Dear
Good Shepherd,
Good
Morning. There are a lot of exciting things going on this
week. From Ingathering and the Missions Fair on Sunday to
the restart of the bible studies that will take place throughout
the week, Good Shepherd will be a very busy place.
I
am quite excited about this year. Many great things have
already happened. God has changed many lives here at Good
Shepherd. Many have been found by Jesus Christ for the first
time in Good Shepherd's sanctuary. Ever since I arrived
here, I've had the sense that God wants to do great things
in this place.
I
do not know what they are, but I do know that:
The
more we dedicate ourselves to sharing the good news: that
God in Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the
dead to set everyone who believes and commits their lives
to him free from death and sin…
The
more we are committed to sharing our resources: the wealth
and blessings that God has given us for the purpose of giving
to the poor and hungry…
The
more we devote ourselves to knowing, loving and following
Jesus Christ in bible study, prayer, worship, and fellowship…
The
more we place our trust in Christ and look to him and his
Word for guidance, setting our hope and future in his hands…
The
more we will open the doors of Good Shepherd to God's love
and power. God does not force himself on anybody or on any
church. He knocks on the door. It is up to us to open it
and leave it open so that his grace and power can flow in.
I
pray that in all that we do and in all that we plan, we
will keep the door open wide and keep our eyes on Jesus.
WEEKLY
ARTICLE:
This week's weekly article
was written by Bill Lane . For those of you who have not
met him, Bill is Camille Lane 's husband. He joined the
parish last year and has been coming to the Men's Bible
Study every Friday morning but you may not have met him
because his work schedule prevents him from coming on Sundays.
Bill wrote this article specifically for Good Shepherd.
The topic is spiritual warfare, the struggle that goes on
in our hearts and minds between our old nature and our new
nature. He provides some great insight and advice. Please
take the time to read it.
Here's
the news:
UPDATE
CONTENT
"NEW"
NEWS
INGATHERING
RENEWAL
OF WEDDING VOWS
NEW
MUSIC DIRECTOR AND MUSICIAN HIRED
THANK
YOU
FAMILY
AND FRIENDS SUNDAY (date announced)
NEW
BEGINNERS': IMPORTANT NEWS
THE
WORLD THE FLESH AND THE DEVIL
ACOLYTE
PRACTICE (date and time announced)
LESS
NEW BUT STILL IMPORTANT NEWS
SUNDAY
SCHOOL CHANGES
HOME
GROUPS
BIBLE
STUDIES UPDATE
MISSIONS
FAIR
FAMILY
AND FRIENDS SUNDAY REMINDER
"NEW"
NEWS:
INGATHERING
SUNDAY:
If you are new to Good Shepherd, "ingathering"
used to be the Sunday when everyone returned from vacation
and started going to church again after the summer. But
now that we are worshipping all year round it is more geared
toward setting our mission goals for the year.
Last
Sunday I Forgot to Mention… that the tradition
is to bring sliced fruit of some sort to share at
Ingathering. The idea is that everyone brings their
fruit and puts it in a bowl and we mix it altogether and
we have a great bowl of fruit...just like the church.
So
PLEASE bring
some sliced fruit of some sort. We'll put in the common
bowl and enjoy it between and after services
This
coming Ingathering Sunday there will be a missions fair.
For more information about the Missions Fair, be sure to
read the information below.
RENEWAL
OF WEDDING VOWS: Tom
and Fran Hull have been married for 50
years. They will renew their vows at Good Shepherd
at the 10:30am service next Sunday. This is a very special
time for for the Hull 's and it is an great joy
for us to celebrate it with them.
NEW
MUSIC DIRECTOR AND MUSICIAN HIRED:
Last Sunday Justin Almeida and Micah
Towery sat down with a Good Shepherd search committee
to interview for the positions of music director and musician.
They have played and directed all summer and the music
has been simply glorious. Justin has been hired as our music
director and Micah has been hired as our musician. Congratulations
to both of you and thank you for serving the Lord and his
Church in this way.
