Online Worship and Newsletter

 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; 

and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, 

and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

These last words of Jesus before ascending to heaven contain an incredible promise for us today…. The power and presence of the Holy Spirit to go out into this world proclaiming the Kingdom of God.   On this Pentecost Sunday we celebrate the truth that the Spirit has come and has been poured out into our lives. 

Please join us for Sunday worship at 10:30.  Sunday school is finished for the summer months.  For young children ages 0-4 nursery care is available. The worship service streams live on You Tube, tune in at 10:25 to view our service.  Bethlehem CRC – Thunder Bay – YouTube  

WORD & WORSHIP :   there will be a reading service, in Pastor Marg’s absence

NEWS, THANKS and PRAYERS:

• Fred R.’s mom passed away on Thursday at the age of 92 after a long struggle with dementia.  We rejoice she is with her Lord whom she loved deeply.
• Our prayers of comfort go out to Fred, Pastor Marg and their family in the loss of Fred’s mother, and grace for a smooth journey and safe return.

DEACONS’ OFFERINGS: 

This Week:  WR Steve Gisel

Next Week:   Diaconate

For e-transfer: giving@bethlehemcrc.ca

E-transfers can be used for the deacon’s offering, church budget, ministry shares, or work of the deacons (blessing/bread box).  Please make sure to indicate this in your e-transfer. You can also leave an offering in the collection plate.  Unless otherwise designated, it will go to the deacon’s offering for that particular Sunday.

BETHLEHEM PRAYER:  Hank and Dini have served for many years as Bethlehem’s prayer co-ordinators.  For over twenty years,  prayers have been raised for this church and for each of us, Wednesday prayer has been led, prayer devotionals offered, and the prayer corner blessed.  Thank you Hank and Dini for this wonderful gift and offering.  We bless you as you step away from this role and know that your prayers will continue. 

Barb C. will take over the role as Prayer Co-ordinator for Bethlehem. 

DUTY LIST: 

If you’re not on the list and wish to be added contact Mari-Lou by emailing her at Office@bethlehemcrc.ca. If you’re on the duty list and do not plan on attending church at this time please find your replacement. 

UPDATED: Duty List Updated.xlsx

MONTHLY FINANCIAL UPDATE: 2026.04 Monthly Financial Update for Bethlehem CRC.docx

SMALL GROUP BIBLE STUDY:  You are invited to join our small group, currently studying the book of James. We will be meeting at Yvonne’s house at 7 pm on the following Sunday evenings:

May 24: James 3:1-18 Taming the Tongue, May 31: James 4:1-17 Desires and Gifts, 

June 14: James 5:1-20 Patience and Faithfulness

Please call Yvonne (807-631-8991) for more information. 

BREAD BOX:  Reduce, REUSE, Recycle!

Don’t throw away your plastic dairy containers- the Bread Box can re-use them!

Please bring your washed yogurt, sour cream, and cottage cheese containers and lids. You can place them in the bin by the front entry.

Bread Box Offering for the months of May/June

COUNCIL NEWS: Council is pleased to present two new candidates for Church office, by acclamation. Philip Drost for Deacon and Brian Schenk for Elder. The congregation will be asked to affirm these two candidates by ballot vote after the service on May 24, 2026. Installation will be completed at a later date to be determined. Elder Corinne Hoogsteen has graciously offered to extend her normal term by one year. Deacon Erica Juurakko and Elder Sharon Sharon Jaspers have completed their terms of Office. They are thanked for their service.

DEACONS: Update from the Deacons:  The Deacons are looking for a volunteer to assist with filling the Blessing Box, one day per week, starting as soon as possible and lasting until September. Supplies for the Blessing Box are located in the pantry which is  located in the portable, at the back of the church. The current opening is for a Saturday fill and does not require a specific time for adding the supplies (usually midday but timing is flexible).A complete orientation would be provided. Please consider if you can support this important ministry in this way. Please let Lori Laurence know if you are willing to take this on.

The treasurer duties on behalf of the Deacons’ bank account are being transferred to Mikaela Hummel. Effective immediately, if you have any receipts for purchases on behalf of The Blessing Box or The Bread Box, please submit them to Mikaela for reimbursement

Starting May 17 the Deacons will be collecting Sun Safety items for the Bread Box.  These items could include Sunscreen for adults and children, lip balm that includes sunscreen and hats with a wide brim – preferably that cover the ears.  Especially useful would be hats for children that include neck protection fabric.

We are starting this collection in mid-May so that we can place them in the hands of families starting at our Bread Box days June 3 and 17 in time for school field trips and summer holidays.

Many clients and families are struggling just now to pay basic food, rent and utility costs so sunscreen and sun protection items may be financially out of reach. 

Items can be placed in the bin under the coat rack in the front entryway.

Thank you for your ongoing support of the Bread Box

THE GATHERING PLACE: Get Your Tickets for The Gathering Place’s New Fundraiser – The First Annual Cornspiel Classic!: Be a part of the inaugural cornhole tournament in support of the work of The Gathering Place. The tournament will take place on June 13, 2026 at the Da Vinci Centre, with doors opening at 12:00 and cornhole starting at 1:00 sharp. All skills levels are welcome! Tickets are $65.00 per competitor and will include a voucher for pizza for your team. To register your pair, email fundraising.tgp@gmail.com. Want to play but don’t have a partner? No problem! Register as an individual and we’ll find you a teammate!

