SHEEP BUZZ NEWSLETTER

October 9, 2026

 We are called gathered and blessed to be a community and instrument of grace for all sheep of the Good Shepherd.

🌟Indicates something NEW this week!

BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS SERVICE

This Saturday, October 10th at 10 AM, is our annual Blessing of the Animals service, weather permitting. Please monitor your e-mail given the weekend forecast to make sure the service is being held. All leashed or crated pets are welcome to bring their humans! 🐾

CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP

We are a group of facilitators trained by the Alzheimer's Association to assist in communication, prayer, and support for those caring for others. We meet regularly on the second Saturday and the fourth Thursday of every month at 1:00 PM, at Good Shepherd. Anyone is welcome to attend these group sessions. Our next meeting is Oct 10th. We will be meeting in the Meeting Room this weekend.

🌟 Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost

October 11, 2026

8:30 AM Traditional Worship | 10:45 Praise Worship

Worship Bulletins: 8:30 | 10:45 | Announcements | Readings

We have large-print bulletins available for the service. If you would like a copy, please ask one of the ushers, who will be happy to provide one.

You can also watch the 10:45 AM service LIVE this week on our Facebook Page. (You do not need an account to view the service.)

If you join us online, please sign our attendance book.

If you would like to submit an offering, please donate online.

🌟SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES:

Youth Sunday School Classes at 9:45 AM

PreK/Elementary: Room 111

Middle/High School/: Youth Room Downstairs

Adult Sunday School Classes: 9:45 AM

Faith Stories: Room 117. We are continuing with our study, "The Essential Jesus".

Coffee and Conversation: Room 118. We have begun a study entitled "Disciple and Mission". The lessons in this study will cover passages from various books of the Bible in the New Testament. 

Men in Mission: Room 116. This is a casual group studying the Bible together. We often use study materials from Rob Bell.

Next two Sundays (Oct 11 & 18), join us in Fellowship Hall at 9:45 AM for the third and fourth sessions of the ELCA Social Statement on Civic Life. This class will be led by Matt Provost, Vicar Sam, and Bettina Miller. You can obtain more details on this topic on the ELCA website. All are welcome.

🌟THE FALL HARVEST DINNER

Please plan to join us this Sunday, October 11, 2026, at 12 PM in Fellowship Hall for a festive, German-inspired potluck meal to launch our "Rooted and Built Up in Him Campaign"! The Stewardship Committee hopes to see everyone there. Consider bringing a dish to share if you didn't sign up; we are looking for sides and desserts to complement our brats and hot dogs!

🌟SUNDAY SERVANT SCHEDULE

OCTOBER

Consider serving in a new capacity. We need volunteers to serve in all of our Sunday roles!

Please direct all updates, vacation plans, and changes to the schedule by the 15th of the previous month to Office@gslutheran.org. 

Please remember to try and find your own replacements. Thank you.

🌟CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS SUNDAY

Thank you to all who participated, performed, set up, cleaned up, and attended last week's Celebration of the Arts Sunday. If you missed the event, check out our Facebook Reel and be sure to 👍 our video!

🌟SIGN UP FOR YOUTH SUNDAY

On Sunday, October 18th, is our next Youth Sunday at the 10:45am service. Please make a note on your calendar and use this SignUpGenius link to select your role for the day. Again, youth of all ages are welcome to participate. 

🌟OUTREACH BEDDING DRIVE

The Outreach committee is collecting for Sleep in Heavenly Peace during the month of October. We are happy to announce that they have built almost 200 beds since they started at the beginning of 2026. Please use their website shpbeds.mindfulgiving.org to order the items they most need and have them sent directly to the organization. When on their website, select GA Cherokee County.

If online ordering is not for you, you can purchase pillows and twin bed-in-a-bag sets. They can be sent to Ron Mixon. If you need his address, please contact the church office. We encourage everyone to use their website or send directly to Ron, since there are many events and activities happening in Fellowship Hall this fall. 

🌟HELP OUR GARDEN OF GRACE CONTINUE TO GROW

Thank you to Taylor Phillips and Barb Kidder for agreeing to be the new caretakers for our Garden of Grace. If you want to help with the garden in any way, please contact these two ladies.

🌟MORE CARING FOR CREATION UPDATES

Metal Recycling: When donating aluminum cans, please separate these from other metal items. Aluminum foil and aluminum takeout trays need to be submitted with steel cans and other metal items — not the aluminum cans. 

Drake House: Kathy Brill is asking that donated items be placed in plastic bags or boxes, as it makes it easier for her to load the items into her car.

🌟SCARECROW INVASION IN WOODSTOCK

Begin voting for your favorite scarecrow in downtown Woodstock. Good Shepherd's scarecrow is located at #150 on Main Street, just north of Towne Lake, in front of “The Chambers at City Center”. It costs $1 to vote. In-person voting is at the Woodstock Visitors Center. Thank you to the Frink and Evangelista-Stedman families for making this happen. Take a photo with the scarecrow and send it our way! We also have a cash jar in the entryway if you would like to cast your vote at church.

🌟CAUTION AHEAD

As our safety team watches people come and go on Sunday mornings, we have become more aware of how vehicles enter and exit our property. Thank you to Clint Gruwell and Arnie Ludvigsen for installing a new yield sign to remind us to please use caution around the building as you enter and exit using our Rose Creek entrance.

