Seven
Mission Goals for 2007
1.
An active youth ministry in place by the end of the year
2.
Hosting a quarterly Friends and Family Sunday (where we
invite non-believing family and friends to church)
3.
100% parish participation in the Franklin Graham festival
(i.e. everyone gets trained and brings a non-believing friend
to the festival itself)
4.
The vestry is seeking100% participation in Bible Study.
5
At least 30 new believers by this time next year.
6.
An active discipling program by the end of the year with
at least 4 leaders in discipling relationships.
7.
gathering at least 100 people for worship every Sunday.
Dear
Good Shepherd,
Good
Morning. I'm sorry there's no article this morning. I've
been so caught up with the Franklin Graham stuff that I
have very little to say other than to nag you about inviting
your friends and family to the Festival. So, well, invite
your friends and family to the Festival
UPDATE
CONTENTS
FRANKLIN GRAHAM FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND
SOFTBALL AND PARISH PICNIC
NOTE
REGARDING KIDS FEST
I WAS VERY IMPRESSED
DISCIPLING COURSE
SERMON SERIES
OPERATION ANDREW: IT’S NOT OVER
SERVING THE BODY
SIGN
UPDATE from 3i GRAPHICS
SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER
WALKABOUT
ECW LUNCHEON
ADULT EDUCATION SERIES: HERESIES AND CULTS
BIBLE STUDIES
NEWS
FRANKLIN GRAHAM FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND: The
Festival will run for three days beginning this Friday (June
9th), Saturday and Sunday. The
Friday and Saturday Festival events start at 7:00pm. The
Sunday Night session starts at 4:00pm, but I’d be
there much earlier...maybe even an hour.
if you are hoping to find a seat and earlier if you are
a counselor.
The kids Festival is on Saturday morning starting
at 10:00am. If you are in the choir be
there at around 9:00am.
If you are bringing a guest, remember that each night the
festival is essentially the same. The only difference will
be the music not the message.
The message will be the basic gospel of salvation: We have
all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. God sent
his Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins, bearing our punishment.
God calls everyone to repent and surrender their lives to
Christ so that his sacrifice can count on your behalf.
Pick a night most convenient for your guest. It might be
effective to invite people and go with the attitude that
you are “just checking it out.” That way your
guest will not feel like you are waiting for him or her
to respond in any specific way.
SOFTBALL and the PARISH PICNIC: The
Picnic is scheduled for Sunday June 17th at
Cole Park. The service starts at 11:00am. This is a
great time to invite your friends. We’ll be joined
both for worship and for lunch by the Messianic congregation.
Then lunch.
click
here for directions:
http://www.gobroomecounty.com/parks/ParksNatCole.php
Everyone is asked to bring drinks for themselves (non-alcoholic
please) and a dish to pass.
NOTE
REGARDING KIDS FEST: From Katy Almeida:
The children who are in the Kids Fest Choir should meet
at the Church at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday. There are going
to be about 900 children in the choir, and if we meet at
the church then we won't have problems trying to find each
other at the event center. Justin called parents to remind
them about this already, but it wouldn't hurt if you could
send it out in an email. Also, could you please ask parents
to call me if their children were previously planning on
going and are no longer going? ( 845-797-7820 ) There are
a few kids who cancelled yesterday, and it would be helpful
for me to know who is still coming. Thanks!
Note
From Matt: I am not sure why anyone is cancelling,
but if this is you, please reconsider....there is NOTHING
more important this weekend, save a death in the family,
than getting your kids under 10 to this event. Soccer, baseball,
whatever, it pales in comparison. Do not cheat your kids
out of this event. It could change their eternity. I am
very disappointed to hear this report from Katy.
I WAS VERY IMPRESSED: On Sunday as I handed out
the cards with Good Shepherd’s information on them
to give to our guests at the Festival, I was quite impressed
at how many of you had invited guests. Thank you for your
active participation in this evangelistic mission. God may
use you to change someone’s life forever.
DISCIPLING COURSE: Thank you to all who
attended. We now have 12 people who have gone through the
primary training course for discipleship we are prepared
for new Christians. We will meet again for the second training
session in about three weeks
SERMON SERIES:
As you know that we are in the middle of a sermon series
based on Acts chapter 2. We’ve only made it through
the first three verses of Acts 2 so far, so if you missed
the first two sermons, you’ll still be able to catch
up. The series has to do with God’s purpose for the
Church and our role in it. The first and second sermons
should be posted this week on the website sermons page.