THANK
YOU: As we move into this transition period in
Good Shepherd's music ministry, I want to thank somebody
publicly who will be very upset that I am thanking him at
all. For four years now Chris Vail has
been singing, playing guitar, and acting as interim musician.
When the choir was left with three active members, Chris
Vail was there to get things organized and put the music
program back together. When we were without a musician,
Chris Vail was there to offer his time and talent. Chris
has given himself sacrificially to the Lord and to his brothers
and sisters through his music. Thank you Chris, on behalf
of the whole church.
FAMILY
AND FRIENDS SUNDAY: Family and Friends Sunday will
be held on Sunday September 24th! Please pray about who
you would like to invite. Try to think of someone who does
not already belong to a church or who has never surrendered
his or her life to Jesus Christ.
There
will be a covered dish luncheon after the 10:30 service
to give us an opportunity to meet and greet
our guests and to enjoy one another's company. If you can
bring food to share, please do.
NEW
BEGINNERS: Important NEWS: The
Thursday night New Beginners course will begin anew next
Thursday. If you have never studied the bible before and
would like to know how to hear God's voice speaking to you
through his Word, this is the class for you. We start at
square one, assuming that you know nothing at all about
the bible. We teach you how to find passages, how to understand
the different types of literature in the books, the basic
storyline of the bible and how to apply what you read to
your life and circumstances. You can sign up for this course
at the Missions Fair.
There
are several of you who have graduated and are ready to move
on. There are others who may wish to stay for another beginners course.
Either way is fine. The important thing is that you stay
connected to God's Word in a bible study.
For
those of you who would like to move on to the First Light
program, I propose moving to Tuesday nights and joining
with the already established group there: the Cheney's,
Finches, Joanne Moat, and Lee Bronson.
If
neither a new round of New Beginners on Thursday nor
moving on to Tuesday nights is something meets your bible
study needs, please let me know. There are a number of small
groups that are forming and I would like to hook you into
one.
Please
respond by email or in person and let me know
what you prefer.
Bible
study is essential for Christian maturity
and we encourage all members of Good Shepherd to
keep hooked into a weekly study gathering, let me know how
I can help you.
ADULT
EDUCATION SERIES: THE
WORLD, THE FLESH, AND THE DEVIL:
Facing
Temptation in a Fallen World
will take a break this Sunday due to the Missions
Fair and Ingathering festivities. But it will resume
next Sunday.
ACOLYTE
PRACTICE: All new and returning
acolytes. The first practice of the fall season is scheduled
for Saturday September 16 th at 11:00am. We will meet in
the Sanctuary. Hope to see you there
LESS
NEW BUT STILL IMPORTANT NEWS:
As you know if you read the Update regularly, I often repeat
important news items week after week. As a way to help you
sort through new and old news, I've decided to set the already
reported news apart under the heading “LESS NEW BUT STILL
IMPORTANT NEWS”. As the title indicates, just because it
is not as fresh does not mean it is unimportant. Please
be sure to check this section every week to be reminded
of important dates, changes, or events that have already
been announced.
SUNDAY
SCHOOL CHANGES: Rick Warren, in the Purpose
Driven Church , says that God sends “waves” of growth
and blessing to churches. One way we have been blessed this
year is through the large wave of youth and kids. We are
expanding our Sunday School program and exploring (and praying
about) ways to do youth ministry here on a limited budget.
For the time being we are splitting the Senior and Junior
high school into two classes. One group will meet in the
choir loft between services and one will continue to meet
in the library.
To
help us deal with the influx several new teachers have stepped
forward to be trained or to start right away. Tom
and Susan Woolsey will be leading the Junior High
group, Katie Almeida will be training as
a Catechist, and Julie Liddle has volunteered
to help keep the education rooms, schedules, and attendance
rolls organized. Thanks be to God that there are so many
kids here. They are truly a blessing. And thanks be to God
for raising up people to serve.
