Eblast – 7/26

Eblast – 7/26

Going Back to Online Worship

With the Covid_19 numbers continuing to rise in Montgomery County, at the recommendation of Gov DeWine & Bishop Suzanne Dillahunt, we will be moving back to online worship and meetings only beginning this weekend.  Until we are out of a level 3, and the counties numbers continue to stay down we will remain doing everything online again. A few important things to note:

  • We ARE NOT going back to online worship and meetings because someone at GSLC got sick from re-opening last weekend.  We are doing this at the recommendation of the Governor, the Bishop, and respect for each other’s health.
  • What time will it be? Since we went to our Summer Schedule time last week we will remain with having worship available to view at 10:30 am on Sunday mornings. So this week worship will be on Sunday at 10:30am.
  • What about Holy Communion? We will continue to offer Holy Communion twice a month, like we did in June, and that will be on the 2nd & 4th Sundays. So this week, being the 2nd Sunday of the month, we will have Holy Communion available in the parking lot from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm. Hope to see you there.
  • How long will this last? I don’t know. We just have to continue to monitor the Covid_19 numbers and see what the Governor’s recommendations are. I loved seeing your faces and having people respond to my jokes in my message, but I love you not being sick even more. So hopefully our numbers will not continue to rise and it will be safe to gather again relatively soon.

Take care of yourselves, and each other. – Pr. Jamie Vannoy

Online Worship Information

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church will continue doing a video of our church service. Online worship will be available on Sunday at 10:30 am. Come and enjoy GSLC’s service online. 

Please use the following links below to connect to the Saturday Church Service:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goodshepherdkettering/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFjr6taytoTncrtHVY9TGQw

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

Celebrate Communion

Holy Communion will be available from Pr. Jamie after worship on Sundays from 12:00 – 1:00 pm.  It will be made available by drive thru. 

Let us take a moment to explain:
– You will come in on Kenosha Ave., pull up alongside the sidewalk.
– Then you will be given a communion wafer and juice, packaged together, that you will open and ingest, then you’ll receive a blessing.
– Then you can exit out onto Stroop Rd.

If you are not able to make it to the church and would like to receive Communion at your home, or residence if it’s permitted, then call the office and Pastor will set up a time to come to your home.
– Pr. Jamie will set up a time to come to your home.
– Pr. Jamie will bring Communion to your door. Where you will receive the communion wafer and juice, packaged together, that you will open and ingest; then you’ll receive a blessing.

Offerings for last week:  $2,673.14

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:

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.  

This Week’s Article

This week’s article is by William Willimon @ Ministry Matters.

The parables of the mustard seed (13:31-32) and the leaven (13:33) go nicely together, making a similar point. Here, deep in summer, these parables about something small and hidden that strangely and miraculously becomes great are fortuitous considering that most of us are preaching to small congregations at this time of the vacation season.

In the growth of a little mustard seed and the expansion of a pinch of leaven, Jesus gives us an opportunity to marvel how a humble beginning and an almost hidden presence can be preludes to a spectacular, glorious conclusion.

I don’t think we’ll want to focus upon the smallness of the present or the greatness that is to come in the future but rather how, in God’s hands, that which is regarded as insignificant can lead eventually to a grand culmination. It’s the ending that makes all the difference in how we regard the present.

In the other piece of our pericope, the parables of the treasure (13:44) and the pearl (13:45-46) take up a different theme: the urgency of risking all for the realm of God.

These four parables, like many of Jesus’s parables, stress that the advent of God’s realm is mainly a work of God. We don’t bring in God’s promised rule; God does. We can anticipate that rule, we can expect it, and we do what we can to witness to its arrival, but God’s reign is a mysterious, wonderful act of God. The coming of that reign is not self-evident, not there for all to see, yet for those of us instructed by the parables of Jesus, sometimes we are given eyes to see. Thus the parables expand our imagination and encourage us to look beneath the surface of things, to look beyond what’s in front of our eyes.

The world finds it difficult to see the reign of Christ. The world, impressed by the size rather than the quality of things misses the outbreak of Christ’s realm. Church is a place to readjust our vision, a place where our eyes are opened to the true significance of things in the light of Christ.

Stewardship Snippets – July 26, 2020

Jesus told them another parable, “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.” – Matthew 13:33
Bread-baking enjoyed renewed popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, so much so that yeast is in short supply. Thankfully, it takes only a little dab of yeast to leaven an entire loaf of bread. Likewise, a little bit of Jesus in our lives encourages us to pursue freedom and justice for all people.

Volunteers Needed

GSLC is looking for volunteers who would be willing to pick up food donations from the Kroger Bakery Department on Dorothy Lane every Monday Morning.  If you are interested in volunteering please contact Don Bennett at don.bennett@goodshepherdkettering.com

Volunteer Work 

Yes, GSLC is truly honored to have a few outstanding volunteers who help with special projects and the weekly lawn mowing and the grass and shrub trimming; however, as we all know … many hands make light work, so we are looking for additional volunteers to share in the effort and spread out the workload.  Additionally, for those who want to stay inside, we have inside projects on the “to-do” list that need to be accomplished this summer as well.  Note:  All of these projects follow approved State of Ohio Social Distancing rules and could help improve your mindfulness.  If you are interested in volunteering and serving GSLC in this capacity, please send an email or call the office @ 937-298-0136, Del @ 937-298-8876 or Wayne @ 937-510-4265.

