Online Worship & Holy Communion
While Montgomery County COVID-19 indicators remain on a Level 3 alert at the recommendation of Governor DeWine and Bishop Dillahunt, Good Shepherd will continue to worship as a community online. We offer Holy Communion twice a month on the second and fourth Sundays from Noon – 1:00 pm. Please join us for worship and communion.
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church will continue doing a video of our church service. Online worship will be available on Sunday at 10:30 am. Come and enjoy GSLC’s service online.
Online Worship Information
Please use the following links below to connect to the Sunday Church Service:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goodshepherdkettering/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFjr6taytoTncrtHVY9TGQw
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church will be doing a Streaming Devotional with Pr. Jamie Vannoy every Wednesday at Noon. We will also be including Read Aloud Stories with Don Bennett every weekday, Monday – Friday, at 2:30 pm. Please come, connect, and enjoy.
Please use the following links below to connect:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goodshepherdkettering/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFjr6taytoTncrtHVY9TGQw
Offerings for last week
$6,156.69
Electronic Giving
Don’t forget to send in your weekly tithe/offering to the church at 901 East Stroop Rd, Kettering, OH 45429 or go to our online Electronic Giving:
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.
This Week’s Article
Our text begins with “I am the Lord your God” (20:2) and ends with focus upon “your neighbor” (20:17). Here is a new people who are in covenant with God and neighbor. The Commandments are the means for guiding Israel in this twofold direction.
In the prologue to the commandments, God self-identifies as God the deliverer, the God who brought the oppressed slaves out of Egypt. God has taken the side of the enslaved and oppressed. There will be no going back to Egypt. Now, everything is cast toward the future in the promised land.
The commandments make possible for the people of Israel to dwell securely in their strange new land. They will move through the wilderness together on the basis of these practices. The Sabbath commandment, peculiar to the faith of Israel, is at the center of the Decalogue. The Sabbath is not only a distinctive practice that keeps Israel as Israel, but is also participation in God’s vision of creation, a time of rest and restoration for every human, animal, and field. God has created the world not for the burden and curse of productivity but rather for rest. Holiday is Holy-Day.
The commandments, taken as a whole, present an alternative vision to life in Egypt, a place where there was little interest in regeneration and rest, where there was absolutely no freedom. Speaking of “freedom,” we don’t usually associate that word with rules, regulations, and commandments. In the Decalogue, Yahweh says, in effect, “By my many gifts you are now free from slavery. You are free from enslavement to the false-god Pharaoh so that you can now be enslaved to me.” This strange connection of freedom-command could be a fruitful entrance into this Sunday’s proclamation.
There are two different sets of commands and ordinances in both Exodus and Deuteronomy. Here are the ideals and the statutes that will ensure the identity and the distinctiveness of this new, God-created people. Note that (in contrast to Egyptian imperial ways) the commandments do not grant sanctity to a human monarch in order to assert dominance over the people. It’s remarkable that as God spoke to the Israelites’—and our—world of sovereign kings and Pharaohs, God gave no command to bow before an earthly human authority. The Israelites who once were no people but are now God’s people are to give loyalty and obedience to God alone.
This new community will not be dependent on finding themselves governed by a benevolent earthly dictator. Rather, the ultimate allegiance of each individual and thereby of the entire community is to God alone: for protection, sustenance, and future.
Commandments serve to formalize the connection and the relationship between the realms of God and this particular people. Here is a new people founded not on the basis of ethnicity or geography (the way the world often designates and gathers people) but rather on the basis of relationship to God and to each other. The shape of that divine-human and human-human relationship is spelled out in the Commandments.
Stewardship Snippets – October 4, 2020
“Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.” – Matthew 21:43 Ouch! Jesus’ words, directed at the Pharisees who constantly test him, point to the importance of bearing fruit. God promises an abundant harvest with more than enough to share, but we must do our part to cultivate, nurture, and bring to fullness all the bountiful gifts of God, both in our own lives and in the Body of Christ.
City Barbecue
Our Youth Fundraiser is back the first Monday of each month! Please come on out and show your support for Good Shepherd’s ongoing youth fundraiser with City Barbecue on Monday, October 5 from 10:30 am to 10:00 pm. The location is at 5 E. Franklin Street, Centerville, OH 45459. GSLC will get 25% of the sales back! If you order online or by phone, just tell them you’re with the fundraiser. Please let any of your friends and family know about this wonderful fundraiser, so they too can give back to our youth! GSLC wants to especially thank you for continuing to support us even when business is slow.
