THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP: Isaiah 35:4 – “Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.’ ” The return of our Lord at the Last Day is a cause of joy and anticipation for us believers. We know our Lord and His love, and we look forward to His Second Advent. Indeed, how we live our lives here and now flows from our certain hope of resurrection and eternal life.
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.
THE ADULT BIBLE CLASS meets in the basement at 9:15 a.m. and is studying a DVD-based Study entitled: “Joseph: Carpenter of Steel!” Come learn about this important person in the Christmas Story.
OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL meets at 9:15 a.m. in the Choir Room which is located on the 2nd level (the west side).
THIRD WEEK ADVENT SERVICES: Our 3rd and final Advent Worship will be this Wednesday, December 18th at 7:00 p.m. The theme this week: “Advent Calendars: ‘Living’”. A cornucopia of appetite relievers will be available at 5:30 p.m. in the basement of the church. The sign-up to bring food is in the narthex. This week’s free-will Offering will help the ministry of “Lutherans For Life”.
OFFERING ENVELOPES: The 2020 Offering Envelopes are now available for you to pick-up. They are located in the narthex with your name on them. If you are not sure of your name, please check with the church office. Thank you.
THE ADVENT DEVOTIONS titled “Call His Name Jesus” are available on the table in the narthex. Pick up your free copy today.
POINSETTIAS SIGN-UP: There is a sign-up sheet on the table in the narthex for poinsettias that will be on the altar for Christmas. The cost is $10.00 each and you will need to sign-up by THIS COMING WEDNESDAY, December 18th. There is an envelope on the table in the narthex for your check or cash. Please make your check payable to: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and write “Poinsettia” on the memo line. If you have any questions, please contact Jackie Kwasny at (309) 662-4995 or Luanne Huth at (309) 829-6897.
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-February. 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!
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.
WELCOMING NEW INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: You can make a big impact on the lives of International Students and they will make a big impact on your life. We are looking for Christian individuals and families to welcome newly arriving International Students. Most will be arriving between January 3rd and 5th. New student orientation will begin on January 6th. You could help in any of the following ways: 1) Hosting a student in your home for a few days; 2) Providing transportation from the bus, plane or train; 3) Hosting a student for a meal or taking them to the store. If you are interested and would like more information, please contact John and Linda Berger, serving with International Students, Inc., at 309.664.0377 or jwberger@ilstu.edu. Training is required for 1st time participants. Training and resource information will be provided on several different dates (you only need attend one).
THE LUTHERAN HOUR: “Here To Stay” is the topic for next Sunday. The sermon text will be from Matthew 1:18-25. So long as there is time, God won’t leave us alone—even if we say that’s what we want. The message of Christmas is that God has come to be with us and He’s here to stay. How do we know? God has given us both direct and indirect signs that point us toward this truth. The speaker will be, 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.
INFORMATION REQUESTED: Please notify the church office if someone in the congregation or any family or friends are ill or hospitalized.
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.