Eblast 12/18

Eblast 12/18

Church Directory  We are updating our church directory.  Please check the Master Directory located in the Narthex to ensure your contact information is correct. After the corrections have been made, we will have directories available in the New Year!  Thank you for helping us keep our records straight.

WORSHIP

Parking Lot Communion will be offered on the 3rd Sunday of the month from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm.   December 18 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

Advent Midweek Services 
On December 21 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.  This year’s theme for Advent Midweek is Holy Darkness.

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. Anyone donating can have the opportunity to purchase a specific gift (i.e., pig, goat, chickens, honeybees, etc.). If a specific gift is requested, please indicate this on the Poinsettia order form.  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 Poinsettia Project. All forms need to be submitted to the office by Sunday, December 18.   You can also find the poinsettia forms here.

Christmas Eve Services
Please join us on Christmas Eve at 4:00 pm for Christmas Carols and 4:30 pm for service, our Praise Team will be leading the service.  We will also have a 7:00 pm Christmas Carol and 7:30pm service led by our Chancel Choir along with the choir from Harmony Creek.  Both services will be candle light services. We are excited and blessed to be having a combined Christmas Eve service with Harmony Creek.  Hope to see you at one of our Christmas Eve services.   

OUTREACH AND SERVICES   

Sharing a Little Christmas Love
GSLC will be serving a First Lutheran breakfast on Christmas this year. We would like to include a little extra love in the “grab & go” meal by including some homemade Christmas cookies. We will gladly accept your holiday treats!  If you would like to donate cookies, please have cookies, individually bagged in zip-loc baggies, & sent to church by Friday, December 23. Questions? Please talk to Lisa Connelly (937-361-9127 or lisaaconnelly@yahoo.com).

First Lutheran Breakfast Update
Since Covid, GSLC volunteer crews have been preparing “grab & go” meals for the guests, twice a month (the second & fourth Sundays) at First Lutheran Church in downtown Dayton.  First Lutheran would like to begin serving a small meal (cereal & pancakes) inside prior to giving guests a grab & go meal when leaving the building. The GSLC crews need additional volunteers to make the inside meals possible. A few volunteers are needed, on Saturdays, to prep the grab & go meals. In addition, several volunteers are needed, on Sunday’s morning (approximately 6:30 am- 9:00 am), to help prep & serve the inside meal.  Please contact Lisa Connelly (937-361-9127 or lisaaconnelly@yahoo.com) if you have any questions.

Adopt-A-Family 
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Adopt-A-Family program this year. The gifts have been sorted and will be delivered to our two families very soon. I appreciate your generosity which will help make Christmas special for the families. Extra thanks to Sandy Rosholt for her assistance in preparing the gift tags and help in sorting the gifts. Wishing you all a blessed Christmas season. Sincerely, Lisa Connelly, Outreach Commissioner

We Need Volunteers! 
GSLC is in need of four new Commissioners (Finance and Administration, Parish Life and Response, and Worship and Celebration).  If you would like to volunteer for these positions, please let Pr. Jamie, Roger Bauser or Wayne Rosholt know.

Jeremiah’s Letter December 18
The mission of Jeremiah’s Letter is to bring congregations together from the greater Dayton community so that together they can enhance the daily lives of individuals and families of the inner-city who find themselves in need. To help support the works of Jeremiah’s Letter, Good Shepherd will be collecting bath and bedroom linens, personal hygiene products, canned foods and cleaning/laundry supplies.

Food Pantry News 
Your generous donations for the month of September totaled 130 items Thanks for your continued faithfulness to this important ministry. Food was delivered to three food pantries on October 6 and helps support their efforts to provide food for families in these difficult economic times. As one of the food pantry volunteers said: “THIS IS AWESOME. THANK YOU, ALL SO, MUCH.  In this fiscal year (since October 1, 2021) we have donated almost 4200 food items. You can bring donations at any time, and the next FOOD PANTRY SUNDAY is January 1.  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 or brand name Chunky soups or Progresso soups – if on sale – are especially useful because they can be stretched by adding pasta and making a casserole meal).

