What’s Happening at Good Shepherd
Bishop Dobbs Visits This weekend, Bishop Dobbs will be visiting with Good Shepherd. He will be compressing a lot of meetings into a very short span of time, but hopefully you’ll get a chance to stop and visit during coffee hour after the 10:30 service. There will be a potluck lunch, so please bring a dish to pass, if you’re able, and staying afterward to give a hand in the clean-up would be a great blessing to Charles. The schedule for Sunday will be tight, so please don’t feel slighted if he doesn’t get to speak with everyone.
Here’s what it should look like:
8:00-12:30 Worship
12:30-1:00 Potluck
1:00-2:00 Meet with Good Shepherd Staff
2:00-3:00 Meet with Ministry Heads
3:00-4:00 Meet with Good Shepherd Vestry
4:00 Depart
Prayer Shawl The next meeting for GS Prayer Shawl Ministry will be Saturday, November 21, 2015 at 11:15. Keep Knitting!
“And as for your little ones…”
Children’s Bulletins Children’s bulletins are available from the ushers. They are designed to help children 8-11 engage more fully with the worship service and sermon. Younger children who are worshipping with you may also find them helpful.
Catechesis recently began for children 3-6 years old. Please ask Anne Kennedy for a classroom tour and consider bringing your children or becoming involved as an occasional classroom assistant.
Upcoming ACW Events
Anglican Church Women (ACW) with have a meeting on Saturday, October 10 at 11:15 followed by a pot luck lunch. We will be discussing an exciting ACW year filled with fun and fellowship!
Upcoming Outreach Events
Trunk-n-Treats Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd (360 Conklin Avenue) will again host Trunk ‘N Treat from 4 to 7PM on October 31st. There will be hot chocolate, donuts, cider, games, antique cars, and trunks of treats.
Jeremy the Illusionist will share the gospel as he performs his amazing “magic” show from 6 to 7PM! Please come in costume with decorated trunks full of treats and enjoy the fun! Also invite friends and neighbors to this family-friendly event!
Balloon Animals If anyone is interested in making balloon animals for outreach events, please see Carmen.
Saratoga Outreach Please let Carmen know if you would like to share some special time (30-45 minutes) with the kids at Saratoga Youth Center. Some ideas: read a favorite book/books to the children, talk about a country where you have lived/visited, teach a craft, play a game, cook, etc. Also feel free to join us in the garden usually at 10:30AM on Tuesdays depending on the weather. Afterwards we prepare a salad from the harvest to enjoy in the Parish Hall. We have also made zucchini chips and kale chips, but are eager for more healthy, kid-friendly recipes. Thanks for continuing to pray for these beautiful children!
Ongoing Ministries
Good Shepherd Garden Good Shepherd has a community garden containing 11 personal plots. If you are interested in helping in the garden, or if you’d like to learn about gardening, please contact Steph Warner or Carmen Swoffer-Penna. We’re in need of waterers, planters, weeders, and knowledgeable folks to mentor newer gardeners.
This Week It’s time to close down another successful year in the Good Shepherd Garden! This year we expanded our flower garden, rebuilt two beds, got some new equipment, made lots of tasty meals with the Saratoga kids, and spent some time with the youth group, growing our relationships and knowledge along the way. Praise God for all of the work he’s done with our little patch of dirt! Thank you to all who tirelessly gave of themselves to make the garden such a success once again!
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 the holidays fast approaching, there is a greater need to keep our member food pantry well stocked. If those of us that can afford to do so would help those who can’t, it would be a blessing to all. One, we would have the satisfaction of knowing that the members of our congregation who use it would have good, healthy food to put on their tables, and two, those who use it would know that someone cares enough to see that they are well fed and their families too. In this way it would be a blessing for all.
Pantry Needs: Canned hams, turkey, beef, chicken and tuna, Stuffing mixes, canned soups and stews, kid foods, pie mixes, instant potatoes, assorted gravies, fresh potatoes, onions and carrots, and anything else you’d like to bring.
Last Week
Sermon Last week’s sermon: ‘Ramifications of Rejecting the Resurrection’ was based on 1 Corinthians 15:8-19, and can be listened to or downloaded here.
Mission Group Discussion Questions
(1) In verse 9, why does Paul call himself “the least of all apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle…”? What other things (besides what’s stated in verse 9) makes Paul “unworthy” to called an apostle? Do you consider yourself unworthy to be saved by the work of Christ and to be called a Christian?
(2) According to verse 10, by what cause is Paul an apostle? Had Paul done anything to earn the position to which he was called by Christ? Have you experienced this “grace of God” to which Paul refers?
(3) To whom is Paul referring in verse 10 when he states that “I worked harder than any of them”? Why did Paul have to work harder? Even though he did have to work harder, to what does Paul still give credit for his accomplishment? What is the relationship between work and grace for the believer according to Paul in verse 10?
(4) What point does Paul make in verse 11 about the apostles and the message they all preach? Are the Corinthians any less Christian because they received the gospel from Paul rather than an apostle who is considered to be “more worthy”? Why not?
The following verses (12-19) are a series of logical if/then statements from Paul concerning the concept of resurrection.
(5) What is another problem in the church of Corinth according to verse 12? Why is this a problem? Why is the gospel incomplete without the resurrection of Christ?
(6) According to verses 13-16, what must be logically true if there is no resurrection? Why do preaching and faith become vain? Why is God made out to be a liar?
(7) What else are logical consequences if the resurrection is false, according to verses 17-19? Why are each of these things devastating? What becomes of the gospel if there is no resurrection?
(8) Paul brings the Corinthians and us to a point of understanding the utter futility of all that is preached if there is no resurrection. At the conclusion of this section, how do you think the Corinthians are thinking and feeling concerning their incorrect teaching about the resurrection? Why did Paul begin this section on resurrection in this way?
Tuesday Morning This Tuesday’s Bible study: ‘Joseph and Pharoh’s Dream’ was based on Genesis 41. It can be seen here. You’ll need to have a LiveStream account, but it’s free and easy to sign up for.
This Week
This week’s sermon is based on 1 Corinthians 15:20-28.
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.
~(1 Corinthians 15:20-28 ESV)
Team Corinthians is working on the altar this Sunday with Melissa Boeker.
The readings for this week are: Job 38:1-7; 34-41 and 1 Corinthians 15:20-28.
The PDF Bulletin for this Sunday’s 10:30 service can be downloaded here.
Have an item for the Update?
Email the secretary at:
gs.binghamton@gmail.com
by Monday night.