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, Emma had her first full week of school this week
and we had our first open house. We feel like real grown-ups.
Not much else to say this morning as I am still climbing
out of several pits full of undone work. Hope all is well.
Here is the news and, later, an article.
UPDATE
CONTENTS
MISSIONS
FAIR
NEW
WEBSITE ADDITIONS
CHICKEN
BBQ AND RUMMAGE SALE
FROM
PAT CHENEY: WANTED
VESTRY
MEETING
FLOWER
FUND
HEALING
SERVICE THIS SUNDAY
BIBLE
STUDIES
CHRIS
JONES
ANGLICAN
NEWS
A
MEETING
YOUTH
STUFF FROM MICAH
NEW
MEMBERS POTENTIAL MEMBERS GATHERING (DATE SET)
CHOIR PRACTICE ON SUNDAY
ADULT
EDUCATION
SUNDAY
SCHOOL
CHILDREN'S
CHAPEL
SUNDAY
MORNING PRAYER GROUP
NEWS
MISSIONS
FAIR: Thank
you to everyone who volunteered to help out on in the various
ministries and thank you to everyone who helped organize
the fair. It was a great success. A number of you stepped
forward to use your gifts in the service of the body. One
ministry that did not receive any attention was the sexton
ministry . We don't pay anyone specially to clean the church.
We do this important work ourselves. But that means everyone
pitching in a little. You have the option of signing up
for an individual weekly job (mopping a floor, vacuuming
a room) or signing up as a family or group of people to
be on a monthly rotation. The teams do a more in depth cleaning
of the church each week. Please call Anne at the rectory
if you are interested in helping in this way ( 607-773-4810
). If you signed up to help out, you should have received
a call by Sunday from me or from someone leading the ministry
for which you volunteered. Thank you again.
NEW
WEBSITE ADDITIONS: I mentioned in an email last
week that Micah Towery has created a new
website for the Youth Group. That website is linked
from the Good Shepherd homepage. The main
site has also been updated. The
talk I gave on the Gospel of Mark at Binghamton University
and the latest sermons and articles
have been uploaded and a link to the Good Shepherd list-serve
has been added. The duty roster
is up to date as well. Be sure to check it out.
CHICKEN
BBQ AND RUMMAGE SALE: Don't
forget. This is coming September 29th. As usual, we need
volunteers and helpers. There will (I believe) be a sheet
downstairs this Sunday.
FROM
PAT CHENEY: WANTED:
cooks, bakers, kitchen helpers, and salespeople.
No experience needed! Cheerful attitude a must!
Excellent Pay!!! All Applications being
accepted------sign-up in the parish hall (downstairs) to
help with the ECW Rummage Sale and Chicken Bar-be-que on
Sept.29!!!!!!
VESTRY:
There will be a vestry meeting this coming Wednesday the
19 th at 7:00pm in the Parish hall.
FLOWER
FUND: Once again we are coming back together after
a very full and busy summer to start our Fall flurry of
activities. It is now time to remember our loved ones who
have passed away as well as happy events such as Births,
Baptisms, Weddings, Birthdays or Anniversaries. You can
express your feelings by putting flowers on the altar to
commemorate any event.
In
the pew, you will find a form, which you can fill out and
send to the Church. This is an easy way to remember our
loved ones with flowers for the full year. You can specify
the flowers for specific weeks and also for the Christmas
and Easter holidays at one time. Of course, you can always
put flowers on the altar at any time during the year as
the need arises.
If
you have any questions about the Flower Fund, please feel
free to call me at any time.Cookie Finch 775-2250
HEALING
SERVICE: For those who are new to Good Shepherd,
once a month (if we remember…sometimes we forget) healing
prayers are offered on the side altar during Communion.
If you need prayer for anything: illness, addiction, depression,
repentance, or if you want to give your life over to Christ
for the very first time, Anne will be there to pray for
you. After you receive communion or, if you cannot receive,
during the time when you would normally take communion,
simply get up and make your way to Anne standing next to
the choir in front of the chapel altar. She will also have
holy oil for those who would like to be anointed.
BIBLE
STUDY: There
are five bible studies at Good Shepherd that meet every
week. For information about times and places, please be
sure to check the homepage
CHRIS
JONES: Thank you to everyone who has prepared and
deliverd meals to Chris Jones. He is doing very well. Please
pray for him and his family as we await test results.
ANGLICAN
NEWS: This coming week will be a big one.
