Annual Poinsettia Project Donations
GSLC would like to thank all those who donated to the Annual Poinsettia Project this year. Please click the link to view the donations in Loving Memory or in Loving Honor of Family and Friends: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pSBvpKksblZytplkEIJLUJanHieCYnF1/view?usp=sharing
WORSHIP
Online Option to Worship Only
Good Shepherd is going back to worshiping online until further notice. We will continue to offer online worship on Sundays and our parking lot Holy Communion on the first and third Sundays from Noon – 1:00 pm.
Please use the following links below to connect online to the Sunday Church Service:
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/goodshepherdkettering/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFjr6taytoTncrtHVY9TGQw
Online Events Information
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
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.
OUTREACH AND SERVICES
Adopt-a-Family
Dear Members of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Thank you so very much for your generous donations toward helping a local family. We delivered 2 cars full of gifts containing clothes, toys, and books for the children and gifts for their very grateful mom. We also had boxes of food and home goods; cleaning supplies and paper products. She was overwhelmed and thankful for your generosity.
With all of the support from you and my family and friends we were also able to support the Foodbank of Dayton and Homefull. The Foodbank will receive 7 large boxes of canned food and other non-perishables. Homefull will receive much needed sheets, kitchenware, and blankets for people in need. I am truly grateful to the school resource officer from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s department for sending us this family. May God bless your Christmas with joy and peace, Mary Pierce.
Food Pantry News
Many thanks to the Good Shepherd members and our generous neighbors for continuing donations each month. With Congress and the President currently unable to reach an agreement on economic assistance for pandemic victims our donations now are more important than ever. As you are doing your grocery shopping, please remember the food pantry recipients for these life-sustaining gifts. If you prefer, you can send a check, (payable to Good Shepherd and marked for food pantry) to the office. You can drop off food or checks during the week by ringing the fellowship hall entry bell and placing items in the donation box immediately inside the door.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Lifelong Learning
GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN! Jesus Christ is born!
Our ADULT Lifelong Learning Classes are ONLINE! Everyone is welcome! Please contact the church office for the links below to join in the conversations. Many holiday traditions have to be set aside for the health and safety of our community. Take this opportunity to “zoom” in and 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.
Our YOUTH classes (Kindergarten – 6th grade) are online. Our youth have been serving the Lord by making holiday cheer to share with our homebound members. If you received one of these surprises, they were made especially for you by our youth and their teachers. Karin Linch and Sandy Rosholt are the teachers for our youth classes.
CATECHISM is being offered online this year. Catechism is for our 6th, 7th, and 8th graders in preparation for confirmation, affirming the baptismal promises. If you have an interest in our studies of the Bible, Luther’s Small Catechism, and Lutheran heritage, please contact the church office for more information. Pastor Jamie and Don Bennett teach our catechism classes.
SATURDAY MORNING BREAKFAST BIBLE STUDY DISCUSSION for ALL
This study will meet EVERY Saturday through December.
Topic: Lectionary for Sunday worship
Facilitator: Roger Bauser
Time: 9:00 am – 10:00 am
Place: comfort of your home – connect online!
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.
SUNDAY MORNING ADULT BIBLE STUDY
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 chapters 14-15.Hear more of God’s providence as Barnabas and Saul complete their first missionary journey. If you experience any difficulty connecting, please contact Roger at rebauser@me.com or call 937-299-5186.
THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY for Men
This study will meet Christmas Eve and New Years Eve.
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 is 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.
MISCELLANEOUS
E-Bulletin
GSLC now has the bulletin on our website. It’s set to go live on our website under the “Worship” and the “More” menu tabs at 10:00 am on Sunday mornings. We hope this makes the worship service more meaningful to you now that you will be able to follow along.
Offerings for last week: $2,220.00
Happy New Year!
The staff at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church wishes everyone a Happy New Year on Friday, January 1. May you all be blessed in this New Year 2021. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! – 2 Corinthians 5:17
A Special Thank You
On behalf of everyone on the staff at GSLC, thank you for the Christmas Gifts given to us by all of your generosity. It means so much when you take a moment to show appreciation for all the work we do, both visible and invisible. Thank you again for your token of appreciation.
Church Directory
We are updating our church directory. Please send any updated information to the church office at (937) 298-0136 or at office@goodshepherdkettering.com. After the corrections have been made we will have directories available in the New Year! Thank you for helping us keep our records straight.
Devotionals
GSLC has the new January – March 2021 Devotionals on the table in the Narthex or in the church office. Stop by the church if you would like to get one.
Advent Wreaths
To help us all feel connected while we are worshiping from home during Advent, GSLC thought it would be fun for us to do our own Advent Wreaths. You can use any candles you have around the house; it doesn’t matter if they match. And if you are lucky enough to have an Advent Wreath then by all means use it!! I used 4 tea light candles and one larger candle. They weren’t the right colors, but it made me feel like I was included and part of the service by doing the Advent Wreath. When they light the candles in church that will be your opportunity to light your candle at home.
Please take a photo of your wreath and email it to Don Bennett at bennett@goodshepherdkettering.com. He will create a photo gallery on our website of the photos that get sent in as another way for us to feel connected. Many Blessings to you all during this Joyous Season, Michele Weyhrauch, Worship Commissioner. Please click the link to view our gallery of wreath photos: https://goodshepherdkettering.com/good-shepherd-advent-wreaths/
Need a Treasurer
Denise Wilson resigned from being Treasurer after serving faithful and we are in need of a Treasurer. Please pray that we fill this crucial position on the Council will be filled quickly. If you are interested in knowing more information about the position feel free to call the Church Office and ask to speak to Pr. Jamie.
CHURCH PROGRAM DONATIONS
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 website for Youth Donations, https://goodshepherdkettering.com/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
ELCA NEWS:
ELCA Disability Ministry God’s work. Our hands. Click here.
Lutheran World Relief Sustainable Development. Click here.
ELCA Global Links. Click here.