HOME
GROUPS: To help integrate new members, new attendees
and new believers, into the congregation, we will start
our home-group program later in the fall. If you are wondering
about home groups, what they are and why they matter, please
read the article linked here
and here is a description of what happens during a regular
home-group meeting. Originally, we had hoped to have these
groups starting in September but with my vacation and some
other difficulties, we have had to push the start date back.
There will be more information coming soon.
BIBLE
STUDIES UPDATE:
1.
Tuesday Morning: Will
meet again the first Tuesday after Ingathering Sunday
2.
First Light (Tuesday Evening) :
Is currently meeting on Tuesday nights. All who have graduated
out of the New Beginner's course are welcome and invited
to join. The study starts at 6:30 pm
3.
Thursday Evening (was new beginners) :
A new New Beginner's Bible Study course will begin the first
Thursday after Ingathering Sunday. The study starts at 6:30pm
right after the Shepherd's Bowl.
4.
Friday Morning Men's Breakfast and Bible Study:
This
bible study has met throughout the summer and will continue
to meet every week at 6:30am. We are currently studying
the book of Exodus.
5.
Women's Bible Study: This
group will meet again beginning the first Saturday after
Ingathering Sunday at 10:00am.
Information
about the meeting times for all of these studies can be
found on the homepage . All the
bible studies are always open to anyone who wants to join
in. Please come and invite your friends.
MISSIONS
FAIR: What is a missions fair you ask? Well, if
you are a believer in Jesus Christ, God has given you
certain spiritual and natural gifts. You are responsible
for using those gifts to help build and extend the kingdom
of God through the mission and ministry of Good Shepherd.
There
are many organizations, programs, projects, and service
opportunities at Good Shepherd but you may not be aware
of them. A missions fair is to let you know about them and
how you can participate.
On
Ingathering Sunday between and after
services there will be over 15 booths or displays from that
will tell you about the various ministry opportunities and
provide a way for you to sign up or volunteer to participate.
As in most churches, about 30% of the people do 100% of
the work at Good Shepherd. I think we can do alot better.
This is the first step to spreading out the ministry load
so that everyone is helping build-up the Body in his or
her own God-ordained way.
Here
is just a brief list of just some of the ministries at Good
Shepherd that will be represented at the missions fair:
WORSHIP
Readers:
Readers are
called to read from God's Word during the service. If you
have a good reading vocabulary and strong voice, this could
be your way to serve.
Choir/music:
If you love
to sing or have been gifted with the ability to play a musical
instrument, use that gift to glorify the Giver.
Acolytes:
Acolytes
are those called to serve, assist, and worship at the altar
during the service. They are leaders of worship who process
in and out bearing the cross or the lit candles ahead of
the pastors. We are always in need of new acolytes so please
sign up if you would like to take part.
Altar
Guild: The
altar guild cares for everything on the altar from the chalice
and paten to the linens and vestments. They also prepare
the altar for Sunday services, making sure wine and bread
are placed in the right places.
Eucharistic
Ministers (LEM's): LEM's
process in with the clergy and assist in the distribution
of Communion. It is a special calling that requires a deep
sense of reverence and love for the Eucharist. If you sense
God leading you in this direction, please let me know so
that we can test that call.
EDUCATION
:
Home
Groups: As
mentioned above, the home-groups will be starting sometime
this fall. The purpose of these is not only to deepen your
faith in Jesus Christ, but also to build fellowship and
relationships. All members of Good Shepherd are encouraged
to commit either to a bible study or to one of the home-groups.
Sunday
School:
This year we have a lot of new kids so we also need help.
We already have a core group of teachers for the fall, but
we will likely need some for the summer. And helpers are
needed year round. Also, since we have so many new kids,
we are asking parents to fill out a very brief information
form with contact information and any health concerns.
Bible
Studies:
There are five active bible studies that meet weekly at
Good Shepherd. You are invited to join any of them. For
beginners, the New Beginner's Bible Study curriculum has
proven very helpful. If you are already somewhat familiar
with the bible, the other studies may be well suited. There
will be a list of all the bible studies and a place for
you to sign up underneath each one.
