What’s Happening at Good Shepherd
A Celebration! Mary Lindsey, one of our most beloved and oldest members, is turning 100 on January 2! We’d like very much to flood her with well wishes. If you have the time over the next week, please take a moment to send a birthday card to her home. Please contact Steph in the office if you’d like her mailing address.
Good Shepherd will be celebrating with her on January 8th during coffee hour. Please make every attempt to be here to celebrate with us!
In addition, her daughter, Catherine, has invited her whole church family to an open house celebration from 1:30-4:00 on Saturday Jan 14 at Bridgewater Nursing Home Auditorium 159 Front St, Binghamton. She would love to see as many people come as possible to celebrate with her. If you have any questions, please see Christine Osgood.
Thank You! Many thanks to all who contributed to our Christmas Outreach for the children of the Saratoga Youth Center! On Monday December 19th, Jeanie, Ally, Santa aka Paul and I distributed the Angel Tree gifts to the Saratoga children. (I later discovered that some of these children received ONLY our gifts.) We also spoke to them about God’s gift to us at Christmas and how Jesus came to earth to take our punishment on Himself. The children are so receptive and eagerly respond to the message of salvation. We served them cookies which we had made with them, fresh fruit, and pizza.
Wednesday December 21st, the Outreach Team hosted a Christmas Party for the children of Future Faces. I was again blessed to recount the true meaning of Christmas. The highlight of the party was the arrival of Santa who was photographed with each child. Needless to say, all the children from both Saratoga Youth Center and Future Faces expressed much joy, amazement, and appreciation. May God use our efforts for the furtherance of His kingdom! May God bless these children!
Bible Study Scheduling Announcement All Bible Studies that are taught by Matt will be resuming this week.
A Message from the Missions Committee Thank you for filling shoe boxes for Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child. 24 Shoeboxes were sent from Good Shepherd to bless 24 children somewhere in the world. Lord, please use these gifts to bring these children to faith in Jesus Christ.
Scheduling Reminder If you need to make an appointment with Pastor Matt, please be sure to contact Stephanie directly at gs.binghamton@gmail.com.
Often when people come to speak with Matt after the service on Sunday, he’s already been working for over nine hours, and doesn’t always remember to put it into the calendar. This can cause double bookings, or forgotten appointments. Please keep in mind that the office is closed on Mondays and Fridays, but you can always leave a message. Thank you so much for your understanding.
Mission Groups All meetings will resume meeting this week.
Update and Announcements If you have an item you’d like to have announced on Sunday morning, or included in the update, please be sure to forward the item to Stephanie by Wednesday afternoon, and specify if you’d like it announced or just listed in the updates. It will then be edited and forwarded to Anne/Ife to announce on Sunday and/or added to the paper and digital update.
Ongoing Ministries
Children’s bulletins are available to help your children follow all parts of the service today. Please pick one up from an usher.
Bread and Wine If you are interested in joining a group of moms for a monthly supper and discussion of women in the bible, please contact Liz Hull.
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.
Member Food Pantry With New Year’s approaching, we have the opportunity to upgrade our pantry to the next level. By keeping it supplied every week, we can garentee that those who use it will never go hungry. Please consider grabbing a few extra staples for the pantry when you’re out shopping for you new years celebrations. It doesn’t cost much, but it means the world to those who benefit from it.
Needs: Peanut Butter, Pasta Sauce, Canned Meats and Tuna, Juices, Canned Fruit (other than cranberry sauce and applesauce), Canned Soups and Stews, One Box Meals, Canned Carrots, Canned Asparagus, Pasta, 1 lb bags of Rice (brown or white), and anything else you’d care to bring.
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, ‘Special Christmas Edition’ Matt and Anne discuss the Gospel accounts of the birth of Jesus, Star Wars, the non-existent Inn, the magi and the star, Hosea and his less than virtuous wife, and the sad passing of Jar Jar Binks.
You can catch up on all of the older episodes here.
This Sunday
The sermon this Sunday is based on John 1:1-18.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. (John 1:1-18 ESV)
Team Philippians is working on the altar this Sunday with Anne Kennedy.
Shepherd’s Bowl Team 3, the Warner team will be working this week (1/5).
Altar Guild Mary Tuttle is serving this Sunday.
Nursery Sarah Dreher is serving this Sunday with Madison.
The readings for this week are: Isaiah 61:10-62:5 and Galatians 3:23-4:7.
The PDF Bulletin for this Sunday’s 10:30 service can be downloaded here.
Have an item for the Update or an Announcement?
Email the secretary at:
gs.binghamton@gmail.com
by Monday night.