The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd
7800 W. McCarthy Road
Palos Heights, IL 60463
708.448.4170
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd 7800 W. McCarthy Road Palos Heights, IL 60463 708.448.4170
|
|
|
Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd 7800 W. McCarthy Rd. Palos Heights, IL 60463 Rev. Dr. Wayne A. Basch 708/448-4170 January 2012
Christmas 2011 was another wonderful expression of faith and love on the part of the Good Shepherd family. From the Choir Concert, “The Gifts of Christmas”, to the Sunday School Service, “The Manger Seen” and all of our Christmas celebrations, the spirit and participation of our members has been a glorious testimony to the power of God’s love in our lives and the spirit of family we share with one another. For whatever part you played in making Christmas here at Good Shepherd warm and inspiring, Thank You! May the spirit of Christmas bless you all through the coming year.
Please plan on attending the Congregational Meeting between services on January 22nd. 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! Peace and Love, Pastor Basch
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 175 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 $185,000 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!” Thank You, The Missions Board
We continue to take food to the Worth Food Pantry. The need continues. January request includes: skillet dinners, Jello, cereal, spaghetti sauce and pasta noodles, canned meats and canned fruit. The next cooking date for the homeless is scheduled for January 17th.
The 2012 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. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
. . . 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 175 children who benefited because of your love and care for them. 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 “The Manger Seen” on December 18th. Many thanks to all of our Sunday School children, parents, teachers and staff for a job well done! . . . to Larry Mish, Keith Gansel and Karl Krout for their craftsmanship in creating our Christmas “Gifts” tree which reflected the theme of this year’s services. . . . to Forest Reeder of the Lions Club for his generous donation of our magnificent Christmas tree. . . . to All those who came to beautify our church for the celebration of love. . . . 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 Wendy has shipped over 5,540 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 at polarbear17@aol.com. Your continuing support is very much appreciated. . . . to Everyone who purchased gift cards in November and December. $2675.91 was raised to support the students who will be attending the National Youth Gathering in July. . . . to our Confirmation Students who went Christmas Caroling in December and shared the good news of Christmas with several members of our church family. Thank you to Barbara Craighead, Michelle Lewis, Peter Pappas, and Diane Sweeney for driving and spending a meaningful afternoon with our young adults.
Our Tuesday groups are looking forward to many meaningful discussions of faith in the days and weeks ahead. Beginning January 3rd the 9:30 AM Prayer Group is discussing Gospel In Life by Timothy Keller , while the 10:30 AM Bible Class continues their journey through the Book of Proverbs. The 4:00 PM Discussion Group is discussing Simply Christian by N.T. Wright. We are thankful for the opportunity these groups provide for us to grow in faith and share God’s love with each other, and we invite others to come and join us.
Our Thursday evening class, Bible Discovery Group, will resume its study of “Job” on January 12th at 7:30 PM. Now is a great time to join this group of joyful seekers. New participants are always welcome.
“Body and Soul,” our men’s group, continues to meet at 8:00 PM every Monday evening. Discussion follows an hour of basketball every other week. Come and join this meaningful group! This group meets January 9th and 23rd with basketball only on the 2nd, 16th and 30th.
Happy New Year! The “OFF Club” will be meeting to extend that greeting to every member with a New Year's party atmosphere, lots of yummy snacks and desserts. There will be plenty of hearty snacks so lunch will be ample. In addition, we will enjoy the talents of Diane Noe, a wonderful singer. As always, we meet in Bethany Hall at 11:00 AM with a business meeting which will include the installation of our new board members! Don't miss this fun event on Wednesday, January 18th!
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.
We will be placing monthly gift card orders for the next several months. If you need gift cards for birthdays, Valentine’s Day, or any other occasion (including buying groceries or everyday purchases), our Youth Group would love to get the gift cards for you. So save your gas money and get an order form from Ron or pick one up in the church office. Orders are due by January 29th and the cards will be available for pickup on February 5th. If you would like a card from a retailer that is not on the list, please ask Ron as there are over 1000 available. New to the order form is this month is Target and many of you will be happy to know that Dominick’s has returned to the program. Thank you in advance for your support.
The Confirmation Basketball League will have an organizational meeting and scrimmage on Saturday, January 7th 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 most likely begin on January 14th at 9:00 and 10:00 AM and will continue on Saturdays through March. A specific schedule will be handed out on the 14th. 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 organizational meeting and scrimmage on Tuesday, January 10th 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 most likely begin on Tuesday, January 17th at 7:00 and 8:00 PM and will continue on Tuesday nights into March. An exact schedule will be handed out on the 17th.
The High School Students who will be attending the National Youth Gathering in New Orleans next summer will have their monthly meeting on Sunday, January 22nd from 6:30 – 8:00 PM. Please see Ron if you have any questions or will be unable to attend this meeting.
All High School Students are invited to participate in a Bible Study / Discussion Group. Our initial meeting will be on Sunday, January 15th at 7:00 PM. Besides choosing our topic at this meeting, we will also decide if we want to meet once a month or twice a month. If you are interested in joining this group but cannot make the meeting, please see Ron.
Any High School Students who are interested in a participating in the Youth Service should sign up on the bulletin board or see Ron. The service will be in late January or early February this year.
Helping an Eagle Scout! Please help the Ronald McDonald House of Oak Lawn by donating to Ronald Luce’s Eagle Project. Ron is collecting everyday household materials including, Keurig K-cups, travel size deodorants, toothpaste, razors, shower gel/body wash, travel Q-tips, liquid hand soap, Styrofoam containers, and forever postage stamps. Also, gift cards can be accepted if you want to go above and beyond for the Ronald McDonald House. Thank you for any donations that you can give. Collection boxes with the flyer will be set up from January 8th – January 29th. Thanks for helping another one of our outstanding young people!
Follow the yellow brick road with the Veggie Tales! Nursery 3 year olds thru 1st Grade Sunday School children are invited to join the fun along the yellow brick road on January 29th from 12:15 – 2:00 PM in Bethany Hall. We will enjoy lunch together, watch “The Wonderful Wizard of Ha’s” Veggie Tales DVD and finish up with games and a craft. If your child wants to attend, please sign them up on the bulletin board across from Mrs Lori’s office. Parents, your help is also welcome.
Looking ahead…Vacation Bible School 2012 Planning Meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 28th at 7:00 PM in the third grade classroom. Our theme for 2012 is Babylon…Daniel’s Courage in Captivity. Anyone interested in helping to brainstorm for the 2012 VBS is welcome to join the meeting as well as anyone interested in being a part of the VBS Staff.
Family Fun Night! On February 3rd we will play Bingo. Join us for fun and fellowship! Bingo will start at 6:30 PM and end around 8:00 PM. Plan to bring a snack item to share. Pop and juice will be provided. Please sign up on the bulletin board if you plan to attend. We hope to see you there!
Homemade brownies, cupcakes, cookies, breads…now that your taste buds are awake…the Sunday School children will be hosting a bake sale on February 5th in the Narthex between services. The funds raised will support Worth Food Pantry. All of the children are involved; some are making signs, helping to sell the baked goods, all Sunday School families are asked to help bake items for the sale, and the 5th graders will be going shopping for the food items. Please be sure to stop by the bake sale and fulfill your sweet tooth as well as the Sunday School’s mission to help feed those that are hungry.
|
|
Send mail to
ron@Good-Shepherd-Church.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
|
