Bremen Bethel Presbyterian Church

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Bremen Bethel Presbyterian Church

We're a local community congregation of believers in Bremen, Ohio.

If you are looking for a friendly family of believers who believe that God works in all groups, large and small, then you may want to come for a visit.

05/29/2026

JUNE 2026 CHURCH NEWS 🙏
FROM THE PASTOR: Rev. Larry Hoffmann
With summer’s activities, weekend trips, and vacations it is easy to lose the discipline of keeping Sabbath. Rabbi Abraham Heschel in his book, The Sabbath, writes, “That the Sabbath and eternity are one – or of the same essence – is an ancient idea. A legend relates that ‘at the time when God was giving the Torah to Israel, He said to them: My children! If you accept the Torah and observe my mitzvoth, I will give you for all eternity a thing most precious that I have in my possession.

-And what, asked Israel, is that precious thing which Thou wilt give us if we obey? Thy Torah?
-The world to come.
- Show us in this world an example of the world to come.
-The Sabbath is an example of the world to come.’”

There is a sacredness to life and a connection with God’s eternity that is a part of our keeping Sabbath. Thus, it is important to continue Sabbath keeping throughout the seasons of the year. So, whether home or away, keep connected with God through weekly worship.

Grace and peace to you,
Larry

Read More: https://www.bremenbethelpc.org/church-news.html

05/26/2026

🌟 Bremen Community Vacation Bible School
New friends > Amazing experiments > Creative games
Super-fun snacks > Surprising adventures > Incredible music

📅 Dates: Sunday, June 14 – Thursday, June 18
📍 Drop off and pick up at Bremen-Bethel Presbyterian Church
🍽 Meal at 6:00 p.m.

⛪ Program: 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Classes for:
• Preschool (age 3 and potty trained)
• Kindergarten & 1st Grade
• 2nd & 3rd Grade
• 4th, 5th & 6th Grade

❤️ We will be collecting shelf stable food items for the food pantry each day of VBS as a service project.

Online Registration Here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1HuZgxEqt46_-mY767dwQ-PrprKqwyidHnJ4Z8VcaQdI/viewform?edit_requested=true

04/29/2026

MAY 2026 CHURCH NEWS 🙏
FROM THE PASTOR: Rev. Larry Hoffmann

Looking for a different prayer discipline for the summer? Try the Psalms. Recently I read a small book, Psalms, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The Psalms were a central part of Bonhoeffer’s prayer life. He describes them as a “Priceless Treasure” for the Church and believed they should be included in every worship service. Bonhoeffer recommended each Christian pray the Psalms daily, once every morning and once every evening. In the ancient church it was not unusual to memorize the Psalms. David prayed the Psalms. Christ prayed the psalms. We pray the psalms. In praying the Psalms we participate in the prayer life of Christ and His community and are drawn closer to God.

Peace,
Larry

Read More: https://www.bremenbethelpc.org/church-news.html

03/31/2026

APRIL 2026 CHURCH NEWS 🙏
FROM THE PASTOR: Rev. Larry Hoffmann
Dear Friends,
When I was a teenager growing up on Long Island I sometimes would let my mother know I was planning to do something with my friends. If it was something that she thought I should not be doing, she would not hesitate to tell me, “no.” My objection usually included the statement, “but everybody else of doing it.” To which she would reply, “If everybody else is going to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge would you join them?” On one occasion I replied with great frustration, “Yes, they must have a good reason for jumping!” I was sent into exile for the day to my room to contemplate the meaning of what I had just said.

We are living in a time of great fear, anxiety and anger that is expressed in a number of ways in our American culture, especially in much of the media. It is concerning to see and hear the ways many Christians respond to this. It is like jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge with everyone else. Fear, anxiety, and anger are not to have such a hold on us. We know better.

We are celebrating The Resurrection of the Lord, the power of God at work not only in the life of Jesus 2,000 years ago, but the power of God at work in our own lives today. The power of death over us, including death’s fear, anxiety and anger, has been broken. Our response needs to be different in our current environment. Perhaps we need a day of exile to contemplate the meaning of God’s resurrection power for us today and how it impacts our faith, actions and speech.

Grace and peace to you,
Larry
Read More: https://www.bremenbethelpc.org/church-news.html

01/30/2026

FEBRUARY 2026 CHURCH NEWS 🙏
FROM THE PASTOR: Rev. Larry Hoffmann

Dear Friends,

Our vocation as a congregation is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to all people. George Hunter’s book, The Celtic Way of Evangelism. Hunter speaks of two “ways” of evangelism. The traditional, western “way” is rooted in Augustine’s conversion story. Augustine “looked into his own heart and found there the inexpressible anguish of each individual, which enabled him to articulate a theory of sin that has no equal...” In this “way,” people face their sin, experience the grace of Christ, then become involved in the life of the church.

In Patrick’s conversion experience was somewhat different. Patrick “prayed, made peace with God, and then looked not only into his own heart, but into the hearts of others. What he saw convinced him of the bright side – that even slave traders can turn into liberators, even murderers can act as peacemakers, even barbarians can take their place among the nobility of heaven.” In this “way,” Hunter suggests relationships are fundamental in proclaiming the Good News: positive, accepting relationships that invite people to participate in the life of the church and learn of Christ from our worship, prayers, ministry, and congregational life. In this relationship, people experience the grace of God and discover the gift of faith.

As we prepare to celebrate the movement of the Spirit in our lives through the season of Lent, may we be warm and accepting to all who enter here, in the same manner that Christ himself welcomed the many people he met each day.

