What’s Happening at Good Shepherd
Health Fair and Ice Cream Social A BIG Thanks to all those who participated in the Health Fair and Ice Cream Social last Saturday! This was a beautiful occasion for so many Christians to network together to show our love to the community! And the hand of the Lord our God was upon us!! Bless His name! May He continue to guide as we serve in His name!
Father’s Day Next Sunday is Father’s Day. As is the custom here at Good Shepherd, all men of any age are welcome to help themselves to a meat stick at the sanctuary entrance after the services.
A Heartfelt Thank You Birthright of Binghamton expresses our deepest appreciation and ‘Thank You’ for your continuing and generous support of our Mother’s Day flower Sale. Birthright is a non-profit pregnancy center staffed by dedicated volunteers. All of our services are free, including pregnancy tests (58 in 2016), newborn layettes (71 in 2016), clothing (244 clients were helped with clothing in 2016), diapers (233 babies in 2016) and resources, as well as guidance, support and friendship. For further information, or if you are interested in volunteering please call Diane at (607) 372-0312! We look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Diane Yajko, Birthright Co-Director
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.
CHE Garage Sale Heartfelt thanks from all of us at the CHE Association, Nicaragua! The yard sale was a big success. Thanks to the Mission Committee at the First Congregational church, Harford, $1200 was raised to support Dania and Jose Luis Jimenez. This brother and sister are Area CHE leaders in northern Nicaragua, working with 10 small, rural communities. Thanks to the sale, they have another 3 months of support. Thanks be to God for bringing us all together, whether we live in PA, NY, Nicaragua, or beyond, to be part of the CHE world-wide movement which God is using to bring abundant life in Christ to individuals, families, and communities. Thank you to everyone at Good Shepherd who donated.
An Invitation Lauren Kirst and Nick Sluyter are getting married! All are invited and welcome to celebrate the beginning of their marriage at the wedding ceremony. It is taking place here at Good Shepherd on June 24th at 2:00pm.
VBS Vacation Bible School is coming! Think about joining in the fun of telling our neighborhood kids about Jesus.
Look for the sign-up sheet downstairs and save these dates: Monday, July 31- Thursday, August 3. 6:00-8:15 PM
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.
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 at 607-768-5499 or mizliz74@yahoo.com.
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 What is the difference between ‘doing’ and ‘helping’? The dictionary describes ‘doing’ as: an activity or proceeding, and ‘helping’ as: to assist. Our food pantry can be thought of in much the same way. It is a thing we ‘do’ to have a food pantry available to Good Shepherd members, but we can ‘help’ by continuing to keep it stocked with good, healthy foods.
Items needed: peanut butter, canned meats, tuna, coffee, tea, canned/powdered milk, canned fruit, canned veggies (except for green beans), rice in 1lb bags (brown or white), gluten free items, sugar free items, condiments: mayo, mustard, ketchup, relish, fruit juices (other than grape), kid foods, and anything else that you’d like to bring.
Last Week
Last Week in Christian Ed as is our custom after we finish a lengthy series, we had a Q&A session. Look for an update on what we’ll be studying next later in the week from Matt.
Last Week’s Sermon was called ‘A Priest in the True Temple’ and was based on Hebrews 8:1-6 and can be listened to or downloaded here.
Tuesday Morning Bible Study was called ‘Toward the Red Sea‘ and was based on Exodus 13. You can watch here, or in the window below. You’ll need a LiveStream account, but it’s free and easy to sign up for.
You can catch up on all of the older classes here.
Mission Group Discussion Questions
Read Hebrews 8:1-7
1) What does verse 1 say to remind us about where Christ is right now?
- What is signified by the fact that Christ is seated? How does this contrast with Levitical priests?
- Who is the Majesty in heaven? Why is the right hand of his throne significant?
- Why can believers in Christ have great confidence to approach the throne of God?
2) Christ is called a minister in verse 2. What is a minister? What does this title indicate about Christ?
- Verse 3 tells us that priests offer gifts and sacrifices. What gifts and sacrifices has Christ offered? What can believers offer as a gift and sacrifice to God? Why does God accept these gifts and sacrifices?
3) In what other ways did the earthly temple and tabernacle contrast with the heavenly sanctuary in which Christ is now serving?
- What does it mean in verse 5 that the priests of the earthly priesthood “serve a copy and a shadow of the heavenly things”?
- Why is this new covenant with Christ as our priest and mediator superior to the old one? How do we know it is better, according to the logic of verse 7?
- What is the effect of the new covenant on those who trust in Christ?
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, ‘Weekly Roundup Featuring Gay Vultures’, Matt and Anne discuss their top stories of the week: literature, politics as a form of religion, Ramadan, and, of course, gay vultures.
You can catch up on all of the older podcast episodes here.
This Week
This Week in Christian Ed Look for an update on what we’ll be studying next later in the week from Matt.
This Week’s Sermon is based on Hebrews 8:6-13.
But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.
For he finds fault with them when he says:
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah,
not like the covenant that I made with their fathers
on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
For they did not continue in my covenant,
and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws into their minds,
and write them on their hearts,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor
and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
for they shall all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,
and I will remember their sins no more.”In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
Team Galations is working on the altar this Sunday.
Shepherd’s Bowl Team 2 will be working this week with the Osgood family (6/15).
Altar Guild Christine Osgood is serving this Sunday.
The readings for this week are: Genesis 1:1-2:3 and Hebrews 8:6-13.
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.