THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP: Luke 2:49 – “And he said to them, ‘Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’ ” What a privilege the Lord has given to us by calling us to come to His house! It is not a burden but rather an honor and a blessing for us to always be able to come to a place where we know God is present for us in His gifts of Word and Sacrament. Likewise, the Lord has honored us by allowing us to support the work of His house with our tithes and offerings.
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).
TODAY: If you purchased a Poinsettia, you may take it home TODAY.
THE LADIES MORNING BIBLE STUDY will meet twice a month starting this month. We will meet on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. This month we meet on January 7th and January 21st.
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.
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. Next Sunday, January 12th, will be our monthly Offering for Aaron.
FROM THE OFFICE: Georgia Boriack’s new address is: Georgia Boriack – Resident, Sunrise Assisted Living, 4300 George Mason Blvd., Suite 103, Fairfax VA 22030.
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!
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: 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.
THE LUTHERAN HOUR: “People Are Treasure” is the topic for next Sunday. The sermon text will be from Genesis 39 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 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.
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.