November, 2009

November comes with a rich blend of experiences and moments . . . a sunny, golden autumn day and a cold, barren evening, the joyful strains of praise and thanksgiving and the remembrance and memorial of God’s saints. Into the complexity and diversity of life stands our God and the gift of His grace, the presence of hope, as we face the pain of this world, the power of true joy, as we celebrate life.

The people of Good Shepherd are a family of faith and a community of the spirit. It is here that we share the resources of God’s grace and are reminded of the beauty and value of life, love and human relationships. Come and worship, as we celebrate the blessings of God.

ALL SAINTS’ SUNDAY, November 1 . . . a time to remember the gifts of the faithful witnesses to our God who lived before us, a time to pray that God’s love might so flow through us to the world around us.

A GOOD SHEPHERD VARIETY SHOW, November 20 . . . a gathering of our church family purely to have fun and celebrate God’s family. “Old Time Radio”, under the direction of Shirley Hulse, has already provided lots of laughs for all participants. Come and share our fun on Friday, November 20 at 7:30 PM. Tickets are $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children.

CHRIST THE KING SUNDAY, November 22 . . . the last day of the church year, a day to praise the kingship of redeeming love and eternal life.

Once again, to symbolize our Thanksgiving sharing, a table will be placed in the chancel to receive canned goods and staple items to be distributed to the needy of our city. All offerings have been designated for missions to support the hungry of our world. Bring your gifts and a thankful heart!

R.E.S.T. Needs Our Help! In addition to the need and appreciation for donated meals, clothing and household goods, there is a special need for NEW socks and underwear, especially long underwear (all sizes – men’s and women’s.) For many years, Good Shepherd has been helping to support R.E.S.T., a Chicago north side shelter. This shelter provides ongoing programs for men and women, helping these individuals deal with the problems that have led to their homelessness. Therefore, we are asking the congregation to help fill this need by bringing a gift of designated items to church by Sunday, November 29^th. These much needed gifts will be delivered to R.E.S.T. promptly and distributed to the many clients. Thank you for helping Good Shepherd in this mission outreach.

Annual Clothing Drive . . . With the cold months approaching, the Missions’ Committee is sponsoring a clothing drive for those less fortunate individuals in need of winter wear. Please clean out your closets of any warm clothing that would be helpful to someone facing a Chicago winter. Blankets are also very helpful. We are also asking for sweatshirts to be given to our friends at Chicago Ridge Nursing Home. Please, no summer wear. The committee will be receiving these items in the Family Life Center from 9:00 AM until 12:00 Noon on Saturday, November 21^st and will deliver them the week of Thanksgiving.

REST Cooking is reaching out to those less fortunate! The next date for cooking for the homeless is Tuesday, November 17^th at 9:30 AM. Food Pantry: Specific needs for November include: cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, boxed potatoes, pumpkin pie filling, canned meats, jello and also diapers. Any donations other than those specifically requested are always appreciated. Toiletries – individual and full size are also appreciated. The Worth Pantry is in need of help on Tuesday mornings to distribute food. Call 708/448-6682 if you could give them a hand.

Our Tuesday groups are looking forward to many meaningful discussions of faith in the days and weeks ahead. The 9:30 AM Prayer Group will be discussing a new topic on faith and modern life while the 10:30 AM Bible Class is studying “Hebrews”. The 4:00 PM Discussion Group is discussing The Shack.

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.

The Thursday Evening Bible Discovery Group meets at 7:30 PM. This group has become a close group of searchers sharing the gift of God’s Word. Now is a great time to join and learn more about the Bible and meet some very nice people along the way. The class is preceded by prayer and devotion in the Sanctuary at 7:00 PM. This opportunity to be still and know God’s love is open to everyone.

“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 exciting group! This group meets November 9^th and 23^rd with basketball only on the 2^nd, 16^thand 30^th.

Macular Degeneration Support Group . . . The Macular Degeneration Support Group will be meeting on Tuesday, November 17^th at 1:00 PM in the Galilean Room. This group provides people with an opportunity to discuss the frustrations of living with the disease, learn about new treatment options, and to share ways of coping with the disease. If you have any questions, please contact Carole Peterson.

A few of the smiling faces of Good Shepherd are needed as Greeters on Sunday mornings! A new sign-up sheet is now on the bulletin board across from Pastor’s office.

Our “Angels of Mercy” have a need for old magazines which will be are taken to the nursing home once a month. You may drop them off in the church office.

The November meeting of the “OFF Club” will be Wednesday the 18^th and we will again enjoy a traditional turkey dinner with lots to gobble about! Prior to eating, we will intro-duce and vote on the slate of officers for 2010-2011. After our meal, we will view a beautiful film, "The Majesty and Glory", about our nation. What a wonderful way to reflect on our blessings! This is always a popular afternoon so please call Tom Olson to make your reservation. Cost for the film, full dinner and dessert, $9.00.

There will be a meeting for all High School students who are interested in partic-ipating in next summer’s mission trip on Sunday, November 1^st at 10:15 AM in the Galilean Room. We will be traveling to Benton Harbor, MI from June 20^th – 25^th. There are spots for 26 Youth and 4 Adults. To reserve your spot on the trip, please complete a registration form and give it to Ron with your $100 deposit by November 30^th. Any adults who are interested in participating in this year’s mission trip and spending a week with our high school students should see Ron as well.

