March 17, 2019
THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP: Philippians 3:19 – “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.” St. Paul does not want us to set our minds on earthly things, for they are passing away. This is similar to what Jesus says about storing up treasures on earth rather than storing them in heaven. Our heart tends to go where we put our treasure. This is why God commands us to live generously; not to spoil our fun but to help train us in keeping our priorities straight and our minds off earthly things.
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.
MIDWEEK LENTEN WORSHIP under the theme: “Let My People Go”, will continue this Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. This week’s sermon: “Stop Trying and Start Trusting”. Trusting in your Church Council to feed you they have an array of palatable delights that you may digest starting at 5:30 p.m. The free will Offering for the evening will go to Seminary Student Joseph Schlie and family.
FRIDAY MOVIE NIGHT IN MARCH is this coming Friday, March 22nd at 6:30 p.m. The title of the movie is “RISEN”. “RISEN” is the epic Biblical story of the Resurrection as told through the eyes of a non-believer. Clavius, a powerful Roman military tribune and his aide, Lucius are tasked with solving the mystery of what happened to Jesus in the weeks following the crucifixion in order to disprove the rumors of a risen Messiah and prevent an uprising in Jerusalem. Join us for another great movie, good food and wonderful fellowship this coming Friday, March 22nd at 6:30 p.m. in the church basement.
NEXT SUNDAY is the deadline for items to be submitted for the APRIL NEWSLETTER. Any announcements you want to be published in the Newsletter should be submitted via email to goodshepherdblm @frontier.com, via mail, hand-delivered, or you may call (309) 662-8905 or (309) 838-1552. Thank you!
“Walk For Life”: Pastor and Toni make their annual trek in the Living Alternatives – Pregnancy Resource Center’s Annual “Walk For Life”. The walk will be held at Christ Church, PCA in Normal on Saturday, April 13th, beginning at 9:00 a.m. If you would like to walk, please see Pastor who has the forms. Also, please speak with Pastor if you would like to support the Lueck’s. Thank you.
FROM THE OFFICE: It’s time for the Annual Renewal of Lutheran Witness. Emails are going out to those who currently have a subscription. If anyone who is not currently receiving the Lutheran Witness is interested, please contact either Janet or Sandy in the office before the end of March and we will gladly add your name to the list. The cost is only $15.96 for the entire year; July 2019 through June 2020. (The June/July issue is combined so there are 11 issues.)
THE LENTEN DEVOTIONAL BOOKLETS, “People Of The Passion” are available on the table in the narthex. Pick up your free copy today.
FROM THE OFFICE: It’s time for the annual update of the Church Directory Listing. On the table in the narthex there are two lists, one with only phone numbers and email addresses; and also one with home addresses included. Please check the listings and make any changes necessary. We hope to have a new Church Directory for you by the first Sunday in April. Thank you for your help.
FELLOWSHIP HOSTS: In order to get more people involved in our Coffee/Donut Fellowship for 2019 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 sheet is by the door by the north stairwell.
THE LUTHERAN HOUR: “Death Doesn’t End the Story” is the topic for next Sunday. The sermon text will be from John 11. Some accept death as the end, others, as a new beginning. Jesus turned death into a sign that points us to the Author of Life. The speaker will be Reverend Dr. Michael Zeigler. 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 CIRCLE: 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.