Thursday, July 22, 2021

Update from Good Shepherd (July 22, 2021))

Greetings!

SUMMER SCHEDULE
Divine Services are at 10:00 AM on Sundays, in person and on Facebook Live. Share our services and invite friends to tune in.

Sunday School, Adult Bible Class, and Bible Matters will resume in September.


FAMILY VBS IS NEXT WEEK! – July 26-28; 6:30-8:00 PM
          We will be offering a Vacation Bible School for the whole family to partake in. It will be Monday – Wednesday evenings. The children will have their own materials that they will enjoy. The theme will is “Soaring High.”  Register here and let others know where to find us!
          Adults will have a different topic. We will work under the theme, “Finding God.” It is designed for all levels of interest in the Bible and religion in general. We will consider how various religious speak about God, how the true God reveals himself, and how to be sure what we know about God is true and helpful. We will consider what is trustworthy and untrustworthy when it comes to knowing God’s will for us. 
          While our Family VBS will meet in person, we also recognized that many people seemed to prefer a drive-through arrangement of picking up materials for their children and working through them at home. Since it was so well-received, we will try to offer the same thing with our Family VBS. Look for the drive through date and time soon.
          Wednesday will conclude with an ice cream social.  We are also hoping for a fly-by by the RE/MAX hot air balloon (weather permitting) on Wednesday.  Lawn games and refreshments will be available each night after our classes.  Invite friends to join us!

WAYS YOU CAN SERVE
1)  VBS Drive-Through (Saturday, July 19, 8:30-11:00 AM)
     The drive-through option to pick up materials to do the lessons and crafts at home was very popular with Easter for Kids, so we are offering this option again.  We will need a crew of 4-6 people to help set up the parking lot (details given if interested), greet people driving in, getting information from them, and distributing VBS kits.
2)  Pick up ice cream novelties for VBS
     We will conclude our in-person VBS with an ice cream social.  We will hand out ice cream treats to our in-person guests on Wednesday, July 28.  We will need someone to purchase them (you will be reimbursed) and deliver them to church.
3)  Mailings to new movers
     We have subscribed to a service that provides the addresses of people who have moved into our area.  Every other month, there will be 140 labels and stamps that will need to be affixed to postcards and mailed.  Labels and stamps will be provided by church.
          If you are interested in any of these service projects, please contact the church.  We will supply more details if you need them.

MEETINGS TO NOTE:
Sunday, July 25 -- Evangelism Committee Meeting.
     We want to make the most of opportunities to proclaim the Gospel to as many as possible.  We will consider the best way we can do this for the Fall schedule through Christmas.
Sunday, July 25 -- Stewardship Committee Meeting.
     God brings us together as a body of believers.  Just as every part of your body matters (just ask your little toe when you smash it), so also every member matters.  We want to tighten our bonds with one another.  The Stewardship Committee will work toward that end and consider also how we might serve our community at large.
          All members are welcome to attend these meetings.  They will all take place after church.

GOOD SHEPHERD 40TH ANNIVERSARY BOOK
         A pictorial retrospective of Good Shepherd has been produced and is at church. You are welcome to look through it. While there are many photos, there is also a lot of information about the history of the congregation. So, if you look at it, you will probably not be able to read through all the articles. The copy at church will be placed in Good Shepherd’s library, but you may want your own copy. We will contact Shutterfly to see what kind of discounted rate we can get for a bulk order. (Without discounts, the books runs well over $100.) We will see how many are interested in a copy, understanding that you may change your mind if the cost ends up being too high.

WINDOWS AND SIDING
         Our congregation signed a contract with Kerns Brothers to replace the windows and siding on the church. The total cost of the project is about $62,500, and through June our generous offerings have raised $33,250 for the project. In the May Council meeting the final $7,192 in the Alice Laho Trust memorial was added to the Windows & Siding Fund to increase total available funds to $40,442. That leaves us with $22,058 needed to completely fund the project. Should it be necessary, we have applied for a loan through Lutheran Association for Church Extension (LACE). Council members are currently weighing the merits of possibly using some of our existing savings in lieu of paying the costs associated with borrowing. Your thoughtful consideration for a gift toward this project is appreciated.


SUMMER OFFICE HOURS
          Between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, Pastor Schroeder’s office hours will be a bit more sporadic than usual. To ensure his availability, it is best to make an appointment. He will remain available by phone or text (248-719-5218). You may also email (welsnovi@aol.com), but the response may be slower.

GOOD SHEPHERD ON YOUTUBE
         Feel free to share the videos.  For other services, do a search for "Good Shepherd Novi."  The service from Sunday, July 18 is here: Good Shepherd Novi, Divine Service - July 18, 2021 - YouTube
         Bulletins for services can be downloaded from here (scroll down): 

DO YOU LIKE US?
Look for Good Shepherd on Facebook.  Then “LIKE” us for updates and other postings.  Be sure to share posts with friends.

SHARE THIS POST!
We desire as many as possible to rejoice in the Gospel which we proclaim and confess.  Share the information from our weekly email blast, links to our web page, and even to the pastor's blog to let others know that we have a space in our congregation for them!

In Christ,
Pastor Schroeder
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SUMMER SCHEDULE
DIVINE SERVICES -- Sundays at 10:00 AM (also on Facebook Live )

Sunday School, Adult Bible Class, and Bible Matters will resume in September.

GOOD SHEPHERD’S WEBSITE

PASTOR SCHROEDER’S BLOG

www.LutheranSubject.blogspot.com    

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