†   April 17, 2016   †

THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP:   John 10:27: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”  On their own sheep are in great danger.  They need a shepherd to guide them.  The sheep know the Shepherd’s voice – and we delight to go where He leads.  Of course, the world, the devil, and our own sinful flesh want to pull us in another direction.  Namely, they want to pull us in the direction of death.  But following the Shepherd means life.  So no matter how difficult the path is that the Shepherd points out: let us follow Him!

THE ADULT BIBLE CLASS, led by Pastor Lueck and meeting in the church basement at 9:15 a.m. is studying “Lutheran Doctrine and Practice Today”.

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON FOR TODAY IS “The Good Samaritan.”  As a family you could discuss, “Who could we consider our neighbor?  How could we share God’s love with our neighbor?”

TODAY is the deadline for items to be submitted for the MAY NEWSLETTER.  Mandy Kluender is our Editor for the church newsletter and any announcements you want to be published in the Newsletter should be submitted to her at mgkluender@hotmail.com or you may call her at (309) 838-9868.

FROM THE OFFICE:  The congregation has received a thank-you note from the Ferch family concerning their recent visit.  It is posted on the bulletin board outside of the church office.

PORTALS OF PRAYER:  The April-June 2016 Portals of Prayer are available on the bookrack located in the narthex.  Pick up your free copy today.

FELLOWSHIP HOSTS:  The sign-up for help with coffee/doughnuts is posted on the wall by the north stairwell.  We need an individual/family to sign-up each week to pick up the donuts and make the coffee.  If no one is signed up by Friday of each week, the order will be cancelled.  We thank everybody who continues to help with this part of our church fellowship.

GOOD SHEPHERD BLOOD DRIVE:  Your whole blood donation may help save as many as three lives.  One out of 10 people admitted to the hospital needs blood.  As I like to say: “a portion of our world has a little bit of CLueck running through their veins.  Aaaaagh!!”  This is where you and your left or right arm come in.  Our Blood Drive for the American Red Cross is Monday, May 2^nd, from 2-6:00 p.m.  You may sign-up either on the sheets in the narthex or go to: www.redcrossblood.org.  Put in the church’s zip code (61704-9103) and then follow the prompts.  Also, we have posters available for those who can put them in their workplaces.  Thank you for your help and if you have any questions, please speak with Pastor Lueck who is a long-time donor.

THE WALK FOR LIFE for the Pregnancy Resource Center is this coming Saturday, April 23^rd, at 9:00 a.m. at Christ Church in Normal.  If you would like to walk, Pastor has the material in his office.  Also, Pastor and family will once again participate in the Walk.  If you would like to sponsor them with a cash donation, please speak with Pastor.  Thank you.

FREE TICKETS:  The church has received free tickets for the ISU Men’s Baseball Game against Purdue on Tuesday, April 26^th at 6:00 p.m.  They are available on the mailbox cabinet in the church office.  Enjoy!

THE LUTHERAN HOUR:  “One-upmanship” is the topic for next Sunday.  The sermon text will be from Revelation 21:1-7.  Heaven will be more beautiful than we can imagine, it will rectify our problems and satisfy our most profound longings.  The speaker is Reverend Gregory Seltz.  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 home # is (309) 661-6522; 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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April 10, 2016

THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP:   John 21:6:  “He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.”  So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.”  Won’t the disciples ever learn? Jesus had done something similar before: when the odds seemed completely against it, the Lord gave them a command to let down the nets, a command that seemed crazy.  But they complied and He blessed their obedience.  When we will learn this lesson, too?

THE ADULT BIBLE CLASS, led by Pastor Lueck and meeting in the church basement at 9:15 a.m. is studying “Lutheran Doctrine and Practice Today”.

TODAY’S SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON IS: “Jesus Sends the Seventy-two” tells about Jesus sending His followers to go and tell others about Himself.  God places us in various callings, giving us opportunities to serve Him and share our faith with others.  As a family discuss, “What various callings (vocations) do each of us have?  Who in your life needs to hear about the Savior?

NEXT SUNDAY is the deadline for items to be submitted for the MAY NEWSLETTER.  Mandy Kluender is our Editor for the church newsletter and any announcements you want to be published in the Newsletter should be submitted to her at mgkluender@hotmail.com or you may call her at (309) 838-9868.

FELLOWSHIP HOSTS:  The sign-up for help with coffee/doughnuts is posted on the wall by the north stairwell.  We need an individual/family to sign-up each week to pick up the donuts and make the coffee.  If no one is signed up by Friday of each week, the order will be cancelled.  We thank everybody who continues to help with this part of our church fellowship.

