January, 2010

Once again we have celebrated the fullness of God’s love in Christmas as a church family and we begin a new year with faith and hope. From the angelic message of our Sunday School to the inspiration of our Choir Concert to the joyous expression of faith through our Christmas services, the love of God and the spirit of this community were abundantly evident. Thank you for your part in this wonderful expression of love!

Please plan on attending the Congregational Meeting between services on January 24^th. This year’s meeting will be starting at 9:50 AM. This meeting should provide a very meaningful opportunity for us to reflect upon the power of God’s spirit in leading us to new opportunities for mission and ministry. Please take the hour to be an informed and active participant in our church family.

Yes, a new year begins here at church. Thanks be to God that it is the glow of Christmas, the music of angels and the gift of God’s love that brings shape and substance to all that we share and celebrate as God’s people in this wonderful place. I am so thankful that I step into the future and share my ministry with all of you! Happy New Year!

A Word of Gratitude . . . In addition to the exceptional efforts that were made to bring God’s love to others in the past few months, (the 180 foster gifts, the clothing drive, the food drive, the book drive, etc.) our Missions Board was able to once again extend our outreach to others. This year, it was our privilege to send more than $180,000 for mission and ministry to places all around the world. The board wants to assure you that your gifts are being used to support and care for people as directly as possible as we screen every request for financial aid. We hope that taking this step in missions to others is meaningful for all our members, as we continue to dedicate ourselves to “keeping Jesus warm!”

We are thankful for what we have been able to do together this past year and look forward to new challenges and opportunities in the coming year.

We continue to take food to the Worth Food Pantry. The need continues. January request includes: skillet dinners, Jello, pudding mix, canned meats, tuna, canned juice and baby diapers.

The 2010 Flower Chart is posted on the bulletin board outside the church office. Donors may use this opportunity to celebrate anniversaries, weddings and birthdays or in memory of a loved one. The cost of the flowers is $40.00, and checks should be made payable to Good Shepherd Chancel Guild.

A new greeter schedule is posted on the bulletin board for January, February and March. Please sign-up on the bulletin board to take a turn serving as a greeter and extend a warm welcome to your fellow members and visitors to the “Body of Christ” here at Good Shepherd.

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

To all those who helped to beautify our church for the celebration of love . . .

. . . to All our Choirs whose joyful sounds brought beauty and inspiration to our services, echoing the voices of angels and the pealing of Christmas bells. The concert was an inspiring moment of Christmas.

. . . to All Members who participated in our worship for their part in bringing beauty and grace to our services, gatherings and celebrations.

. . . to Everyone who participated in the L.S.S.I foster gift program. There were 180 children who benefited because of your love and generosity. Thank you for helping make Christmas a more positive experience for those children for whom life is more difficult.

. . . to Our Sunday School Children who shared ““Messengers for the Messiah” on December 20^th. Many thanks to all of our Sunday School children, parents, teachers and staff for a job well done!

. . . to Forest Reeder of the Lions Club for his generous donation of our beautiful Christmas tree.

. . . to You for the card sent, the gift given, the good word shared, your devotion of faith expressed, for your living expression of Christmas peace and love.

. . . to Wendy Heilman on her Operation Paperback Mission project. So far she has shipped over 2,015 books to our men and women serving our country overseas. Please note that this is a continuing effort and we are still looking to collect more books. For more information contact Wendy. Your continuing support is very much appreciated.

. . . to Roy Tellefsen for the tremendous effort he has made in keeping our parking lot usable during difficult weather conditions. We appreciate his dedication.

. . . to Everyone who purchased gift cards to support the High School students who will be traveling to Benton Harbor, MI this summer for a week long Mission Trip. We raised $1,752.59 from the sale of 1,111 gift cards. Your love and support is truly appreciated.

. . . to Everyone who purchased Luminaria. Proceeds from the sales and donations totaled $1,140 which will be divided between the two food pantries in Midlothian and the Good Shepherd Youth Group.

. . . to Russ Crowl, Joe Dowling, Michelle Lewis, Steve Manning, Larry Mish, Pete Pappas, Lori Puttkammer, Scott Rusco, Brenda Steffensen, and Ken Steffensen for spending an afternoon with 26 of our Confirmation students playing Laser Tag on Novenber 22^nd. A fun afternoon was had by all.

. . . to Pastor Basch, Paul Behrman, Jenn Krieher, Justin Krieher, Leslie Pappas, Pete Pappas, and Lori Puttkammer for helping with the High School Car Rally on November 29^th. Everyone who participated this year had a great time.

