WHAT'S HAPPENING AT GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH

Good Afternoon!

 

 It's good to be back in the office, though it is hard to believe I just got back two days ago!!  We have been really busy getting the Rod and Staff newsletter together and hope to have it for you in church this Sunday.  With that in mind, this will be an abbreviated version of "What's Happening" at Good Shepherd in the next few weeks. . . .

 

1.       TONIGHT-Wed. Nov. 23-Thanksgiving Eve Worship at 7:30pm followed by a pie fellowship time.  Bring your favorite pie (or dessert) to share and join us.  All are welcome!

 

2.       Thur. Nov. 24-Happy Thanksgiving to all!  Be sure to thank God for all the blessings which many of us take for granted.

 

3.       Sat. Nov. 26- Shepherd's Pantry is open from 9:30 to 11:30am at 2 Belmont Dr. (at Rt. 53).  Volunteers are welcome as well!

 

4.       Sun. Nov. 27-Stewardship Sunday Worship at 9:30am followed by a catered luncheon.  Tree decoration at the Rec Center follows the luncheon.

 

5.       Mon. Nov. 28-Monday Study at the Suchomel home begins at 7pm

 

6.       Tues. Nov. 29-Open Forum Budget Meeting from 6:30 to 8:30pm at the church.

 

7.       Wed. Nov. 30-Wednesday Bible Study meets at 6:30pm.

 

8.       Wed. Nov. 30-Advent Worship Service at 8pm.

 

9.       Thur. Dec. 1-G2R (Genesis to Revelation) Bible Study at the Stoughton's begins at 7pm.

 

10.   Fri. Dec. 2-Friday Bible Study meets at 7pm.  Parents are welcome to bring their children.

 

11.   Sat. Dec. 3-Baby Shower at 2pm

 

12.   Sun. Dec. 4-"Bread of the World" Worship at 8:15 and/or 10am

 

Our Evangelism Team has arranged to sponsor a Christmas tree at the Rec Center and we plan to decorate it in gold to commemorate Good Shepherd's 50^th Anniversary.  Would you like to help?  Contact Chris Daniels.  The decorating is to happen this weekend.

 

Check out our display of holiday help pleas from various organizations which will provide you with an opportunity to extend assistance in many ways, large and small, that are guaranteed to warm a lot of hearts (including your own).   Isn't that what the season is all about??

 

Advent Study books:  Pastor Suzanne has received the Advent Study books.  If you are participating in the Monday or Wednesday group for this 4-week study, please get a book from her ASAP.  We need to read week one BEFORE our first group sessions meet next week.  Thanks!

 

Recap from last Sunday:  Our theme was "giving is proportionate."  Reading from 2 Corinthians 8, as well as the story of the widow's mite from Luke 21, we were reminded that it is the quality of the gift and the giver that is important to God versus the quantity.   Paul tells us that God wants us to give what we have, not what we don't have.  Pastor Suzanne encouraged us to take the example of the the Macedonian believers who "first dedicates themselves to the Lord."  Before we decide on our faith commitments for 2012, she encouraged us to dedicate ourselves to God and seek His guidance on what He is calling us to give.

 

Preview for this Sunday:  As we come together to "Celebrate Generosity" we'll think about how the resources we have can and are used for the glory of God's Kingdom and how we can all make a difference in the world through the blessings we have received - no matter how large or small.

 

Hope to see you tonight for the Thanksgiving Worship and pie fellowship afterward.  This is a wonderful, heartwarming way to, as a church family, give our thanks for all the blessings we enjoy, and also to share stories and family traditions of Thanksgivings gone by!  I'm wishing for you all the blessings of peace, hope, faith, joy, health and love.

