News

Announcements — October 7, 2018

IN OUR PRAYERS  Nan B. at St. Luke’s for rehab after a fall; Kady E., Ed & Betty’s granddaughter, recovering from a car accident; LuVerne C., undergoing treatment for a lymphoma; Carol L., at Webb City Health and Rehabilitation Center; Jack H., dealing with multiple health issues; Lee Ann C., recovering at home; Earl G., suffering from ALS; Kathy P., suffering health issues; Dave M., Sara P., Vonda R., undergoing treatment for cancer; Stephen Ministry and their care receivers.

†  SERVICE TIMES  GSLC will be staying on the summer service schedule until the question about one or two services is settled as per the voter’s resolution.  We will continue with church being held at 9:00 am and Adult Bible Class & Sunday School following at 10:30 am.

† MEAL DELIVERY  Good Shepherd’s week to deliver meals for the Over-60 Center is the week of October 8-12.  If you can help with this worthwhile project, please contact Betty E.

† GSLC FRIENDS BIBLE STUDY  GSLC Friends is a home Bible Study group that meets on Monday evenings at 6:30 pm at the home of Karen Perkins.  It starts with a light dinner and/or snacks.  Bible study begins around    7:00 pm.  The group is starting a new study on Heroes of the Bible, and the first Hero they will look at is Ruth.  Anyone is welcome to join.  If you have questions you can contact Karen P.

† SECRET SISTERS  After a break from the Secret Sister Program, a few  people have expressed an interest in starting it back up again in 2019.    This has been a program overseen by the LWML for all the women in the congregation.  It is a wonderful ministry of caring and sharing with other sisters in Christ.  In order to see if there is enough interest to support the Secret Sister Program, the LWML has placed a sign-up sheet in the narthex on the round table.  If you would be interested in participating in the Secret Sister Program for 2019, please add your name to the sheet.  If you have any questions you can contact Mary P. Remember, it is for all ladies in the congregation not only LWML members!

† LWML QUARTERLIES  The LWML Fall Quarterlies are on the table by the nursery in the narthex.

† SUNDAY SCHOOL/ADULT BIBLE CLASS OFFERING for September and October will be going to help Tim and Hope Mehl who are missionaries/teachers in Taiwan.

† PRAYER BEARS are in the sanctuary pews and available to be signed out (notebook in narthex by nursery) and given to anyone that needs God’s love, comfort, and peace.

† ASSISTIVE LISTENING  If you are having a hard time hearing the service, assistive listening devices are available from the ushers.  They work like a transistor radio and you can control the volume.

BLOOD PRESSURE CHECKS are available in the nurse’s office after the service.

 

Donation to Ronald McDonald House

The offerings for the Spring Quarter from Adult Bible Class/Sunday School, which were designated to buy a “big ticket” item for the Ronald McDonald House, totaled $500.00. The Big Ticket item they are really in need of at this time is protective mattress bags for their room’s mattresses and box springs. GSLC brought the check to them to help purchase the bags and received a very informative tour of the beautiful house. They were extremely appreciative and said they are always in need of more volunteers. Thanks for all your generosity, it was fun

Change & Church

The month of October brings some particular images with it. On calendars you see leaves in various shades of brown, orange, red and yellow. Of course, Halloween is at the end of the month and that brings its own set of images to the mix. As far as the Lutheran Church is concerned, Reformation Day is also the last day of the month. Although, the 501st anniversary of the reformation is not quite as exciting as the 500th, the reformation is still the reformation. I’m sure you heard plenty about Luther last year, but to remind you, October 31st is the day that he nailed the ninety-five theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg. He did a lot of other things too, but if you’re going to have an anniversary you need a date and an event that happened on that date and this is the one people have chosen. The argument goes, that once Luther does this, posts those theses for everyone to read, then there is no turning back for him. Sure, he could have recanted, but because the posting was public it would have been hard to quash what he had started. It was the one event that brought with it the most amount of change.

Certainly, change is what the reformation is remembered for in the wider scope of history. It changed the church in big ways and also effected other facets of life in Europe and even around the world. Still today the landscape of American Christianity is defined largely by the categories that emerged from the reformation. And, still today, the church is changing. In our own congregation there have been some changes over the years. The wall of pictures reminds us that we have worshiped in different buildings over
the years. As the recent surveys have also reminded us, we have worshiped at different times over the years as well. It remains to be seen what the future will hold, both for the church (all Christians in the world) and for our church, here in this place. Will we worship at different times in the near future? It seems likely. Will our church still be our church? Yes. The people will be the same. The location will be the same. What is taught will be the same. God will be the same. His word will be the same.

The Church of God will always be defined by people gathered in His name (Matthew 18:20). It doesn’t have to be the same people or the same place even, just people gathered in His name. We will have the added advantage of familiar people and a familiar place (something not all Christians have enjoyed over the years). We are quite fortunate to have the blessings that we do of a good place, good people and most importantly a good message that tells us of our loving God. That message is what Luther fought for 501 years ago. It is what Christians have given their lives for throughout the history of the Church. It is a message that tells us what God has done for us 2000 years ago and what He will do in the future. There will be change in the future. Jesus will return and then there will be no more Church. Everyone will gather together and worship God, for all time. (Philippians 2:10-11, Revelation 5:13) That will be a big change, but certainly, a welcome one.

~ Pastor Mehl