ELCA Disaster Relief Fund Request
Please look at the following link, which explains the ways in which the ELCA is providing support to those affected by recent natural disasters, such as the gulf coast hurricanes and the wildfires in the west. Lutheran Disaster Response
Please pray for those affected by these natural disasters. Prayerfully consider making a donation to help those in need. GSLC will collect donations throughout the month of September. All monetary amounts will be tabulated and sent to the ELCA in October.
GriefShare
GSLC continues to offer an active GriefShare support community. If you or someone you know is interested, please be in touch with Pastor Jamie or call Pam Bauser (937-602-8385) or Kathy Seim (936-901-0532). GriefShare is a faith based ministry that combines group discussion, video input from experts and others who know the grief journey, and individual study in the resource book. This ministry is available to all who have experienced the loss of a loved one at any time. Further information and registration is available at https://www.griefshare.org or by calling the GSLC office (937-298-0136).
GriefShare – MOURNING to JOY (13 weeks) is OPEN to ALL!
Sunday, September 13 – Sunday, December 6 from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Spread the word. Come share in this ministry of healing and hope. It’s easy to join online and participate in the sessions. Contact the church office (937-298-0136), Kathy Seim (937-901-0532) or Pam Bauser (937-602-8385) for more information.
GriefShare will be ONLINE through October. We are following the same format as in-person sessions. We gather online, share the devotions, watch the video sessions, and discuss. We connect via the same Zoom link each week. Participants will view the videos with the group. We have resource books available for $15.00 that we will deliver to each registrant. The resource book is an essential part of the GriefShare experience. Contact Pastor Jamie, Kathy Seim, or Pam Bauser for more information.
Topic: GriefShare
Time: SUNDAY 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Anyone who registers at www.griefshare.org with an email address will have an access link to all of the video sessions throughout the 13 weeks. This can be helpful to view the materials in the comfort of your home, to watch with family or friends, or to prepare to participate in the weekly discussions. For more information, give Kathy or Pam a call.
Looking ahead:
GriefShare’s – SURVIVING THE HOLIDAYS
Saturday, October 24, 2020
10:00 am – Noon
Currently we plan to gather in person for this special Surviving the Holidays session. Located in the Fellowship Hall (to allow easier social distancing).
Lifelong Learning
Our ADULT Lifelong Learning Classes are ONLINE! Everyone is welcome! Please contact the church office for the links below to join in the conversations. This is a great time to “zoom” in and discover the quality adult education we have at GSLC. Our Bible studies and Sunday morning studies are open to ALL online. If you haven’t checked any of these out, please consider joining the conversations.
Our YOUTH classes have resumed. The WHIRL curriculum is based on the weekly lectionary for the church year that allows the students to connect what they learn in class with what they hear in worship. If you have any questions, please call the church office or contact Pam. Karin Linch and Sandy Rosholt are the teachers for our youth classes.
Questions?? – Please contact Pam Bauser at 937-299-5186.
SATURDAY MORNING BREAKFAST BIBLE STUDY DISCUSSION for ALL
Topic: Lectionary for Sunday worship
Facilitator: Roger Bauser
Time: 9:00 am – 10:00 am
Place: comfort of your home – connect online!
Join Zoom Meeting Saturdays at 9:00 a.m.
The Saturday Morning Breakfast Bible Study ONLINE is on Saturday mornings at 9:00 a.m. Bring your own coffee and breakfast along with your BIBLE. The focus is on the Lectionary Lessons for the upcoming Sunday. Come join the discussion facilitated by Roger Bauser. Use the Zoom meeting link to join the conversation. Everyone (ALL ages and genders) is welcome! No prior experience is needed. Each week the study relates to the Scripture lessons for Sunday’s worship. Drop by and learn what’s behind the message on Sunday.
If you experience any difficulty connecting, please contact Roger at rebauser@me.com or call 937-299-5186.
Topic: ACTS of the Apostles: a Biblical study on The Book of ACTS!
Facilitator: Roger Bauser
Time: 9:00 am – 10:00 am
Place: Comfort of your home – connect online!
Bring your coffee. Have your Bible handy.
COME BE RENEWED by the power of the Holy Spirit! COME LISTEN to God speak to each of us through the Book of ACTS. This week read and ponder Acts 5:1-11. Read on Acts 5:12 -8:1.
This incredible book invites us into the story moving forward from the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Come delve into the power of the Holy Spirit to change the world and ignite the flames of faith in the early church. If you are a reader who enjoys intrigue, adventure, and unexpected twists in the plot, this is the narrative for you.