 

Renea Horn Johnson

Pastoral Assistant

Good Shepherd Church

 

A word from our Celebrate Generosity Prayer Chair, Laura

Greetings Good Shepherd Family,

 I continue to pray for our "Celebrate Generosity" campaign and hope you have been doing the same.  For the majority of you, the first you heard of the campaign was in my letter or maybe it was today when John spoke at Church.  I find myself wondering if any of you are feeling a bit weary or perhaps you may even be struggling a little bit right now.  You want to be the hands and feet but you don't feel you have enough of anything to even sustain you. You don't have enough energy, enough time, enough patience or enough money.  I would not be speaking the truth if I were to tell you that I have not been struggling myself.  This past week, I found myself emotionally and physically exhausted. 

 

I was reminded that Jesus is forever faithful.  "Come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest" (Matthew: 11:28).  I went to Friday night Bible study and I found my rest.  There were fellow believers ready with hugs, listening ears and encouraging words and prayers.  I realized there are times when we are there to help lift the spirits of others and there are times when we simply feel like all we want to do is rest in the arms of someone who truly cares.  Yes, Jesus truly cares.  He always has and always will and that is why He has given us each other.  I need my Good Shepherd Family!   

 

Often we talk about the ministry we do for others outside of our Church.  Today, I give thanks for the ministering we do within our own Church Family. Heavenly Father, I give thanks to you for giving us the opportunity to be a blessing to each other.  I give thanks that when one or more of us are weak, you give others the strength to help lighten our load and lift our spirits.  

 

Dear friends, may you always know the blessing we have in worshiping in a place where you can truly come as you are.  May you always find open arms to hold you when you need them and when you find yourself well rested and healed, may you offer your open arms to someone else.  Above all, may you always know that the ultimate healer truly is Jesus.  He sustains us and knows us inside and out. He provides us with all that we need. Take some time to rest in His presence. 

 

Peace and Love,

 

Laura Voruz

--
Renea Horn Johnson
Pastoral Assistant
Good Shepherd Church

Fwd: Giving is an act of worship...something to ponder

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Suzanne Hurdle <revhurdle@sbcglobal.net>
Date: Thu, Nov 10, 2011 at 8:15 PM
Subject: Giving is an act of worship...something to ponder
To: Renea Horn <revassistant@gmail.com>

Renea,
Please forward this email to the congregation.  Thanks.



People often ask me, "What is Stewardship?  What does it mean?"  The best definition I've heard is this one:

"Stewardship is ...
     all that we do
     with all that we are
     and all that we have
     after we say 'I believe.'"

Last Sunday, John Ploense, our Stewardship Team Chair, told us that "giving is an act of worship."  During our "Cultivating Fruitfulness" journey,  we talked about what "passionate worship" looks like.  To me, seeing someone give an offering to God is passionate worship.  Seeing someone make that connection between their faith and their finances is what stewardship, worship, and our spiritual journeys are all about.

When you think about giving a gift, an offering, to the church, do you consider it an "act of worship?"

Something to ponder...

 

Peace.

Pastor Suzanne Anderson-Hurdle

office - 815-886-4354

cell - 815-355-2397

 

--
Renea Horn Johnson
Pastoral Assistant
Good Shepherd Church

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH

Good Afternoon!

 

 I've been really busy trying to complete tasks here in the office since I will be out of town all next week.  Therefore, the next What's Happening report will be sent to you on Thanksgiving Eve, November 23.   Here is a report of "What's Happening" at Good Shepherd in the next few weeks. . . .

 

1.       TONIGHT-Thur. Nov. 10- FLY Lady (Finally Loving Yourself) meets at 7pm at the home of Lydia Faber.  All ladies are invited to come and bring a friend as well for this fun, uplifting evening.

 

2.       Fri. Nov. 11-Friday Bible Study meets at 7pm at the home of Sheri Valintis.  All are welcome.  Parents, bring your children too.

 

3.       Sat. Nov. 12 Shepherd's Pantry is open from 9:30 to 11:30am at 2 Belmont Dr. (at Rt. 53).  Volunteers are welcome as well!

