E-Blast 2/15/20

E-Blast 2/15/20

Public Service Announcement

Please be aware of the changes that were made when making any kind of phone calls in our area, whether calling GSLC locally or your friends & family who are long distance. You will need to dial all 10 numbers when calling, otherwise you can’t make a phone call.

INCLEMENT WEATHER ALERTS

In the case of bad weather or other emergency situation, the most important thing is for everyone to be safe.  Please do not travel to Good Shepherd for worship services or other events if you feel that doing so would be unsafe.  In the event that services or activities have been cancelled, it will be announced on local TV channels and when possible an email blast. We will post closings on the following local TV stations: WHIO – TV 7, WDTN – TV 2, WKEF – TV 22 & 45.

Yearly Church Directories Please pick up your updated 2020 directories.  They will be available on the counter in the Narthex. 

Devotionals Please pick up the new January – March 2020 Devotionals on the table in the Narthex.

Fellowship Meals Please note that GSLC is not doing the Fellowship Meals for the rest of this year, except for the nights we host during Lent.

Stewardship Snippets – February 16, 2020
Luke 6:20 –Then Jesus looked up at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”  Why are the poor “blessed” and entranced into the kingdom of God? Emphasizing how wealth can be an obstacle to discipleship, Luke’s gospel challenges us to rethink our relationship to money. What does this passage say to you?

Jeremiah’s Letter Sunday, January 16 is Jeremiah’s Letter Sunday. Please consider donating any of the following items to Jeremiah’s Letter: sheets, bath towels, blankets, toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner, soap, deodorant (full size or trial size), toothpaste, tooth brushes, feminine hygiene products, Depends, razors, shaving cream, denture cleansers and adhesives, back packs, sleeping bags, broth based soups, canned goods, cereal, laundry or cleaning supplies.

Owl Luncheon   To all OWLs out there!
Please join your fellow OWL’s for a luncheon at 12:00 pm on Saturday, February 22, at Applebee’s on Dorothy Lane. A signup sheet will be placed in the narthex so we know how many OWLs are attending. You can also call the office to reserve your spot.  Questions? Call Eileen Hunter or Ginny Herbeck.

Griefshare Our next Griefshare series has begun. If you or someone you know is experiencing the loss of a friend or family member, please encourage them to join us on Sunday afternoons from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm in the GLSC Lounge. Often we forget that grief has lingering hurts. Even if the loss is not recent, please consider joining the group in January. This is a wonderfully informative and supportive ministry for all whose hearts are experiencing loss. If you have any further questions, please contact Kathy Seim or Pam Bauser, our GriefShare facilitators.

Lay School of Theology 2020 Spring Course at GSLC
“The Holy Spirit. Have you met?”  “In this course, we will explore how does the Bible view the Holy Spirit. What is the Holy Spirit? How does it work? Is it at work in the world and our lives today? Is there a Holy Spirit in the Old Testament? How do we know the Holy Spirit when we see it?” The dates are:  March 21; April 18; May 16, and classes run from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. The cost of the course is $50.00, payable before February 6. The course will be led by Rev. Steve Kimpel, retired pastor Faith and St. Mark Lutheran Churches in Dayton. He is a graduate of Miami University and Trinity Lutheran Seminary. Registration forms are in the Narthex. 
Course description: In this course, we will explore how does the Bible view the Holy Spirit. What is the Holy Spirit? How does it work? Is it at work in the world and our lives today? Is there a Holy Spirit in the Old Testament? How do we know the Holy Spirit when we see it? Please note: this course will only be offered Winter Spring 2020 at Dayton.
Texts: The Bible, Old and New Testament Source of Life, Jurgen Moltmann, Fortress Press, 1997

Camp Noah At Peace Lutheran Church Seeks Volunteers  Camp Noah is a week-long camp for 50 elementary school aged children to help them process the events from the Memorial Day Tornado, build resiliency, and prepare them for future natural disasters. The camp was developed through Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota and provides 30 hours of resiliency training with trained staff as well as an on-site mental health professional. Several camps are being planned around the city in areas that were hard hit by the tornadoes.  To read more about this opportunity to be of service, help, and support please see the attached information sheet.

Lifelong Learning Opportunities:       

Jesus teaches the disciples to bring the little children to him. He reminds us to live our lives with the faith of a child. Come discover the wonders of learning about God’s Word. Pray about joining the opportunities at GSLC to share in fellowship and study.