YARN ANGELS

Our next Yarn Angels meeting will be held at the home of Susan Epling on Monday, October 12th from 11 am - 1 pm. Bring your sewing projects and join us for a morning of fellowship and community. Many of our items are donated to the Encouragement Project that provides for these two main initiatives:

Hugs and Kisses: Handmade knitted or crocheted scarves ("hugs") and hats ("kisses") distributed to the elderly, foster children, cancer patients, and the homeless.

Sew it Seams: Quilts, adult bibs for dementia/hospice patients, and baby items crafted by volunteers.

We would love to have new faces join our group, even if you are just beginning or interested in learning these crafts!

🌟WORD ON WEDNESDAY

Word on Wednesday will resume on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, in the Fellowship Hall at 10 AM. Please join us as our study leader, Lori Peters, guides us as we explore “What Grows In Weary Lands” by Tish Harrison Warren, which can be purchased on Amazon. A Teams option will also be available for anyone interesting in joining us online. Email Lori or the church office if you need the link. 

🌟PASTOR AND STAFF APPRECIATION SUNDAY - October 18

Please join us as we celebrate and show our appreciation for the amazing staff we’re blessed to have at Good Shepherd. Use the sign-up in Fellowship Hall to agree to purchase special treats for fellowship hour (based on their favorite things). Baskets will be available for your cards and other tokens of your appreciation (please ensure you put names on the envelopes).

🌟CHRISTMAS CAROL PLANNING EVENT

Christmas is coming! Following the Synod's recent "Revival Days," which several council members attended, it was noted that the lower parking lot was often empty, so passersby may wrongly think that Good Shepherd is empty. To change this perception, we had the idea of filling the lot on an evening in December and offering a Christmas Carol Singing for the community. We could invite local families to come and sing along with us. Lots of ideas, but no firm plans yet. If you have ideas and would like to help make them happen, please come to a planning Session at 7 pm on Monday, October 19th. Thank you to all those who have stepped forward already!

LADIES NIGHT OUT

Meets regularly on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7 PM. This is an evening out and a break from cooking, with good conversation and good food among sisters in Christ. This month, we will meet at Dina's Family Restaurant (Formerly Gondolier's) on Tuesday, Oct. 20th. Please sign up in Fellowship Hall.

Dina’s Family Italian Restaurant & Pizza

10029 Highway 92 #112

Woodstock, GA 30188

🌟TRUNK OR TREAT

A favorite event of the year! Grab a group of friends or gather your family and decorate your car for our annual Trunk or Treat, to be held in our lower parking lot on October 28, 2026, from 6 - 8 PM. Sign up at Sign Up Central in Fellowship Hall to reserve your parking space.

🌟NOTE THESE OTHER DATES:

Oct 31 - Quarterly Blood Drive at Good Shepherd ( 8am - 1 pm), make appointments at redcrossblood.org, sponsor code: goodshepherdlutheran.

Nov. 7 - Electronic Recycling Event and Good Shepherd's Garage Sale (cash only) more details coming soon. Sign-up to help at Sign-up Central.

Nov. 9 - One 10 AM service, Consecration Sunday, Semi-Annual Meeting, Thanksgiving Luncheon.

THURSDAY BIBLE STUDY

This class meets at 10 AM on Thursdays in Fellowship Hall and is led by Pastor Karen. We focus on the lessons that are coming up for the next Sunday.

Feel free to drop in at any time. Bring your Bible.

GREETING CARD MINISTRY- new cards available

TAKE NOTE! Our card bins are FULL of new greeting cards, with lots of new designs! We also have a new supply of HAND-PAINTED cards, which are generously donated to GSLC by Liane Dolezar, a local Woodstock artist. All donated proceeds support our Good Shepherd Youth Mission trips. This ministry is being hosted by Molly Maher, Linda Rowell, and Pam Hough.

MORE NEWS AND INFORMATION

UPDATE YOUR INFORMATION

If you have young adult GSLC members either living in your household or living outside the home who may still want news and information about Good Shepherd, please consider updating their contact information with the church office at office@gslutheran.org

FILL OUT A SPIRITUAL GIFT FORM

We continue to ask members to individually fill out a Spiritual Gift form. Thank you to those who have already submitted a form.

Fill out a Spiritual Gift Form

Do you love your church? Consider giving Good Shepherd a 5 Star review on Google and/or Yelp. It helps other know about who we are and what we do!

BUILDING ACCESS REQUEST

& CHURCH CALENDAR

Online Calendar & Calendar Submission and Entry Request Form

Use this as a resource for all Good Shepherd Events. Need to add an event to the calendar or request access to our building use the form below. Questions? Contact our Media Coordinator.

Please note that all building access requests will not be added to the calendar. The office is primarily using one form to streamline the office processes for building entry and events.

This is our submission form for you to submit non-urgent prayer concerns. Prayers will be posted to the Prayer Circle, via e-mail, during normal business hours, usually around 3 PM. As always, if you have an urgent prayer request, please contact Pastor by cell or email. 

If you would like to pray for others, as part of our prayer circle, please contact our Media Coordinator and she can add you to the Prayer Circle group.