November 26, 2017
THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP: Matthew 25:44 – “Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’” With this parable Jesus once again emphasizes that our good works come from who we are, not the other way around. Sheep do sheep works, and goats do goat works. So first things first: if we want to live more faithfully, let us come to Jesus, receive His gifts, and ask him to increase our faith!
NEED A RIDE? If you are unable to drive to church, we have an option that is available. Please speak with Pastor who has the details. Thank you.
OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL meets at 9:15 a.m. in the Choir Room which is located on the 2nd level (the west side).
THE ADULT BIBLE CLASS meets in the basement at 9:15 a.m. As we celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation we continue studies on that time period. We are studying “A Man Named Martin”, a video-based study on the reformer Martin Luther.
TODAY following the 10:30 worship the Board of Evangelism/Stewardship will be hosting a Christmas Decorating Gathering. Come and help decorate the church and enjoy pizza, snacks, drink, and dessert.
OUR ADVENT SERVICES this year will be on Wednesdays, December 6th, December 13th and December 20th beginning at 7:00 p.m. There are meals served at 5:30 p.m. The food sign-up and where the Freewill Offering is going each night is on the table in the narthex.
CHRISTMAS EVE MORNING: The Elders at their November meeting made a worship change for Christmas Eve morning. We will have one Worship Service at 9:00 a.m. with Sunday School and Adult Bible Class from 10:15 – 11:00 a.m. The Christmas Eve Candlelight Evening Worship will be at 6:00 p.m.
FROM THE OFFICE: It’s time again to order your copy of “The Lutheran Annual”. The cost is $25.00. If you are interested in obtaining a copy, please contact Janet or Sandy by phone (309) 662-8905 or by email: goodshepherdblm@frontier.com, or even by person.
FELLOWSHIP HOSTS: The sign-up for help with coffee/doughnuts is posted on the wall by the north stairwell. We need an individual/family to sign-up each week to pick up the donuts and make the coffee. If no one is signed up by Friday of each week, the order will be cancelled. We thank everybody who continues to help with this part of our church fellowship.
CAN YOU HELP: John and Paula Hardy are planning their annual trip to Ft Wayne, IN. It will be sometime after the holidays, hopefully mid-January. The Seminary needs clean usable clothes for men, women, and children. They also accept shoes, coats, and kitchen supplies. Please bring them to church. There is a closet located in the hall upstairs where items are collected, and packed for our trip. If you need help finding it just contact John (309) 310-7917. Thank you!
SHARING TREE: We know that it is early in the process, but wanted to let you know we will have a Sharing Tree this year. We are getting a name from the Baby Fold and will have tags on the tree with specific requests. We also will be collecting money to purchase items not received, any additional money collected will be used to purchase gift cards. These gift cards will be given to the Baby Fold to supplement other needs in the system. Last year we were able to give a handful of cards because of the generosity of our church family. The look on the faces of the staff said it all…. It was priceless. Thank you very much for helping to share the love this coming holiday season. Please contact Toni Lueck (309) 530-8666 or Paula Hardy (309) 829-8432 with questions. Thank you!
MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Please mark your calendar for 2018 – Saturday, February 10th. Wittenberg Lutheran is hosting a Speaker’s Forum with the theme, “Cultural and Governmental Influence On God’s Design For the Family”. The speakers are Tim Goeglein an LCMS Laymen who worked in the Bush White House and now is employed by “Focus On The Family”; and John Rosemond a family psychologist whose syndicated newspaper column appears in The Pantagraph on Saturdays.
THE LUTHERAN HOUR: “Advent Adventure” is the topic for next Sunday. The sermon text will be from Mark 13:24-37. Sometimes our faith gets weaker, sometimes it grows stronger. Let’s tae this Advent to heart, and live by faith, and not by sight Dr. Dale Meyer is the speaker. Hear this Sunday’s message on the Lutheran Hour on WGN (720) at 6:00 a.m.; WJWR (104.7 FM) and WJWR (90.3 FM) both on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Also, if you can receive Lincoln, IL radio station WLLM (1370 AM) the program is broadcast two times on Sunday at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Tune in! You can also listen to The Lutheran Hour on your personal computer at RealAudio, www.lhm.org.
PRAYER CHAIN: If you have a prayer request please submit them by email to Mary Anne Kirchner at makirchner@yahoo.com or you may phone a Prayer Request to Mary Anne; her cell phone# is (309) 532-2582. The Prayer Request box is on the table in the narthex for any written requests.