Saturday Morning Bible Study 9:00 am – 10:30 am
Meets in the GLSC Lounge
Breakfast will be served at 9:00 am followed by the Bible Study on the Lectionary for the weekend’s worship. No prior study or experience necessary. Drop in and join the discussion. Discover for yourself the power of anticipating the coming of Christ in this Advent season through the weekly Gospel lessons. 
Facilitated by Roger Bauser

Thursday Morning Bible Study6:30 am – 7:30 am
Meet at Bob Evans on Dorothy Lane
Discussion on Weekly Lectionary for Sunday.
We have begun the new church year in the Gospel of Matthew. 
Facilitated by Roger Bauser

Sunday Morning Learning Opportunities

Youth
Kindergarten – Grade 5 – 9:45 am – 10:45 am
Whirl Lectionary Study
Meet in the Chapel
ALL youth are welcome to join in the weekly study that relates to the scripture lessons shared in our weekly worship services. Come see for yourself the wonders of learning and exploring God’s World.  We are beginning the new church year in the Gospel of Matthew.
Facilitated by Karin Linch and Sandy Rosholt

Adults (young and older) 9:45 am – 10:45 am
Facilitated by Roger Bauser

Financial Peace University Stop and think about this for a second. Imagine what the people of God, could do for the Kingdom of God, if they were debt free. What would you be able to do if you were debt free?  Imagine what it would feel like to be able to give freely and generously toward needs you feel passionate about, whenever God leads you to. Financial Peace University will walk you through the process that will get you there and make it incredibly practical in your daily life. And if you know anything about Dave Ramsey you know it’s going to be a lot of fun!
To learn more about the class, visit the Financial Peace University website at www.daveramsey.com or register for the class at http://www.fpu/1056463.  Martin Pierce and Kathy Seim will be presenting Financial Peace University.  The class runs for nine weeks and will be held on Tuesdays in the Lounge from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. The next class will be on Tuesday, February 18.

Monthly Prayer Service on Thursday, February 27, we will be having our monthly prayer service at 7:00 pm.  As Christians, we need to pray regularly.  Jesus often took time to be alone in prayer and taught his disciples to pray.  Martin Luther said, “God wants us to pray, and he wants to hear our prayers – not because we are worthy, but because he is merciful.”  Join us in the Sanctuary as we gather Thursdays to lift our hearts and our words up to God.  Monthly prayer service is held the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary.

Lent

Ash Wednesday Services will be held on Wednesday, February 26 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church starting at Noon and in the evening at 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary.  This will be the beginning of our Noon Midweek Lenten Worship Services that will run every Wednesday from March 4 to April 1. The location will be at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.  

Soup Suppers Soup, Salad, and Volunteers needed! Good Shepherd is hosting Soup Supper Meals on March 18 in the Fellowship Hall.  If you can provide any help with our Soup Supper Meal please add your name to the sign-up sheets in the Narthex. Contact Eileen Hunter if you have any questions.

Lent Schedule for 2020

The churches involved:

Offering: Loose offering will go to the host congregation each week. Envelopes will be returned to the churches.

Schedule:

February 26
Noon Worship @ GSLC
Ash Wednesday GSLC
Fellowship Meal 6:00 pm
Worship 7:00 pm

March 4
Noon Lenten Worship @ GSLC
Mid Week 1 MFLC
Soup Supper 6:00 pm
Worship 7:00 pm

March 11
Noon Lenten Worship @ GSLC
Mid Week 2 FLC
Fellowship Meal 6:00 pm
Worship 7:00 pm

March 18
Noon Lenten Worship @ GSLC
Mid Week 3 GSLC
Fellowship Meal 6:00 pm
Worship 7:00 pm

May 25
Noon Lenten Worship @ GSLC
Mid Week 4 MFLC
Soup Supper 6:00 pm
Worship 7:00 pm

April 1
Noon Lenten Worship @ GSLC
Mid Week 5 FLC
Fellowship Meal 6:00 pm
Worship 7:00 pm

April 9
Noon Lenten Worship @ GSLC
Maundy Thursday MFLC
Worship 7:00 pm – No Meal

April 10
Noon Lenten Worship @ GSLC
Good Friday FLC
Worship 7:00 pm – No Meal

April 11
Noon Lenten Worship @ GSLC
Easter Vigil GSLC
Worship 7:00 pm – No Meal

Who needs a ride to Lenten Midweek Services?  
Good Shepherd is now offering rides to our Lenten Services.  If you do not like to drive at night, or are not sure where you are going, we have plenty of people who are willing to pick you up at your home and provide transportation to and from our services. If you are interested in riding along with someone, or you know some who would be, please sign up in the Narthex.  You will be contacted soon!  If you are interested in being a volunteer driver, we have a sign-up sheet in the Narthex for you too!

Counseling Assistance
Good Shepherd is a member of the Covenant Society for Pastoral Counseling of Miami Valley Hospital. Trained and certified counselors are available to congregational members at any time, whether for a crisis or for ongoing help. This service is confidential, and anonymous if you choose. You do not have to go through the pastor or church to access this service. If you have a need simply call  (937) 438-3486, tell the staff you are a member of Good Shepherd, our church is part of the Covenant Society for Pastoral Counseling through Premier. Because Good Shepherd is a member the cost to you is one-half of any non-reimbursed portion (for example, through insurance coverage) of the normal charge. For further information on this service you can call the above numbers, or talk to Pastor Jamie.

GSLC Lutheran Youth Corps (LYC) – Gift Card Program 
Did you know there is a way that you can financially support Good Shepherd at no cost to you?  Through the LYC, you can order gift cards from a variety of merchants and restaurants at face value and a portion of each purchase is donated to the church to support youth programs and the First Lutheran Breakfasts. Although the percentage donated to the church may seem small, a few percent of our collective purchases can add up to a significant donation to Good Shepherd over time. Order forms are available in the Narthex.  Orders placed on the weekend are normally available for pick up the following week, with the exception of some holiday periods and weeks where we do not reach the minimum threshold for placing an order.  Please contact Don Bennett if you have any questions.  What a great way to be faithful stewards of our resources!

