December 9, 2018
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.
FAITH IN ACTION OF BLOOMINGTON/NORMAL: One ride, one visit, one Senior at a time. Need a ride? Want to volunteer? Need more information? Call (309) 827-7780; or email: office@bnfia.org or contact Barry Hamlin at (309) 750-9424.
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.
THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP: Luke 3:4 – “As it is written in the Book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’ ” God makes long-range plans: Isaiah lived more than 700 years before St. John the Baptist preached by the Jordan River. Obviously, God sees farther into the future than we do. That’s yet another reason to trust Him when it comes to how He tells us to live our lives. He knows what’s coming, and we don’t.
TODAY is our 2nd Sunday door Offering for our Seminarian Mr. Joseph Schlie. This week’s meal Offering will also go to Mr. Schlie. Joseph and his wife Kristen are with child to be born next year, please keep them in your prayers.
OUR ADVENT SERVICE under the theme: “Who Is Jesus?” continues this week at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The message: “Jesus Is The Son of Abraham”. A meal is served at 5:30 p.m. in the cozy surroundings of your church basement. To sign-up to bring a delectable food item please do so on the table in the narthex.
THE ADVENT DEVOTIONAL BOOKLETS, “The Coming King”, is available on the table in the narthex. Pick up your free copy today!
IT’S TIME TO ORDER POINSETTIAS: There is a sign-up sheet on the table in the narthex to order your “Poinsettia” to be placed on the altar for Advent/Christmas. The cost is $8.00 each. You will need to sign-up by Wednesday, December 19th. You may take your poinsettia home following the 10:30 a.m. worship service on Sunday, January 6, 2019. There will be an envelope available with the sign-up sheet for you to place your check or money order in. Please make your check payable to: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and indicate “Poinsettia” on the memo line. If you have any questions, please contact Jackie Kwasny at (309) 662-4995 or Luanne Huth (309) 829-6897. Thank you!
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 clothes for men, women, and children. They also accept shoes, coats, and kitchen supplies. Please be sure all donated items are clean and in good repair. Please bring your donations to the 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!
YOU ARE INVITED to Christ Lutheran Church, 311 N. Hershey Road in Normal, TODAY from 5-7:00 p.m. for “Journey to the Manger”. Free Tours include: Live drama and animals; Singing and music; Indoor and outdoor scenes and hot chocolate and cookies. A meal will also be available for purchase from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. If you have any questions please call the church at (309) 452-5609.
EARN A RETURN AND HELP OUR LCMS CHURCHES: The Central Illinois District Church Extension Fund (CID-CEF) provides resources to churches in our Central Illinois District that wish to grow God’s ministry through building or expansion. We are able to do this because of conscientious LCMS members like you who support our churches by investing in the CID-CEF – we need your continued support and investments! As an added blessing for your investment, we are now offering a 24-Month SPECIAL RATE of 2.35% (minimum investment $500) to you as well as our church organizations to support the LCMS ministry. Please contact Chris Anderson or Susan Short at the CID-CEF: phone: (217)793-1802, e-mail cef@cidlcms or visit our website www.cidlcms.org, (see link in lower left corner) for this special interest rate and other recent rate increases for our investment options. Thank you for investing in the future of our LC-MS!
THE LUTHERAN HOUR: “In Anxious Times – Rejoice!” is the topic for next Sunday. The sermon text will be from Philippians 4:4-7. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. With anxiety on the rise, the Apostle Paul’s call to “rejoice always” seems all but unobtainable. While there are many helpful ways to cope with society’s increasing anxiety, Paul points us to a frequently overlooked source of joy and peace, God’s grace in Christ. The speaker will be Reverend Dr. Michael Ziegler. 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.