May 27, 2018
THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP: John 3:6 – “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” In Holy Baptism we receive a new birth: spirit from Spirit. With that rebirth we receive new desires, new lives, new purposes. To the (fleshly) world, Christian generosity makes no sense: the total minus a percentage is less than the original total. But Spirit-reborn Christians know that God’s math works differently (as we might expect from the Trinity!): a blessing received from God becomes more of a blessing when it is used in generosity to bless others.
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.
IN OUR PRAYERS TODAY: Our graduates from both college and high school. God’s blessings on your future endeavors and your faith walk in the Lord.
YOU ARE INVITED: On behalf of Holden Lueck, 2018 Normal West graduate, the congregation is invited to his graduation party TODAY, May 27th from 2-5:00 p.m. at the GE Clubhouse located at 1750 GE Road in Bloomington.
CENTRAL ILLINOIS DISTRICT SCHOLARSHIP GIFT: If you would like to donate you can pick up an envelope located on the table in the narthex.
GROUP OUTING FOR BASEBALL GAME: Good Shepherd is planning a group outing at a Normal CornBelters game on Sunday, June 10th. Game time is 6:05 p.m. Tickets are $10.00 per person and will include a reserved box seat and a concession voucher that can be used for a hot dog, small drink and bag of chips. Good Shepherd’s own Katey Parry will sing the national anthem and Pastor Lueck will throw out a first pitch. For more information or to buy tickets, contact Randy Reinhardt at (309) 826-0448 or randyreinhardt1@gmail.com
PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR: The weekend of July 14th and 15th this summer will be a big weekend at Good Shepherd. On Saturday the 14th, Good Shepherd is hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. A breakfast will be served in the canteen after your donation. Then on Sunday the 15th, the Lord’s Day begins with a congregational breakfast in the basement (start time not yet set). We will have one worship service with Holy Communion at 9:00 a.m. on the north lawn under a tent as we give thanks to our gracious Lord for blessing us with having half our mortgage paid off. Bible Class and Sunday School will follow back inside. We give the gift of life as the Lord has given us life!
MARK YOU CALENDAR: The date for our Annual Church Picnic has been set! It will be held on Sunday, August 19th. More information to follow.
FELLOWSHIP HOSTS: In order to get more people involved in our Coffee/Donut Fellowship for 2018 we have two separate sign-ups: Donut Pick-up and Coffee Set-up. We would like to encourage you to sign-up for one or the other. You may also sign-up for both if you wish. The sign-up is by the door by the north stairwell.
THE LUTHERAN HOUR: “The Battleground of Time” is the topic for next Sunday. The sermon text will be from Deuteronomy 5:12-15; Mark 2:23-3:6. Military personnel know what it means to be on the front line in combat. Next Sunday’s message is about a battleground where we’re between opposing forces and could easily lose our life, the Battleground of Time. The speaker will be Reverend Dr. Dale Meyer. Hear his 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.
FROM THE CHURCH OFFICE: If you miss church, please be reminded that copies of the previous week’s sermon are available on the table in the narthex. Also, the sermon will be available on our web site at www.goodshepherdblm.org. Thank you.
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.