We will continue to meet ONLINE. The Zoom link, meeting ID and password remain the same. Roger Bauser will serve as the facilitator. ALL are welcome any Sunday you are available.
THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY for Men
Topic: Lectionary for Sunday worship
Facilitator: Roger Bauser
Time: 9:00 am – 10:00 am
Place: comfort of your home – connect online!
The Men’s breakfast Bible Study continues ONLINE on Thursday mornings at 9:00 a.m. Bring your own coffee and breakfast along with your BIBLE.
The focus is on the Lectionary Lessons for the upcoming Sunday. Come join the discussion facilitated by Roger Bauser. Use the following link to join the conversation. If you experience any difficulty, please contact Roger at rebauser@me.com or call 937-299-5186.
**ONLINE GROUP DISCUSSION **
Does Racism Exist in the Church? GSLC Discussions on Racism- Part 2
In Part 1 of GSLC discussions on Racism, we used the Southern Ohio Synod Statement on Racial Justice as the foundation of our discussions. The third section of the document stated, “As Church together, we ask God to help and guide us in joining Jesus in the restoration of the World.” The statement listed three commitments:
- Commit ourselves to listen to the voices who have been harmed and silenced by racism,
- Commit to listening and sitting with discomfort, and
- Commit to work through local, state, and national advocacy efforts to support public policies that seek justice in our world.
o Synod Council Statement On Racial Justice 2020
Those commitments take us to Part 2 in our discussions.
TOPIC: Racism and Justice and Church
WHEN: FIVE Wednesday evenings at 7:00 pm
September 30, October 7, 14, 21, 28
WHERE: Online from the comfort of your home
HOW: via ZOOM (This link is for all discussion weeks.)
We plan to honor our commitment to addressing racism by actively learning together, sharing our experiences, watching two videos by Phil Vischer (creator of Veggie Tales) and engaging in possibilities to make a difference. The videos are both by Phil Vischer: Holy Post: Race in America. It is not necessary to have attended GSLC first online discussion in order to participate in Part 2. We hope you will be able to join us!
Food Pantry Donations
Thanks to everyone who continues to support the Greenmont-Oak Park-Ascension “Neighbor-to-Neighbor” food pantry with your regular monthly donations. Thanks to your generosity we were able to deliver 318 much appreciated food items last month. The designated Food Pantry Sunday is the first Sunday of each month (THIS SUNDAY, October 4) and we are hoping for an even bigger donation to deliver. You can drop items off any time during the month during regular office hours. The food collection box is just inside the fellowship hall entry doors. Just ring the bell for access to the building and place your donations of non-perishable food items in the box. If you are not shopping regularly in the grocery and would like to make a monetary donation, just mail or deliver a check (“Payable to Good Shepherd”) to the church office.
AmazonSmile
In 2018, we received $15.95 in donations from AmazonSmile. In 2019 we received $19.64. Would you like to help go over those amounts for 2020? It’s easy to do. Go to our web site, goodshepherdkettering.com, and on the front page on the right side you will see a little graphic labeled amazonsmile. Click on that and follow the directions. Once you’ve done that, instead of going to amazon.com to make an online purchase, go to smile.amazon.com and for every purchase you make, we will get 0.5% of that price donated to us. It’s still Amazon, with all the features of the normal site, we just get a small cut. Over time those 0.5% donations add up. Please consider supporting us in this way. The proceeds go to help with youth events. If you have any questions, please contact Don Bennett.
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!
ELCA NEWS:
ELCA Disability Ministry God’s work. Our hands. Click here.
Lutheran World Relief Sustainable Development. Click here.
NEW ELCA Global Links Click here.
Season of Creation Devotions Offered by Four Heads of Communion
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), and leaders from The Episcopal Church, the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada have prepared a series of devotions to observe the Season of Creation 2020, September 1 – October 4.
The season, which begins with the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, is a time to join with the global Christian community in renewing, repairing and restoring commitments to God, to one another and to all of creation. For the four churches, it is also a time for strengthening relationships with one another. Through Scripture, hymns, advocacy and action, the weekly devotions, which begin Sept. 6, invite people to live out their vocation as stewards of creation.
In addition to Eaton, the devotions were contributed by the Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, presiding bishop and primate, The Episcopal Church; the Rev. Susan C. Johnson, national bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada; and the Most Rev. Linda Nicholls, archbishop and primate of the Anglican Church of Canada.
The Season of Creation devotions are available here.