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SUMMER PROGRAMMING FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
This summer the children and youth will take part in events comprised of the theme:
Who is my neighbor?
1. Brevard, NC
Tuesday, July 9 - 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
The youth will take a tour of Sharing House, then return to LCGS to make deodorant for the people receiving assistance from Sharing House and play games.
2. Creation
Thursday, July 11 - 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Children and youth will flock to the Jenkins-King home to learn about creation through experiential learning (i.e. real animals) and crafting.
3. Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd
Wednesday, July 31 - 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Children and youth will work alongside the LCGS Carpenters on projects around the church. Afterwards, the youth and adults will enjoy a lunch provided by the Fellowship Committee.
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WHAT IS GODLY PLAY?
The Godly Play method is a curriculum of spiritual practice exploring the
mystery of God's presence in our lives. Providing structure for spiritual
practice, the Godly Play method engages our innate spirituality and
nourishes use of religious language to make meaning from Biblical stories
through the Creative Process. While the Godly Play method is a spiritual
practice, spiritual experiences during Godly Play sessions are actually the
mechanism for "being in religious language." These experiences serve as
both a conditioner for our existing spiritual connection with God and as
the instrument for grounding spirituality in the Christian language and
community of religion. (Read the full handout here.)
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COMMITTEE SPOTLIGHT: FELLOWSHIP COMMITTEE
The Fellowship Committee, co-chaired by De Carlson and Leigh Ann Stinson, is responsible for Christian love, support and community within the congregation by establishing effective ways for congregational communication and support. We sponsor regular fellowship activities such as post-worship coffee hours; Guess Who's Coming to Dinner; inter-generational game nights; Lenten soup suppers; Easter brunch; the annual LCGS picnic; ice cream socials, Heritage and Reformation Sunday luncheons, and many more events.
There are three sub-groups within the Fellowship Committee that support our congregation, including:
1. Coffee Hour - De Carlson and Aggie Romans work together to identify people to host weekly coffee hours following both services, where congregation members can visit with new and existing friends. Because our congregational is relatively small, it is necessary to ask fellow church members to help host coffee hour twice a year and it is time well spent - LCGS coffee hours are appreciated by all who participate. The last Sunday of each month is designated as "LCGS Sunday" when the Fellowship Committee takes care of hosting the coffee hours.
2. Funeral/Memorial Service Receptions - Barbara Meyers and Linda Goethe do a great job of hosting funeral/memorial service receptions when the families ask the church to take care of this task. They call members of the church to solicit food donations, as well as help with setting up beforehand and cleaning up afterwards. The job is made easier by our generous congregation members who always step up to help.
3. Guess Who's Coming for Dinner? - Donna Brim and Marilyn Carlson handle the task of coordinating our dinner groups. There are typically 3 sessions per year where those who have signed up to participate are arranged into groups of couples or singles to meet for dinners and fellowship in each other's homes.
Leigh Ann Stinson is our church kitchen coordinator.
The Fellowship Committee, which currently has 8 members, typically meets on the 1st Tuesday of each month, alternating locations and between morning and late afternoon meetings.
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CHILDREN'S MINISTRY NEWS
As was announced last week in the newsletter and bulletin, as well as during Sunday worship, Heather Merritt will be stepping down from her position as LCGS Children's Ministry Coordinator effective July 31st. The Council is making plans for moving forward following Heather's departure. If you know of someone who is interested in filling the part-time position of Children's Ministry Coordinator, please have him/her directly contact Council President Bob Schuld and/or Council Vice President John Colflesh with the relevant background information as soon as possible.
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GIFT FOR PASTOR MARY
The farewell gift that was created for Pastor Mary by a local artist has been completed and will be presented to her during coffee hour following the 10:30 service on Sunday, July 21st. This special piece of artwork will be made available during both coffee hours on July 7th and July 14th so that all congregation members can see it and sign a card for Pastor Mary before the gift is presented to her. Be sure to stop by the Fellowship Hall after worship and check it out!
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BOOK CLUB
The next meeting of the book club will be at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 16, at Broad Street Wines. The plan is to discuss "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" by Jamie Ford. In the church office, there are copies of the book if anyone would like to borrow one. If not enough people are able to read the book by the time of the meeting, we will just chat and push the discussion to our next meeting. Please join us!
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DEADLINE FOR NEWSLETTER & BULLETIN SUBMITTALS
In order to facilitate efficient office operations and allow the staff to meet downstream schedule deadlines, the Council decided at its June meeting that starting immediately, all input for the LCGS Friday newsletter and the Sunday bulletin must be submitted to the office in writing no later than 1:00 p.m. on the preceding Thursday. While every effort will be made to accommodate last-minute emergent issues, late submittals should be the exception rather than the rule. Thank you for your support in making Whitney's and Kimberly's jobs a little easier!
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THE FELLOWSHIP COMMITTEE NEEDS YOU!
Are you a closet event planner? Do you grasp at any excuse for a party? Did you inherit that "chronically organized" gene that seems to run in your family? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then you are just the kind of person the Fellowship Committee needs!
