Good morning!
There's a kind of hush around church today, but with an undercurrent of excitement as we prepare to celebrate the miracle of Jesus birth. All of our Advent candles have been lit and we've talked about peace, joy, hope and love in our hearts and sharing these virtues with others in our lives as God planned. Also the three wise men are on the move and making their way back toward Good Shepherd for the birth of Jesus. They started their journeys from Glendale Heights, Downers Grove and Yorkville and are approaching Romeoville. Be on the lookout for them or check our Facebook page for their progress.
Here's a report of "What's Happening" at Good Shepherd in the next few weeks. . . .
1. Fri. Dec. 23-Friday Night Bible Study at 7pm at Sheri Valentis' home
2. Sat. Dec. 24-Christmas Eve Worship Services will take place a 4pm for families and a candlelight service at 11pm
3. Sun. Dec. 25-Christmas Worship will take place at 10:30am.
4. Thur. Dec. 29-Deadline for January Rod & Staff newsletter articles from our ministry teams
5. Fri. Dec. 30-Youth Lock-In begins at 7pm. See Debbie Suchomel for details
6. Fri. Dec. 30-Friday Night Bible Study at 7pm at the home of Sheri Valentis
7. Sat. Dec. 31-Shepherd's Food Pantry will be open from 9:30 to 11:30am at 2 Belmont Dr. (at Rt. 53). Contact Kim Hanahan if you can lend a hand.
8. Sun. Jan. 1, 2012-New Year's Day Worship at 10:30am
9. Mon. Jan. 2-Monday Study at the Suchomel home beginning at 7pm
10. Tues. Jan. 3-Shepherd's Food Pantry is open from 6:30 to 8pm at 2 Belmont Dr. (at Rt. 53)
11. Sun. Jan. 8-Worship at 9:30am followed by a Budget Forum Meeting. The Praise Band will practice following the Budget Forum.
PERSONAL CARE KITS FOR LWR collection date has been extended to the end of February. This will give everyone interested in providing the basic personal care supplies a chance to gather them. The list was in December's Rod and Staff newsletter, and is also available on the back table at church. You would be surprised by how appreciated these basic items are to those served by Lutheran World Relief. If you have any questions on how you can help, please contact Lydia Faber, Pat Hurdle, or call the church office.
The 50th Anniversary Team has sent out invitations to the January 15th "Final Fling" to wrap up our 50th anniversary year celebration, which will be held in the Drdak Room at the Rec Center at 9:30am and followed by a free-will donation catered luncheon. Rev. Roy Moore, the founding pastor of Good Shepherd, will be our special guest. Mark your calendars now, sign-up and be there as we celebrate this milestone event for our church!
The 50th Anniversary Team is still looking for photos from any of our events to be placed on a display board for the January 15th "Final Fling". If you have any pictures that you are willing to share, please let one of the team members know. Also, if you would like your pics returned after the event, the team will be glad to do so.
"Learning" Opportunity - Be "Radical"
Pastor Suzanne is going to host a small group that will be studying the book, "Radical Together." Here's a brief description of the book, "In Radical, David Platt's plea for Christians to take back their faith from the American Dream resonated with readers everywhere, and the book quickly became a New York Times bestseller. Now in Radical Together, the author broadens his call, challenging us to unite around a gospel-centered vision. How, he asks, might such a vision reshape our priorities as the body of Christ? How might well-intentioned Christians actually prevent God's people from accomplishing God's purpose? And, how can we best unleash the people of God in the church to carry out the purpose of God in the world? Writing to everyone who desires to make an impact for God's glory—whether you are an involved member, a leader, or a pastor—Dr. Platt shares six foundational ideas that fuel radical obedience among Christians in the church. With compelling Bible teaching and inspiring stories from around the world, he will help you apply the revolutionary claims and commands of Christ to your community of faith in fresh, practical ways."
If you are interested in moving your faith forward and becoming more "radical" for God, join us for this special short-term small group study. We will be offering opportunities to discuss the book online, as well as in person (times/dates to be determined). If you are interested, please sign up at church so we know how many books to order. They will cost $10 each.
Monday and Wednesday Studies:
The groups will finish the study of the book, "The Uncluttered Heart" on Monday, January 2 at 7pm at the Suchomel's home, and/or on Wednesday, January 4 at 6:30pm at the church. Neither group will be meeting next week.
Recap from last Sunday: Last Sunday, as we lit our fourth candle on the Advent wreath, the candle that represents love, Pastor Suzanne reminded us that, like hope, peace, and joy, in order to experience love outside of ourselves, we need to experience it within us. Then, instead of Pastor preaching to us, she invited us to "preach" to each other. And, boy, did you all preach! Thank you to everyone who shared their testimonies about what love is, how you've experienced God's love, and/or how important sharing God's love is. If you missed last week's services, we hope you'll ask your brothers and sisters about what you missed.
Preview of this Sunday: This Sunday, we'll celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ with the singing of Christmas carols, readings and Holy Communion. Join us for our one service at 10:30am as we focus on what the day is all about - Immanuel, God with us!
I'm wishing you all of the Advent blessings of hope, peace, joy, and love always.
Renea Horn Johnson
Pastoral Assistant
Good Shepherd Church
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