Our Tuesday groups are looking forward to many meaningful discussions of faith in the days and weeks ahead. Beginning January 5^th the 9:30 AM Prayer Group is discussing Enough: Discovering Joy Through Simplicity and Generosity, while the 10:30 AM Bible Class is studying “Job”. The 4:00 PM Discussion Group is discussing The Shack.

Our Thursday evening class, Bible Discovery Group, will resume on January 14^th at 7:30 PM. New participants are always welcome!

The Over Fifty-Five (OFF) Club will meet on Wednesday, January 20^th at 11:00 AM. We will install the officers for the 2010-2011 term at our business meeting, enjoy a lunch of sandwiches and dessert and then the auction fun will begin. Bring your new and almost-new treasures to benefit the club and be prepared to have a great time. This is always a fun meeting! Cost is $5.00. Annual dues of $10.00 are payable before March. Please check that your address and phone information are correct with Membership Chair, Emily Kuelbs.

Congratulations to Corey Thomas Bergamo for attaining Scouting’s highest honor of becoming an “Eagle” Scout. Corey has worked very hard and displays the values that make this honor so meaningful. Good work Corey, we are all very proud of you.

The Confirmation Basketball League will have an organizational meeting and scrimmage on Saturday, January 9^th at 9:00 AM in the Family Life Center. If you are unable to attend this meeting but would like to participate in the league, please sign up on the bulletin board. There is a cost of $20 to participate in the league. Games will begin on January 16^th at 9:00 and 10:00 AM and will continue on Saturdays through March. A specific schedule will be handed out on the 16^th. Please see Ron Skoglund or Pastor Basch if you have any questions regarding the basketball league at Good Shepherd.

The High School Basketball League will have an or-ganizational meet-ing and scrimmage on Tuesday, Jan-uary 12^th from 7:00 – 8:00 PM in the Family Life Center. If you are unable to attend this meeting but would like to participate in the league, please sign up on the bulletin board or call Ron or the church office. There is a cost of $20 to participate in the league. Games will begin on Tuesday, January 19^th at 7:00 and 8:00 PM and will continue on Tuesday nights into March. An exact schedule will be handed out on the 19^th.

There will be a High School Mission Trip meeting for all participants that have registered for the trip on Sunday, January 17^th from 6:30 – 8:00 PM. The emphasis for this meeting will be spent on getting to know each other and planning out our preparations for the trip. Please let Ron know if you will be unable to attend this meeting.

All high school students who are interested in participating in this year’s Youth Service should see Ron. Good Shepherd’s high school youth will present their annual Youth Service to the congregation on Sunday, January 31^st at 9:00 and 11:00 AM.

Eight Confirmation students went Christmas Caroling to several members of the Good Shepherd family on December 13^th. Thank you to Joyce Eddy, Derek and Yvonne Kratz, Susan Mish, and Leslie Pappas for spending a meaningful afternoon with our confirmation students as they shared Christmas Love with others from our church family.

An Overboard Adventure Fellowship Activity Day for those Sunday School students in nursery-3 yr. olds class thru 1^st grade will be held on January 16^th from 1:00-2:30 PM in Bethany Hall. Those attending will experience high-seas FUN! The adventure includes a video, crafts, games, and a popcorn snack. It will be a whale of a good time! Sign-up sheets are on the bulletin board. Please sign-up if your child is planning to attend.

Looking ahead…Vacation Bible School 2010 Planning Meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 23^rd at 7:00 PM in the third grade classroom. Our theme for 2010 is Baobab Blast…God’s great get-together! Anyone interested in helping to brainstorm for the 2010 VBS is welcome to join the meeting as well as anyone interested in being a part of the VBS Staff.

Family Olympics will be our theme for February’s family fun night. It will be an evening of fun beginning with an Opening Ceremony, family fun competitions, and a Closing Ceremony. Each family will need to make a ‘Family Banner’ ahead of time. Please see Lori to get your banner and instruction sheet. Extra volunteers will be needed and High School service hours can be earned at this event. Join us for an “Olympic” experience on February 5^th from 6:45 – 8:30 PM. Banner making information and sign-up sheets will be on the bulletin board. Please sign-up so that we are properly prepared.

Send mail to ron@Good-Shepherd-Church.com with questions or comments about this web site. Last modified: 06/30/10

Send mail to ron@Good-Shepherd-Church.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 06/30/10