February 17, 2019
THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP: Luke 6:20-21 – “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.” The Beatitudes are largely about emptiness. If you are poor, your pockets are empty. If you are hungry, your stomach is empty. If you are mourning, there’s an emptiness in your heart that used to be filled with the presence of a loved one. Jesus assures us in each case that the Lord will fill our emptiness. That assurance gives us peace and courage to follow the Lord faithfully.
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: We welcome to our church family this morning, Mr. Dale Dunavan. Dale is joining by Profession Of Faith having grown up in the LC-MS in Springfield. Dale works for Small System Solutions. He lives at 1219 Longford Lane in Bloomington. Phone is (630) 878-9856 and his e-mail is: info@smallsyssolutions.com. Dale enjoys computers, indoor gardening, coffee and pizza. Please take a moment to say hello.
TODAY is the deadline for items to be submitted for the March 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!
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 morning worship service NEXT SUNDAY, 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 TOMORROW, 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: “Not By Bread Alone” is the topic for next Sunday. The sermon text will be from John 6:1-20. +There is a spiritual hunger beyond food that is expressed in food. Jesus provides for both. 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.