Our High School Students will be playing Whirlyball on Sunday, November 1^st. We will meet in the Galilean Room following the 11:00 AM service and will leave for Whirlyball in Lombard by 12:15 PM and should return by 4:45 PM. The cost for this event is $10/person, which includes court time and lunch. Adult drivers are always needed, so please let Ron know if you would like to spend an afternoon with our High School Students. Please see Ron if you have any questions about this event.

Our Confirmation Students will be playing Laser Tag at Laser Quest in Downers Grove on Sunday, November 22^nd. We will have lunch immediately following the 11:00 AM service in the Family Life Center. We will leave for Laser Quest by 1:00 PM returning at approximately 4:00 PM. Anyone interested in attending this afternoon of fun should sign up on the bulleting board. The cost for this event is $10/person. Adult drivers are always needed, so please let Ron know if you would like to spend an afternoon with our Confirmation Students. Please see Ron or Pastor Basch if you have any questions about this event.

Start your engines! The annual High School Car Rally will be on Sunday, November 29^th. We will meet in the Family Life Center for lunch following the 11:00 AM service. Come out and enjoy an afternoon of fun and fellowship while you try to follow the clues and get to your next destination while answering questions along the way. Adult participants are needed as well. The Car Rally will finish no later than 4:00 PM. Please sign up on the bulletin board if you will be able to participate in the Car Rally. If you have any questions, please contact Ron.

Seventeen of our confirmation students participated in the Scavenger Hunt on September 27^th. Everyone had a lot of fun and we collected over 150 items in approximately 45 minutes. Thank you to Michelle Lewis, Susan Mish, Leslie Pappas, and Lori Puttkammer for helping out and spending an afternoon with our confirmation students.

Thank you to everyone who helped fight world hunger by making donations to support our Confirmation Students who walked in the Crop Walk on October 18^th. As a church family, we raised just over $800.00. Our group who participate in the walk was small in number yet we had a great time and gained a true sense of how fortunate and blessed we are.

Need Gift Cards for Christmas Gifts? The High School Students participating in the Mission Trip to Benton Harbor, MI will be selling gift cards to help pay for our trip. We will be selling gift cards from many retailers (including Jewel, Dominicks, Panera, Starbucks, Borders, as well as many others). You will pay the retail value for the gift card and the High School students will get a percentage of the cost. An order form is on the last page of this paper. Please turn in all orders with your payment to Ron Skoglund or the church office by Sunday November 29^th. Gift cards should be available for pickup on Sunday, December 6^th.

Left with too much Halloween Candy? Our Sunday School students have shared their Halloween candy for the past 7 years. The candy has gone to various organizations and has even been used for the gingerbread house decorating in December. We will, once again, collect the Halloween Candy on Sunday, November 1^st. The Good Shepherd congregation is welcome to share their leftover candy also. There will be baskets in the Narthex for your donations.

Holiday Planning… Here are the dates for the Sunday School rehearsals, party and service to help you better coordinate your holiday plans. Rehearsals are as follows: Saturday, December 12^th 10:30 AM – 12 Noon for Kindergarten thru 5^th Grade only, and Saturday, December 19^th 10:30 AM – 12 Noon for “ALL” Sunday School classes. The Sunday School Christmas Party will follow the rehearsal on December 19^th from 12 Noon to 1:00 PM. Our Children’s Service will take place on Sunday, December 20^th at 4:00 PM. We hope all are able to attend.

November’s Family Fun Event is on November 6^th from 6:30 – 8:30 PM. We will meet in the Family Life Center downstairs. The theme is Strikes and Spares with a twist! Mrs. Lori needs your help collecting empty/rinsed 2 liter plastic bottles with their caps on. Please bring them to Lori’s office as soon as possible. We need to have quite a few by November 4^th. Families will also enjoy ice cream sundaes between games. Sign up sheet is on the bulletin board and is important.

A fine tradition continued. . . Christmas gifts for the L.S.S.I. Foster Children The Christmas wish lists for the foster children will be available on November 22^nd. We will have the opportunity to help 175 children in foster care. Look for the table with the names of children ranging in age from 1 month – 18 years and a few slightly older due to their mental/physical challenges. There are guidelines and ideas to help you in purchasing a gift. Please only take one child’s name at first, so we can give as many people as possible the opportunity to share the Christmas spirit with others. On November 25^th and November 29^th, you may take an additional name if you should want to. Gifts need to be back at church no later than Sunday, December 13^th. Lutheran Social Services of Illinois is always very appreciative of the generosity of the Good Shepherd family.

FYI for December’s Family Fun Night. . . we will continue our tradition of Gingerbread House decorating on December 4^th. Due to the popularity of this evening, you will need to make sure you sign up if you plan to attend! Sign up sheets are on the bulletin board. Once you sign up, a house kit is reserved for your family.

Time Change Sunday, November 1^st! Turn back those clocks, get a good night’s rest and come prepared for an All Saints’ Sunday celebration.

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