What’s Happening at Good Shepherd
Potluck This Sunday (August 5th) is the first Sunday of the month, which means it’s time for another potluck. This month, the theme will be Back to School. Bring a dish of your favorite go-to dinner on those busy weeknights when you barely have time to throw something together! Please come and enjoy lunch even if you don’t bring anything.
Following the potluck, there will be an informal gathering at Salt Springs Park in Montrose, PA. Whether you are new to Good Shepherd, or a long-time member, please consider bringing a chair or blanket and coming to hang out. There will be space to visit, hiking, and an assortment of activities. This is a great opportunity to get to know each other outside of Sunday morning worship. If you’d like to go, but need transportation, please contact the church office.
Shepherd’s Bowl On August 9th, the Shepherd’s Bowl team that would normally serve is not available. All of the cooking is being covered. We are in need of servers and folks to help clean up during and after the meal.
If you have an extra hour on that day between 5 and 7pm, and would like to help, please see Steph or call the office. This would be a one-time service.
Kennedy Family Vacation The Kennedy family is taking their annual vacation. They’ll be enjoying some much-needed rest, and will return to Good Shepherd on August 20th. Although Matt will be here officiating the services for most of the Sundays, they are on vacation so please refrain from contacting them unless there is a medical/physical emergency. Tyler Van Fossen, the Pastoral Assistant will be available for meetings during this time, and the church office will remain open, and can be reached in all the usual ways.
Tuesday morning and Thursday evening Bible studies are canceled until the week of August 22nd.
Ladies Bible Study The ladies Bible study will begin a new study on Nahum this Saturday, August 4th. The study meets at 10am every Saturday morning.
Attention Parents – Children’s Chapel will not be meeting for the months of July and August.
The Teen Sunday School class will also be taking a break between July 29th and August 12th.
Church Donations Good Shepherd has always been a generous congregation and the vestry is so very thankful for your willingness to support the mission and ministry of this congregation.
You may not know this but while he easily recalls chapter and verse for randomly quoted bible texts, when it comes to keeping track of keys, wallets, cell phones, schedules, etc., Matt can be rather absent minded. This is important information because sometimes, when in a rush, people hand Matt checks for the offering. So far, he has not lost one. But Anne has found several crumpled in his pockets while doing laundry.
If you miss the offering, you can always give your tithe to the tellers after the service, or leave it off at the office, or mail it in. Thank you so much for all the ways you give to build up the church.
Congratulations! Vishal and Diti P. welcomed baby Avi earlier this week. We are so thankful for a safe and successful delivery of this sweet baby boy and are eager to get to know the newest member of Good Shepherd! If you’d like to bring a meal to the family, please see Christine O. or go to www.TakeThemAMeal.com/ALWI6724.
Did you Know? Tithes can now be given by text message. You can text ‘give’ to 1-607-882-6551 and tithe seamlessly. Here is a link to a nifty list of commands at Breeze’s website if you’d like to specify how your contribution is utilized.
CHE Update It was wonderful to pray as a church for Nicaragua and the Community Health Evangelism team last Sunday. Later that day the CHE team sent me photos of the children in one community receiving their lunches (see the missions board downstairs). One photo showed a little boy who accepted Jesus the day that Good Shepherd prayed! Pastor Edin and Area Leader Izamar are praying with him in the photo. Since then, 15 more children have accepted Christ! Thank you for your continued prayers.
Another YARD SALE for CHE on August 3rd and 4th! Please give us those things that you don’t want, and we will convert them into, God willing, October, November + December support for CHE Area Leaders Juanita and Izamar. Thank you, thank you for your earlier donations. They helped to provide support from June through September. The rural area where they live is peaceful, but they are affected by rising (quadrupling for some goods), food prices and scarcity of some items. Please pray for their ministry, especially for the group of 20 youth that Izamar helps lead. Thank you.
Ongoing Ministries
Good Shepherd Youth Group, ages 12-18, is run by our pastoral assistant, Tyler Van Fossen. They will be taking a break this summer from their regular meetings but will officially resume meeting regularly in Fall 2018 on Sunday nights at 6:30PM for a time of prayer, teaching, and games.
However…during this summer break there will be an exciting day trip to Arrowhead Bible Camp! This day trip will be filled with work projects, a picnic, bible study, swimming, and games. It will be on August 7th, from 9AM to 9PM.
Please contact Tyler Van Fossen if you’d like to know how to help or be involved in the Good Shepherd Youth Group in any way.
Bread and Wine If you are interested in joining a group of ladies for a monthly supper and discussion, please contact Liz Hull. The group is currently studying a book called Money, Possessions and Eternity, by Randy Alcorn. The next meeting will be on August 11, at the Hull home.
Mission Groups Locations will be changing throughout the summer. See, call, or text Ben Murphy for details each week.
Health and Wellness Our bodies are “the tents” that the Lord has given us to house our souls. Begin to take care of the body which God Has given you. Check your blood pressure, blood sugar, and weight every Sunday in the Parish Hall 9-10AM. Please see Dolly Shaller or Carmen Swoffer-Penna for more details.
Good Shepherd Food Pantry When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and through the Red Sea, God provided for all of their needs. He gave them manna and quail to eat, and water to quench their thirst. He provided all for his people. Can we, his faithful servants do anything less? Just by providing for our members who find it hard to make ends meet, we are indeed doing the work that God has given us to do. So, as always, when you are shopping at any store that carries food, please remember our pantry, and prayerfully consider buying something to help stock it. The members that utilize it are so thankful when you do.
Needs: Cooking oils or sprays, rice in 1 lb bags (brown or white), canned meats and tuna, powdered milk and coffee creamers, cereals (hot or cold), sugar or low-calorie sweeteners, canned fruit and veggies, pasta and sauce, juice, salad dressings and condiments (mayo, mustard, catsup), soups and stews, and anything else you’d like to bring.
Last Week
Last Week’s Sermon was given by The Rev. Dr. Esau McCaulley, was based on John 3:9-15 and was called ‘Dangerous Conversations and the Cross that Challenges Us All’. It can be listened to or downloaded here.
Miss a sermon? You can catch up on many of the previous sermons here.
Preventing Grace Podcast Did you know that Matt and Anne have a podcast? They talk about everything from church polity to rustic breads. In this week’s episode, ‘Sexual Idolatry and All That‘ Matt and Anne Kennedy the proliferation of sexual sin and abuse, and those who engage in and promote it, throughout every branch and denomination of the church.
You can catch up on all of the older podcast episodes here.
Tuesday Morning Bible Study This Tuesday morning’s class was canceled.
The Tuesday Morning bible study will be canceled for the duration of the Kennedy vacation, resuming on August 28th.
This Week
This Sunday’s Sermon will be based on Ephesians 4:17-25.
Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!—assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
Team Galatians is working on the altar this Sunday.
The readings for this week are Exodus 16:2-4,9-15 and Ephesians 4:17-25.
Christine O. will be serving on the altar guild this Sunday.
Ashley Van Fossen and Emma K. will be working in the nursery this Sunday.
Shepherd’s Bowl Team 6 is serving with Mark Dreher (sub) (8/9).
To download a PDF of the 10:30 service bulletin, click on this link.
Have an item for the Update or an Announcement?
Email the secretary at:
gs.binghamton@gmail.com
by Monday night.