SHEEP BUZZ NEWSLETTER

October 3, 2025

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

The Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost

"The Exclamation Point"

October 5, 2025

8:30 AM Traditional Worship Service

Sunday School

9:45 AM for all ages

10:45 AM Praise Worship Services

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

Sunday Readings: click here

Printed copies of Pastor Karen's sermons are available each Sunday on the Welcome Desk.

You can also watch the10:45 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.

Donate Online

This Sunday is also Two Can/Hefty Energy Bag Sunday. Bring in two cans of food for our local food pantries and place them in the shopping cart. Place your Hefty energy bag recyclables in the receptacle outside. Thank you.

WOODSTOCK SCARECROW INVASION

Have you seen the Scarecrow invasion in downtown Woodstock? With a huge shout out of thanks to Debi and Rod Radcliff, Good Shepherd is represented near the Chamber building on Main Street.

Looking for something to do? Take a stroll downtown and find our Scarecrow, take a picture, and post on your social media accounts. Remember to tag Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Woodstock. This is such a fun way to spread the news that this group of sheep is "Fallowing" the Good Shepherd.

Vote for our scarecrow at the Visitors Center located at 8588 Main Street, Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm OR Sunday 12pm-5pm. Each vote costs $1. We will also have a collection in the Entryway. These proceeds will benefit the beautification of downtown Woodstock (special occasions as holiday decorations, etc.). Winners receive bragging rights and a trophy and a choice spot for next year's invasion event.

8th GRADE CONFIRMATION STUDENTS AND PARENTS

This Sunday, the 8^th grade confirmation students and parents meet after 10:45 service in the meeting room. Please plan to attend.

OUTREACH

The Outreach Committee is so thankful to our congregation for the generous

donations our church has received. Our committee has voted on the

following donations…

$500 to Men in Mission

$500 to the homeless vets in Cherokee County for their building fund

$500 for Thanksgiving hams and turkeys through MUST Ministries

$500 to Community of Grace Lutheran Church, Grayson, GA for repairs from recent vandalism

We are thankful that God is leading us to give back to our community in so many ways. 

METAL RECYCLING

Next time you see these gentlemen, give them a shout out of thanks for loading up the recycled metal and collecting $40 for Good Shepherd. As they say, one person's junk is another person's treasure. Have metal items you'd like to get rid of? Soon, we will have a new enclosure to utilize and keep our grounds tidy, so keep it coming! An extra special note of thanks to Clint Gruwell for spearheading this initiative.

BELLS OF GOOD SHEPHERD

Our rehearsal schedule has changed. Our new meeting time is 7:00 PM. Are you interested in ringing with us? It's a great time to start, just come to our rehearsal on Wednesday at 7 PM in the Sanctuary.

GARDEN OF GRACE

This week's harvest, thank you to all of our gardeners!!

SUNDAY SERVANT SCHEDULE

OCTOBER

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

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.

PRESIDING BISHOP INSTALLATION

The presiding bishop installation will take place Saturday, Oct. 4, at 2 p.m. Central time at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Minn. The service is open to the public and will also be livestreamed. Presiding Bishop-elect Yehiel Curry will be installed, and Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton will preside over the service. A recording of the installation will be available for those unable to attend. Learn more.

PONY EXPRESS LUNCHEON

Join us in kicking off our 26-27 Pony Express Stewardship Campaign on October 12, at 12:00 pm for a bratwurst luncheon to celebrate what God has done among us, and to set our hearts on the kingdom He is preparing.” Please sign up in Fellowship Hall; consider bringing a side dish or dessert. 

CAREGIVERS SUPPORT GROUP

Our next Caregivers Support Group in connection with the Alzheimer's Association is scheduled for Saturday, October 11, at 1 PM in the Meeting Room. Anyone in the community who is supporting and/or caring for a loved one experiencing dementia or other long-term debilitating issues is invited to attend and become a part of this group.

SOCIAL JUSTICE

We are planning another Social Justice Teams Book Study on Monday evenings from October 13-November 10th, at 7 PM. Our next group meeting is scheduled for Saturday, October 25, at 12:30 PM, in Fellowship Hall. All are welcome to attend either of these events.

GSLC WORKDAY

The weather is changing, time to get out those wheelbarrows, rakes, shovels, leaf blowers, gloves, and help spruce up the property around Good Shepherd. Plan to come out on October 18th at 8:30 AM to help spread mulch. Many hands of all ages will make this job go quickly!

LADIES NIGHT OUT

Our next event is scheduled for October 21, at 7:00 pm

Henry's Louisiana Grill

4835 N. Main Street

Acworth, GA 30101

This Cajun style restaurant is located in the downtown Acworth area. The cooking is a fusion of Cajun, Creole, Southern, and “fusion” techniques/ingredients. The restaurant vibe is considered upscale, yet casual enough for a night out, with a full bar, vibrant decor, enthusiastic service. There is public parking across the street and behind the restaurant.

