March 31, 2019
THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP: Luke 15:12 – “And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them.” This prodigal son only sees the father as a source of wealth. Give me my inheritance now! Which is to say, you are better off dead in my eyes. This is the sin at the heart of all greed – valuing things over people. This parable calls us to come to our senses to see God as the loving Giver of all good, the true Father to be valued above and beyond all the things of this world.
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.
GOOD SHEPHERD is a Polling Place this coming Tuesday, April 2nd. We are also hosting the Pastors of the South Circuit that day.
MIDWEEK LENTEN WORSHIP: We progress in Lent this week on Wednesday, April 3rd, at 7:00 p.m. with the sermon: “Mine!” from the Book of Exodus. The Boards of Education and Trustees will be mining their skills together to present an Italiano Feast – Si! Si! at 5:30 p.m. in the church basement. Bethesda Lutheran will be the recipients of your free-will Offering.
NEXT SUNDAY, April 7th, our Seminary Student and family will be here. Joseph, Kristen, and Fern Schlie are coming to Good Shepherd. Joseph will preach and conduct Adult Bible Class. We will have our monthly door Offering that day for the Schlie’s.
EASTER LILIES: If you would like to purchase an Easter Lily for the altar on Easter Sunday, there is sign-up sheet on the table in the narthex. Lilies are $10.00 each. Cash or checks made payable to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. Please indicate on the memo line: “Easter Lily”. You may pick up your Easter Lily following the late service on Easter Sunday. If you have any questions, please see or contact Jackie Kwasny at (309) 662-4995. Thank you.
PORTALS OF PRAYER: The April – June 2019 Portals of Prayer are available on the book rack in the narthex. Pick up your free copy today. Large pint also available.
“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.
THE LENTEN DEVOTIONAL BOOKLETS, “People Of The Passion” are available on the table in the narthex. Pick up your free copy today.
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.
PASSOVER SEDER: You are invited to a “Passover Seeder” at Wittenberg Lutheran Center, 201 S Main St., Normal this coming Saturday, April 6, 2019 from 2-4:30 p.m. Passover is the observance commemorating the freedom and exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. A time of family gatherings and lavish meal called “seders”, the story of Passover is re-told. With its special foods, songs, and customs, the Seder Meal is an important tradition of the Passover. Through the re-telling of the Passover account, Y’shua (Jesus) communicates His saving grace. Please R.S.V.P. with how many adults and how many children under the age of 12 who will be attending by TOMORROW, Monday, April 1st. You may call (309) 452-5971 or email at: wittenbergLCMS@gmail.com. A free-will Offering will be taken to aid the ministries of Lutherans in Africa.
THE LUTHERAN HOUR: “The Darkness Has Not Overcome It” is the topic for next Sunday. The sermon text will be from John 12:37-50. Jesus calls us to hate life in this world, not because He wants hateful people. Rather, He wants us to more deeply love true 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.