Eblast 4/9

Eblast 4/9

WORSHIP

Worship With Us Online! 
Good Shepherd will continue to offer online worship on Sundays.
Please use the following links below to connect online to the Sunday Church Service:
Facebook click here: Facebook
YouTube click here: Youtube

4th Wednesday Monthly Prayer Service  
Do you need some time away from the busyness of life? On the 4th Wednesday of the month (beginning Wednesday, April 26) come join us at GSLC for a prayer service. Enjoy some time together singing and praying, while also getting some time to spend with the Lord in prayer by yourself.  There will be “stations” to help you focus on open different parts of our life if you need that, you can stay in your pew and pray, or you can just walk around the sanctuary if that is what helps you enter some prayerful space for the Lord. Come join us Wednesday, April 26 at 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary. All are welcome to join us!

Inviting Congregation Retreats  
Ever wonder WHY we are striving to become an inviting congregation? Or wonder HOW we might go about doing it? Well if you have asked these questions then we have 2 retreats coming up that are for you. Each retreat will be offered 3 times with all the same info being presented at all of them.
Retreat #1—HOW?–Saturday, April 22 from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall , Sunday, April 23 from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall , & Wednesday, April 26 from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall.
Retreat #2—WHY?–Saturday, May 20 from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall, Sunday, May 21 from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall, & Wednesday, May 24 from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall.
If you have any questions call Pr Jamie in the office.

OUTREACH AND SERVICES   

SAVE THE DATE! 
This year we will be having Day Camp from June 26 – 30. We will need lots of helpers in lots of areas. Please watch this space for ways you can help. 
Click here for our Day Camp flyer!

Spring Craft FairSaturday, April 29 from 9:00am – 3:00 pm
Over 40 Crafters and Vendors will be set up on the GSLC Campus! Some of our vendors are local favorites and many creative and unique products will be featured! Come out and shop, buy a raffle ticket, and enjoy lunch – this is a fun event with something for everyone. We look forward to seeing you!

Craft Show Help Needed
Good Shepherd will be having a Spring Craft Show with local vendors. This is a BIG event! We need your help to run the show. To volunteer please contact Rich Kellstrom or sign up in the Narthex.

Food Pantry News 
Your generous donations for the month of March totaled 260 items Thanks for your continued faithfulness to this important ministry. Food was delivered to six feeding ministries on April 3, and helps support their efforts to provide food for families in these difficult economic times. The feeding ministry staffs and patrons are always so deeply appreciative. You can bring donations at any time. 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).

We Need Volunteers! 
GSLC is in need of four new Commissioners (Commissioner for Finance, 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 April 16
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.

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Financial Peace University 
If you’ve ever felt like you just can’t get in control of your money, you’re not alone. This. Is. Your. Time. You’d be surprised how many people you know are struggling just like you. It’s time for that struggle to end—starting when you take a Financial Peace University class. In just nine lessons, you’ll learn biblical and commonsense ways of handling money. Class have already started. Check it out at fpu.com/1159621! Contact Martin Pierce at 937-287-4021 for more info. 

FAITH FORMATION:  Luther’s Small Catechism 
THANK YOU to all who joined our confirmands in the study of Luther’s Small Catechism!  
THANK YOU to our meal prep/kitchen helpers! 
THANK YOU to Pastor Jamie and Don Bennett for their leadership.  
Watch for new opportunities in the future.

Lifelong Learning  
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 
The Romans:  Living Faithfully class has come to an end. This week there is no adult class meeting. All are invited to join in our Easter Celebration Worship at 10:30 a.m.
THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY for Men
Topic: Gospel Lectionary Reading for worship 
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. 
Facilitator: Roger Bauser
Time:  9:00 am – 10:00 am
Place:  comfort of your home – connect online!
If you experience any difficulty, please contact Roger at rebauser@me.com or call 937-299-5186.

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. 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. 

WELCA (Women of the ELCA) Bible Study
This is our final session on The Ten Commandments. Check out the overview HERE  Included on the website are links to a PDF of the APRIL Bible study and a video overview by Rev. Christa von Zychlin. January, February, and March studies are also available on the same link. Take a moment to imagine the Ten Commandments as “the God-given, best path through the wonderful, but challenging and ever-changing landscape of life.” These studies are wonderful for personal devotion AND our monthly discussions. Do take a moment to check it out!
Session FOUR: Commandments 7, 8, 9, 10
Guardrails for the love of God and neighbor
Rev. Christa von Zychlin summarizes our exploration of the Ten Commandments inviting us to pray for “…the Holy Spirit to build our Christian community and lead us into a deeper love of the one God and all our neighbors.”
Facilitator: Pam Bauser
Time: Wednesday, April 12 at 10:30 am or 7:30 pm
Place: Meeting in Fellowship Lounge or via Zoom at either time.
The session will be offered in a hybrid format allowing both in person and virtual participation. 
Bring your Bible, your questions, and your thoughts. 
We are using the March/April 2023 issue of Gather Magazine (which just arrived at the end of March). The magazine and studies are available online. The PDF of the April 2023 study is here: (April 2023) Session four: Guardrails for love of God and neighbor (Commandments 7,8,9 & 10)
Contact Pam Bauser at psbauser@me.com or call 937-602-8385 with any questions. ALL are truly WELCOME. Bring a friend! 

MISCELLANEOUS

NEW Offerings: 
The previous communications on weekly offerings were misleading due to the exclusion of on-line and monthly giving.  Going forward the financial information will be shown as monthly and YTD totals:
March monthly offerings $18,993 vs. budget of $20,172, excluding Harmony Creek contribution.
March YTD offerings $116,285 vs budget of $121,034, excluding Harmony Creek contribution.
March YTD Harmony Creek $13,750 vs budget of $10,000.
March YTD expenses $123,208 vs budget of $128,453.

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

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.

COMMUNITY EVENTS AND NOTICES

Dayton Right to Life is hosting the annual Tee Up Fore Life golf outing on Monday, June 5, 2023.  Can a round of gold save lives?  Yes, when you tee up for the Dayton Right to Life.  Located at Sycamore Creek Country Club.  Register at daytonlife.org.

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