 

4.       Sat. Nov. 12-'Tweeners (age 21 to 99) Wine Tasting will be at the home of Ronn and Tim Young-Black beginning at 6pm.  Bring a reasonably priced bottle of your favorite wine (no more than $20) and a dish to share for this fellowship event.

 

5.       Sun. Nov. 13 Worship at 8:15 and/or 10am with Connection Café between services.  The Praise Band will rehearse following the 10am worship.

 

6.       Mon. Nov. 14 Monday Night Bible Study meets at Suchomel's beginning at 7pm

 

7.       Wed. Nov. 16 Wednesday Bible Study at 6:30pm. 

 

8.       Wed. Nov 16-Special Monthly Evening Worship at 8pm.

 

9.       Thur. Nov. 17-Preschool Annual Thankful Dinner will be from 6:30 to 8pm at the Preschool.  All are welcome to participate and are asked to bring a dish to share and a can of food for the food pantry.  Also, please call the Preschool (815-886-4356) to let them know you will be attending so they can have enough seating.  (NOTE:  G2R will not be meeting tonight.)

 

10.   Fri. Nov. 18-Harvest Saturday set-up at 6pm.  Contact Kim Hanahan if you can help!

 

11.   Fri. Nov. 18-Friday Bible Study meets at 7pm at the home of Sheri Valintis.  All are welcome.  Parents, bring your children too.

 

12.   Sat. Nov. 19-Church Council Meeting at 8am

 

13.   Sat. Nov. 19-Harvest Saturday volunteers to assemble at 10:30am in St. Andrew's parking lot.

 

14.   Sun. Nov. 20-Worship at 8:15 and/or 10am.  Sunday School for age 3 to 5^th grade at 9:15am.

 

15.   Sun. Nov. 20-Youth (6^th grade through high school ages) is going to play laser tag!  Be sure to sign up ahead of time.  Contact Debbie Suchomel for details.

 

16.   Mon. Nov. 21-Monday Study meets at Suchomel's at 7pm.  3^rd Monday Study meets at the Sanchez home beginning at 7pm.  (Double Monday Study Night!!)

 

17.   Tues. Nov. 22-Stewardship Leadership Dinner

 

18.   Wed. Nov. 23-Thanksgiving Eve Worship at 7:30pm followed by a pie fellowship time.  Bring your favorite pie (or dessert) to share and join us.  All are welcome!

 

19.   Thur. Nov. 24-Happy Thanksgiving to all!  Be sure to thank God for all the blessings which many of us take for granted.

 

20.   Sat. Nov. 26- Shepherd's Pantry is open from 9:30 to 11:30am at 2 Belmont Dr. (at Rt. 53).  Volunteers are welcome as well!

 

21.   Sun. Nov. 27-Stewardship Sunday Worship at 9:30am followed by a catered luncheon.

 

"Busy Bags" for kids

Chris Daniels and Pastor Suzanne are working on putting together "busy bags" for our little ones in worship services.  Because the preschool toys, books, etc. have to be off-limits to the kids due to DCFS rules, we thought it would be nice to have something for the kids to play with, read, color, etc. during church.  So, we're looking for a few gently-used toys, books, coloring books and crayons for children under age 10.  If you have something to donate, please bring it to church on Sunday.  We'll have a box or bin for you to drop them in.  Thanks!

 

The Preschool Thankful Dinner is planned for November 17^th from 6:30 to 8pm.  All are welcome to attend this annual event where silverware, plates, cups, drinks, meat and entertainment are provided by the Preschool.  Those attending are asked to bring a dish to pass as well as a non-perishable food donation for Shepherd's Pantry.  If you plan to attend, please call the Preschool (815-886-4356) so we can make sure to have enough seating and food available. 

 

Do you have any extra tables to lend the Preschool for their Thankful Dinner?  Please call the Preschool (815-886-4356) as soon as possible to make arrangements.  Thanks!

