Bulletin Announcements

December 10, 2017

THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP:  1 Corinthians 1:7 –  “…so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  The Lord sees to it that we do not lack any gift – He has given us every spiritual blessing in Christ as well as every earthly need.  He is the Provider.  And we can trust Him to always provide for us in every way.

NEED A RIDE? If you are unable to drive to church, we have an option that is available.  Please speak with Pastor who has the details.  Thank you.

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. As we celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation we continue studies on that time period.  We are studying “A Man Named Martin”, a video-based study on the reformer Martin Luther.

MIDWEEK ADVENT WORSHIP:  The second our three Advent Services is this Wednesday, December 13th at 7:00 p.m.  This year’s theme is: “The Word Becomes Flesh”, based on John 1:1-18.  This week’s message is: “A Man Named John”  Meals are served at 5:30 p.m. in the basement.  The food sign-up is in the narthex and this week’s free-will Offering will go to Lutherans For Life .

TODAY will be our second Sunday door Offering for our Seminary Student.

POINSETTIAS FOR THE ALTAR:   We have a sign-up sheet on the table in the narthex for poinsettias on the altar for Christmas.  They are $8.00 each and you may sign up until Wednesday, December 20th.  They will be available to be taken home after Epiphany on Sunday, January 7th.  There will be an envelope with the sign-up sheet for your check or cash.  Please make checks payable to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and list “Poinsettia” on memo line.  If you have any questions, please contact Jackie Kwasny at (309) 662-4995 or Luanne Huth at (309) 829-6897.

“LOVE CAME DOWN”:  Advent Devotion Booklets are available on the table in the narthex.  Pick up your free copy today.

ARE YOU MISSING A JACKET from this past Wednesday evening service?  It is a winter jacket and light gray in color

CHRISTMAS EVE MORNING:  The Elders at their November meeting made a worship change for Christmas Eve morning.  We will have one Worship Service at 9:00 a.m. with Sunday School and Adult Bible Class from 10:15 – 11:00 a.m.  The Christmas Eve Candlelight Evening Worship will be at 6:00 p.m.

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-January. The Seminary needs clean usable clothes for men, women, and children. They also accept shoes, coats, and kitchen supplies.  Please bring them to 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!

YOU ARE INVITED:  Take a free guided 20-minute walking tour and experience “The Journey” Mary and Joseph took so many years ago.  This tour features indoor and outdoor scenes with live drama, animals and singing.  “Journeys” begin inside every 10 minutes between 5-7:30 p.m. TODAY, December 10th at Christ Lutheran Church in Normal.  Free cookies and hot chocolate will be available.  Meals are also available for purchase between 4:30 – 7:00 p.m.  For more information please call Christ Lutheran Church (309) 452-5609.

THE LUTHERAN HOUR:  “Life Narrows Down” is the topic for next Sunday.  The sermon text will be from John 1:6-8, 19-28. John the Baptist had a passion for the Lamb of God.  What’s your passion in life?  How far into the future will it take you?   Dr. Dale Meyer is the speaker.  Hear this Sunday’s 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. 

PRAYER CHAIN:  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.

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Bulletin Announcements

December 3, 2017

THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP:  1 Corinthians 1:9 –  “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”  The faithfulness of God is our great comfort. He has made promises to us and He will keep them.  He is kind and loving toward us and will not break faith with us.  This gives us the confidence to step out in faith, to leave fear behind.  So when it comes to following the Lord’s commandments for our daily lives: we know His will is best for us because our God is faithful.

NEED A RIDE? If you are unable to drive to church, we have an option that is available.  Please speak with Pastor who has the details.  Thank you.

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. As we celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation we continue studies on that time period.  We are studying “A Man Named Martin”, a video-based study on the reformer Martin Luther.

MIDWEEK ADVENT WORSHIP:  The first of our three Advent Services is this Wednesday, December 6th at 7:00 p.m.  This year’s theme is: “The Word Becomes Flesh”, based on John 1:1-18.  This week’s message is: “You Have My Word!”  Meals are served at 5:30 p.m. in the basement.  The food sign-up is in the narthex and this week’s free-will Offering will go to the Prison Ministry in our district.

“LOVE CAME DOWN”:  Advent Devotion Booklets are available on the table in the narthex.  Pick up your free copy today.

