What’s Happening at Good Shepherd
Good Shepherd Coffee Voting Contest Good Shepherd is coffee shopping! As coffee hour is being restructured, one of the things that will be changing is the brand of coffee that is used for the various gatherings at Good Shepherd.
This Sunday you’ll find that there are three different brands of coffee to try. Please try all 3 and give a vote for the one you like best. At the end of Sunday morning, the votes will be tallied and the coffee with the highest number of votes will become the official Good Shepherd Coffee.
Good Shepherd Choir The Good Shepherd Choir has resumed rehearsals for the fall season. The rehearsal schedule has changed. There is now a Sunday evening rehearsal at 5pm, and a Wednesday evening rehearsal at 6:30 pm. If you’d like more information about the choir, please see Michael Berman, the Good Shepherd Choir Director.
The Ladies Bible Study meets on Saturday mornings each week at 10am. They recently began a study on the book of Jonah. Join us to find out why Jonah resisted going to Niniveh. All ladies are welcome. Contact Christine O. or the church office for more information.
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.
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.
Missionary Update
September Lunch with a Missionary This month our focus will be on the pre-school in Kuinde that Good Shepherd helps to fund. We are fortunate to have Bob and Joyce Carlson, Anne’s parents, back in town and able to attend the meeting. Recently, Bob, Joyce, Anne Kennedy, and Anna and Sarah Dreher got a chance to visit the preschool and see the good work that God is doing within the children and the community there. On Sunday, September 16th, we’ll get a chance to hear about how things are going, and what plans are in place for the coming year.
The meeting will be held in the green youth room immediately following the 10:30 service. A light lunch will be served for all who attend. Please RSVP to Bill Freund to ensure that there will be enough space and food for everyone that would like to take part in the meeting.
InterVarsity Campus Tour Each year InterVarsity takes the new students on a tour of several local churches. This year Good Shepherd will host these students on September 23rd. The potluck which would normally be held on October 7th will be held on September 23rd instead, and the theme will be International Foods. Come to enjoy lunch and welcome the new students! Please bring a dish to pass, if you’re able.
CHE Nicaragua The CHE Assocation is now working with a total 1,500 children in the various communities.
145 children have accepted Christ.
Please pray for them all to continue to grow in Christ, and in commitment to him.
Ongoing Ministries
Good Shepherd Youth Group Youth Group meets on Sunday night at 6:30pm at Good Shepherd. All youth between the ages of 12-18 are welcome to join as we begin to build our bible study methods and begin to study the book of Romans.
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. Email: tvf.arrowhead@gmail.com
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 in September, at the Hull home.
Mission Groups Mission Groups will begin meeting on the week of September 10th. The locations and times for meeting are:
LOCATION: BINGHAMTON SOUTHSIDE
TIME: TUESDAYS @ 7:00PM
HOST: CARRIE MOORHEAD @ 5 HANCOCK ST. BINGHAMTON, NY
LOCATION: BINGHAMTON WESTSIDE
TIME: WEDNESDAYS @ 6:30PM
(break from regular meeting 4th Wednesday of the month)
HOST: THE VANFOSSENS @ 65 BEETHOVEN ST. BINGHAMTON, NY
LOCATION: VESTAL EASTSIDE
TIME: MONDAYS @ 6:30PM
HOST: THE CARLTONS @ 4217 EMERSON PLACE VESTAL, NY
LOCATION: VESTAL 4-CORNERS
TIME: THURSDAYS @ 6:30PM (off every 5th Thurs to serve at Sheps Bowl)
HOST: THE EMMONS (SEPT & OCT ONLY) 8 JANE LACEY DR. APT A ENDICOTT, NY
REG. MEETING PLACE: KIT & KENNY DONOVAN @ 468 ECHO RD. VESTAL, NY
Good Shepherd Food Pantry When I go shopping for the pantry, I think of how it would be if I didn’t have the means to provide food for my family. What would I do? Where would I go for help? The first place that I would think of is my church, and if they didn’t have a pantry, I would go to someplace that did. Keeping our pantry well stocked with appealing and nutritious foods helps many people keep their dignity and provide for their family without having to seek other avenues for help.
Needs: peanut butter and jelly, canned meats and tuna, macaroni and cheese, soups and stews, one box meals, canned fruits and juices, tea bags, coffee singles, sugar-free drink mixes, cereals (hot or cold) and anything else you’d like to bring.
Last Week
Last Week’s Sermon was called ‘He Must Increase’, and was based on John 3:22-30. It can be listened to or downloaded 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, ‘All About a You not a View‘ Matt and Anne discuss Andy Stanley and his new book “Recovering Irresistible” in which Stanley argues that the church must return to that time when her presentation of Jesus was “irresistible”…because no one could resist Jesus or his apostles’ message. That’s why the world loved them so much and they all lived out their days in peace and prosperity and popularity. Then we discuss the “evangelical” state dinner with President Trump last week and the clear unequivocal Gospel message these great leaders issued to the president…oh. wait. Ne
You can catch up on all of the older podcast episodes here.
Tuesday Morning Bible Study This Tuesday morning’s class was based on Leviticus 8 and 9.
This Tuesday morning we finished Leviticus 8 and moved into chapter 9. These chapters deal with the ordination of Aaron and his sons as priests. God sets them apart to mediate between the people and himself, offering sacrifices and prayers to God and communicating God’s promises of forgiveness to the people. There are no more priests in the atoning/mediatorial sense of the word. I know I am called a priest but I do not offer any atoning sacrifice on your behalf, nor do I mediate God’s forgiveness to you. This was done once and for all by Christ, the last and eternal Great High Priest. Because of his offering of himself, you have direct access through him to the Father. He is the only priest you need. The word “priest” as we use it, is simply an English translation of the New Testament word presbuteros (presbyter or elder). My job is to communicate the Gospel and teach the scriptures. At the Lord’s Supper, the Eucharist, I do not re-represent Jesus or offer him again as a sacrifice. That would set me up as a second mediator, mediating to you the benefits of Jesus’ death by my work. Instead, at the Eucharist we feed on Jesus flesh and blood, spiritually, by faith through the bread and wine. There Jesus strengthens us and nourishes us and reassures us that we are his people and he is our Savior.
You can watch the recording here or in the window below:
Posted by Matt Kennedy on Tuesday, September 4, 2018
This Week
This Sunday’s Sermon will be based on John 3:31-36.
He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
Team Galatians is working on the altar this Sunday.
The readings for this week are Isaiah 35:4-7a and James 1:17-27 .
Mary S. will be serving on the altar guild this Sunday.
Brenda V. will be working in the nursery this Sunday.
Shepherd’s Bowl Team 5 is serving with the Rices this week (9/13).
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.