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SUMMER PROGRAMMING FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
This summer the children and youth have been taking part in events comprised of the theme: Who is my neighbor?
On Wednesday, July 31,
youth and members from The Carpenters group worked together around the church to maintain LCGS for all of us. Together they checked fire hydrants, cleaned the baptismal font, filled the candles, watered and pruned flowers, painted tables, and adhered veneers to the Godly Play shelves. Thank you to Leigh Ann and Donna on Fellowship for providing us a wonderful lunch!
Thank you for taking care of us and each other!
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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.
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GODLY PLAY
As you likely know, we will begin using the Godly Play approach in our Children's Sunday School class in September.
Click here for more information about Godly Play and the thinking behind this approach.
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CALL PROCESS UPDATE
The Call Committee has received another pastoral candidate and is continuing the interview process.
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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 12 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 during Coffee Hour on August 4, or sign up on the bulletin board. Please contact Jane McKeown or Kimberly Dunbar with any questions or concerns. Thank you!
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DEBT FREE!!!
In the spring of 2016 we owed over $340,000 on the mortgage with Thrivent and $150,000 on the loan from our Mission Endowment Fund, toward which we were only paying interest. The Place of Grace Campaign set out that year to pay off those debts in three years. By the end of July 2017 we had paid off the Thrivent Mortgage. The Place of Grace Campaign officially ended on June 30, and we are pleased to report that, as of the end of July, we have now paid off the MEF loan balance. We are now free of long-term debt! You will hear more about this momentous achievement for our congregation, but for now we can be grateful and celebrate the generosity and commitment that made this possible. Thanks be to God!
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THANK YOU FROM HEATHER MERRITT
Many thank yous! My plan was to list all of the adults who have supported the youth in someway this past year. My fear is I will leave someone out. Below are MANY of the ways you have been neighbors to the younger generation.
Volunteered in Nursery
Volunteered in Sunday school
Shared about Cherokee culture
Made decorative quilts
Assisted with Noisy Offerings
Supported youth worship volunteers
Supported acolytes
Made and making shelves for Godly Play
Advised about shelves
Volunteered with summer activities: hosted a summer activity, made deodorant, worked with kids around the church
Provided food for youth activities
Labeled books for youth
Planned for youth during Council, Finance, and Education committee meetings
Taught the youth songs
Worked with youth and World and Community Committee
And MORE!
Thank you!
On a personal note, I would like to thank everyone
for the cookie cake, flowers, sweet cards, and encouraging words! I am thankful to be apart of this community.
- Heather Merritt
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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 6 or 8 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.
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EDUCATION COMMITTEE UPDATE
Linea Warmke has stepped down as the Chair of the Education Committee at Good Shepherd. We thank her for her faithful and thoughtful work and for her energy and enthusiasm.
In her absence, we are in need of a chair for the committee. If you are interested in this position, or know of someone who you think would be a good fit for the position, please contact Bob Schuld (
[email protected]), Council President, or Jody Schuld (
[email protected]), Volunteer Ministry Coordinator. Thank you.
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AARP'S HOMEFIT PROGRAM
HELPS YOU SAFELY AGE IN PLACE
AARP's HomeFit program is a self-help tool that enables people to know what the potential safety issues in their home are and provides
solutions to make homes more livable according to one's desires.
The program will be offered on
Monday, August 5
, from 10:30 - 11:45 a.m. at Good Shepherd. Light refreshments will be served.
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COMING SOON AT GOOD SHEPHERD . . .
Sunday, August 4
8:00 a.m. Worship Service (Sanctuary)
9:00 a.m.
Coffee Hour & Fair Trade Sale (Fellowship Hall)
9:45 a.m. Information Forum on Good Shepherd Crèche
(Conference Room)
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.
The Fiorini Family, friends of Marilyn Carlson, are struggling through a very difficult time after their son was in an accident.
Jason, friend of Hank Shore, is
suffering with shingles in his eye which is threatening his sight in that eye and causing other problems.
Nora Johnson was scheduled to undergo urostomy surgery at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center on Tuesday, July 30. The surgery again had to be postponed, but was to take place on Friday, August 2. She is expected to remain in the hospital for five to seven days and then move to The Oaks nursing facility to complete her rehab. Well-wishers are welcome to call Nora on her cell phone at 828-384-9062.
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SERVING THIS SUNDAY
Guest Pastor
..........................................................................Rev. Dr. Robert McKeown
Minister of Music
....................................................................................
