What’s Happening at Good Shepherd
Minister’s Calendar Many of you have noticed that we are behind on getting out the new minister’s calendar. The groups are going through a great deal of restructuring, and we are trying to make sure that we have solid teams in place before we release the new calendar. If you are on a team, then please continue to work in the same rotation as normal until the new calendar is published, hopefully next week. Thank you all for your patience and willingness to serve.
Christmas Caroling A few days before the Christmas Pageant, a group from Good Shepherd went caroling in the neighborhood around the church. It went wonderfully! About 25 people gathered and sang traditional carols, and left invitations to the pageant. 4 people listened with tears running down their faces. Please pray for them, and for more connection with our neighbors.
Thank you from the Kennedy Family
Last Sunday was the first Sunday of Epiphany. The word “epiphany” is Greek and it means something like “manifestation” or “appearance”. God has made himself manifest in Jesus Christ. God has come to us in Jesus to save us from the consequences of our sins and to fulfill God’s law on our behalf. As Isaiah says as he praises God: “You have indeed done for us all our works.” (Isaiah 26:12). Thanks be to God. Epiphany is yet another feast (they keep coming right up until Lent) so there’s no reason to pull back on the celebration. This is especially true for Anne and I. We are so very thankful for your generosity as a congregation. Having six children always means a lot of expense and financial strain when Christmas rolls around, but every year we have been so helped by your generosity in providing a bonus for us. This year was no exception. Please accept our deepest gratitude for the many ways you have loved and cared for us over the years and, in particular, for this year’s bonus. Thank you.
Thanks from the Van Fossens
Thank you so much for putting together something so thoughtful, gracious, kind, and caring for our family.
We are truly blessed by the gift from Good Shepherd… it totally caught us off guard! We are extremely grateful for our generous Good Shepherd family.
Choir Christmas Party The Bermans would like to invite the Good Shepherd Choir members and their families to their home after the 10:30 service tomorrow for a Choir Christmas Party.
Good Shepherd Annual Meeting The 145th Good Shepherd Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, February 3, 2019 at 12:30pm in the Parish Hall. Please make every effort to attend.
Potluck Given that the Annual meeting is landing on potluck week, we’ve decided not to have a potluck, but will instead provide a large pot of soup and some crusty bread for everyone to enjoy.
Mobile Food Pantry The next Broome County Mobile Food Pantry food distribution will be Wednesday, January 23rd, from 10-11am. All are welcome, please bring containers to take away any goods that you receive.
Upcoming Baptism Please join Vishal and Diti Patel in celebrating the baptism of baby Avi on January 27th during the 10:30 service.
The Soup and Stew Cookoff was scheduled to be held on February 3, but due to the annual meeting, we’ve been asked to push that back to the March potluck date. The new date will be March 3rd.
Ongoing Ministries
Good Shepherd Youth Group Youth Group meets on Sunday night from 6:00 – 7:30pm at Good Shepherd. All youth between the ages of 12-18 are welcome to join as the youth group continues 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
Youth Group dates to remember:
- Feb. 8-10 – Youth Group Overnight Missions Trip to Arrowhead. (working/serving, study, games, tubing, yummy food, and fun times!)
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 this evening at 6pm, at the Hull home.
Good Shepherd Food Pantry With the new year fast approaching, and everyone doing their part, we as a church can fill our member food pantry until it overflows, so that those who rely on it will never have to go hungry. Good quality food is essential to our overall health. We can also help with personal and paper products as well, as they can’t be purchased with assistance money. Please consider picking up some of these items when you next shop.
Items needed: soups and stews, canned meats, canned vegetables, canned fruits and fruit juices, assorted pastas and sauces, peanut butter and jelly, etc.,
Last Week
Last Week in Christian Ed we took a break from Systematic Theology for a brief series working through the Gospel nativity narratives, last week’s topic was The Birth of Jesus and the Shepherds. It can be listened to or downloaded here.
Last Week’s Sermon was called ‘The Body and Bride of Christ‘ and was based on Genesis 2 and Ephesians 3:1-13. 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. This week’s episode is called, ‘God Dreams part Duex’, in which Matt and Anne talk Christmas and finish up the “God Dreams” sermon review.
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 18.
This Tuesday we picked up our study where we left off before Christmas, toward the end of Leviticus 18. We have moved from sacrificial and ceremonial legislation to moral instruction. Leviticus 18 deals mostly with sexual laws and Leviticus 19 with moral law in general both with regard to our relationship with God and also with our neighbors. The first use of the law is to show us that we do not follow the law and so to turn our hearts toward God who promises to give all who come to him mercy through the work and in the person of his Son Jesus Christ. But there is another use of the law and that is to give us insight into how, once we have been brought into redemption and, indeed, as a result of having already been justified and forgiven, we ought to live in God’s household. Of course, were the law merely guide there is no way we could do even begin to keep even the least of the laws. But God by his grace also gives us new hearts to desire what he commands and his Spirit to empower us. So the Christian life is one surrounded by grace. When we, as we do daily, fail to do as we ought, God would have us take refuge in the Cross and know that there we have been made perfect in his sight by the shed blood and righteous life of his Son and at the same time, remembering his mercy and empowered by his Spirit, get back up and seek to do the work that he has set before us to do.
You can watch the recording here or in the window below.
Posted by Matt Kennedy on Tuesday, January 8, 2019
This Week
This Sunday’s Sermon will be based on John 6:41-48.
So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life.
Team Romans is working on the altar this Sunday.
The readings for this week are Isaiah 42:1-9 and Acts 10:34-38. The Gospel reading is John 6:41-48.
Christine O. will be serving on the altar guild this Sunday.
Ashley O. will be working in the nursery this Sunday.
Shepherd’s Bowl Team 3 with Micheline Raphael (1/17).
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.