Whew! What a crazy week this has been. Unfortunately, having the Rod and Staff Newsletter ready for you this Sunday is just not happening. Trying to cram two months worth of news into one is taking longer than expected. On top of this, the copier has not been behaving and the repairman just left. Therefore, you can look for your Rod and Staff on Sunday, May 6th.
Here is What's Happening at Good Shepherd Church over the next few weeks. . . .
1. Fri. & Sat. April 27 & 28-Adult Spring Retreat (See information below)
2. Sun. Apr 29- Worship Services at 8:15 and/or 10am (announcements begin 10 minutes before each service)
3. Sun. Apr 29-Radical Book Study will meet from 3 to 5pm at the Suchomel's
4. Mon. Apr 30-Monday Study at 7pm at the Suchomel home
5. Tue May 1-Shepherd's Food Pantry is open from 6:30 to 8pm at 2 Belmont Dr. (at Rt. 53). Come help if you can!
6. Tue May 1-M&M's Women's Bible Study meets at the home of Jan Sanchez at 7pm. This will be their last meeting until September.
7. Wed May 2-Wednesday Bible Study meets at 6:30pm at the church
8. Thur. May 3-G2R (Genesis to Revelation) Bible Study meets at 7pm at the Stoughton's
9. Fri May 4-Friday Bible Study meets at the Valintis home at 7pm. Children are welcome!
10. Sun. May 6- Worship Services at 8:15 and/or 10am (announcements begin 10 minutes before each service)
11. Sun. May 6-Sunday School at 9:15am for 3 year olds to Grade 5
12. Sun. May 6-Radical Book Study begins at 4pm
13. Mon. May 7-Monday Study at 7pm at the Suchomel's
14. Tues. May 8-Ministry Night meeting at 7pm at the church
15. Wed. May 9-Wednesday Bible Study at 6:30pm at church
16. Thur. May 10- FLY (Finally Loving Yourself) Lady meets at 7pm
17. Fri. May 11-Friday Bible Study meeting at 7pm at the Valintis home
18. Sat. May 12-Shepherd's Food Pantry is open from 9:30-11:30am at 2 Belmont Dr. (at Rt.53)
19. Sat. May 12-VBS Planning Meeting at 10am at the church office
20. Sat. May 12-Praise Band Rehearsal at 2pm at the church
21. Sun. May 13- Worship Services at 8:15 and/or 10am (announcements begin 10 minutes before each service) with Fellowship coordinating a Mother's Day Tea celebration
22. Sun. May 13-LWR Mother's Day In-Gathering of Child Care Kits
Congratulations to our Preschool!!!
Our preschool was named, "Best Preschool" in the Romeoville Patch.com "Readers' Choice" contest. Several current and former parents of students wrote wonderful reviews about our Good Shepherd Preschool and our staff, Marilyn and Judith. So, next time you see them, be sure to congratulate them and tell your friends and neighbors about our great "award-winning" program.
Adult Retreat
Our Adult Retreat takes place tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday. It will be held at the home of Paul and Debbie Suchomel. We'll begin at 6pm on Friday with dinner and end at around 10pm. Then we'll start up again on Saturday at 10am and end around 4pm. We will be providing dinner on Friday and lunch on Saturday at a minimal cost to participants, so it is important that we know who is attending. If you did not sign up at church but would like to come, PLEASE email Pastor Suzanne by noon tomorrow (Friday). If you are not able to come on Saturday but would like to come on Friday, you are welcome to join us. Likewise, if you are not able to come on Friday but you are able to attend on Saturday, you are welcome to come. Pastor Suzanne respectfully asks, however, that you attend the full session on the days you attend. Note: Because we are starting at 10a on Saturday and eating lunch around 12:30p, we are not providing breakfast.
"It Gets Better" Project Creator, Dan Savage Event
This Sunday, April 29th, Dan Savage will be speaking at Elmhurst College at 7pm. Several church members will be going to hear him speak. If you are interested in joining them, please meet at the home of Debbie and Paul Suchomel at 5pm, as the doors to the event open at 6pm and no reservations are being taken. We will be carpooling to the college. For more information on Dan, check out this link: http://www.itgetsbetter.org.
Wednesday Study Group
The Wednesday Study Group is currently studying the book of Job. We finished Chapter 10 and are enjoying the discussions we've been having. If you've ever been interested in studying this book of the Bible that deals with the reason behind suffering, please join us next Wednesday at 6:30pm at church. And, be sure you read chapters 1-9 before you join us. All are welcome!
Radical Book Study
Our May sessions will be on May 6 and 20 at 4pm. We are still looking for hosts. If you can host, please contact Pastor Suzanne. If you are interested in joining us for this study, please contact Pastor Suzanne and she can get you a copy of the book.
Garage Sale Opportunity-
Are you interested in having a table here at church on Saturday, May 12 (the same day as the village-wide garage sale) and donating your profits to Good Shepherd ministries? The sale times are between the hours of 8am and 4pm. In order to make this worthwhile, we would need to have a minimum of 4 sales tables and will be making a decision on May 6th of whether or not we will participate this year. Sign up at church this Sunday or call before May 6th if this something you would like to do.
Long-Range Planning Forum
Save the date!!! Join us on Saturday, May 19 from 4:30-6:30p. We'll continue a discussion that was started at the last forum held in late March. At the next forum, we'll be giving updates on a variety of items the Long-Range Team has been working on and are looking forward to more input from you, the congregation. We'll be providing a light supper, drinks, and dessert and just ask that you make a donation toward the supper.
Bullying Town Hall Meeting
The Valley View School District, which serves the Romeoville and Bolingbrook communities, will be hosting a town hall forum/local television show on the topic of bullying. It will be held on Thursday, May 10 at the Bolingbrook Village Hall. We would like to let you know about this event and encourage you to attend. You're asked to arrive between 6:30 and 6:45pm and filming will begin at 7pm. Please contact Pastor Suzanne for more information. We believe our church can be a leader in bullying prevention and education in our communities and we'd like your help in doing this. This event will be a great way to learn more on how we can all help.
Mark your calendars!!!
On Friday, June 29, our church is hosting a "Music for Malaria" concert. We are still confirming the venue, but we're going to need lots of volunteers to pull off this event. We'll be having a planning meeting on Tuesday, May 22 at 7pm. Questions? Please talk to Chris Daniels or Pastor Suzanne and look for more info in the May/June Rod and Staff newsletter.
Recap of last Sunday's Message
It's been a while, but Pastor Suzanne gave us a couple of challenges at the end of last Sunday's message, "Would You Recognize Jesus?" Weren't there to hear it? Get a CD next time you're in worship. For those who were there, how are your challenges going? Have you been able to share your "walk to Emmaus" story? Reread Luke 24:13-34, as our message this week will be a continuation of that story.
Preview of this Sunday's Message
Our theme this week will be, "Doubts and Faith...and Action." We'll revisit the story of the walk to Emmaus and think about the doubts that we have in our faith journeys; how do we deal with these doubts and how can they strengthen our faith as we walk with Jesus on our journeys. We'll also think about how our faith directs our actions. Invite a friend to join us.
See why the Rod and Staff isn't ready yet? There is oh so much to report in addition to all that we have here. As always, if you have any questions, please be sure to call church and we'll make sure you get the information you need.
Wishing you peace, hope, joy and love always!
Renea Horn Johnson
Pastoral Assistant
Good Shepherd Church
