Eblast 12/12

Eblast 12/12

Face Masks Love your neighbor as yourself. – Mark 12:31
Please wear your mask to keep you and your neighbor safe from the spread of COVID19. Please wear your mask when you are inside the church building. Masks are required for worship at GSLC.  GSLC leadership monitors the health advisories for our area. Under the current conditions, health officials recommend wearing a mask indoors for everyone’s safety. This includes people who are fully vaccinated. Given the current rise in COVID19 cases in our area, we are requiring MASKS during worship at GSLC. You may remove your mask for Holy Communion and then put it back on to return to your seat. If you prefer not to wear a mask, please join us for worship online.  From the CDC website: To maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others, wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission.  Montgomery, Greene, Preble, Butler and Warren counties are all areas with substantial transmission.

WORSHIP

Christmas Eve Worship Services  The first service will be at 4:30 pm (with music beginning at 4:00 pm) on December 24. This will be Candle Light worship where music will be led by the choir. This service will be streamed.  The second service will be at 7:30 pm (music begins at 7:00 pm) on December 24.  This will also be Candle Light worship with music led by the Praise Team.
We will be streaming our 4:00 pm Candle Light Service on YouTube & Facebook: 
Facebook click here: Facebook
YouTube click here: Youtube

Christmas Eve Communion
If you are streaming the 4:00 pm Christmas Eve service from home but want to take Holy Communion while streaming you can pick up the communion elements earlier in the week at the church office or in the parking lot from 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm on Christmas Eve.

Parking Lot Communion will be offered on the 3rd Sunday of the month from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pmDecember 12 will be the next time we have it. 

Worship With Us Online! 
Good Shepherd will continue to offer online worship on Sundays and our parking lot Holy Communion on the third Sunday from Noon – 1:00 pm. 
Please use the following links below to connect online to the Sunday Church Service:
Facebook click here: Facebook
YouTube click here: Youtube

Blue Christmas 
So the holidays are not what they used to be. Circumstances in life have made it harder to enjoy the Christmas Season?  We will be joining together with other churches for Blue Christmas again this year. The service will be at First Lutheran Church (138 W First St. Dayton, OH 45402) and will be on Thursday, December 16 at 6:30 pm. This is a chance to be together and take a moment to realize the Christmas Season is not always joyous for everyone. When we are having trouble getting excited about the holidays, that’s ok, we can get through it together.

Advent Midweek Services 
On December 15 and December 22 there will be Advent Midweek Services in the Sanctuary at 7:00 pm.
We will be streaming all our Advent Midweek Services on YouTube & Facebook: 
Facebook click here: Facebook
YouTube click here: Youtube

OUTREACH AND SERVICES   

First Lutheran Shoes & Clothing Drive 
Thank you all for your generous donations to the recent First Lutheran Shoe & Clothing Drive. The items will be delivered  this weekend. I snapped a photo of the donation pile and sent it to the clothing room manager of First Lutheran. She was amazed and so grateful!  Blessings to you, Lisa Connelly

Adopt-a-Family 
It is time for our Adopt a Family Program.  This year we will be blessing a family from Sandy Rosholt’s school.  A Mom and Dad with 5 children (3 biological children, all with physical and developmental concerns, and 2 nieces whom they have recently received custody of).  Gift tags will be located on the tree in the narthex.  Please have all gifts wrapped/labeled and returned to church by December 15 at the very latest.   If you would like to donate money instead of purchasing a gift, please place in an offering envelope (labeled “Adopt-a-Famly”) or mail directly to the church office. All money received will be used to purchase any remaining items on the tree or gift cards as needed.  Your gifts and donations will make Christmas brighter for this family!