Food Pantry Donations

If you are planning to come to church for drive-thru communion this week, please remember the needs of the food pantry.This will be a convenient time to drop off non-perishable food  to help meet the needs of many hungry families in our area. Your food donations are more important than ever during this trying time of covid-19 restrictions. If you prefer, you can drop off cash or a check payable to Good Shepherd. Someone will be at church to assist you with your donation.

Thank you to all of our Food Pantry Donors. During our July 6 delivery to the pantry we were able to deliver 305 much appreciated food items.

In these uncertain times, the Greenmont-Oak Park Church / Ascension Parish “Neighbor to Neighbor” Food Pantry serves an even more vital role in the lives of many Kettering area families. As a congregation, we have supported the pantry with our gifts for many years. As you are shopping in the grocery, please remember these families with a few extra purchases. Watch your local supermarket for specials to stretch your dollars even further.

Even though we are not meeting together, food donations may be dropped off at the church during regular business hours.

The collection box will be easily accessible just inside the exterior doors to the fellowship hall. Ring the bell.  When the doors are unlocked, go inside and place your food in the collection box.  If you are not going to the grocery regularly and you want to make a monetary donation, make your check payable to Good Shepherd and marked FOOD PANTRY and send it to or drop it off in the office. The food pantry staff will use your monetary gifts wisely.

GriefShare

Griefshare Reunion on Sunday, August 9, 2020 from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
ONLINE – GSLC is not sure that it will be wise to gather in person at this time.
Using Zoom folks can come and go as time allows.

Saturday, August 29, 2020 from 10:00 am – Noon
In person session for the Loss of a Spouse special session.
This session will be adapted if the GSLC building is not open at the time. 
Located in the Fellowship Hall (to allow easier social distancing)

Sunday, September 13 – Sunday, December 6 from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Plan for in person sessions this fall.  Online sessions work and provide a wider range of participation, Griefshare may try a combo of in person and online. 
These sessions will be adapted if the GSLC building is not open at the time. 
Located in the Fellowship Hall/Lounge (depending on size of group)

ANY one interested may contact Kathy Seim 937-901-0532 or Pam Bauser 937-602-8385. We will gladly answer questions. We can help you register. We can help you be ready to Zoom with us. We look forward to extending this accessible opportunity to the GSLC family and friends.

Lifelong Learning   

Our ADULT Lifelong Learning Classes are ONLINE! Everyone is welcome! Please contact the church office for the links below to join in the conversations. This is a great time to “zoom” in and discover the quality adult education we have at GSLC. While GSLC is opening for worship, our Bible studies and Sunday morning studies are remaining online. If you haven’t checked any of these out, please consider joining the conversations. 

Our YOUTH classes are on vacation until fall. 

Questions?? – Please contact Pam Bauser at 937-299-5186.
Topic: We Are CALLED to be GOD’S CHURCH in the World! 
Facilitator: Roger Bauser
Time: 9:00 – 10:00 am
Place: Comfort of your home – connect online!

Bring your coffee. Have your Bible handy. We have heard GOD’S CALL! Now we will explore putting our CALL into ACTION!
Our topic is based on Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton’s Bible study available on the ELCA website. During the coming weeks we will explore our call to be CHURCH, our call to be LUTHERAN, our call to be TOGETHER, and our call for the SAKE OF THE WORLD!
Sundays at 9:00 am on Zoom.

THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY for Women
Topic: Finding God Faithful 
Facilitator: Paula Bennett
Time: 11:00 am – Noon 
Dates: Thursdays, July 23, 30; and WEDNESDAY August 5
Place: Comfort of your home – connect online. 

COME JOIN THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY! If you missed the first week, don’t worry. Just link right in this week. If you need assistance, please reach out to Pam Bauser 937-602-8385.  In the midst of hardship, tragedy, and unanswered questions, it’s difficult to glimpse God at work. How do we hold onto our faith during these times? How do we trust God is working all things for our good and His glory?  
Over 8 sessions, Paula Bennett will lead the study to trace the path of Joseph’s life in the Book of Genesis to observe how God’s sovereignty reigns, even in our darkest moments.  Learn to recognize when God is working during periods of waiting, trust God’s plan when life doesn’t make sense, and rest in the sufficiency of His presence in every circumstance. 
His provision is enough. His presence is constant.  His purpose is unstoppable.

THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY for Men
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 continues 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.

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 web site, goodshepherdkettering.com, and on the front page on the right side 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.

Counseling Assistance

Good Shepherd is a member of the Covenant Society for Pastoral Counseling of Miami Valley Hospital. Trained and certified counselors are available to congregational members at any time, whether for a crisis or for ongoing help. This service is confidential, and anonymous if you choose. You do not have to go through the pastor or church to access this service. If you have a need simply call  (937) 438-3486, tell the staff you are a member of Good Shepherd, our church is part of the Covenant Society for Pastoral Counseling through Premier. Because Good Shepherd is a member the cost to you is one-half of any non-reimbursed portion (for example, through insurance coverage) of the normal charge. For further information on this service you can call the above numbers, or talk to Pastor Jamie.

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!

ELCA NEWS:

ELCA Disability Ministry God’s work. Our hands. Click here.
Lutheran World Relief Sustainable Development. Lasting Promises click here.
ELCA Global Links   Global Links: Praying for our world during COVID-19 click here.