Bethel Lutheran Church Auburn, MA
Serving God and Our Communities
WORSHIP SERVICES 
Sunday
8:00am: Communion with Hymns
9:15am: New Song Communion Service
10:30am: Communion with Classic Liturgy with musical variety
Wednesday
5:30pm Contemporary Communion Service in our Chapel
Sunday Radio Worship Service at 9:00am WNEB 1230AM
(Now in our 27th year)
During the Lenten Season
1/2 hour Special
enrichment services are held
at 9am, 12:15pm, 5:30pm and 7:30pm
During the Easter Season 1/2 hour Special enrichment services
are held at 9am and 5:30pm
EDUCATION
A NEW MEMBERS CLASS is designed especially for prospective members of Bethel. New classes begin periodically throughout the year. Call the church office for more information. (508-832-3427).
SUNDAY SCHOOL for all ages is held each week, September through June, from 9:10am to 10:10am. Classes are held for infants through adults. For specific information concerning the Adult course offerings pleas call the Church Office.
CONFIRMATION CLASSES for grades 7, 8 and 9 are held September through May on Wednesday, 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Confir-Camp is offered in late June for those completing 8th grade. CONFIR CAMP is held in late June for those who have completed the first two years of instruction.
COMMUNION INSTRUCTION is held each Fall to prepare 5th graders to receive their first communion on the First Sunday of Advent. Two meetings are held: one in October and the other in November.
"MAJOR THEMES IN SCRIPTURE" is held regularly in the Pastor's Study at 9:10am on Sunday mornings.
VACATION CHURCH SCHOOL is held for one week each summer from 9 AM to 12noon.
WEEKDAY NURSERY SCHOOL is a major ministry of Bethel serving over 40 children with six staff members. It is held Monday.-Friday mornings; Further information is available by calling the Director, Beverly Sampson: 508-832-9411. Click here for detailed information.
OUR PASTOR WILL ASSIST YOU WITH:
EMERGENCY HELP - our staff is always available to offer you assistance in any emergency.
COUNSELING - our staff has received training to listen and to assist you with any personal or family problem. Counseling is generally by appointment and no fee is charged.
INFORMATION - our staff is always ready to respond to questions about the Lutheran faith, church practices or activities. We invite you to ask questions about our "family life" and to consider membership in our church.
If you have no church home and desire or need pastoral care to deal with a challenge (such as sickness or loss) or for a Marriage, Funeral, First communion or Confirmation give our Pastor a call or send him Email and he will respond. Click here if you wish to contact Pastor Ed: voosen@charter.net
OUR MINISTRY
is organized and carried out through a network of member volunteers. Areas of ministry include: Christian Education, Public Relations, Property Care, Social Ministry (Service), Stewardship (Support), Worship and Music, Youth, Hospitality, and the Weekday Nursery School. You are welcome to share in our ministry by serving in a Ministry area of Bethel. The Congregation Council is the Board of Directors for the parish and are elected each year at an Annual Meeting.
HIGHLIGHTING OUR SOCIAL MINISTRY COMMITTEE
Host the The Interfaith Hospitality Network; Sponsor the Annual Ham and Bean Supper for a Social Ministry goals (i.e. Dismas House); Commitment to Jeremiah's Inn ; Mother's Day baskets delivered to Florence House (LSS Home for single mothers and children); Worcester Crop Walk for Hunger; Contribution to "Worcester Shines" MA Shelter for Homeless Veterans; Food donations to the So Worcester County Community Center; Meals for Dismas House, Encourage work with Habitat for Humanity, and Bethel Health Ministries.
MUSIC AND ARTS MINISTRIES
- The Children's Choir, Youth Choir, Chime Choirs: Wednesday at 6:30pm
- Confirmation Chime Choir: Wednesday at 6:00pm
- The Bells of Bethel: Saturday 11am
- The Men of Bethel (male singing group for religious and secular music): Monday at 6:30pm
- The Women of Bethel (female singing group for religious and secular music): Monday at 6:30pm
- Faith Works Singers (A singing group for religious and secular music): 2nd & 4th Thursdays: 6:30 to 7:30pm. New Song is a style that is mostly sung in unison and 2 (and sometimes 3) part harmony
- The Bethel Singers (20 voice group singing a variety of Christian music): Monday at 7:15pm
- Regular Special Events include: A Lenten/Easter and Advent/Christmas Concerts.
BETHEL NURSERY SCHOOL
- Forty-plus students - 6 staff members - Serving since 1977
- Parent-Teacher meetings 4 times during the year
- Pastor Voosen visits weekly to talk to and sing with the children
- Click here for detailed information.
FELLOWSHIP
Annual Church Fair (each Nov.), Parsonage Open House events in December and July, Various dinners, Sunday morning fellowship between and around the worship services.
Fellowship groups include: the Singles, Couples, Triple-M (Mr. Mrs & Ms), Naomi Women's, Men's, Middle School Youth, High School Youth and Travel Group.
The Middle School and High School Youth Groups meet regularly. Most meetings are on Sunday.
The Couples Group meets once each month, as announced.
The Drama Group meets meet regularly at times noted in the "Parish Visitor" Newsletter.
The Men's Group meets the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 6 pm for supper and a meeting.
Triple M (Mr., Mrs. & Miss) meets the 2nd Saturday of the month at 1 pm for a Pot Luck Lunch followed by a program.
The Bethel Travel Group meets meet regularly at times noted in the "Parish Visitor" Newsletter.
ADDITIONAL INFO ABOUT FELLOWSHIP GROUPS
YOUTH GROUPS
Lockin's, Bowling, Study, Trips, Help Shut-ins with Yard Work, Car Wash, Christmas caroling with confirmation classes, trips to New York, Boston, Retreats to Camp Calumet, service projects to the inner-city -- and much more.
THE COUPLES GROUP
Examples of events : Dessert planning night, A Calumet Winter Weekend, A Progressive Main-Course less-Supper, Movie/Theater events, Dinner at "The Old-Timers" in Clinton, Mass.; Canoe trip, A "Sweethearts Dinner" and the Chicken Barbecue/Concert
THE TRIPLE-M FELLOWSHIP
Pot-Luck lunches with programs of slides and videos from around the world
THE MEN'S GROUP
Many wonderful dinners cooked by various members of the group at each monthly meeting, Camp Calumet Camperships to Bethel youth going to the regular Calumet Summer Camp program funded by fund-raising dinners (see below); Chicken Barbecue with a concert each June (June 14, 2003); Prepare a meal for the Mother-Daughter Social; Enjoy a dinner at local Chinese restaurant; Fun night for the whole Parish at the Pawtucket Red Sox; Caroling to the Lutheran Nursing Home
