What’s Happening at Good Shepherd
Scheduling Reminder If you need to make an appointment with Pastor Matt, please be sure to contact Stephanie directly at 607-723-8032 or 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 ten 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. Thank you so much for your understanding.
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 to announce on Sunday and/or added to the paper and digital update.
Anglican Church Women Meeting The ACW will be meeting on Saturday, May 14 at 11:15. They will be discussing the election of new officers and the next few months’ projects! The meeting will be followed by a potluck lunch. All are welcome!
Ongoing Ministries
“And as for your little ones…”
Vacation Bible School is coming August 1-4 from 6-8 PM. It is an opportunity not only for children of Good Shepherd, but especially for children in our community to hear the gospel clearly presented. It is also an opportunity for you to lend your talents to those children. The range of skills that can be used in Vacation Bible School are broader than you may initially think. Vacation Bible School can be a beautiful quick snapshot of the body working together, all parts having the same goal but accomplishing that through a great variety of tasks and time commitments. Please talk with Anna Dreher and tell her what you enjoy doing and when (during the months of June-August) you are available. Your skills and interests are perfect.
Children’s bulletins are available to help your children follow all parts of the service today. Please pick one up from an usher.
Health Fair and Ice Cream Social 2016. The Ice Cream Social will be held on June 11 from 12-3pm. This year all participants in the event are required to agree with our statement of faith; a change which we pray will both protect us from the inclusion of groups which would oppose our beliefs, and also provide a venue for us and for other bible- believing Christians to proclaim our faith in words and deeds while promoting health of body, mind, and soul. This change also demands that we ALL take part in this effort. Please ask yourself what you can do to help and who you know who might be willing to participate. This event will include health screenings and information, holistic health professionals, Christian groups such as the Salvation Army, haircuts, skincare, facepainting, dance and athletic demonstrations, children’s crafts, music, food, and much more! Please let me know how YOU would like to help!
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.
Good Shepherd Food Pantry With summer rapidly approaching there is an even greater need to keep or “Member Food Pantry” well stocked and that concerns our children. When your kids are in school they are served healthy meals and snacks throughout each day, but what happens when they are out of school for the summer? The fact is that sometimes those healthy meals are discontinued.
Most poverty stricken families have to hunker down and make adjustments when expenses exceed income. They may have to pay other bills like heat, lights, rent and phone, before they buy food. That’s were Food pantries like ours, and the Food Distribution Trucks come into play. They supplement the need for people on a “fixed” income.
In the Bible Jesus and his disciples fed 5000 men, plus their wives and children with just two small flat breads and three small fishes by the miracle of multiplying them more than 1000 times over, and even though our pantry hasn’t fed that many, those who use it during the hard times depend it and us more and more.
Food Needs: Smooth or Crunchy peanut Butter, Canned meats such as chicken, turkey, beef, or spam, canned tuna or salmon, canned fruit with the exception of apple or cranberry sauce, one box meals like Tuna or Hamburger Helper-or Mac and Cheese, Cereals like Rice Krispies, Raisin Bran or oatmeal, Puddings, and Jello’s, Cake Mixes and Frostings, Brownie and Cookie Mixes, Salad dressings, and condiments like Ketchup, Mustard or Steak Sauce, Spices, Cooking oils and Sprays, Small bags of sugar and flour, Biscuit mixes, Canned veggies other than peas, green beans and corn, coffee or tea, cocoa Canned Spaghetti sauce and pasta, Canned stews, 1 or 2 lbs bags of white or brown rice, and anything else you care to bring.
Last Week
Last week’s sermon ‘Tongues of Fire’ was based on James 3:6-12. It can be listened to or downloaded here.
Mission Group Discussion Questions
James 3:6-12
Main Idea(s):
·Our tongues have the potential to express great blessing and terrible cursing.
·Minor carelessness with or misuse of the tongue results in significant destruction of relationships and unity in the church.
1)In verse 6, what does it mean that “the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness”?
a.What do the following phrases from verse 6 mean and what do they imply about the tongue?
i. “set among our members”
ii. “staining the whole body”
iii. “setting on fire the entire course of life”
iv. “set on fire by hell”
b.What are some examples of how carelessly or hurtfully spoken words lead to significant destruction of relationships and/or unity in the church?
c.Why do the words we speak have such destructive power?
2)Is there any instruction written or command given concerning the control of the tongue in verses 6-12?
a.What in verse 8 explains why James doesn’t write a command or a set of rules to follow to control the tongue?
b.What prevents human beings from taming the tongue?
c.Can our tongues be tamed? If yes, how? And by whom?
3)Why is it not proper that blessing and curses come from the same tongue?
a.What does this imply about how the tongue of a true believer should be?
b.In what ways can the words we speak build up relationships and unity in the church?
c.How should our tongues, as believers, be used as we live for Christ in the world?
Christian Education
Tuesday Morning This Tuesday’s Bible Study was called ‘Future Glory’. It was based on Romans 8. You can view it here, or watch it below. 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 3:13-18.
Team Romans is working on the altar this Sunday with Chris Jones.
The readings for this Sunday are: Acts 16:16-34 and James 3:13-18.
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.