Food Pantry News 
Thank you to all who faithfully continue to support the food pantry with your donations. 280 food items were delivered this week and were received with deep appreciation. The primary food pantry donation bin is in the narthex; so, if you come to church on Sunday morning you can bring your donations and place them there.  During the week, you can still place your donations inside the fellowship hall doors. Monetary donations may still be made by placing a check (payable to Good Shepherd with “food pantry” in the memo line) in the offering or mailing it to the church office. The food pantry has told us that the following items are among the most needed and useful for donation: noodles and pastas, cereals, canned fruits and vegetables, kids’ canned pastas, boxed “helper” meals, canned meats, chicken and tuna, instant potatoes, canned soups (Campbell’s Chunky soups or Progresso soups – if on sale – are especially useful because they can be stretched by adding pasta and making a casserole meal).   

Annual Poinsettia Project 
To raise money for ELCA Good Gifts we are asking for donations to the Poinsettia Project. Donations can be made “in honor of” or “in memory of” in ANY amount. Order forms are available in the Narthex. If you would like to take a Poinsettia home, there will be a place on the form to check, and we will make sure enough poinsettias are purchased. All donations in honor or memory of a loved one will be acknowledged by a card on the poinsettia Tree in the Narthex and listed in an insert in the Christmas Eve bulletins. You can use an envelope from the pew and make checks to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and indicate the Poinsettia Project. All forms need to be submitted to the office by Sunday, December 19. Click here to fill out the form:  PoinsettiaProject

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Lifelong Learning 
Learn more about God’s Word for us. Join us ONLINE to learn together. 

Our ADULT Lifelong Learning Classes are ONLINE. Everyone is welcome! Discover the quality adult education we have at GSLC. Our Bible studies are open to ALL near and far. If you haven’t checked any of these out, please consider this invitation to join us now. 

Sunday School for K-8 youth:   Our youth meet in the chapel on Sundays at 9:15 am. ALL youth are welcome!

FRIDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY DISCUSSION for ALL
Topic: Gospel Lectionary Readings for worship 
Come on FRIDAY mornings! Bring your own coffee and treats along with your BIBLE. The focus is on the Lectionary Lessons for the upcoming weekend. Come join the discussion facilitated by Roger Bauser. Everyone 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.
Facilitator:  Roger Bauser
Time: 9:00 am – 10:00 am   
For more information, please contact Roger at rebauser@me.com or call 937-299-5186. 

SUNDAY MORNING ADULT BIBLE STUDY  
Topic:  Advent Reflections
Facilitator:  Roger Bauser
Time: 8:50 am – 9:50 am    
Come prepare for the birth of our Lord as we reflect on God’s Word for us in the season of Advent. Set aside the holiday preparations and open your heart to hear God speaking to you. The faith-filled lives of Hannah, Elizabeth, Anna and Mary enrich our own preparations. Come and ponder these things in your heart. 

THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY for Men
Topic: Gospel Lectionary Reading for worship 
Facilitator: Roger Bauser
Time:  9:00 am – 10:00 am
Place:  comfort of your home – connect online!
The Men’s Bible Study is ONLINE on Thursday mornings at 9:00 a.m.  Bring your own coffee along with your BIBLE.  The focus is on the Lectionary’s Gospel Lesson for the upcoming weekend.  Come join the discussion. This is a chance to go deeper before hearing the lessons on Sunday.  If you experience any difficulty, please contact Roger at rebauser@me.com or call 937-299-5186.

MONTHLY BIBLE STUDY for Women 
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2021
This is the THIRD and final session focusing on the Holy Spirit from the November/December 2021 Gather Magazine. We missed November. This is a DIFFERENT day in December. ALL are most welcome to join us. There is no need to have attended the first two sessions. We will be blessed during this Advent season as we ponder “the Wind of God: refining and rerouting”. Invite a friend to join you. This Advent may the Spirit of God lead you to feel the hand of God moving in your life. If you would like a copy of the study, please ask. 