You can follow the news on Stand
Firm. The Episcopalian House of Bishops will meet to
decide whether or not they will comply with the requests
of the Primates to stop allowing same sex blessings and
to stop consecrating non-celibate homosexual bishops and
priests. We must pray that they do so. A denomination is
only a part of the true Church, the Body of Christ, in so
far as she remains obedient to the revealed Word of God.
Pray earnestly this week that the leaders of the Episcopal
Church have a change of heart.
A
MEETING: Anne and I attended a very important meeting
at a local church this week. A number of pastors want to
find ways to help people who are struggling with sexual
issues find healing and restoration. It is a good thing
to proclaim the truth of God's Word with regard to homosexual
behavior and extra-marital sexual behavior. We must do that.
But we also need to reach out with the love and compassion
of Christ to those caught up in these behaviors and offer
them the freedom the gospel offers and delivers. The meeting
was a first step in formulating an ecumenical ministry to
help people struggling in this very difficult area of life.
If, by God's grace, all goes as planned, we will be offering
this sort ministry at Good Shepherd
YOUTH
STUFF FROM MICAH.... Good news! I finally have
reliable internet in New York City and will always be connected
(hopefully!). My Aim is ottorinophc and my Gtalk is micahtowery.
As far as activities go, the Senior High Youth Group (9th
grade through 12th grade, or age equivalent) will be doing
a cookout at the church this Sunday, from 4pm to 7pm . There
will be good food and fun games. The Junior High Youth Group
will be having a parish hangout night on the 23rd from 6pm
to 9pm . Mark your calenders. Also, don't forget to check
out the website: www.xanga.com/goodshepherdyouthgroup
NEW
MEMBERS and POTENTIAL MEMBERS GATHERING : There
are a number of new faces around the church and we would
like to help ease your way into the parish. If you have
just joined Good Shepherd or you are thinking about doing
so, there will be a gathering on Wednesday October 10th
to welcome you and give you an overview of the community.
You will be sent reminders as the date nears.
CHOIR PRACTICE ON SUNDAY: Reminder: Choir
is now being held on Sunday right after the 10:30am services.
Thank you to all who joined during last Sunday's mission
fair. We've needed more voices for some time (not that the
current voices are in any way deficient :)
ADULT
EDUCATION SERIES: HERESIES
AND CULTS:
We left off last
time with Athanatius, exiled and rejected for his defense
of the Christian faith against the heretic Arius. Arius
rejected the divinity of Jesus Christ, claiming that Christ
was the firstborn and highest of all creatures, but, nevertheless
a creature. Arius' heretical following grew powerful and
many people followed him. But Athanasius rose up to challenge
him. We'll hear the rest of his story this Sunday. Until
then, the following resources might be helpful.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02035a.htm
or,
for a shorter read, here:
http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/152.html
CHILDREN'S
CHAPEL (reminder and second notice) : As
most of you know, I am committed to having children in worship,
both as participants and as ministers (acolytes, musicians
etc.) but we've found that the sermon time can be a little
bit long, especially for the little ones. So this year,
after the gospel children aged 3 / 4 (who are beginning
to speak well) and 8 will be invited to go down stairs with
Mrs. Carmen Swoffer-Penna to hear a Bible Story, sing some
songs and worship together before coming back up in time
for the Birthday Prayer time and Eucharist. You'll notice
we're already arranging a space downstairs in the Parish
Hall to make this time possible. Thank you in advance to
Mrs. Swoffer-Penna and her willingness to undertake this
new ministry.
SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER GROUP:
Every Sunday
morning before the service a group gathers to pray for the
Holy Spirit to descend and use the worship, the preaching,
the music of Good Shepherd turn hearts and transform lives.
The group meets for only 10 minutes between 10:15 and 10:30am
in the library on Sunday Morning. I hope you will join them.
It is an incredibly fruitful ministry.
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
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and
puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his
house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose,
and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did
not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But
everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put
them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house
on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds
blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great
crash." (Matthew 7:24-27)
Don't
forget to....BRING A FRIEND TO CHURCH!
Daily Schedule for the week of Sunday September 16th, 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
7:00
p.m. Vestry
Thursday
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer
5:30 p.m. Shepherd's Bowl
6:30 p.m. New Beginners Bible Study
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
September 23rd, 2007 SUNDAY
MORNING WORSHIP (SEASON OF PENTECOST)
8:00am
Worship, Holy Communion and Sermon
9:15-10:15
a.m. CHRISTIAN EDUCATION FOR ALL AGES
10:15-10:30
a.m. Prayer in the Library
10:30am
Worship, Holy Communion, Music, Sermon
God bless you all
In Christ,
Matt+
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