 

Our Evangelism Team has arranged to sponsor a Christmas tree at the Rec Center and plans are underway to decorate it in gold to commemorate Good Shepherd's 50^th Anniversary.  Would you like to help?  Contact Chris Daniels.  The decorating is to happen on the weekend following Thanksgiving.

 

Watch for a display of holiday help pleas from various organizations which will provide you with opportunities to extend assistance in many ways, large and small, that are guaranteed to warm a lot of hearts (including your own).   Isn't that what the season is all about??

 

Monthly Midweek Special Service-The Worship Team will host another midweek special service next Wednesday, November 16 at 8pm.  Join us at church for a time of quiet reflection, prayer, and communion, as we recharge our spirits.  All are welcome!  These services last no longer than 45 minutes.

 

Recap of last Sunday:  We had the pleasure of having former pastor, Rev. John Schumacher, be our guest preacher for the day as we continued our 50th Anniversary celebration.  Pastor Schumacher talked about several things including the "thin places," which he described as the places between the sacred and the secular - times like Thanksgiving and Christmas invite us into these thin places.  He also described how we, as Lutherans, look at saints in four different ways: biblical - St. Paul, for example; historical - St. Francis, Luther, etc.; those baptized people of God who now rest in God; and the baptized people of God - you and I - called to the mission of proclaiming the Gospel.  Pastor Schumacher talked about how he learned to tithe from his internship pastor and how he and his wife, Judy, moved from thinking about Sunday as the last day of the week, when they gave their leftovers to thinking about Sunday as the first day of the week and giving God the first of what they have.  Finally, he invited us to answer two questions, related to the Gospel reading from Matthew 25:  1) How do we prioritize our resources for mission; 2) How do we ensure that we have the resources we need to carry out the mission God has given us?  God has give us the "oil" (see Matthew 25), now, what will we do with it?  If you missed his message, it was recorded.  Let us know if you'd like a copy.

 

Preview of this Sunday:  As we continue our theme of "Celebrate Generosity," we'll talk about how giving is systematic and how giving regularly, or systematically, is good for us and good for the church.  We'll talk about what a tithe is and what the Bible has to say about tithing.  We'll think about how our giving is deeply connected to our spiritual journeys.  We hope you'll join us!

 

Looking ahead to Advent:

Since you won't be receiving the next What's Happening until Thanksgiving Eve, we wanted to let you know about our upcoming Advent services.  They will begin on Wednesday, November 30 at 8pm, (following Wednesday Bible Study) and will run each Wednesday evening through December 21.  The services will be no longer than an hour and our theme will be "Journey with Jesus."  We hope you'll join us for these special times, as we prepare our hearts and spirits for the coming of the infant Jesus in the past, as we think about Jesus in our present time, and as we anticipate the Second-coming of Jesus in the future.  All are welcome.

 

Well, it is time to wrap up today's edition.  Even though I will be gone next week, please leave any messages on our telephone here at church (815-886-4354) and someone will get back to you as quickly as possible.  I will be back in the office on Monday, November 21^st.  Until then, I wish you all the blessings of peace, hope, faith, joy, health and love.

 

Renea Horn Johnson

Pastoral Assistant

Good Shepherd Church

 

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH

Hello!

 

What a crazy day this has been so far!  I am sending this What's Happening to you from my home since the power went out at the office as I was preparing it, and Commonwealth Edison doesn't expect to have power restored until 12:15.  So, my cat is helping me get this to you.  Hopefully most of you got your November Rod and Staff newsletter last Sunday.  If you didn't, please be sure to pick it up this week—or you can read it on our web page as well.  Here is a short version of "What's Happening" in the next few weeks. . . .

 

1.       TONIGHT-Thur. Nov. 3-G2R (Genesis to Revelation) Study meets at Stoughton's at 7pm.  NOTE:  This will be the only G2R meeting this month.

