THRIVE: Equipping a Vibrant Church Together
The THRIVE! Campaign is to raise $1,200,000 for ministries in the Southern Ohio Synod. In the past few weeks, our Mission Moments have focused on five powerful goals:
· Goal 1 – Equipping leaders
· Goal 2 – Raising up leaders for smaller congregations
· Goal 3 – Strengthening rostered ministers
· Goal 4 – Launching new congregations and reaching new people
· Goal 5 – Enhancing worship practice
These goals are intended to provide ministries, workshops, and programming beyond the day-to-day responsibilities of the SOS. We have heard about our roots as a mission congregation, about our congregation’s involvement in the training and opportunities being provided through the synod, and Pastor Jamie’s personal story emphasizing the need to support those who hear God’s call in the pursuit of theological education.
This is COMMITMENT WEEKEND! It is the weekend when we have the privilege of pledging our individual support for these valuable ministries. Each member of the congregation will receive an intent card as part of worship. Instructions will be provided. Folks will be asked to complete the intent cards and turn them in as part of our worship experience. For members who are not present for worship Saturday or Sunday, we will make sure they receive an invitation to pledge their support. This is an offering to the THRIVE! Campaign above and beyond the offerings to support GSLC.
The THRIVE! Campaign for the Southern Ohio Synod has been extended to run through December 2022. The pledge forms have a multitude of giving possibilities to make it convenient for folks. Using the Tithe.ly app or writing a check makes giving easily accessible. It is possible to do weekly, monthly, or annual gifts to the campaign. A one-time gift is equally acceptable. ALL pledge offerings will be made to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and marked for the THRIVE! Campaign. We will forward the gifts to the SOS quarterly so that all the monies can benefit the work being done. Our three-year giving plan will continue through June 2024.
Thank you for prayerfully considering how you can be an important part of God’s work in the Southern Ohio Synod. Here is the information distributed in worship May 14-15: click here. Here is the link to begin the Mission Moment this week Thrive! Campaign Goal 4: https://youtu.be/d1Jg56p_XkQ
WORSHIP
Parking Lot Communion will be offered on the 3rd Sunday of the month from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm. June 19 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
OUTREACH AND SERVICES
Food Pantry News
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).
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Amazing Grace Daycamp
Summer is just around the corner. Soon it will be time for Amazing Grace Daycamp. Circle July 18-22 on your calendars! Those are the important dates to remember. We will have a team from Lutheran Memorial Camp to lead the programming. We will need lots of volunteers to help with the campers, serve meals, provide support, and house the LMC staff. Hold this important outreach ministry in your prayers. Please contact Don Bennett at (937) 298-0136 or don.bennett@goodshepherdkettering.com if you would like to volunteer or receive further information.
Graduation Weekend – May 28/29, 2022
Each spring Good Shepherd honors our graduates from high school, college, and graduate programs. This year our graduate recognition will be the weekend of May 28/29. We need your help identifying this year’s graduates. Please submit the names of those members of your family who are graduating this spring to the church office as soon as possible. This will help us plan for the event. Please indicate the graduate’s full name, the name of school, and the degree earned, including the field of study. Thank you for helping us gather this information! It is a blessing to honor those graduates who are special to our congregation.
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: Our youth have completed this year’s Sunday morning learning events. Please watch for dates when classes resume in the fall.
SUNDAY MORNING ADULT BIBLE STUDY
Adult Crossings: God’s Journey with Us!
Facilitator: Roger Bauser
Time: 8:50 am – 9:50 am
Place: Comfort of your own home – connect and discuss with others online!
Life is a journey – one we measure in passages of time, accomplishments, transitions in education and vocation, and relationships. In all circumstances, God journeys with us! The Bible tells us so! The Word of God is filled with powerful stories of God’s presence in the lives of individuals and communities. God keeps the promise to be present in the Bible. God keeps the promise to be present in our lives. The Adult Crossings explores the Bible through eight core stories: God’s call; the Exodus; Sinai covenant; Promised land; Davidic rule; Jesus’ life; the Cross; Resurrection life. These stories will carry us through Lent and into the Easter season. Use this time to grow your relationship with God as God keeps the promise to journey with you! The format is online to provide a safe, healthy way to connect. The sessions are designed to allow folks to come to one or all of the conversations.
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.
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.
WELCA BIBLE STUDY – WEDNESDAY, MAY 25
Across the Generations: One act of welcome can beget another
In the month of May, Gather invites women to consider the value of intergenerational relationships both in Scripture and in our daily lives. Plan to join us as we hear and respond to the stories shared. Think about your own relationships. When have you been blessed by a mentor who shares your journey from a different place in life. Looking ahead, the June, July, and August Bible studies use the concepts of quilting to explore themes of community and sabbath. Plan to join us for a summer of rest and renewal. Topic: Across the Generations: One act of welcome can beget another (May/June 2022 issue of Gather)
Leader: Pam Bauser
Time: 10:30 am OR Time: 7:30 pm
The study is available in the May/April 2022 issue of Gather for Faith and Action, the magazine from the Women of the ELCA. If you need a copy of the study, please contact Pam Bauser at psbauser@me.com or 937-602-8385.
MISCELLANEOUS
Stewardship Snippets – May 22, 2022
“Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” –Romans 8:26
We rest assured that we are covered in prayer by the Holy Spirit, and also by the prayers and love of our elders and ancestors whose job it is to steward us toward deeper faith and beloved community.
Offerings for last week: $1,660.25
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:
Lutheran Disaster Response. Click here.
Lutheran World Relief. Click here.
ELCA Global Links. Click here.
ELCA World Hunger Click here.
COMMUNITY EVENTS AND NOTICES
Live Like Jack Award
Good Shepherd member Jack Steel recently received the first annual “Live Like Jack” award from the DorWood Optimist Club. The award honors the legacy of Mr. Jack Akerman who was a distinguished and exemplary member of DorWood and community servant for 52 years. Jack Steel has followed in those footsteps by being a super active member in almost every aspect of this wonderful service organization dedicated to promoting and supporting activities for youth in our community. CONGRATULATIONS, JACK STEEL! If you would like more information about DorWood and its program, contact Jack.
Pomp and Pipes Concerts
Saturday, May 21 at 5:00 pm. In celebration of 50 years of the Kettering Casavant Pipe Organ, the Kettering Praise Orchestra, under direction of Donald Huff, will present Pomp & Pipes at the Kettering Adventist Church. The program will feature organists Rachel Lammi and Ellie Sauser. Admission is free.
Sunday, May 22 at 4:00 pm. The Kettering Praise Orchestra, under direction of Donald Huff, will present Pomp & Pipes – powerful music for organ, winds, brass, and percussion. The program will feature organists Rachel Lammi and Ellie Sauser. The concert is at the Troy First United Methodist Church. Admission is free.
WELCA Dayton Conference Gathering
St. John’s Lutheran Church in Ingomar at 2139 Enterprise Road, West Alexandria will be holding this year’s Dayton Spring Gathering titled “I Love to Tell the Story” on June 4, 2022 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. All are invited to come and enjoy a pleasant informal afternoon sharing “Faith Stories, or God Moments”. Enjoy your time together with conversation and good fellowship with light refreshments. There will be updates from the Synod office and opportunities to volunteer. Questions? Contact Marcie at (937) 974-8894.
Kettering Block Party
On Wednesday, June 8 from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm located at the Fraze Pavilion the City of Kettering will have a block party. Enjoy free hot dogs, live music, and a variety of booths featuring City resources and information. Contact the Volunteer Office with any questions at 937-296-2433.