David Gresham
Organist
..................................................................................................Adelaide Kersh
Outreach Ministry Coordinator.............................................................Kimberly Dunbar
Assisting Minister
..........................................................Ellen Dozier / Robert McKeown
Reader
....................................................................................PJ Larson / Heidi Bullock
Ushers
........................................Debbie & Paul Cooper / Ken Aarsund & Don Rumph
Acolyte
....................................................................................Ellen Dozier / Jia Emaus
Greeters
...........................................PJ & Bruce Larson / Phyllis & Wil Wiederaenders
Child Care during Worship
..................................................................Kimberly Dunbar
Altar Care............................................................................................Sheila Swancara
Communion Bread.....................................................................................Kate Reinke
Tellers
.....................................................................Nancy Cummins & Marilyn Carlson
Doorkeeper of the Day
.................................................................................Roy Larson
Coffee Hour (
8:00) ................................
.........................................................Ellen Dozier
Coffee Hour
(10:30).
................Lois & Jim Bollini, Kimberly Dunbar, & Marci & Dave Kuhlman
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FAIR TRADE SALE
This Sunday, August 4, 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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GOOD SHEPHERD CRECHE UPDATE
On
Sunday August 4, Pastor Graf will hold a brief information forum in the Conference Room at 9:45 a.m. to share developments about the Good Shepherd
Crèche in India that some members in our congregation have supported financially. Pastor Graf will explain why Good Shepherd will no longer act as a conduit of donations for the Good Shepherd
Crèche, and will answer any questions. All are welcome to attend.
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NOISY OFFERING UPDATE
You may recall that the noisy offering we collected during worship in March supported the memorial foundation set up in honor of Jameson Courtine, a nine-year-old boy in our community who died suddenly earlier this year. The foundation is now called The Jameson's Joy Memorial Service Foundation. We received the following note from Jameson's father.
Good evening. My family recently received a check from your church and your children's VBS to help my son's foundation. On behalf of my family, THANK YOU. It means so much to have the support of so many in our community during this transition.
I wanted to let you know of an event coming up to honor my son, and to help raise more money for our Foundation. We hope that you can find a way to share our thanks and the event with your congregation.
And we are in need of volunteers if any of your members wish to perform a wonderful act of service. They may sign up here to help:
Thank you so much.
Dan Courtine
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LIVING WATERS
A group from Good Shepherd will be visiting with the Living Waters Lutheran congregation in Cherokee, NC on
Sunday, August 11 to talk about officially forming a partnership between the two congregations. We would like to take some food items for the Food Pantry at Living Waters Church as a way of accompanying the Living Waters 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 by the morning of
Saturday, August 10 and place them in the labeled box on the pew in the commons.
We also ask for prayers for this visit and meeting between the two congregations on August 11.
World and Community Committee
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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.
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MENTAL HEALTH SEMINAR AT SILVERMONT
On
Thursday, August 8, Silvermont Senior Opportunity Center will host a community seminar that will focus on the impact of chronic illness on mental health. The seminar will be led by a member of Vaya Health's Geriatric and Adult Specialty Team. If you'd like to attend, please call 884-3166 to register.
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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.
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ELCA, NC Synod, & LWF News
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CHRISTIANS AGAINST CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM
The Christian Church is, and long before the creation of modern nations has been, a FAITH that welcomes, embraces and informs the lives of God's children everywhere, regardless of origin, "race," culture, type of government or religion. For Christians that truth needs to be periodically clarified, lest the Gospel becomes entwined with, and modified by, the platforms of particular political agendas. The following, endorsed by our own ELCA Bishop Eaton and other outstanding church leaders, is a statement addressing this issue that I prayerfully commend to you as worth reading. Pastor Graf
As Christians, our faith teaches us everyone is created in God's image and commands us to love one another. As Americans, we value our system of government and the good that can be accomplished in our constitutional democracy. Today, we are concerned about a persistent threat to both our religious communities and our democracy - Christian nationalism.
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BISHOP EATON'S VIDEO REPORT TO ASSEMBLIES
At recent synod assemblies, we celebrated the collective work we have done as the ELCA. Two videos were shared with each assembly, and now we offer these same resources for you to share in your congregation. We hope these videos will inspire our ministry moving forward.
In her 2019 message to ELCA synod assemblies,
"For Such a Time," Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton shares what it means to be called "for such a time as this." And, the
"2018 Year in Review" video highlights some of the work done by the ELCA churchwide organization works together with synods and congregations as we are church for the sake of the world globally, domestically and in our neighborhoods. Thank you! All of this is possible because together in Jesus Christ we are freed by grace to live faithfully, witness boldly and serve joyfully. Go in peace and share the good news.
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