THUNDER BAY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL: The TBCS  Board will be holding a membership meeting May 25th at 8pm in the school gymnasium. This meeting will be held specifically to discuss the school budget. All members are encouraged to attend.

The TBCS Grad Ceremony is planned for June 12th at 7:00pm at First CRC. Join us as we celebrate our SK, Grade 8, and Grade 12 Graduates, and take the time to thank God for another wonderful school year!

The graduation dinner for the grade 8’s and 12’s is planned for June 9th at Whitewater.

Thunder Bay Christian School is currently seeking to hire for the 26/27 school year; one full-time intermediate/junior Teacher, one full-time primary Teacher, and two Teacher’s Assistants. More information and a staff application package can be found on the school website at tbcs.school under the “About Us” link. Please email resume to admin@tbcs.school or drop off at the school during school hours.

Mark your calendars and get ready to tee off! The TBCS Golf Tournament is on Saturday, June 6. It’s sure to be a hole-in-one kind of day!

We are looking for:

• Golf Teams of 4 – gather your friends, family, or colleagues and hit the course together
• Sponsors – businesses and individuals willing to support this event and help us drive Christian education forward
• Volunteers – lend a hand on tournament day and help everything run above par

Register your team or sponsor the event using this link https://tbcs.school/golf-tournament! If you have any questions please email tbcsgolf@gmail.com

HEALING WITH JESUS PRAYER MINISTRY:  If you desire prayer, are struggling with unforgiveness, need healing in a relationship or healing from a hurt you’ve experienced, if you are finding it hard to know God’s love then please consider making a prayer appointment.   In this time, a team of people will pray with you as we look to Jesus who is the great physician. 

Brochures are available in the church foyer that explains inner healing prayer and what happens at a prayer session.To make a prayer appointment, please connect with Pastor Marg

or send an email TBhealingprayer@gmail.com.  

FIRST CHURCH: Hymn singing on Wednesday May 27, at 2pm, at Hogarth, main floor.

Hymn singing on Wednesday June 3, at 1:30pm at Sister Lila Greco.

Regrettably, First CRC was not able to find a suitable applicant for the position of Summer Ministry Coordinator. Because of this, we have had to cancel Sports Camp for Summer 2026. Lord willing, we hope to host Sports Camp in the Summer of 2027.

PENNOCK VILLAGE: Pennock Village at the Crossroads is a not-for-profit development governed under Christian principles, offering rural, community-oriented housing options for 55+ individuals, now in its second year of construction. Interested seniors and their families are invited to drop-in on Saturday, June 6th from 10am until noon, at the Rosslyn Community Hall. View plans, drawings, displays and gather take-home information. The governing Board of Directors will also be in attendance. More info on both the event and Pennock Village can be found at pennockvillage.ca

DEW DROP IN: The Friends of Chippewa and the Dew Drop Inn are seeking vendors for a Celebrating Mothers Luncheon on Sunday, May 31st.

PRAYER CORNER:          Preventative Prayer

“And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13).

All of us deal with temptation on a daily basis. Temptation is not sin. We know this because Jesus was “tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”  James gives us a definition of temptation:

But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. (James 1:14-15)  

We think of the Biblical word “lust” as an immoral desire. But the word is amoral. It gets its meaning by its context in a sentence. “Lust” simply means “strong desire.” Everyone has natural desires (lusts) that are essential for life. We have a desire for food, for rest, for work, for sex, for achievement, for relationships. There is nothing wrong with these desires. But the Enemy’s scheme is to tempt us to fulfill legitimate desires in illegitimate ways. 

Like a fisherman who tempts a fish to fulfill his legitimate desire for food with a plastic bait, there is always a hook. When we take Satan’s bait, it brings forth death—separation from the life of God.

One of our daily, hourly prayers should be “Lord, keep me from temptations that I cannot handle; temptations that are too strong for me—where I am particularly vulnerable. And deliver me from all evil and from the Evil One.” 

 This is a preventative prayer. It is important to pray this for ourselves and also for those we love. Prayer starter:Lord Jesus, watch over me as I travel through this life in the midst of a culture that throws temptation my way constantly. Help me to quickly see when I am being led off course by neglecting to stay attached to the Vine. Keep me in Your word and keep me centered upon You in prayer and worship. Protect me from the temptation to sin by being too busy or too distracted or too focused on anything that would displease You. I ask this on behalf of my family and others that I love! Deliver us from the attempts of the Evil One who tries to keep us from Your perfect way, I pray this in Jesus name , Amen.                      Hank

BETHLEHEM CONNECTIONS: 

Bulletin announcements or ‘Family News’: Please submit to Mari-Lou by Thursdays at 6:00 pm bulletin@bethlehemcrc.ca 

Pastor Marg welcomes your calls or visits.   Please reach out to her or stop by the office: 

pastor@bethlehemcrc.ca or (807) 767 3961.   

Clerk of Council:  clerk@bethlehemcrc.ca

Elders:  Corinne Hoogsteen, Sharon Jaspers, Abraham Drost 

Deacons:  Erica Snippe-Juurakko, Mark Heerema, Mikaela Hummel, Lori Lawrence