|
ASSISTING MINISTER AND ACOLYTE TRAINING
On
Sunday, August 11, at 9:30 a.m., Pastor Graf will hold a training for assisting ministers in the Sanctuary. Acolytes are invited, too. Everyone who currently serves as an assisting minister or is interested in serving as an assisting minister is encouraged to attend.
On the same day after the 10:30 service, Pastor Graf will hold a training for acolytes in the Sanctuary. Everyone who currently serves as an acolyte or would like to serve as an acolyte is encouraged to attend.
|
|
FAREWELL AND GODSPEED
|
|
 |
|
Jia, left, with her family
|
|
One of our youth, Jia Emaus, will soon be leaving to study abroad in Portoviejo, Ecuador for ten months. This Sunday at the 10:30 a.m. worship service, we will wish her Farewell and Godspeed.
Click here to find out more about Jia's trip.
|
WORLD AND COMMUNITY COMMITTEE
The members of the World and Community Committee
seek, create and propose a variety of educational, spiritual, and fundraising activities for the congregation that connect faith and life, and that bring us closer to our
community and the world. We also try to
help our congregation better understand the concept of accompaniment as a way of mutual interaction with others.
The committee is involved with numerous projects and initiatives during the year, including leading Sunday School classes; collecting items and funds for Sharing House, ELCA's World Hunger, and Lutheran Disaster Response; coordinating the annual Bread for the World's Offering of Letters campaign; and facilitating the collection and assembly of personal care kits for Lutheran World Relief.
If you are interested in learning more or in attending a meeting, please contact chairperson, Kimberly Dunbar (883-3680 or [email protected]).
|
|
BOOK CLUB MEETING
The Book Club will next meet on
Tuesday, August 20 from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at Broad Street Wines. The group will discuss
Sunset Beach by Mary Kay Andrews. Copies are available at the library.
|
|
MEMBER CARE AT GOOD SHEPHERD
The importance of relationships as the foundation for the work of the church is evident in Scripture. Supporting and caring for each other is not just one more task to do, but is meaningful work of our church community.
I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
- John 13:34-35
Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
- Galatians 6:2
Member Care and Good Shepherd's Strategic Plan
All of the strategic plan objectives that our church has agreed on (accompaniment, lay leadership, increasing our presence in the community by sharing our gifts, children's spirituality, and member care) involve relationships. Member care, in particular, connects to two of these objectives:
Objective 1: Develop and implement "accompaniment" as a model for being in community within and beyond the congregation.
Objective 5: Develop initiatives for member care by volunteers that balance planned and spontaneous responses to need.
Expanding the Structure of Member Care
Many of us already care for others at Good Shepherd in a variety of ways. The expansion of the structure of member care won't replace those important interactions, but will help our congregation ensure that we don't overlook any needs.
Volunteers are needed to serve as visitors, home communion visitors, and transportation providers. Training for all visitors will be offered in August and September (August 18 at 9:15 a.m., August 25 at 11:45 a.m., and September 11 at 10:30 a.m.). Visitors only need to attend one session; home communion visitors will have additional training with Pastor Graf. If you would like to help, please sign up on the bulletin board. Please contact Jane McKeown or Kimberly Dunbar with any questions or concerns. Thank you!
|
|
GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER?
Yes, it's time to sign up for the next round of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner starting in September! We will continue our adult groups as in the past, with a choice of six or eight members per group who will meet monthly in September, October, November and December in each other's homes, or at a restaurant if preferred. Each group will have an assigned convener who will then make the initial contact and host the first get-together, be it brunch, lunch or dinner with the host couple responsible for the entree, bread and beverages, while the others in the group provide the appetizer, salad and dessert.
And something new...
Per a suggestion from Heather Merritt, we will also attempt this time to have a family group version for those families with children. Heather, or our new Children's Ministry Coordinator, will plan these gatherings based upon input from the interested families.
Sign-up sheets are available on the bulletin board for the various sign-up options. Groups will be announced in late August/early September! We will do our best to accommodate everyone's wishes, so please sign up ASAP for this wonderful opportunity to make new friends and to reconnect with existing friends! The sign-up deadline is
August 25.
|
COMING SOON AT GOOD SHEPHERD . . .
Sunday, August 11
8:00 a.m. Worship Service (Sanctuary)
9:00 a.m.
Coffee Hour (Fellowship Hall)
10:30 a.m. Worship Service (Sanctuary)
11:30 a.m. Coffee Hour (Fellowship Hall)
|
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.
Nora Johnson had been scheduled to undergo urostomy surgery at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center last month and early this month, but the surgeries had to be postponed due to medical reasons. Nora was at The Oaks nursing facility this week. Well-wishers are welcome to call Nora on her cell phone at 828-384-9062.
Linda Goethe has a stress fracture to her knee.
Former member Chuck Kauth died this week. Cards can be sent to his wife, Judy, at 109 Penny Road #243, Highpoint, NC 27260.