OPERATION ANDREW: IT’S
NOT OVER. There is no reason to stop operation
Andrew after the Festival is over. In fact, we ought always
to be identifying people in our offices, families, group
of friends, who do not know Jesus, praying for them, and
inviting them to church. Now that you have done this once,
it can and should be something that you do by habit. If
you have people on your list that you did not invite to
the Festival or who could not come, keep praying for them
and ask God to give you an opportunity to invite them to
church. Or, if you’ve asked people on your list, make
a new list.
If you have surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, you are
an adopted son or daughter of God with the promise of eternal
life. How many people in your life do not share in that
promise? God died to seek and save the lost. How much are
you willing to do? Do you have Christ’s heart for
lost people?
SERVING THE BODY: If you are a member of
Good Shepherd, you should have at least one volunteer service
or role, something you do to help build up the body and
to glorify God. If you are not sure what you should do or
how best to help, the best way to figure this out here is
a list of ministries you can join:
If you are already volunteering please be there when you
are scheduled and don’t always get a substitute. Frequently
one or two people end up doing the jobs that others have
committed to do. This is simply unkind. Please put others
first.
Ministries:
*Acolytes (one Sunday a month)
*Altar Guild
*Nursery (desperate need…especially
for the 8:00am service)
*Sextant (cleaning duties with a team on
a weekly rotation)
* Shepherd’s Bowl (on a team, one
Thursday a month)
* Teller (help count and record offerings
after the 10:30am service)
* Lay Eucharistic Minister (help lead worship
and distribute communion)
*Ushers & Greeters (should be once
a month if everyone shows up when assigned)
*Readers (Approximately once a month at
the 10:30am service)
LETTER
FROM SCOTT BAKER OF 3i Graphics:
Rev. Matt Kennedy,
Parishioners of The Church of the Good Shepherd,
Dear Reverend,
It is with deep apologies that I write this letter. I failed
to communicate that our slot at the June 6th Public hearing
had been rescheduled for July 11th. This scheduling conflict
was a direct failure on my part. I had not fully understood
that I was responsible to send notices of public hearings
to the Press and neighbors of the Church property.
I did know that those things would be done, but I wasn’t
aware that it was I that needed to take care of it. I am
truly sorry for this poor judgment and for not notifying
you of the change in venue.
Once approved at the next meeting, sign will be installed
within 48 hours.
Truly Sorry,
Scott Baker
3i Graphics & Displays
514 Chenango Street
Binghamton, NY 13901
SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER: Last Sunday I noticed
there were a good number of people praying in the last quarter
hour between services. Thank you so very much for this.
You have no idea how much God can and does work through
your prayers. What you do in that 15 minute period is vital
to our worship. The prayer group only meets from 10:15am
to 10:30am in the library before the service. You are more
than welcome to join.
WALKABOUT THANK YOU: Thank you to Rebecca
Kearey and Kay Seaman who joined me for the walkabout last
Saturday. Rabbi Ron and his sons also came along. We split
into two teams and went door to door handing out information
about the festival.
ECW LUNCHEON: The annual ECW lunch "out"
is scheduled for June12 at 12:30 at the Park Dinner. All
are welcome to come!
ADULT EDUCATION SERIES: HERESIES AND CULTS: Last
week, we started our discussion of Jehova’s Witnesses,
we will continue it this week. Last Sunday we discussed
their view of Jesus Christ as a “spirit creature”
rather than the uncreated divine Son of God as he is revealed
in the scriptures. We also discussed the discrepancies in
their New World Translation of the Bible that help them
make their case. This week we’ll talk about their
understanding of salvation, the afterlife, worship obligations,
and how to talk to them when they come to the door. I look
forward to seeing you there.
BIBLE STUDIES: All the bible studies are up and
running this week.
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
"The word is near you; it is in your mouth and
in your heart” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:
9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord,"
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you
believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that
you confess and are saved. 11As the Scripture says, "Anyone
who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 12For
there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the
same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call
on him, 13for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the
Lord will be saved." 14How, then, can they call on
the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe
in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they
hear without someone preaching to them? 15And how can they
preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How
beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
(Romans 10:8-15)
Don't
forget to....BRING A FRIEND TO CHURCH!
Daily Schedule for the week of Sunday June 10th, 2007
Monday:
pastor's day off
Tuesday
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer
9:00 a.m. Tuesday Morning Bible Study
6:00 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
7:30 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
4:30
p.m. Hebrew Class
Sunday
June 17th, 2007 PARISH
PICNIC
8:00am
Holy Communion II and Sermon
11:00am
Holy Communion II at Cole
Park
God bless you all
In Christ,
Matt+
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