THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP: Matthew 1:21 – “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Jesus has done what our good works could never do. He has saved us from our sins, paid our debt, and set us free. How can we not give thanks to Him with lives of generosity and godliness? What God’s Law could not do – truly motivate us to truly good works – Jesus’ love has done.
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).
TWO SPECIAL WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES THIS WEEK: Christmas Eve Worship with Holy Communion is Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. Christmas Day Worship with Holy Communion is Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m.
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.
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!
FROM THE OFFICE: We received a card from our adopted Seminary Student Aaron Wendorf and family—child #3 is to be born any day. To read more about their lives, the card is posted on the bulletin board outside the church office.
PORTALS OF PRAYER: The January—March 2020 Portals of Prayer are available on the bookrack 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.
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: “VDMA” is the topic for next Sunday. The sermon text will be from Jeremiah 23:24. From the days of the prophet Jeremiah to our own, some things haven’t changed all that much. There’s still corruption, violence, injustice, tragedy, and suffering. That’s the bad news. However, the Word of the Lord endures forever. So does God’s love for us in Jesus Christ. The speaker will be Pastor John Nunes. 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 OFFICE: The church now has a new email address. Our new email address is: office@goodshepherdblm.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.