Thursday, January 18, 2024

Update from Good Shepherd (January 18, 2024)

Greetings!

REGULAR SCHEDULE 
          Sunday School -- Sundays at 9:00 AM.
          Adult Bible Class -- Sundays at 9:00 AM.
          Divine Service -- Sundays at 10:00 AM.
          Bible Matters meets on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM.
          For a calendar of events and meetings, click here.

INTRODUCTION VIDEO FOR GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH
          Here is a video to introduce people to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Novi. Share it as much as you can.

ADULT BIBLE CLASS
          We are studying the Scriptures to see how they describe the End Times so that we can face it with both comfort and confidence, and so that we will not be distracted by false teachings and promises. The schedule is below. 
               Jan. 21 -- Dispensationalism (Rapture and Tribulation)
               Jan. 28 -- The Present Life in Light of Jesus’ Future Coming 
          Classes are Sundays at 9:00 AM.

BIBLE MATTERS
        Bible Matters has resumed.  Classes are Wednesdays at 6:30 PM. We will take up the topic of End Times which we have been covering on Sunday mornings. This schedule, however, will be an abbreviated version of Sunday’s Adult Bible Class. It can be found here.

NEW MEMBERS FROM LOLA PARK LUTHERAN CHURCH (REDFORD)
       Lola Park Lutheran Church conducted its final service on Sunday, December 31. Now the members of Lola Park will be transferring to area WELS congregations. Good Shepherd is likely to receive a number of these people as members here. Strive to make them feel welcome, as it can be a traumatic experience to have one’s home church close.

EASTER FOR KIDS PREP MEETING
          Easter for Kids will be on Saturday, March 23. While that is two months away, the preparations which need to be made for this event will need to get going in order to make this a memorable event for those who come to it. We will need people to help us produce three sets which our guests will “tour” as it relates the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection. We will also need people to tend each site on the tour to repeat the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection, helpers with crafts (both prep and assisting at the event) and help with publicity. We also welcome any ideas to improve this event.
          Our Easter for Kids prep meeting will be Sunday, January 21 after church. We welcome all members of Good Shepherd to participate.

TEEN EVENT AT ST. PAUL’S, LIVONIA
          THIS SATURDAY (January 20), St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (17810 Farmington Road) in Livonia will be hosting a teen event for high schoolers from 6:00- 9 :00 PM. Doors open at 5:30 PM. There will be games, snacks, a speaker, and breakout discussions. The topic will be: Staring a Spiritual Conversation. The event is free. This is a way to get to know the other WELS teens in our area, and it is also a preview of what the international Youth Rally will be like in Fort Collins, Colorado this summer. Although the official registration deadline has passed, St. Paul’s will not refuse teens who are eager to join in. For more information, contact Pastor Josh Krieger at (602) 370-8468.

WELS INTERNATIONAL YOUTH RALLY
          This summer, about 2,000 WELS teens (from 8th grade graduation through 12th grade graduation) from all over the country will be gathering in Fort Collins, Colorado for a Youth Rally. The Rally will be held June 25-28. All who have attended have raved about what a good time this is. More information can be found at www.welsyouthrally.net. The cost is $410 for early bird registration, March 6 – April 30. Transportation costs are not included in the registration fee. Good Shepherd teens will likely connect with St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Livonia to ensure that we have our teens connected to a chaperon. If you are interested, please speak to Pastor Schroeder.

CHURCH COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS (January)

>    We have drafted a tentative schedule of events for 2024.  Some events will involve more planning than others in order to make them more appealing and beneficial to our guests—for example, our Easter for Kids event on March 23 which will be here sooner than it seems.  Look for opportunities to plan, prepare, and participate in upcoming events.  The 2024 schedule of events will be posted on the church bulletin board.

>    We will have our Annual Open Forum, followed by our Voters’ Meeting, on Sunday, February 11 after church.  A continental breakfast will be provided to keep people alert and energized.  We will be reviewing briefly the highlights of last year and propose plans for the remainder of 2024 and beyond.  We enco8urage all our members, as well as those who are coming to us from Lola Park, to engage in conversation about what we can do as a congregation.  We welcome questions, suggestions, and critiques so that we can make the most of the gifts God has given to us—especially the service of his people.


GOOD SHEPHERD ON YOUTUBE
          Services are uploaded to YouTube each week. Feel free to share the videos. Here is the service from Christmas Eve (January 7, 2024): Good Shepherd Novi, Divine Service, January 7, 2023 (youtube.com)

BAD WEATHER POLICY FOR SERVICES AT GOOD SHEPHERD
          We will always have services as scheduled at Good Shepherd. Since I live across the parking lot, I can get to the church no matter how bad the weather gets. Even if the service is just me and my family, we will be here. For everyone else, please use your God-given common sense to determine whether or not you will get on the road to attend any service when the weather is bad. We don't want anyone to risk his or her life to be here. But if you do venture out, the scheduled service will take place. It may be only a handful with a cappella singing and/or spoken liturgy, but we will be here.
          Bible Classes and meetings may be canceled due to weather. Check your email regarding announcements to see if any of those scheduled events are canceled. If there is no email about it, it is not canceled. But again, use common sense to determine if you can make it, and call the pastor to let him know if you will not be coming.

DIVINE CALL RETURNED
          Pastor Schroeder returned the Divine Call from Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wautoma, Wisconsin.  He will continue serve at Good Shepherd for the foreseeable future.  The letter read at Good Shepherd and sent to Peace in Wautoma can be found here.

REGULAR OFFICE HOURS
          The pastor will try to maintain regular office hours are Monday – Thursday, 9:00 AM - Noon. To ensure the pastor’s availability, it is best to make an appointment. He is available by phone or text (248-719-5218). You may also email (welsnovi@aol.com), but the response may be slower. 

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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REGULAR SCHEDULE
DIVINE SERVICES are on Sundays at 10:00 AM
Sunday School -- Sundays at 9:00 AM 
Adult Bible Class -- Sundays at 9:00 AM 
Bible Matters meets on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM.

GOOD SHEPHERD’S WEBSITE
www.GoodShepherdNovi.org

PASTOR SCHROEDER’S BLOG
www.LutheranSubject.blogspot.com 

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