LENTEN DEVOTIONAL BOOKLET 2020

Members and friends of Good Shepherd are invited to write brief devotionals to share with our congregation and others during Lent. This year, we will focus on the passage from Philippians known as the Christ hymn (2:5-11). You are asked to share a brief story (300-400 words) from your life that relates to one of the five themes pulled out of the Philippians text. (Click here for more information.) Y ou can include a question that prompts the reader to further reflection and/or a prayer. Please send in your story contributions to Kimberly Dunbar in the church office ( [email protected] ) by Friday, February 21 , or contact her with any questions. Thank you.

SPECIAL APPEAL FOR CHORAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM

Did you know that our own David Gresham was once a Choral Scholar??? David says that the experience was "pivotal" to his life. Few would disagree that David's considerable experience, coupled with his dedication to LCGS (along with a whole lot of patience with the choir members!) have been just as pivotal to our extraordinary music program. Current Choral Scholars Cory Earp and Anthony Zuniga not only have found meaningful work with us that enriches their music studies at Brevard College, they have also become welcomed and valued members of our church family, especially our choir family. The exuberance and joy they add to every practice and worship service cannot be overstated.

 

Although the choir is large for a congregation the size of Good Shepherd, there are only two full-time tenors. This would typically limit the variety of anthems that could be considered for any given Sunday. Being able to augment the choir with Choral Scholars significantly broadens the choir's capacity for selecting more complex and varied music pieces throughout the year.

 

The Choral Scholars program is also one of our few connections to Brevard College, which is intrinsic to Good Shepherd's community outreach goal to attract younger members into the congregation. Pastor Ken commented that the program "is fertile soil where church and college students can work creatively and foster faith and vocational aspirations." Further, it is good for individuals who may be "church shopping" in the local area to see not only how involved our youth are in worship services, but also young adults singing in the choir.

 

Unfortunately, as was discussed during the January 26 congregational meeting, funding for our Choral Scholars program was one of the items that had to be cut in order to balance the 2020 budget. The Congregational Council recently approved a request, submitted in accordance with the LCGS Financial Policy, for a special appeal for the $2,250 needed to fund the Choral Scholars program through the end of the Spring semester. Please contemplate how our music program enriches your personal worship experience at Good Shepherd and whether you can make even a small donation toward sustaining the Choral Scholars program. Every little bit helps, as the saying goes. Designated gifts may be made by making your check payable to the church with "Choral Scholars Program" noted on the memo line. Thank you for your consideration.

MINISTRY 2020 COFFEE HOUR CHANGES

There has been considerable discussion around the "trusteeship" aspect of Ministry 2020 and the need for congregation involvement in the care of our church community from a "service to and with others" perspective, as well as the financial perspective. Bill Johnson reminded us of this again during the congregational meeting held last week with his "Remember the Alamo" analogy.

 

To support this, a plan approved by the Council is in place to feature each LCGS committee/ministry team for a full month during 2020 through whatever channels they choose, including, but not limited to, newsletter features, Temple Talks, visual/video displays in the Fellowship Hall, etc. The intent is to give the different groups the opportunity to advertise the good work that is being done - sometimes behind the scenes - to support the daily operation of the church and perhaps recruit some new members in the process.

 

The members of the "Ministry 2020 Focus Team of the Month" will also host the weekly 10:30 service coffee hours during their adopted month(s), including deciding what will be served (for example, the committee may opt to serve only coffee one Sunday or may choose to provide only donuts with coffee). A very wise member of our congregation says, "It's not what's on the menu that's important; it's who's around the table that's important," which is a really nice way of saying, "sometimes simpler is better." If you are not a member of a specific church committee, consider offering to lend a hand to the designated team of the month. Fellowship is the responsibility of every congregation member and "help" could be as simple as offering to provide some cookies or vegetables to augment whatever the team has planned for a particular Sunday and would be greatly appreciated!

MINISTRY 2020 TEAM OF THE MONTH:  FELLOWSHIP

Have you ever been interested in learning more about our Fellowship team? Do you ever wonder who is on the team, what they may be planning for the year, how they sometimes manage to pull a rabbit out of a hat to ensure a special event is successful? Are you interested in exploring how you can help out occasionally? Well, the next couple of weeks present the perfect opportunity to learn more, as Fellowship is the Ministry 2020 highlight team of the month. Look for displays on the new bulletin boards in the Fellowship Hall and stop by to chat with chair De Carlson and other team members as they host the weekly coffee hours following the 10:30 worship service during the month. They'll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

NEWS FROM SENEGAL

Here is a Facebook post dated February 9 from Pastor Kristin Engstrom, coordinator of the Young Adults in Global Mission program in Senegal. 

Today we celebrated the fête de l'église of the Lutheran Church of Senegal.  I can honestly say it is one of my favorite days of the year. Joy. Dancing. Generosity. Faith. Church Together in Action.

 

The fête is a worship service celebrating this year's harvest and God's faithfulness. Every parish brings an offering for the work of the whole church.

 

On est ensemble. Nio farr.  We are together.

Click here to read Pastor Kristin's February newsletter about YAGM Senegal. 

"THE LIFE OF GALILEO" AT BREVARD COLLEGE

Brevard College will present this play by Bertold Brecht on Friday,  February 14 and 15  at 7:00 p.m., and on Sunday,  February 16  at 2:30 p.m. at the Porter Center's Morrison Playhouse. The production looks at the life of scientist Galileo Galilei, whose revolutionary ideas challenged those in power. Tickets ($10 for adults and $5 for students) can be purchased here or at the Porter Center box office one hour before each show. One of our choral scholars, Anthony Zuniga, is in the cast. 

OUR CHEROKEE HERITAGE

As our congregation lives into our partnership with Living Waters Lutheran Church in Cherokee, we have an opportunity here in Brevard to learn more about our Cherokee Heritage. Blue Ridge Community College is again offering the course, "Our Cherokee Heritage," which will be taught April 8 through May 27 and another session, June 17 through July 22. Both sessions are on Wednesday mornings, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at the Transylvania County Campus. Registration is $65.00. If you would like additional information about this course, speak with Fred Weed, Sue Barrett or Barbara Hotaling, who have all taken the class in previous years. There is also a catalog of Blue Ridge courses with registration information in the church office.