Eblast 9/26

Eblast 9/26

Face Masks  Love your neighbor as yourself. – Mark 12:31
Please wear your mask to keep you and your neighbor safe from the spread of COVID19. Please wear your mask when you are inside the church building. Masks are required for worship at GSLC.  GSLC leadership monitors the health advisories for our area. Under the current conditions, health officials recommend wearing a mask indoors for everyone’s safety. This includes people who are fully vaccinated. Given the current rise in COVID19 cases in our area, we are requiring MASKS during worship at GSLC. You may remove your mask for Holy Communion and then put it back on to return to your seat. If you prefer not to wear a mask, please join us for worship online.  From the CDC website: To maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others, wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission.  Montgomery, Greene, Preble, Butler and Warren counties are all areas with substantial transmission.

WORSHIP    

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

Parking Lot Communion will be offered on the 3rd Sunday of the month from 12:00 pm -1:00 pm. October 17 will be the next time we have it. 

OUTREACH AND SERVICES

Medicine Bottle Ministry
**CHANGE** The Medicine Bottle Guidelines have been updated. Please take note that Matthew 25 Ministries will only accept bottles that meet the following criteria:

  • no label, including any lingering glue or residue (Goo Gone helps)
  • washed inside and out in hot water and dried.
  • after they are dried, lid replaced

If they do not meet these guidelines, Matthew 25 ministries simply recycle them.  **Also, they are now requiring that bottles donated are sorted by color and type and placed in Ziploc baggies labeled “Clean bottles”. Paula will do the sorting, but she would like some periodic donations of 2-gallon and 1-gallon ziplock baggies as well. You can place those in the bin with the bottles.  Please continue to collect prescription and non-prescription bottles and Paula will continue to take them to the drop-off site. The donations are very much needed and appreciated. On Wednesday, September 21 about 353 clean bottles were donated.

Food Pantry News 
The primary food pantry donation bin is back to the narthex; so if you are coming to church on Sunday morning you can bring your donations and place them there.   During the week, if you are going by church, you can still place your donations inside the fellowship hall doors as we have been doing. Monetary donations may still be made by placing a check in the offering or mailing it to the church office payable to Good Shepherd with “food pantry” in the memo line. 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).  Thank you to everyone for the 526 food items donated in the month of August and delivered on September 8. We had so much food that we were able to share with three different pantries: Greenmont Neighbor to Neighbor, Marshall Road Church of God, and Harmony Creek United Church of Christ.Next Food Pantry Sunday is October 3, but you can bring your donations in any time during September. Watch for those bargain purchases and stock up the pantries.

Quilts & Kits “Ingathering”  
Good Shepherd is the InGathering location for Southwest/Central Ohio, parts of Northern Kentucky and Indiana. We are the drop-off point for hundreds of boxes filled with Quilts & Kits collected over the past year by churches, groups, and businesses.  Our InGathering is a big event that utilizes many hands and good hard work. Volunteer to help, and join us Friday, October 1 and Saturday, October 2 as we work together to fill a semi with gifts, that will touch the lives of people around the world.  Sign-up sheets are in the Narthex. 

Fall Craft Fair November 6 at 9:00 am 
Good Shepherd is proud to host our annual Fall Craft Fair!  Our Fall and Spring Craft Fairs have become well-attended events in our community. This is a BIG event with all proceeds going toward local GSLC supported ministries. Our craft fair would not be successful without our dedicated volunteers and the many talented crafters who rent a space from us.  Consider volunteering 2 hours of your time to help with this fun and amazing event.  Your gift of time will not only help support our ministries, but will also afford you an opportunity to meet many wonderful people and be an ambassador for Good Shepherd. If you would like to know more about volunteering or how to be of service, please contact Rich Kellstrom.  There is a Volunteer Sign-up Sheet in the Narthex.

CONTINUING EDUCATION

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! 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 has begun meeting in the Fellowship Hall on Sundays at 9:15 am. ALL youth are welcome!

FRIDAY MORNING BREAKFAST BIBLE STUDY DISCUSSION for ALL
Topic: Gospel Lectionary Readings for Sunday worship 
Come on FRIDAY morning! Bring your own coffee and treats along with your BIBLE. The focus is on the Lectionary Lessons for the upcoming Sunday. 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. 

SUNDAY MORNING ADULT BIBLE STUDY  
Topic:  Letter to the Ephesians
Facilitator:  Roger Bauser
Time: 8:50 am – 9:50 am    
Come discover the nuggets of inspiration in the Letter to the Ephesians. This Biblical study will be an in-depth exploration of Ephesians for the next 8 weeks. If you haven’t tried our Sunday morning discussions before, this is an excellent time to join in the discussions.   

THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY for Men
Topic: Gospel Lectionary Reading 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 along with your BIBLE.  The focus is on the Lectionary’s Gospel Lesson for the upcoming Sunday.  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.