NEXT SUNDAY, December 10th, will be our second Sunday door Offering for our Seminary Student.

POINSETTIAS FOR THE ALTAR:   We have a sign-up sheet on the table in the narthex for poinsettias on the altar for Christmas.  They are $8.00 each and you may sign up until Wednesday, December 20th.  They will be available to be taken home after Epiphany on Sunday, January 7th.  There will be an envelope with the sign-up sheet for your check or cash.  Please make checks payable to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and list “Poinsettia” on memo line.  If you have any questions, please contact Jackie Kwasny at (309) 662-4995 or Luanne Huth at (309) 829-6897.

CHRISTMAS EVE MORNING:  The Elders at their November meeting made a worship change for Christmas Eve morning.  We will have one Worship Service at 9:00 a.m. with Sunday School and Adult Bible Class from 10:15 – 11:00 a.m.  The Christmas Eve Candlelight Evening Worship will be at 6:00 p.m.

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-January. The Seminary needs clean usable clothes for men, women, and children. They also accept shoes, coats, and kitchen supplies.  Please bring them to 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!

YOU ARE INVITED:  Join your neighbors at Luther Oaks, 601 Lutz Rd., Bloomington for “Holiday Trivia” this coming Saturday, December 9th from 2-4:00 p.m.  Fun for all ages.  Complimentary snacks and beverages provided.  Any questions, please call Bev Voss at (309) 557-8048.

YOU ARE INVITED:  Take a free quided 20-minute walking tour and experience “The Journey” Mary and Joseph took so many years ago.  This tour features indoor and outdoor scenes with live drama, animals and singing.  “Journeys” begin inside every 10 minutes between 5-7:30 p.m. NEXT SUNDAY, December 10th at Christ Lutheran Church in Normal.  Free cookies and hot chocolate will be available.  Meals are also available for purchase between 4:30 – 7:00 p.m.  For more information please call Christ Lutheran Church (309) 452-5609.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR:  Please mark your calendar for 2018 – Saturday, February 10th.  Wittenberg Lutheran is hosting a Speaker’s Forum with the theme, “Cultural and Governmental Influence On God’s Design For the Family”.  The speakers are Tim Goeglein an LCMS Laymen who worked in the Bush White House and now is employed by “Focus On The Family”; and John Rosemond a family psychologist whose syndicated newspaper column appears in The Pantagraph on Saturdays.

THE LUTHERAN HOUR:  “Prep Time” is the topic for next Sunday.  The sermon text will be from Mark 1:1-3  Preparing for Christmas is quite different than preparing for Christ.  Reverend Dr.Ken Klaus is the speaker.  Hear this Sunday’s 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.

PRAYER CHAIN:  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.

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Stewardship Corner December 2017

Christmas is coming.  It is a joyous time of feasting.  The Church feasts upon the Word of God in sermon, song, and Sacrament.

We hear the proclamation of the message of the angels: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you Good News of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10–11).

We mingle our voices with theirs as we sing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased” (Luke 2:14)!

We receive the proclaimed Savior, Christ the Lord, not wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in manger, but wrapped in bread and wine placed into our mouths for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.

We feast in great joy indeed because of this great blessing from our Lord and God.

God’s people in ancient Israel also feasted with great joy.  The Lord showered His abundant blessing on His people.  And He commanded them to feast upon it (Deut. 16).  The people were to go to the place appointed, where the Lord would make His name dwell, and give offerings, each man as he was able, according to the blessing of the Lord that He had given them (Deut. 16:10, 15, 17).

And there the Lord would bless them with joy as they feasted upon what the Lord had provided.  They ate of the choice parts of their offerings.  They enjoyed the company of all the people of God as they together heard His promises of blessing, sang of His bountiful goodness, and partook of what He gave.

We feast on the Word who became flesh to dwell among us, not just during Christmas, but throughout all the year.

We feast not just on the salvation He has wrought for us in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, but we feast also on all the temporal blessings that God gives out of His fatherly divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in us.

We enjoy the rich bounty that God provides, not only in Word and Sacrament, but also in house and home, property and income, family and friends.

Let us then, as did our brothers in the faith from ancient Israel, give as we are able, according to the blessing of the Lord our God that He has given us.

Let us, like them, give generously of the first fruits of our income, which He gives, so that all may know and enjoy the salvation He gives and the joy we have in the Savior born in the city of David, who is Christ the Lord.