Please sign up in Fellowship Hall.

WEEKLY BIBLE STUDIES

Word on Wednesday: "Inspired" by Rachel Evans will be our study on Wednesdays, at 10 AM in Fellowship Hall. As always, a Teams option will also be available each week. Email the office or Lori Peters if you need the link.

Lunch and Learn: Wednesdays from 11:30 - 1 PM-Bring your lunch and join us for our next book study titled “The Gardens: Growing an Evergreen Faith in a Trustworthy God”, by Kat Armstrong. Book available on Amazon.

Theology On Tap: For October, we will meet at Game Day, on Eagle Drive in Woodstock, at 6:30 PM. Our next meeting dates are Wednesday, October 8 and 22. Hope you can join us!

Thursday Bible Study:  We study the weekly Lectionary readings that precede each Sunday service. All are welcome, even if you can only attend occasionally. We meet in Fellowship Hall at 10 AM. 

SUNDAY SCHOOL

All classes begin at 9:45 AM

Youth Classes

Pre-K - In the nursery

Elementary School - Room 111

Middle School and High School - Downstairs Youth Room

Confirmation (Next class: October 12) Room 115. Lesson on the Sacrament of Baptism.

Adult Classes

Men in Mission: We continue to meet on Sundays in room 116, at 9:45 AM. Come and check us out. We are a great group of men doing marvelous things together in fellowship and service. We also meet monthly at Marlow’s Tavern in Woodstock, at 7 PM, usually on the first Monday of the month.

Faith Stories: We are engaged in a study on the book of Ephesians on Sundays at 9:45 AM. We meet in room 117.

Coffee and Conversation: We will begin a study of the book of Matthew. This is from the "Together by Grace" series from Augsburg. We will meet in room 118.

GREETING CARD MINISTRY

ALL OCCASION handmade greeting cards are available, most for a suggested donation of $2.00 per card. All proceeds support our Good Shepherd Youth Mission Trips. This ministry is being hosted by Molly Maher, Linda Rowell, and Pam Hough.

Congregational support of this ministry is appreciated by the makers, as well as the senders and receivers of these mostly one-of-a-kind greeting cards.

Look in the bins for new hand-painted cards, cards with tea bags included, and cards with bookmarks included. If you have new ideas for cards, please pass them on to Linda, Molly or Pam. We aim to please.

CARING FOR CREATION

We continue our many recycling initiatives. We appreciate all the help from congregation members to keep these items out of landfills. 

We also recycle all types of METAL near our garage and ELECTRONICS during our Electronic Recycling Drives in April and November.

We need to remove labels from the prescription bottles and Hefty Energy recyclables. Try these methods:

1. Warm the label in the sun
2. Use a hairdryer for heat
3. Put bottle in a glass of very hot water

PLASTIC BAGS and SMALL CARDBOARD BOXES can be recycled at our partner Mostly Mutts Market.  Their address is 5505 Bells Ferry Rd. Acworth 30102.  

MORE NEWS AND INFORMATION

MORE FREE MONEY FOR GOOD SHEPHERD

Kroger offers community reward dollars for non-profit organizations. All you need to do is associate your Kroger Plus number with our church and Kroger will send us a check based on what you purchase. It is so easy, just follow the steps below! Need help? Contact our Media Coordinator and she can walk you through the process.

• Go to the Kroger website
• www.kroger.com
• Or open the Kroger app on your phone.
• Sign in
• Use the email and password connected to your Kroger Plus Card.
• If you don’t have an account yet, click Create an Account and link your Plus Card/alt ID (phone number).
• Find Community Rewards
• On the website:
• Hover over “Savings & Rewards” in the top menu.
• Click “Kroger Community Rewards.”
• In the app:
• Tap the menu (☰), scroll down, and select Rewards → Community Rewards.
• Search for your organization
• In search box, type in the name of the church, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Woodstock.
• Click the Enroll button next to the organization’s name.
• You’ll then see it listed as your selected organization.
• Good Shepherd receives a quarterly check as a percentage of all enrolled Kroger Plus purchases. Last quarter we received $59.

BEWARE OF IMPERSONATION SCAMS

We have seen an increase of people claiming to be a staff member and asking for our directory. Always check that staff member email addresses have @gslutheran.org on the back end of their email address before responding and/or sending information of a personal nature. Similarly, Good Shepherd will never ask for payment of any nature utilizing gift cards.

A recent article from the Federal Trade Commission shows a more than fourfold increase in reports of impersonation scammers stealing tens and even hundreds of thousands from older adults and in some cases, their life savings. Read the article, which includes tips and things you should be aware of to protect yourself and loved ones.

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

CHURCH CALENDAR

ONLINE CALENDAR

Use this as a resource for all Good Shepherd Events. Need to add an event? Contact our Media Coordinator and she will get it on the calendar for you.

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.