Grace and peace to you,

Larry

Read More: https://www.bremenbethelpc.org/church-news.html

01/04/2026

JANUARY 2026 CHURCH NEWS 🙏
FROM THE PASTOR: Rev. Larry Hoffmann

January begins with the continued celebration of Christmas. However, very quickly we move into the liturgical season of Epiphany. Epiphany celebrates the beginning of the Church’s journey to the peoples of the world. We begin the season with the story of Magi from the east coming to worship the Christ child, who scholars tell us is about two years old at this time in the story. In the dreams and journeys of Matthew’s Gospel, this particular child, whom we name Christ, will be made known far beyond his homeland. It is a new beginning.

We now begin the year 2026 with hope of a new beginning. New beginnings are a consistent activity of God. We are offered special times to pause and reflect on the direction our lives are taking. We are given grace. Now that Christ is incarnate among us, we too respond with love to this revelation, knowing it is not only for us, but for all the peoples of the world.

May God bless the New Year with a growing sense of the presence of the Holy One in each of our lives.

God’s peace be with you,

Larry

Read More: https://www.bremenbethelpc.org/church-news.html

11/26/2025

DECEMBER 2025 CHURCH NEWS 🙏
FROM THE PASTOR: Rev. Larry Hoffmann

Dear Friends,
In the month of December we will observe two liturgical seasons: Advent and Christmas. I thought I would briefly discuss each season and their interconnectedness.

Advent is a season where the church awakens to a sense of expectation: “God is about to do something good among us.” Hope, peace, joy, and love are acts of God we search for. We listen for God’s prophetic Word to us that will clarify the church’s mission.

In Christmas we discover a completely unexpected gift that is given in response to our preparation and search. A wonderful and celebratory moment, where we praise God for the unexpected and undeserved Gift. At the highest moment of celebration, we hear God’s call to us: “GO make disciples. TEACH all that I have commanded. FEED someone who is hungry. GIVE water to a stranger. BE a friend to a stranger. PROVIDE a coat to someone. TAKE care of the sick. REMEMBER those who are in prison.

Norman Shawchuck writes that “Christmas is the energizing event which thrusts the congregation forward from the season of preparation (Advent) into the season of call and ministry (Epiphany).” May God touch your mind, heart, and spirit with a deeper awareness of the presence of Christ in our midst as we journey together through the liturgical seasons.

Grace and peace to you,

Larry
Read More> https://www.bremenbethelpc.org/church-news.html

11/01/2025

NOVEMBER 2025 CHURCH NEWS 🙏
FROM THE PASTOR: Rev. Larry Hoffmann

Dear Friends,

Thursday, November 27 is Thanksgiving Day. The late Henri Nouwen once wrote: “Thanksgiving Day! There is probably no day I like so much in the United States as this day. I can remember clearly all the Thanksgiving Days I celebrated in the last ten years. It was always a day of being together with friends, and truly a day of saying thanks. In many ways it struck me as a more spiritual or religious day than Christmas – no gifts, few commercial preparations, just a coming together to express gratitude for life and all the blessings we have received.”

I feel as Nouwen that in many ways Thanksgiving is a more spiritual or religious day than Christmas with its trappings of consumerism. Families and friends will gather together, rejoicing and giving thanks to God for something that is surely very near and dear to him…look into the face of the person sitting next to you at the great feast. What do you see? What you see is a child of God. Someone who is of infinite value, a person of integrity, someone whose life has great meaning – a gift and blessing of God. As the month of November winds down, give thanks to God for the people in our lives.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Grace and peace to you,

Larry

Read More> https://www.bremenbethelpc.org/church-news.html

09/30/2025

OCTOBER 2025 CHURCH NEWS 🙏
FROM THE PASTOR: Rev. Larry Hoffmann

I enjoy the writing of Thomas Merton. He has the gift of drawing me deeper into the life of faith. In Merton’s book, No Man Is An Island, he suggests that humanity has a common destiny. Yet we each need to work out our own personal salvation. We can help each other discover the meaning of life, but in the last analysis each person is responsible for his or her own life and finding himself/herself. He writes, “Others can give you a name or a number, but they can never tell you who you really are. That is something you yourself can only discover from within.” May the autumn of October be for you a month of deeper discovery.

Grace and peace to you,
Larry

Read More> https://www.bremenbethelpc.org/church-news.html

08/29/2025

SEPTEMBER 2025 CHURCH NEWS 🙏
FROM THE PASTOR: Rev. Larry Hoffmann

Remember the last century? It was predicted that it would be the century when all religions would die out. However, it came to be a century when all the world’s religions were rejuvenated. In America, it was a century that saw the decline of Christianity and the growth of America’s “public religion.” The term comes from Benjamin Franklin who, among others, was concerned about the power of any particular religious viewpoint in the new nation’s political life. Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and others did see a value in “public religion” in providing a positive influence of morality and mutual respect that would benefit society. However, “public religion” is not necessarily Christianity. At the time of the nation’s founding, various forms of Protestantism and the Catholic faith were a part of our nation’s religious life. Non-Christian religions had a large presence as well. For example, Judaism, Universalism, and Deism were a part of our budding national life. There was a small Muslim (called Mohamedan at the time). The concern of the Founders was freedom for all to worship and practice their faith. But today Christianity is on the decline within our own nation.

Read More> https://www.bremenbethelpc.org/church-news.html

Address

142 Purvis Avenue
Bremen, OH
43107

Telephone

+17405697320

Website

https://www.bremenbethelpc.org/

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