October 3, 2006

Scripture Readings for Sunday

Genesis 2:18-24; Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12; Mark 10:2-16

Pledge Forms

If you have not dropped off your pledge forms yet, there is still time to do so.  Good Shepherd members are encouraged to return to their forms to the office during the week, or at one of the services this weekend.

Young Adult Small Groups Starting!

Good Shepherd is launching one or two faith/life discussion small groups for people in their 20’s and 30’s.  We will watch short films, have discussions, make faith and life connections, eat food and hang out.  Are you interested?  Please contact Mark
Hannan or Pastor Dave at the church office.

Simple Supper

For they come weeping to me and say, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ (Numbers 11:13)  Can you relate to the Israelites?  If so, join us at Good Shepherd on Wednesday, October 4 for Simple Supper.  This week’s menu features meatloaf with all the trimmings and serving begins at 5:45pm.

Hurricane Cleanup Trip

Some of you have been asking about an opportunity to go south to work with Lutheran Disaster Response in the hurricane cleanup effort. Here is the opportunity we have put together. Good Earth Village is organizing a group to go from November 11th until November 19th. We will be going to Slidell, La. where we will be hosted by Peace Lutheran Church. The cost is $250.00 per person and covers all expenses. Pastor Jack and Ruth Friedli have been asked to lead the group. If you are interested in going please contact Ruth Friedli at 288-1471.  

Mark your calendars!

Sunday School Christmas Programs, Sunday, Dec. 17

● 9:30am ─ Pre-School Birthday Party for Jesus

● 4:00pm ─ Kindergarten-Grade 5 Christmas Program

This Week at Good Shepherd

Wednesday, October 4

9:45am         Stay and Play (Nursery)

5:30pm         Confirmation

5:45pm         Simple Supper

6:15pm         Cherub & Carol Choir

7:00pm         High School Youth Group

                     Senior Choir

Thursday, October 5

6:30am         Bible Study

6:30pm         Set Design (Room A)

7:00pm         Women’s Bible Study (Room E)

Saturday, October 7

7:15am         Faith in Motion

5:30pm         Worship

Sunday, October 8

8:15am         Worship

9:30am         Education Hour

10:45am       Worship

12:00pm       Wedding Reception (FH)

2:00pm         Set Design (Room A)

Monday, October 9 (Committee Night)

5:30pm         Worship Committee

6:30pm         Personnel Committee

                     Celebration Chimes

                     Youth Choir

                     Set Design (Room A)

7:00pm         Committee Meetings: Evangelism, Youth, Finance, Property, Education, Church in Society, Small Group

Tuesday, October 10

7:30am         Men’s Coffee

1:00pm         Staff Meeting

6:30pm         Jubilation Chimes

Wednesday, October 11

9:45am         Stay and Play

5:30pm         Confirmation

5:45pm         Simple Supper

6:15pm         Cherub & Carol Choir

                     Fellowship Committee

7:00pm         H.S. Youth Group, Senior Choir

                     Technology Committee

Multi-Media Overload @ Youth Group   

Join us on Wednesday, October 18th to be a part of a singular musical experience.  Imagine being surrounded by four stereos all playing the same song but different parts of the music are coming out of every single speaker.  The Flaming Lips created Zairekka!, a masterpiece of modern music, by cramming a world of sound into 4 CDs.  You may never experience anything a beautiful and wondrous as these 4 discs played all at the same time.  We'll cue up Zairekka! matched with some incredible moving images at Youth Group on Wednesday the 18th.

Make A Difference Day

Are you up for a day of difference making?  Come rake yards with us on Saturday, October 28th.  We’ll meet at church at 7:30am and finish with a pizza at Think Credit Union at 1pm.  Mark you calendars now.

Lutsen Ski Trip Meeting

Due to popular demand we’re heading back to Lutsen Mountains for this year’s High School Ski Trip; same great skiing with great people and more space this year as our lodging accommodations are in a 3-story condominium.  If you are interested come to our important kick-off meeting at 7pm on Wednesday, October 11th in the youth room.  This meeting will take the place of High School Youth Group.

Confirmation Webpage

Parents, this week in Confirmation your students received information and a log-in for the Confirmation webpage (www.hwsstudent.org).  Not only does this site have a lot of features that students should enjoy but it also will be a tool to keep you informed of upcoming events and will be the main medium for student make-up work.  Please check with your student regarding this information and look for a parents’ letter sometime this week.

College Student/Ministry Group

A new GSLC ministry group to support college students will meet on Wednesday, October 11 at 6:30 pm.   The group will likely meet once a month.  Any parents and congregational members are welcome to attend.  If you are unable to attend, contact Rita Howe at 285-1507,or by email at steve.rita.howe@charter.net.

Adopt-a-School

The Church in Society committee is encouraging an adopt-a-school program and is looking for volunteers willing to spend a half hour or more per week at Friedell Middle School or a school of your choice. An example need is listening to students read. If you are already working or volunteering at your child's school or another, may we share your name as a resource for other prospective volunteers? Talk to Paul Willemssen, Heather Willman, or Val Jorgensen. A sign-up list is in the narthex.

8th Grade Sunday School

The eighth grade Sunday School class is a great group of youth!  They are looking at how they can live their faith out at school, with an emphasis on caring for others (and not excluding them).  Here is 1 Corinthians 12:1-31 & 13:1-13 in their words:

The Holy Spirit gave gifts to people.  The gifts were different personalities for each person. 