MONTHLY BIBLE STUDY for Women TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2021
Topic: The Gift of the Holy Spirit: a divine wild goose chase (September Bible Study from Gather Magazine)
Leader: Pam Bauser
Time: 10:30 am OR 7:30 pm (same content for each session – choose time that is best for you on that date)
Place: Your choice – connect online! If there is an interest in meeting in person, we will do a hybrid session so everyone can be present. 
Sara Olson-Smith, the author of our fall studies shares, “The goal of this study is to deepen our understanding of the Holy Spirit’s actions in Scripture and in our lives. … the Spirit has done — and is still doing — amazing things. … We’ll spend time looking at Jesus’ farewell discourse, where he says that the Spirit is a way for Jesus’ truth, teaching and presence to be with us even after his ascension. … Finally, we’ll explore I Corinthians and claim the truth that the Spirit is given to each of us.” What an amazing opportunity to delve into the Spirit portion of the Trinity! Come with questions. Come with experiences. Come. Be open to the presence of the Spirit in our midst. If you need a copy of the study, please contact Pam Bauser at psbauser@me.com or 937-602-8385.   

Griefshare  
Good Shepherd is hosting a fall session of GriefShare. This ministry offers biblical, Christ-centered teaching on topics associated with the death of a loved one. The DVD seminar features nationally respected grief experts and real-life personal stories, followed by a small group discussion about the weekly topic and personal grief experiences.  Good Shepherd is offering the 13 week GriefShare program in person and online from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm on Sundays. If you or someone you know is interested, please register online at www.griefshare.org or call the church office. When registering on the GriefShare website, there are two GSLC GriefShare classes listed (one online and one in person) to allow us to offer a hybrid option. Choose the class method you prefer. No prior registration is required for folks coming in person. If you have any questions, contact Kathy Seim (937-901-0532) or Pam Bauser (937-602-8385). 

MISCELLANEOUS

September Stewardship Snippets – September 26, 2021
Psalm 19:14 – Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
When we live fully to God, we want not just our outside appearance to meet with God’s approval, but even our thoughts and words. This is the prayer of a true steward/disciple

Offerings for last week:  $1,985.00
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!

A PLACE FOR NEWS 

Estate Planning and Taxes Event at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church 
On Saturday,  October 16, 2021 from 10:30 am toNoon, please join us in the Fellowship Hall for a special educational event at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.  Controlling and Preserving Your Assets: Basic Estate Planning and Financial Concepts to Reduce Taxes and Transfer Wealth. Bob Emerson, a former Financial Advisor, will discuss the necessary estate documents required and flow of estate assets.  We’ve asked Thrivent Financial Advisor Terry Powers to discuss various topics including Tax Efficiency, Roth Conversions, Qualified Charitable Contributions, and Wealth Transfer Efficiency. Light snacks and drinks will be served.  Please contact the church office at (937) 298-0136 or office@goodshepherdkettering.com by Noon on Thursday, October 14 to reserve a spot for this important event.

ELCA NEWS:
Lutheran Disaster Response Click here.
Lutheran World Relief Sustainable Development. Click here.
ELCA Global Links.  Click here

COMMUNITY EVENTS AND NOTICES

Living Our Faith Together
Registration Form click: LOFT

A self-supported program of the Southern Ohio Synod The Rev. Suzanne Dillahunt, Bishop Living Our Faith Together “LOFT” is the new name for the former Lay School of Theology. The goal of Living Our Faith Together– “LOFT”- is to provide opportunities to grow and strengthen our faith to live in love and community with each other and with our Lord Jesus Christ.

In Fall 2021, LOFT will be offering two FREE events. Registration is required for each event. Participants can choose from the location for in-person attendance, or attend virtually from home.Questions may be directed to the LOFT registrar, Nancy Hoffman by phone: 740.654.3602, or by email: put LOFT in the subject line nahoffman537@gmail.com or to Pr. Larry Novak, LOFT chair. email: lnovak@flcbellefontaine.org

The first Free 2021 Fall Event is October 16, 9:00 am – Noon.
Title: “Coping with Life: Recovering from Pandemics and other Crises”
Description: Together we will examine the wonderful array of tools God has given us as Christians to survive these anxious times. By focusing on relational and emotional dynamics, we’ll discover ways to cope as individuals and ways to thrive in our families, congregations, and communities.
Facilitator: The Rev. Martin Billmeier, has been the pastor of St. Lucas Lutheran, Toledo, Ohio, for over 20 years. He is a graduate of Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio, and has been affiliated with “Healthy Congregations” since 2010.
In-Person Location information: Good Shepherd Lutheran, 901 E. Stroop Rd., Kettering, OH, 45429; Phone: 937-298-0136. The building is handicap accessible. A meal will not be offered.

The second Free 2021 Fall Event is November 13
Title: “Healthy Functioning in a Pandemic World”
More information will be coming

COVID protocols will be sent by e-mail two days prior to the event.