PORTALS OF PRAYER:  The April-June 2016 Portals of Prayer are available on the bookrack located in the narthex.  Pick up your free copy today.

OUTREACH:  Good Shepherd is blessed once again this year to be providing a meal for International Students at Wittenberg Lutheran Center.  The date of the meal is this coming Friday, April 15^th and it begins at 6:15 p.m.  Two sign-ups are available in the narthex.  One is your participation at the meal and the other is for food items that you can bring.  Thank you for your help in this outreach.

THE WALK FOR LIFE for the Pregnancy Resource Center is Saturday, April 23^rd, at 9:00 a.m. at Christ Church in Normal.  If you would like to walk, Pastor has the material in his office.  Also, Pastor and family will once again participate in the Walk.  If you would like to sponsor them with a cash donation, please speak with Pastor.  Thank you.

GOOD SHEPHERD BLOOD DRIVE:  Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood.  Blood cannot be manufactured; it can only come from generous blood donors.  This is where you and your left or right arm come in.  Our Blood Drive for the American Red Cross is Monday, May 2^nd, from 2-6:00 p.m.  You may sign-up either on the sheets in the narthex or go to: www.redcrossblood.org.  Put in the church’s zip code (61704-9103) and then follow the prompts.  Also, we have posters available for those who can put them in their workplaces.  Thank you for your help and if you have any questions, please speak with Pastor Lueck who is a long-time donor.

THE LUTHERAN HOUR:  “Confidence For Life” is the topic for next Sunday.  The sermon text will be from John 10:22-30.  Jesus’ miracles were signs of God breaking into a sinful world, but the religious leaders saw it as a threat to their kingdom.  The speaker is Reverend Gregory Seltz.  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 home # is (309) 661-6522; 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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†  April 3, 2016  †

TODAY:  We welcome to out congregation this morning our adopted Seminary Student Brad Ferch.  Brad will be preaching and conducting Adult Bible Class.  We also welcome Brad’s wife Carole and daughters Madi and Lillie.  Brad is in his 4^th year of study at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN.  We will conduct our monthly Door Offering for the Ferch family following both of our worship services this morning.  Lord’s blessings to all of you!

THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP:  John 20:19:  “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”  Fear is the opposite of faith, that is, the kind of cringing fear we have in the face of something that is hostile to us and more powerful to us.  Jesus spends a lot of His time telling the disciples to not be afraid.  Our fears constantly hem us in and prevent us from following the Lord’s will. But there is no need to fear. Jesus has conquered.  No fear can keep us locked up: we have been set free by Jesus for lives that declare His marvelous deeds.

LWML LADIES:  We will have our monthly meeting this coming Tuesday, April 5^th at 9:00 a.m.

FROM THE OFFICE:  It is once again time to update the Church Directory.  Please check the sheets on the table in the narthex.  Provide any new information by noting directly on these sheets.  There are two listings: 1) Church Directory; 2) Phone Book Listing of Individual Members.  The Phone Book Listing contains your cell phone, home phone, work phone, household e-mail and personal e-mail.  If any of these are missing and you want them to be included in the Directory, please provide that information.  If any are listed and you would prefer not, please note that also.  Contact Janet in the church office with any questions.

PORTALS OF PRAYER:  The April-June 2016 Portals of Prayer are available on the bookrack located in the narthex.  Pick up your free copy today.

FELLOWSHIP HOSTS:  The sign-up for help with coffee/doughnuts is posted on the wall by the north stairwell.  We need an individual/family to sign-up each week to pick up the donuts and make the coffee.  If no one is signed up by Friday of each week, the order will be cancelled.  We thank everybody who continues to help with this part of our church fellowship.

OUTREACH:  Good Shepherd is blessed once again this year to be providing a meal for International Students at Illinois State University.  The date of the meal is Friday, April 15^th and it begins at 6:15 p.m.  Two sign-ups are available in the narthex.  One is your participation at the meal and the other is for food items that you can bring.  Thank you for your help in this outreach.

THE WALK FOR LIFE for the Pregnancy Resource Center is Saturday, April 23^rd, at 9:00 a.m. at Christ Church in Normal.  If you would like to walk, Pastor has the material in his office.  Also, Pastor and family will once again participate in the Walk.  If you would like to sponsor them with a cash donation, please speak with Pastor.  Thank you.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR:  Good Shepherd will host a Blood Drive on Monday, May 2^nd from 2-6:00 p.m.

THE LUTHERAN HOUR:  “Breakfast With Jesus” is the topic for next Sunday.  The sermon text will be from John 21:1-14.  Jesus shows up and shows us that God is close and God cares.  The speaker is Reverend Gregory Seltz.  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 home # is (309) 661-6522; 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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