What’s Happening at Good Shepherd
Potluck February 4th is the first Sunday of the month, and therefore a potluck week! This potluck’s theme is Healthy Foods. With many people making resolutions and getting back into the swing of day to day life, it seems a good time to swap ideas for starting 2018 in a healthy way! Please bring a dish of your favorite healthy snack or meal and stay to have lunch even if you don’t bring anything.
Lunch with a Missionary Have you ever had lunch with a missionary? How much do you really know about their daily lives? You are invited to dine with the Carlsons on Sunday February 4th. Please see Michael, Ally or Helen to reserve your spot at the table!
Shrove Tuesday February 13th 5-7PM: Mark your calendar and plan to attend and bring friends! There will be pancakes and sausage, fresh fruit and homemade applesauce. There will also be mask-making, face-painting, and live music too! Please let Carmen know if you can contribute your homemade applesauce / fresh fruit. We will also need servers and pancake makers. Look for a sign-up sheet in the Parish Hall.
ps: Closing the event there will be a solemn burning of last year’s palms to use for ashes on Ash Wednesday. Please bring your old palms to church to add to the fire!
Life Choices The baby bottles are here for donations for Life Choices! Last year we raised $653.61 with our loose change and donations for services such as pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, parent education (smart choices), relationship mentoring, baby store visits, emergency aid, and more. Life Choices helps teens and college students facing unplanned pregnancies before, during and after. Please take a bottle home and put your loose change in it and return it to the church (empty or full) by Feb 25. Any questions can be directed to Christine Osgood.
An Offer of Prayer The prayer team prays for the needs of the church on a weekly basis. If you have a specific request (Praise or intercession) please fill out a card and place it in the “prayer box” by the bulletin boards in the parish hall. All prayers are kept confidential.
Ongoing Ministries
Good Shepherd Youth Group Each Sunday evening, the youth of Good Shepherd meet for fellowship and worship. Any young person between the ages of 12 and 18 are welcome to attend. Led by Pastoral Assistant Tyler VanFossen. For more information, contact the Good Shepherd office at (607)723-8032.
Next month, we’ll be having our first official service project at Arrowhead Bible Camp from February 9-11. We will be trained on how to set tables, clean toilets, sweep floors, prep food, run dishes through a machine, fold laundry, and many other hands-on things as well. In between our times of serving we will play games, study the bible, pray, talk, and just hang out.
If you’d like to know how to help or be involved, please contact Tyler VanFossen.
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 will be beginning a new study on a book called Money, Possessions and Eternity, by Randy Alford.
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 Member Food Pantry God has a plan for all of us, for our church and our congregation. Part of that plan includes helping those that are less fortunate than ourselves by keeping our member food pantry stocked at all times. Those members that have trouble putting food on the table appreciate the kindness of those who help them.
Items needed: canned soups and stews, canned meats and tuna, rice (in 1 lb bags), plain or crunchy peanut butter, pasta, macaroni and noodles, bottled juice or juice packs, jello, rice or tapioca puddings, various pasta sauces, salad dressings or anything else you’d like to bring.
*Please do not bring in any flour or sugar, as they attract pests.
Last Week
Last Week’s Sermon was called ‘The Founder and Perfector‘. It was based on Hebrews 12:1-2. You can download or listen to it here.
Mission Group Discussion Questions
Read Hebrews 12:1-2
1) Why is the word “therefore” in verse 1 so significant in light of the way our English Bible is sectioned?
- What are the main themes of chapter 11 that are linked to the beginning of chapter 12?
- Who are those among the “cloud of witnesses” by which we are surrounded? Are they actively viewing us? How are they witnessing? To what are they witnessing?
2) If we use the analogy at the end of verse 1, what is the race that is set before us? How do we win? What is the prize?
- What are some weights that you carry while running this race? What are some sins that cling so closely? How do these inhibit your ability to run well?
- How can we possibly lay aside weights and sin? What must we do? What must Christ do?
- What does it mean to “run with endurance”? Through what things must believers endure? How do believers practice endurance?
3) In what ways is Jesus the “founder and perfecter” of the Christian faith? In what ways is he the “founder and perfecter” of the faith you have in him?
- What is the joy that was set before Christ, for which he endured the cross and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God? Why is that his joy?
- For a quiet minute, consider the depth and significance of that joy for which Christ humbled himself as a man to suffer death on a cross and to bear the infinite weight of the wrath of God against sin.
- How does this make you feel? Why?
- What does this make you think about God and about yourself? Why?
Tuesday Morning Bible Study This Tuesday morning, we were in Exodus 30. God is still giving instructions on the Tabernacle and its furnishings. You can view the class here or in the window below.
Posted by Matt Kennedy on Tuesday, January 23, 2018
This Week
This Week in Christian Ed This Sunday we will continue our series entitled, Christian Basic Training. Last week we finished our two-part discussion on prayer, what it is, why it’s important, and how to do it (listen here to part 1 and here to part 2). This week we begin to discuss scripture. Paul tells us that scripture is the means by which God brings you to maturity as a believer (see 2 Timothy 3:15-17). There are many bible studies and small groups at Good Shepherd and I hope you belong to one, but incorporating scripture reading into your daily life can sometimes be more difficult. This Sunday we will discuss the what, why, and how of personal Bible reading. Class begins at 9:15 am.
This Sunday’s Sermon will be based on Hebrews 12:3-11.
Do Not Grow Weary
Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Team Romans is working on the altar this Sunday.
The readings for this week are Deuteronomy 18:15-22 and Hebrews 12:3-11.
Christine O. will be serving on the altar guild this Sunday.
Shepherd’s Bowl Team 3 is serving this week with the Warners (2/1).
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.