Parker Dicken's grandmother, Emily Dickens, has been admitted to the hospital with heart issues.
Steven Howell, Whitney Ferrara's brother, was admitted to the hospital this week due to kidney issues.
|
|
SERVING THIS SUNDAY
Guest Pastor
.................................................................................Rev. Dr. Richard Graf
Minister of Music
....................................................................................
David Gresham
Organist
..................................................................................................Adelaide Kersh
Outreach Ministry Coordinator.............................................................Kimberly Dunbar
Assisting Minister
..................................................................Jody Schuld / Bill Johnson
Reader
..................................................................................Caroline Smith / Bill Moore
Ushers
.......................................Debbie & Paul Cooper / Ken Aarsund & Hal Galloway
Acolyte
.....................................................................................Jody Schuld / Joe Smith
Greeters
.................................................Ginny & Bob Landwehr / Roy & Gloria Larson
Child Care during Worship
..........................................................................Lisa Busche
Altar Care............................................................................................Sheila Swancara
Communion Bread......................................................................................Kate Reinke
Tellers
.....................................................................Nancy Cummins & Marilyn Carlson
Doorkeeper of the Day
.................................................................................Roy Larson
Coffee Hour (
8:00) ................................
.....................................................Caroline Smith
Coffee Hour
(10:30).
...Marilyn & Larry Fogdall, Carolyn Smith, Susan & Mike Whitaker
|
LIVING WATERS
A group from Good Shepherd will be visiting with the Living Waters Lutheran congregation in Cherokee, NC on
Sunday, August 11 for worship and fellowship. We would like to take some food items for the Food Pantry at Living Waters as a way of accompanying the congregation in their efforts to offer much needed food to people in their community. The following items are especially needed at this time: ketchup, mustard, canned ravioli, canned meat, cereal, shampoo, paper towels, and dish soap. Please bring any of these or other food items to the commons by the morning of
Saturday, August 10.
We also ask for prayers for both of our congregations during this visit.
|
|
COLLECTION FOR CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES
Last spring, Good Shepherd collected items needed by children who are involved with our local Department of Social Services' Child Protective Services (CPS) unit. Robert McKeown and Kimberly Dunbar recently met with one of the program managers, who let us know what items are currently needed. If you can donate any of these items, please place them in the bin on the pew in the commons:
- socks (new, all children's sizes needed)
- underwear (new, all children's sizes needed)
- shampoo
- conditioner
- deodorant
- hairbrushes, combs and picks
- body wash or soap (if bars, individually wrapped, please)
- sanitary pads
- tampons
Why Are We in Partnership with CPS?
The Reimagining Health Collaborative (RHC) team at Good Shepherd has been focusing on mental health and building community partnerships since its inception two years ago. One of our areas of focus is trauma and resiliency, and being in partnership with CPS is one way that we can accompany those who have experienced trauma.
|
|
SMALL GROUPS SESSIONS AT SHARING HOUSE
On August 15 and 22, Outreach Ministry Coordinator Kimberly Dunbar will lead two more sessions of a journaling and discussion small group at Sharing House, which will focus on compassion/self-compassion and courage. The group was offered in response to Sharing House's invitation to local organizations to offer small groups focused on health to their neighbors. Members of Good Shepherd are welcome to attend. Please talk to Kimberly if you'd like to do so
(
[email protected]
or 883-3680).
|
|
NAMI HOMEFRONT
NAMI Homefront is a free, six-session class for family, friends and significant others of military service members and veterans. The class helps families comprehend what the military service member/veteran is experiencing related to trauma, combat stress, civilian life, PTSD and other mental health conditions.
Transylvania County's NAMI now offers the program online. Classes meet weekly in a virtual classroom. To register, visit
www.nami.org/Homefront. For more information about NAMI services in our community, contact
[email protected] or 877-2806.
|
|
ELCA, NC Synod, & LWF News
|
|
ELIZABETH EATON RE-ELECTED BISHOP OF THE ELCA
The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton was re-elected presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) August 6 at the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. On the first ballot, 897 votes were cast and 670 votes were needed for election. Eaton received 725 votes, which is 81.19% of the vote.
|
|
2019 ELCA CHURCHWIDE ASSEMBLY BEGINS
Gathering under the theme "We Are Church," members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are meeting in Milwaukee for the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly - the highest legislative authority of the ELCA.
|
|
OUR COUNTRY'S PROUD TRADITION
The following is a statement written by NC Synod Bishop Tim Smith.
The United States is the land of freedom and of welcome. Our nation's history overflows with stories of people relocating to the United States, beginning with the first pilgrims being welcomed by the hospitality and generosity of the Wampanoag and their feast of Nikkomosachmiawene, or Grand Sachem's Council Feast. Virtues of hospitality continue to be valued as "American" as we have welcomed generations, including our own president's mother, who emigrated from Scotland in the 1930s. Whether they were fleeing religious persecution or searching for a better life, our country has a proud tradition of welcoming immigrants and refugees with generosity and grace.
|
|
|