Electronic Giving
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church is now offering the option of electronic giving for regular offerings and special offerings.  Giving is done using the company Tithe.ly which is the only one endorsed by the ELCA.  There are three ways to give: 

  1. Via smartphone using the Tithe.ly app (download via the App Store or Google Play)
  2. Online at https://tithe.ly/give?c=329631  
  3. Via the GSLC Website which has a link to the Tithe.ly website to give directly to GSLC

The process to create an account and give is simple because it is tied to a debit or credit card.  There is also a processing fee of less than 3% that you can choose to cover if desired. 
Benefits of Electronic Giving:  

  1. Ability to give from anywhere including other countries – you only need an internet connection via smartphone or computer.
  2. Ability to give 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  3. Ability to choose from a variety of options where your gift goes.
  4. Can give more than one gift at a time with the “Add Gift” option.

Questions:  Contact Martin Pierce (937) 287-4021 or Denise Wilson (513) 913-0133.     

COMMUNITY EVENTS AND NOTICES:

Long-Term Tornado Recovery
—An update as I look over notes from the Miami Valley Long Term Recovery Group:
Paul Nelson is the new Construction Coordinator with LSS and he started this week. He will be coordinating the long term construction efforts. A construction manager role may be posted in a couple of weeks. Those two positions have been funded for two years by LSS. This team will be working on assessments and estimates. Their group has done 25 project assessments so far. The goal is to do 6-7 assessments per week as they increase capacity with number of assessors. The Repair and Rebuild Taskforce report 4 repair projects have been completed with volunteer labor, 3 in Harrison Township and 1 in Trotwood. Goal is to have 30-40 projects lined up for a spring start date.
I know people have been excited and ready to volunteer. They continue to get resources together so that there are resources for those spring building projects.  Currently the Repair and Rebuild Committee right is looking for volunteers with professional construction experience. If you have volunteers with professional construction experience please contact John Pyron. Also as volunteers from out of the area come they will be looking for places where volunteers can stay. If you have places for volunteers to stay or need more information about this ministry please contact Sally Dyer sbdyer@gmail.com.
God’s Peace and Blessings – Pastor Carey,  Peace Lutheran Church, 3530 Dayton Xenia Rd

Sing to the Lord
What: A Special Service focused around Psalm 96:1 (Sing to the Lord a new song; Sing to the Lord, all the earth.)
When: Sunday, February 16, 2020 at 4:00 pm
Where: Central Christian Church, 1200 Forrer Blvd., Kettering OH
Guest Minister: Luther Young – Woodland Christian Church (DOC)
Luther was first licensed to gospel ministry in 2011 and was ordained by the Tennessee Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) on June 2, 2019. Luther has served in music and media ministry for nearly 14 years and has performed across the U.S. with various artists.

Benefit Concert – “The Second Time Around”
Where fine music, great acoustics and a good cause unite. Sunday, February 23, 2020 4:00 pm. Reception Afterward. Classical and light classical works by Franz Schubert, Astor Piazzolla, Ohio composer Rick Sowash, and others (Synchronicity Trio – Bruce Posey on ‘cello, Dick Reuning on violin, Sharon Walton on piano, with guest artist Denise Spires on clarinet). Gethsemane Lutheran Church, 35 E Stanton Ave, 43214 (614-885-4319). 3/4 mile north of Morse Rd, one building east of High Street.  Freewill Donation Accepted for Faith Mission Homeless Shelters. Please write CHECKS to Faith Mission.

OPENING DOORS FOR IMMIGRANTS – You Are Invited to Our Workshop!  
Learn the process of Sanctuary and Asylum – and how you can help – from a panel of speakers with first-hand experience. On Sunday, February 23 from 2:30 pm to 5:00 pm @ Miami Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship – 8690 Yankee Street, Washington Twp., OH, 45458. For more information and to RSVP contact immigrationdayton@gmail.com.

Spring Discernment Retreat!
Are you feeling a “sense of call”? Has anyone ever suggested that you would make a good pastor, deacon or other type of church leader? Do you feel God’s Spirit tugging or nudging you to explore spiritual gifts, passions, interests? Do you have a willingness to lead God’s people? Are you curious about becoming a leader in the ELCA?  If you are wrestling with these questions, this retreat is for YOU!  ELCA Region 6 Spring 2020 Discernment Retreat
Friday, March 6, 11:30 a.m. @ Holiday Inn Express, Bowling Green, OH
Saturday, March 7, St. Mark’s, Bowling Green, OH ending @ 1:00 p.m
Contact the Southern Ohio Synod Director of Candidacy, Dr. Lynn Nakamura for more information at lnakamura@southernohiosynod.org

Lin Baker Staub | Office Manager | Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
937.298.0136 | fax 937.299.1170 | goodshepherd.gslc@gmail.com
901 E. Stroop Road| Kettering, OH 45429