CONTINUING EDUCATION

FAITH FORMATION:  Luther’s Small Catechism 
Our first “household” study was warm and welcoming!
Fifteen folks spanning the ages from 11 – 89 gathered for food, fellowship, and a lesson focused on baptism last Saturday. 
Baptism is a gift from God. God does it all! We become a CHILD OF GOD, sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever. 
What have you ever wondered about baptism? 
Martin Luther’s Small Catechism highlights The Ten Commandments, The Apostles’ Creed, The Lord’s Prayer, The Sacrament of Holy Baptism, and The Sacrament of Holy Communion. Luther believed that being connected to God and one another in faith grew from common practices and understandings. Lutherans still value the roots of faith that are shared through God’s Word and Luther’s Small Catechism. 
This year in conjunction with our middle school youth, all folks at GSLC are invited to come and discover the gems of Luther’s Small Catechism. We are inviting the congregation to join our “household” as we study Luther’s Small Catechism once a month on the second Saturday November through April.  Curious about this?  Contact Pastor Jamie or Don Bennett. 
Second Session:  Communion on Saturday, December 10.  Dinner and Discussion. Dinner served at 5:30 p.m. If you are interested in coming, please let Don Bennett know.

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! Use the links below to join in the conversations. 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:   ALL YOUTH are WELCOME!  Come! Explore! Discover!  We would like to make all our youth welcome in our learning experiences. Come share what works for you and your child. Our youth meet in the chapel from 9:30 – 10:20 am on Sunday morning. ALL youth K – 8 are invited. The Whirl curriculum is designed to connect the lessons in the church service with the discussions and projects in the classroom. For more information, talk with Karin Linch or Sandy Rosholt. 

SUNDAY MORNING ADULT BIBLE STUDY  
This Bible Study will resume in December. Watch for details to come.

THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY for Men 
Topic: Gospel Lectionary Reading for worship 
Facilitator: Roger Bauser
Next session in December. 

FRIDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY DISCUSSION for ALL
Topic: Gospel Lectionary Readings for worship 
This online Bible Study will resume in December. 

WELCA Bible Study 
Thank you to ALL who joined in our fall study Jesus and Nature: Teachers of faith. 
In January 2023 we will begin the study of The Ten Commandments prepared by Rev. Christa von Zychlin. Check out the overview HERE

Griefshare  
Good Shepherd offers 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 offers the 13 week GriefShare program in person and online from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm on Sundays.   Our winter GriefShare Mourning to Joy will be available on Sundays from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm from January 8 – April 2.  If you or someone you know is interested, please register online at www.griefshare.org or call the church office. No prior registration is required for folks coming in person. If you have any questions, contact Kathy Seim (937-901-0532) or Pam Bauser (937-602-8385). 

MISCELLANEOUS

Stewardship Snippets December 18
Matthew 1:20b – An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”  As Joseph learned, God’s plans sometimes require us to depart from what we know and expect. As followers of Jesus, may we be able to find the courage and flexibility to be good stewards of all God’s amazing gifts.

Offerings for last week:  $2.205.00
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! Click here to fill out the form:  Gift Card Order Form

A PLACE FOR NEWS

ELCA NEWS:
ELCA Good Gifts. Click here.
Lutheran Disaster Response. Click here.
Lutheran World Relief. Click here.
ELCA Global Links.  Click here.
ELCA World Hunger.  Click here.
ELCA Disabilities Ministry.  Click here.

Christmas Message from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton click here.

COMMUNITY EVENTS AND NOTICES

Hear the Bells Concert 
The Centerville Community Chorus Featuring the Jubilate Handbells will present a holiday concert, “Hear the Bells” on Sunday, December 18 at 3:00 pm at Epiphany Lutheran Church, 6430 Far Hills Avenue in Centerville in the Celebration Center.  Please join them for an assortment of both food and beverage, and a variety of bell-themed holiday music!  Admission is free. Donations taken at the door. For more information about the chorus, and all of our social media links, visit us at: https://linktr.ee/centervillecommunitychorusohio

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