Fellowship Committee members play a key ministry role in the LCGS by connecting people and faith with the church community. Yes, the committee coordinates the Sunday morning coffee hours which received much positive feedback during the strategic planning cottage meetings last year. But did you know that it also provides support and oversight for other LCGS events and activities such as the annual church picnic, Advent and Lenten dinners, memorial services, and congregational meetings?
The Fellowship Committee needs a few new members with fresh ideas for our efforts. Joining the committee also offers an opportunity to form new friendships with others who like to plan, organize and have some fun!
Now that you're intrigued by the thought, contact De Carlson ([email protected]) or Leigh Ann Stinson ([email protected]) for more information about the Fellowship Committee. We look forward to you joining us for our next meeting!
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LWR QUILTERS
Good Shepherd's quilting group will be taking a short break from their Tuesday meetings for the next two weeks. The group will start up again on Tuesday, July 16.
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COFFEE HOUR HELPERS
It's that time of year again! We need everyone to look at their schedules and please sign up to help with Coffee Hour for the next six months. We are trying to keep from asking you more then twice a year. The July through December sign-up calendar is now available on the bulletin board. If you have any questions please feel free to contact De Carlson (828-885-5206 or
[email protected]) or Aggie Romans (828-776-6761 or
[email protected]). Thank you.
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COMING SOON AT GOOD SHEPHERD . . .
Sunday, July 7
8:00 a.m. Worship Service (Sanctuary)
9:00 a.m.
Coffee Hour & Fair Trade Sale (Fellowship Hall)
10:30 a.m. Worship Service (Sanctuary)
11:30 a.m. Coffee Hour & Fair Trade Sale (Fellowship Hall)
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COMMUNITY CARE CORNER
The "Community Care Corner" feature in the weekly newsletter allows us to update you on people for whom we are praying or to submit a new prayer request. If you have an update on someone or a new prayer request to share in the Corner, please email or call the church office ([email protected] or 883-3680) by noon on Thursday.
Debbie Cooper had hip surgery on July 1st and is doing very well. She has been released from the hospital and is recovering at home.
Sandy Ostermeier
continues to recover from foot surgery at Accordius in Brevard (formerly The Brian Center) in Room 127.
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SERVING THIS SUNDAY
Interim Pastor
...............................................................................Rev. Dr. Richard Graf
Minister of Music
....................................................................................
David Gresham
Organist
.....................................................................................................Vance Reese
Outreach Ministry Coordinator.............................................................Kimberly Dunbar
Children's Ministry Coordinator...............................................................Heather Merritt
Assisting Minister
..................................................................Ellen Dozier / Lorel Durlak
Reader
..........................................................................Ellen Dozier / Kathleen Milligan
Ushers
...................................................Jody & Bob Schuld / Jane & Robert McKeown
Acolyte
.....................................................................................Ellen Dozier / Joe Smith
Greeters
............................................Ginny & Bob Landwehr / Marilyn & Larry Fogdall
Child Care during Worship
......................................................................Zia McConnell
Altar Care....................................................................................................Barb Meyer
Communion Bread.....................................................................................Kate Reinke
Tellers
.......................................................................Mike Anderson & Jane McKeown
Doorkeeper of the Day
..........................................................................Mike Anderson
Coffee Hour (8:00) ................................
..............................................PJ & Bruce Larson
Coffee Hour
(10:30).
.........................................Donna & Tom Brim, & The Emaus Family
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NOISY OFFERING UPDATE
Thank you to everyone who made the Noisy Offering collection on June 30 possible and for all who gave donations. A total of $322.27 was collected, and will be given to
Transylvania County Children's Advocacy Center to aid in their work providing supportive services for children who have been in abusive situations. Thank you for your generosity!.
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FAIR TRADE SALE ON JULY 7
This Sunday, July 7 , a fair trade sale will be held in the Fellowship Hall during both coffee hours. A variety of food items will be for sale, including coffee, tea, olive oil, chocolate and nuts. Each purchase supports the work of small-scale farmers.
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ELCA, NC Synod, & LWF News
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A LETTER FROM BISHOP ELIZABETH EATON
A letter from May 28, 2019
Children coming to our nation for safety and protection are still dying at our southern border while in U.S. detention.
Carlos, a 16-year-old youth from Guatemala, died May 20 in the custody of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Wilmer, a 2-year-old, died May 14, also in the custody of CBP. They were preceded in death by Jackelin, Felipe, Juan and a 10-year-old girl from El Salvador who died in September 2018 but whose death has just been disclosed. One year ago, Claudia Patricia Gómez González, a 20-year-old woman from Guatemala, was shot in the head and killed by a Border Patrol agent while seeking safety in the United States.
I am deeply dismayed by the deaths of these children, made in the image of God, who came to our southern border as refugees and asylum seekers to ask us for protection. As a nation we denied them that safety, instead placing them in detention facilities, sometimes for months.
Our nation and its leaders have moral and legal obligations on behalf of those who seek safety in our land. As Congress considers federal funding for DHS, we advocate against further funds for immigration detention, deportation, and border militarization, and oppose intentional policy choices that harm children and families.
We follow a Lord who instructed, "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs" (Matthew 19:14). As we continue to serve and love our neighbor, we pray for the well-being of children and families in detention, and we urge the presidential administration to seek alternatives to the detention of children.
In Christ,
The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton Presiding Bishop, ELCA
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