What’s Happening at Good Shepherd
From time to time… We’re going to start a new feature here in the update. At the top of the update, you might find, from time to time, some interesting facts about things going on around Good Shepherd. Nothing that wouldn’t be shared publicly will be found here, but we thought it would be a nice way to acknowledge things that are going on within our congregational community.
Welcome Home! John and Pauline King are home from their trip south. Please take a moment to welcome them back.
August 7th Tom and Fran Hull will be renewing their vows during the 10:30 service. Please join them in celebrating 60 years of marriage!
A Note from The Shrivers
Dear Good Shepherd Friends and Family,
Janell and I want to thank you all for the sending-off party you gave us! It meant so much to us to have that chance to say goodbye and your acts and words of love have stayed with us.
Thank you, too, for helping us in our move! We arrived in Lansdale safely and are getting settled into our new home. The task ahead of us ~with school and with our position as community support staff where we live~ is daunting, so we ask for your continued prayers.
We love each of you and hope to get back for a visit soon. We’re headed off to a family reunion tomorrow, but when we get back, we’ll try to be in touch with you individually.
In Christ,
Jerry & Janell
Minister’s Calendars are available on the usher’s tables at the front and rear of the sanctuary. If you are on a ministry team, please be sure to grab one and look it over thoroughly, as many changes have been made. An emailed copy will be sent out next week.
There are still a few spots to be filled, so let Anne or Steph know if you’d like to help. Currently, Anne is leading a team, so it would be really helpful if someone stepped in to fill that need. The commitment is once every five weeks.
A Celebration, Acolyte Practice, and a Potluck August 7th marks the start of the fall season. This means that our summer break is over. We’ll resume acolyte practice that Sunday, and there will be a potluck in the parish hall following the service. Please bring a dish to pass, if you’re able, but stay and eat even if you can’t! We’ll be celebrating the renewal of Tom and Fran Hull’s vows that Sunday, so the theme will be Special Occasion Foods.
School Supply Giveaway and FREE Barbecue Please begin to look for sales of backpacks, crayons, folders, etc in preparation for the School Supply Giveaway and FREE Barbecue which will be on August 27th noon to 2PM. This is always a big event and another way to reach out to the community with the love of Christ.
Good Shepherd Youth Group Youth Group will be cancelled for the entire month of July. The garden IS still growing though, so if you’d like to come and spend some time working on your mission, please let Mrs. Warner know.
ACW Mark your calendars! The ladies’ get-together for fun and fellowship will be September 10! More information to follow.
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
“And as for your little ones…”
Vacation Bible School Vacation Bible School VBS, Digging for Treasure, runs this week! Monday -Thursday evening from 6:00-8:00 PM, kids 5-11 will be digging into scripture and discovering that Christ is our great treasure. Invite your friends and children from your neighborhood. Feel free to take a shovel with an attached flier to pass along to them. You can find these fliers and gifts on the VBS advertising table downstairs.
Please pray for all the children who will be attending. Children in this church will be here. Children we know from our neighborhood will be here. Children we have never met will also likely be here. Pray that God will use this week to open their eyes to his love for them.
Please remember to bring any decorating supplies that you’ll be loaning the VBS program on Sunday.
Here is the list of decorations and supplies we’re hoping to have:
Decorations (students will not interact with these materials)- globes, maps, old trunk-style luggage, wooden trunks, artificial Christmas trees, magnifying glass, old cot, binoculars, large baskets, canvas type fabrics (olive, khaki, brown), live tropical plants (large leaf)
Supplies – brown craft paper, cardboard rolls from toilet paper and paper towels, standard sized paper grocery bags
You can help! Consider staying after the 10:30 service to help decorate, get the church ready, and finish any VBS project preparations.
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 Our food pantry custodian is absent for the next few weeks. Let’s do our best to keep the pantry stocked well in her absence.
Needs: powdered milk, canned meats, canned soups and stews, one box meals, canned fruit, assorted cookies and crackers, kid foods, canned or bottled juice, white or brown rice, and anything else you care to bring.
Last Week
Last Week’s Sermon: was called ‘Wealth and Its Pitfalls’, and was based on James 5:1-6. You can listen to or download it here.
Tuesday Morning Bible Study This Tuesday’s Bible Study was called ‘A Living Sacrifice’. It was based on Romans 12. You can view it here, or watch it below.
The video has been playing strangely, not playing at all or cutting out after about 15 minutes, but we’re posting the link anyway in the hope that it won’t run that way for all of you.
Missed a study? You can catch up on the last month of the Tuesday morning Bible studies you might have missed here.
This Week
This week’s sermon is based on James 5:7-11.
Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. (James 5:7-11 ESV)
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 The Lesser Evil, Matt and Anne Kennedy discuss the Republican National Convention, Evangelicals supporting Trump, the “lesser evil”, and Ted Cruz, his non-endorsement and his promise. You can catch up on all of the older episodes here.
Team Galations is working on the altar this Sunday with Anne Kennedy.
The readings for this Sunday are: Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:11 and James 5:7-11.
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.