not be able to begin confirmation this fall. If your child has been in the program but you have questions, you are welcome to attend on October 8 to learn more about the Choice Boards.
For more details on our Confirmation program, click here.
This year we are moving to monthly Youth Group with our time centered around food, fellowship, and fun. This will typically be the first Sunday of the month, 6-8pm, but our first meeting will be Sept. 17th in the Youth Room. Please keep an eye out for a full calendar coming soon! Two things to put in front of you now, though, are:
Metro Chicago Synod Youth Gathering: October 20 (7pm) – October 22 (12 pm)
For the first time ever there will be a Youth Gathering for those 8th-12th grade students throughout the Metro Chicago Synod. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet youth from other churches in our area, especially in advance of National Youth Gathering in July 2024! This event will be at Tinley Park Convention Center, and students must register by Sept 18th.
National Youth Gathering: July 15 – 20 (Gathering begins July 16)
Every three(ish) years there is a National Youth Gathering open to all students in 8th-12th in fall 2023. This will be the first Gathering since before COVID and we are so excited for it! NYG will be in New Orleans this summer and we hope to bring a group from Bethlehem. Keep an eye out for more information!
Adult Programming—Ekstrom Hall
Sunday mornings are a great time to connect with your fellow BLC disciples, spend a bit of time nurturing our faith, and engage in thought provoking conversations! After worship, grab a cup of coffee and a donut in the Welcome Center and join us in Ekstrom Hall from 10:45-11:45am.
Click here for our Fall 2023 Adult Education schedule. We hope to see you there!
Baptism at Bethlehem
Baptism joins us to the body of Christ and to the mission we share as followers of Jesus. At Bethlehem, we always celebrate baptism within the context of worship, as baptism is the sacrament that binds us to God and to one another!
We tend to baptize infants and children, but baptism can be celebrated at all ages and stages of life. If you’re looking to have yourself or your child baptized at Bethlehem, please click here to learn more about upcoming baptism classes. Children are welcome and encouraged to attend!
To register for a Baptism Class, please call the church office at 630-584-2199 or email melody@bethlehemluth.org.
COVID Safety Protocols
It is our responsibility to continue to take care of one another during this ongoing pandemic.
We want to do everything we can to reduce community spread. If you have had recent exposure to COVID-19, we recommend following the public health guidelines to stay home until five days have passed without symptoms. If you do choose to attend in-person gatherings in this timeframe, please wear a face mask while inside the building. If you are feeling ill or have tested positive for COVID-19, please stay home until you have recovered. This will help us keep our community as healthy and safe as possible!
We continue to encourage everyone who is eligible to be vaccinated and boosted. This is the single, most effective way for us to protect ourselves and each other during this pandemic.
If you don’t feel comfortable gathering indoors with others at this time, we understand, and invite you to join us virtually for worship via our livestream on YouTube! And if you miss our livestream event on Sunday mornings, you can always access past worship services by searching the “past live streams” section.
Thank you!