February 10, 2019
THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP: Luke 5:5 – “And Simon answered, ‘Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.’ ” Peter’s words show both exasperation and trust. He’s tired. He tried his best and failed. But he is still ready to trust the Lord’s word – and act on it. Our stewardship is also a matter of trusting the Lord’s word … and acting on it.
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.
TODAY will be our regularly scheduled door Offering for our Seminarian.
TODAY is Lutheran Hour Ministries Sunday. “Bringing Christ To The Nations and The Nations To The Church”. Support the Ministry with your gifts and your prayers.
PASTOR’S SCHEDULE: Pastor will be out of the office on Thursday of this week as he attends the Circuit Visitors Meeting at the District Office in Springfield.
GOOD SHEPHERD’S FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES for February will show a very interesting movie, “THE PERFECT STRANGER”. Nikki Cominsky is a successful attorney – troubled by the fact that her life isn’t perfect. One day, a mysterious invitation shows up on her desk that reads, “You are Invited to Dinner with Jesus Christ.” Thinking it’s a prank, she shows up…only to find herself in the middle of a whirlwind evening of debate and revelation – with the most unforgettable man she would ever meet. Join us this coming Friday, February 15th, at 6:30 p.m. for a very interesting movie, good food and wonderful fellowship. See you there!
NEXT SUNDAY is the deadline for items to be submitted for the March Newsletter. Any announcements you want to be published 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!
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.
YOU ARE INVITED: Wittenberg Lutheran Center, 201 S Main St., Normal, will open their doors to the public and our neighboring circuit congregations with a potluck dinner following our Sunday Worship Service on February 24, 2019. Our ministry co-op with Christ Lutheran Church is helping to supply the tasty casseroles, side dishes and desserts. The event will also serve as an Open House so that our visitors can tour the facility and get a sense of our place in the kingdom of God. Luncheon will begin at 12:30 p.m. after the morning services. Please provide a courtesy phone call or message to Pastor Jensen as to let him know that you plan to attend. Phone# (309) 452-5971.
WORKSHOP ON DEMOGRAPHICS AND CHURCH PLANNING: The facts are stark – Christians make up a smaller and smaller proportion of the American population every year. Every District of the LC-MS has experienced numerical decline in the past decade. But every city or county is different and experiencing different challenges and opportunities. What’s going on? What does the future hold? What should churches be doing to respond? Join the Synod’s Coordinator for Stewardship, Reverend Heath Curtis, at Trinity in El Paso, IL on Monday, February 18, 2019 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. for a workshop exploring these issues and how our congregation should be planning for the future. Refreshments will be served.
THE LUTHERAN HOUR: “Arise” is the topic for next Sunday. The sermon text will be from 1 Corinthians 15:12-20. The speaker will be Reverend Dr. Anthony Cook. 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.