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, May 24) 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, May 24 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 #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.
Upcoming Events
On Sunday, May 7 GSLC will have a First Communion Sunday for Rowan, Victor, and Finlee. On Sunday, May 14 there will be a Confirmation for Rowan. On Sunday, May 21 Adelaide, Laura Sports daughter, will be baptized during worship. On Sunday, May 28 we will be holding a Pentecost/ Graduate Sunday/ New Member Sunday. All are invited for these special events.
OUTREACH AND SERVICES
Plastic Bags Needed
Grocery bags are needed for the twice monthly First Lutheran breakfast meals we prepare & serve. We prepare 140 “to go” meals each month and we have depleted our surplus of plastic bags. Please bring any clean plastic bags to church and know they are being put to good use. Thanks so much!!
Call for GSLC Scholarship Applications – 2023-2024 Academic Year
All Applications will be accepted until May 7. Anyone who is a member of Good Shepherd pursuing a 2 year degree, 4 year degree, or ELCA rostered leadership is eligible to apply. Those who are interested in applying for scholarships from the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Scholarship Fund may review the requirements on the church webpage, www.goodshepherdkettering.com. Applications may be found on the webpage or requested from the church office. Completed applications must be submitted by May 7.
Calling For all Graduates
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 27/28. 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
Special Thanks
Thank you to all who contributed money for the beautiful lilies which adorned our Sanctuary this Easter. Any additional money raised (above the amount required for the flowers) will be donated to the Wernle Campus in Indiana. When we have a total amount raised, we will let the congregation know. Thank you so much! Lisa Connelly, Outreach Commissioner.
Day Camp
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! Click here for our Operation Restoration flyer!
Food Pantry News
Just a reminder that our next Food Pantry Sunday will be May 7. Thanks for your faithful support of this feeding ministry. Blessings to all who give and all who receive this much needed food.
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 – May 21
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
FAITH FORMATION: Affirmation of Baptism for Rowan Diane Linch will be on Sunday, May 14 at 10:30 am service. Please keep Rowan and her family in prayer as she prepares for this important milestone of faith.
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.
Our Youth Sunday Morning opportunities continue through Sunday, May 21, 2023. Youth Sunday School will resume after Labor Day in the fall. Many thanks to our faithful Sunday School staff, Sandy Rosholt and Karin Linch, for their service.
SUNDAY MORNING ADULT BIBLE STUDY
Topic: How We Got the New Testament
Facilitator: Roger Bauser
Time: 8:50 am – 9:50 am
Place: Comfort of your own home – connect and discuss with others online!
Ever wonder how we got the 27 books we call the New Testament? Within these books we find real history, turning points, epic characters, intimate insights, and why all this still matters. Curious??? Come join us as we explore the developments that led us to the New Testament that we hold dear. This study includes video clips featuring Pastor Greg Kauffman from Select Learning.
If you experience any difficulty joining this study, please contact Roger at rebauser@me.com or call 937-299-5186.
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
Intergenerational hospitality! That’s the theme for the May Bible study. Click here for further details!
What does that mean? Who is invited?
Everyone is invited! Age does not matter. Being a member does not matter. Being Lutheran does not matter.
Color, career, social status, financial well being – NONE of that matters.
What does matter is that EVERY ONE of us is a CHILD of GOD!
Our journeys have many paths. This is a chance to intersect our lives with other women. This is a chance to see God in the faces of others.
Come. See what the Lord has in store!!!
Love in action: the art of intergenerational hospitality by Sarah Carson
Facilitator: Pam Bauser
Time: Wednesday, May 10 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 a friend! Grab your Bible. Be ready to connect!
We are using the May/June 2023 issue of Gather Magazine. The magazine and studies are available online. To find the devotional click here.
Contact Pam Bauser at psbauser@me.com or call 937-602-8385 with any questions. ALL are truly WELCOME! Bring a friend!
MISCELLANEOUS
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.
A Study Curriculum on Civic Life and Faith
How are we as Lutheran Christians called to civic engagement, including in the arenas of government and political life? What is the proper relationship of the church with government, and what is not? What does religious liberty actually include? What are our scriptural and confessional resources for probing such questions about civic life?
You and your congregation are invited to explore these questions and more by using “A Study Curriculum on Civic Life and Faith.”
This study curriculum has just been released by the ELCA Task Force for Studies on Civic Life and Faith. It includes six sessions and is a critical step on the way to the social statement called for by the 2019 Churchwide Assembly.
Each session comes ready to use, with prayers, hymn suggestions, Scriptures, a teaching video, group discussion questions, suggested resources, and case studies taken from everyday life. There is a response form after each session for participants to communicate with the task force itself on the material covered.
The sessions are:
Session 1: How Is God’s Invitation to Discipleship Lived Out in a Democracy?
Session 2: How Do Christians Address Controversial Civic Issues?
Session 3: What Are Lutheran Views on Civic Life?
Session 4: What Are the Objectives of Democracy in the United States?
Session 5: What’s Faith-based Living Got to Do With Civic Life?
Session 6: How Do We Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord in Civic Life?
Participants’ feedback is key in helping the task force think as they move into the next phase of drafting a social statement on these important issues. The study response period is open until October 15, 2023. To download the study and learn more about the task force’s work, please click here.
COMMUNITY EVENTS AND NOTICES
9th Annual Martha Leach Memorial Tea
You’re invited to the 9th Annual Martha Leach Memorial Tea to be held on Saturday, May 20, 2023, 2:00 PM at Faith Lutheran Church 3315 Martel Dr., Dayton, 45420. Program entertainment provided by the musical stylings of Don Kanipe. Assorted desserts and tea. Cost is $5.00 per person. Children six and under are admitted free. Advance reservations only by May 15th. For reservations, contact Ingrid Holmes, 937-272-1178, or the Faith office, 937-253-2156. Bring your family and friends!
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.