Topic: The Gift of the Holy Spirit: a divine wild goose chase (November Bible Study from Nov/Dec Gather Magazine)
Leader: Pam Bauser
Time: 10:00 am OR 7:30 pm following ADVENT Worship (same content for each session – choose time that is best for you on that date)

Session two: Breath of God, reviver and reformer
Sara Olson-Smith, the author of our series of fall studies shares the words of poet Mary Oliver, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your wild and precious life?” This month we will explore the Scriptures to remind us the Spirit dwelling within us is bringing new things to birth within us. IMAGINE the new birth within you! Let’s joyfully dive into the Spirit portion of the Trinity! Come with questions. Come with experiences. Come. Be open to the presence of the Spirit in our midst. If you need a copy of the study, please contact Pam Bauser at psbauser@me.com or 937-602-8385  

Griefshare  
Mourning to Joy – Good Shepherd offers a fall and winter session of GriefShare. This ministry offers biblical, Christ-centered teaching on topics associated with the death of a loved one. The DVD seminar features nationally respected grief experts and real-life personal stories, followed by a small group discussion about the weekly topic and personal grief experiences.  Good Shepherd is offering the 13 week GriefShare program in person and online from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm on Sundays.

The winter/spring session will begin on Sunday, January 9. We will continue to offer hybrid class sessions, both in person and online. The spring sessions will conclude on Sunday, April 8.

Registration and more information is available online at  www.griefshare.org  If you have any questions, contact Kathy Seim (937-901-0532) or Pam Bauser (937-602-8385).  If you would like to support this ministry with more than your prayers, please contact Pam Bauser or Kathy Seim. 

MISCELLANEOUS

December Stewardship Snippets – December 12, 2021
Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, Rejoice.
Joy is the theme for the third Sunday of Advent. Philippians reminds us to rejoice – to find the joy – in God. Always! Though we live in a world that has many troubles, we can always find joy, in God’s love. Joy is a way of life for steward/disciples.

Offerings for last week:   $3,275.00
The amount reported applies to contributions used towards the annual ministry plan which requires contributions of $5,243 every week.

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 Tithe.ly  
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. 

CHURCH PROGRAM DONATIONS

AmazonSmile 
It’s easy to do. Go to our website for Youth Donations, Good Shepherd Youth Donations, scroll down and 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.

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!

A PLACE FOR NEWS

A Christmas message from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton
Click here for the video message.

This is our second pandemic Christmas. We thought this would be over so long ago. And still, we wear masks; we’re physically distant; we can’t be with friends and family as we used to do. And also, there’s so much that’s broken in this world, so much that tells us, “Why have hope? Just give up.”  But we have a hope that’s stronger than any of this, stronger even than death. The hope of God comes in the form of a tiny baby, a helpless child; nevertheless, who grew to a man and in his fragile strength was willing to die on the cross and was raised again.  I don’t know what next Christmas will bring. I don’t know what New Year’s will bring. But I do know we have hope.   St. Paul put it this way: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Merry Christmas, dear church. The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton – Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

ELCA NEWS:
Lutheran World Relief Christmas Match.   Click here.  
Lutheran Disaster Response. Click here.
NEW  Lutheran World Relief. Click here.
NEW ELCA Global Links.  Click here

COMMUNITY EVENTS AND NOTICES

We Care Arts
The 10th Annual Cookie walk will be a drive-through pick up this year!  They have cookie pre-orders available online now and pick up will be on Saturday, December 11 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm in the We Care Arts Berkeley Center parking lot.    PLACE YOUR COOKIE ORDER HERE: https://one.bidpal.net/cookiewalk2021/welcome

Here’s How You Can Help!
Bake and donate your favorite holiday treats! During the holidays, it’s those “special” treats that we all love! The more unique or cleverly decorated, the better!
Buy cookies! Donate a few dozen and place an order online for cookies for your family to enjoy. Tell your friends too!
Volunteer: We need folks to help us to box cookie orders on the Friday before, and we’ll need “cookie runners” throughout the day on Saturday in the back parking lot.

You may deliver cookies in a sturdy container to We Care Arts on Friday, December 10 between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm to 3035 Wilmington Pike, Kettering, OH 45429.