We need all of the parts in our body.  Without them we could not survive.  For example, an eye cannot say to the hand “we don’t need you”, nor can the head say to the feet, “we don’t need you”.  All of you are a part of Christ’s body—all are needed.

Love

I can speak to mortal and immortal, but since I have no love, I am just a distraction.  I may have talents, wisdom, and strength, but with no love, I am a withered flower. 

Love is wonderful, and does no wrong.  Love comes to you when you speak the holy word.  It’s always in your heart, so don’t misuse it.

Love lasts forever and is the greatest of all.

Congratulations!

To Carrie and Eric Winter on the birth of their son.  Brian James Winter was born on September 20th

New Photo Directory

A new photo directory is in the works.  Sign ups will begin soon, so be sure to watch the Happynings and the Bulletins for more information.



The Sacrament of Holy Communion

 

We experience God’s steadfast presence in our community in many ways.  God is present with us as we volunteer at Dorothy Day House, work with Habitat for Humanity, as we learn from one another in our many and varied small group ministries and in so many more ways.  Scripture reminds us that where two or more are gathered in the name of Christ, he is there among us, and we feel his presence throughout our worship and our proclaiming and celebration of the Word.  We as Lutherans also believe in the “real presence” of Christ in, with and under the bread and the wine at communion.  How Christ is present is a mystery to everyone.  We believe and dwell in that mystery each time the bread and wine is received.  When the bread is broken we are united in its brokenness, when the cup is shared we are lifted up by the sweetness of God’s grace.  As we share the sacrament of Holy Communion each and every week, this is perhaps one of the most tangible and profound ways our Lord Jesus comes to us.

 

For many years it has been the practice at Good Shepherd to allow parents to decide when they would like their children to receive their first communion, and a special instructional class geared toward second grade students was provided. In the ELCA the precedent has been set to administer the sacrament of Holy Communion to people of any age as soon as they are ready and able to receive the elements of the bread and wine.  This includes all people regardless of age.  This practice was underscored theologically in The Use of the Means of Grace: a Statement on the Practice of Word and Sacrament, which approved by the 1997 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. You can find this statement at the following web site: http://www.elca.org/worship/worship/Sacraments/print/umg.html

 

With this statement in mind, the Worship committee recommended to the church council that all the baptized, regardless of age, be welcomed to receive the sacrament of Holy Communion.  The council unanimously voted in favor of this understanding, and it will take effect on October 22nd.  

 

The new approach is as follows:  All are welcome to receive the bread and wine at the table, however, if individual families would prefer that the child wait until another time, such as second grade, parents are invited and empowered to make that decision.  If a family wishes for their young children to receive the bread and wine, they are to be intentional about sharing what happens in communion, teaching about the presence of Christ in the meal, and the love and grace we receive through it all.  Educational materials will be available online or at the church office to help parents talk with their children about Holy Communion.

 

We will continue to have educational classes about the Lord’s Supper geared toward second graders in the spring of each year.  All second grade students will be strongly encouraged to attend this event as they have in year’s past.  Ongoing instruction in the faith is important, regardless of age.  There will also continue to be a special communion celebration for those second grade students who have completed this instruction at the Maundy Thursday service each year.  For some it may be their first communion, for others it will not.  However, all will have received this training and have been reminded once again (as we all need to be reminded), that the mystery of Christ’s presence in, with and under the bread is real and is to be celebrated.

 

We give thanks for God’s presence with us in our community, in our worship, our education and in every facet of our lives together.  May our understanding of the profound ways Christ comes to us in his holy supper be strengthened by the gathering of our faith family as all of us are nourished for the journey through his body and blood.

 

In Christ,

Pastor Dave

 

There will be an adult forum about this understanding of Holy Communion between services on Sunday, October 15.   


 

 

 

God bless your year!

Oct. 4      Bailey Griffin, Brian Krolak, Val Jorgensen

Oct. 5      Frank Fawcett, Carly Jo Monahan, Karla Sperry

Oct. 6      Shelley Flynn

Oct. 7      Jo Boettcher, David Junge, Rich Soli

Oct. 8      Jacob Brown, Laura Taylor

Oct. 9      Bailey Kazeck

Oct. 10    Jo Brekke, Scott Hansen

+ For all the members of GSLC, especially: Pepe & Amy Headlee (Tricia Wondrow, Modesta, Pepe, Jr.), Jim Hegge, Ray Heidtke.

+ For ELCA congregations in the Southeastern MN Synod, including: United Redeemer in Zumbrota, St. Paul in Harmony, Zumbro Lutheran in Rochester and Trinity in Albert Lea.

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

559 20th Street SW

Rochester, Minnesota 55902

Phone: (507) 289-1748 

Office hours: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm Monday – Friday

E-mail info: gscsecretary@goodshepherdchurch.net

Worship Services (with Holy Communion)

Saturday 5:30 p.m.; Sunday 8:15 & 10:45 a.m.

Staff

Dave Berg, Lead Pastor

Jack Friedli, Pastoral Assistant

Cynthia McLaren, Education & Music Director

Mark Hannan, Youth Director

Mike Thilges. Office Administrator

Vicky Mulvihill, Volunteer Coordinator

Ellen Herder, Roger Harty - Custodians

Happynings Newsletter

Mike Thilges gscsecretary@goodshepherdchurch.net
Newsletter deadline: Mondays by 4:30 pm

Web site

www.goodshepherdchurch.net

   Paul Willemssen, Admin (willemssen@charter.net)

 

Worship With Us

Saturday – 5:30 pm

Sunday – 8:15 & 10:45am

Education Hour – 9:30am