 

2.       Fri. Nov. 4-Friday Bible Study meets at 7pm

 

3.       Sun. Nov. 6-Sunday School for age 3 to 5^th grade meets at 8:45am at church

 

4.       Sun. Nov. 6-50^th Anniversary Worship Service at 9:30am with former Pastor John Schumacher as guest pastor.  The worship will be followed by a potluck brunch.  Bring a dish to share and join us as we trip down memory lane!

 

5.       Mon. Nov. 7-Monday Bible Study will meet at the Suchomel home at 7pm

 

6.       Tue. Nov. 8-Ministry Team Meeting at 7pm.  All are welcome to come see what our various teams are planning in the coming months.

 

7.       Wed. Nov. 9-Wednesday Bible Study meets at church at 6:30pm

 

8.       Thur. Nov. 10-FLY Lady (Finally Loving Yourself) will meet at Lydia Faber's at 7pm.  All ladies are welcome—and bring a friend as well!

 

9.       Fri. Nov. 11-Veteran's Day holiday.  Say a prayer of thanks for all veterans who have contributed to our safety and freedom.

 

10.   Fri. Nov. 11-Friday Bible Study at 7pm

 

11.   Sat. Nov. 12-Shepherd's Food Pantry is open from 9:30 to 11:30am at 2 Belmont Dr. (at Rt. 53) 

 

12.   Sat. Nov. 12-'Tweeners (age 21 to 99) Wine Tasting event.  Sign up at the back table and come join us for an evening of fun and fellowship!

 

13.   Sun. Nov. 13-Worship at 8:15 and/or 10am.  Praise Band rehearses after the 10am service.

 

14.   Mon. Nov. 14-Monday Study meets at 7pm at the Suchomel home.

 

Budget Forums - The Council will be hosting two forums in the coming weeks to get feedback, suggestions, and ideas for our 2012 budget.  The first of these forums will be held on Tuesday, November 29 from 6:30-8:30pm.  The second will be held on Sunday, December 4, immediately following our one service at 9:30am.  Please join us for these forums.  If you have questions, please see a Church Council member:  Sue Hattimer, President; Camille Garcia, Vice-President; Debbie Suchomel, Secretary; Judy Jordan, or Pastor Suzanne.

Advent Book Studies - We are pleased to announce that two of our small groups will be offering book studies during the season of Advent.  Both our weekly Monday Night Study and our weekly Wednesday Night Study will be doing 4-week studies.  More information on the book studies will be shared soon...be on the lookout and mark your calendars now to join us!

Our Social Ministry Team has asked me to pass along the message that the Nov. 7^th pantry meeting is cancelled. We will be looking at future dates to have a Holiday Potluck within the next month.  Also, we are looking for volunteers to help with Harvest Saturday on November 19. There is a sign-up sheet at church. Please contact Kim Hanahan with any questions.

Recap from last Sunday:  We finished our series on the book, "Cultivating Fruitfulness," by Robert Schnase.  We ended with the chapter on "Extravagant Generosity."  We had the opportunity to talk in our small groups one more time about how we learned about giving, why giving is so important, and how giving is deeply connected to our faith journeys.  Our challenge for the week?  Schnase's final challenge of the book: "Pray for our church's ministry and for the courage, vision, and generosity to offer your utmost and highest to serve the purposes of Christ and give ourselves anew to Christ."

Preview of this Sunday:  We'll have the pleasure of having former pastor Rev. John Schmucher with us.  He'll be bringing us the message and no doubt sharing some stories of his years here at Good Shepherd.  We hope you'll join us in welcoming him back "home" to Good Shepherd.

That's it for this week!  If you ever have any questions about program plans, or anything else regarding church, please be sure to call us at (815-886-4354) and we will be glad to help you out.  Leave a message on our new answering machine if we don't personally answer your call.

Here's wishing you all peace, hope, faith, health, love and electricity!!

Renea Horn Johnson

Pastoral Assistant

Good Shepherd Church