Nursery:
The nursery
remains open throughout Sunday morning from 8:00am to noon.
We are always in need of helpers. There will be a sign-p
sheet next to the display.
PROPERTY:
IMPROVEMENT & MAINTENANCE
Sextant/Property
maintenance:
There are a lot of men at Good Shepherd. This is great.
There is a lot of work to be done. We are setting up a work
crew sign up sheet. When you sign up to be part of the work
crew, it means that if there is a project or job that needs
to be done, the Junior Warden can call on you to help out.
We hope to gather a large pool of volunteer workers so that
we don't have to keep asking the same people to help.
COMMUNITY
OUTREACH
Shepherd's
Bowl: There
are currently four volunteer Shepherd's Bowl teams that
rotate by week. If we gather enough volunteers we may have
more. If you would like to volunteer for the Shepherd's
Bowl, there will be a display and a sign up sheet. Let us
know if you would like to cook/clean, or serve. This is
a great way to help the poor and hungry in our neighborhood
and reach out to them with the love of Christ.
Ushers/Greeters:
Being an
usher or greeter is another way of reaching out to the community.
In fact, as a greeter, you would be the first person most
guests will see when they come to Good Shepherd. If you
are outgoing and eager to meet new people, this may be your
calling.
PARISH
ORGANIZATIONS
Stewardship:
I need help.
I am horrible at raising money to pay the church bills.
We are hoping to put together a stewardship team to assist
me, the vestry, and the treasurer in this very important
ministry. God has so ordained his Church that is survives
materially on the tithes and offerings of his people. Help
us survive
.
Episcopal
Church Women: The
ECW is one of the historic organizations at Good Shepherd.
The mission is to serve the parish by organizing fund-raisers,
preparing refreshments for baptismal, marriage, and funeral
receptions held at the church, and, generally, to enjoy
one another's company. They meet once a month on a Tuesday
morning and share lunch afterwards.
Intercessors:
after a year-long
hiatus, we are restarting this prayer team. Every week I
will put out a list of prayer needs for the parish and parish
leadership. Intercessors commit to pray for those needs
daily. If you are gifted in prayer and devoted to prayer
for the parish, this is a powerful ministry through which
God has blessed and grown the parish.
Communications/Newsletters:
If you are
a writer, know the internet, good with computers, office
equipment or just generally have good clerical skills, we
need your help. We hope to reestablish the newsletter this
year. But to do so we need an editor, dedicated writers,
and people willing to fold and mail it. Also we need help
folding Sunday bulletins, updating the website and making
copies. If you would like to volunteer your services, there
will be a sign-up sheet in the parish hall.
These
are some of the ministries and programs that will be featured
at this years missions fair. The fair will be held between
services on September 10th (Ingathering Sunday)
HAVE YOU…. shared your faith with a friend?
The vestry has challenged all of us to share our faith in
Jesus Christ with at least one non-believer each month.
Good
News for the Week
14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal
procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the
fragrance of the knowledge of him. 15 For we are to God
the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and
those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the smell
of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is
equal to such a task? 17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle
the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we
speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.
(2nd Corinthians 2:14-17)
Don't
forget to....BRING A FRIEND TO CHURCH!
Daily Schedule for the week of Sunday September 10th, 2006
Monday:
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer
Pastor's
day off
Tuesday
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer
9:00
a.m. Tuesday Morning Bible Study
6:30 p.m. First Light Bible Study
Wednesday
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer
Thursday
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer
5:30 p.m. Shepherd's Bowl
6:30
p.m. New Beginners Bible Study
7:00
p.m. Choir Practice
Friday
6:30 a.m. Men's Breakfast/Bible Study
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer
Pastor's
sermon prep day
Saturday:
10:00
a.m. Women's Bible Study
Sunday
September 17 th , 2006: Praise and Worship the Lord!
8:00am Holy Communion II and Sermon
9:15-10:15 a.m.
Fall Semester
of Christian Education begins for all Ages
10:30 am Holy Communion II, Music and Sermon
God bless you all
In
Christ,
