SHEEP BUZZ NEWSLETTER

June 7, 2024

TOMMORROW MORNING

PRAY FOR MEL AND LILY ATTENDING AFFIRM

Affirm is a Summer Youth Event of the ELCA Southeastern Synod held at the University of West Alabama in Livingston, Alabama. Affirm nurtures faith, equips youth leaders for today and tomorrow, and trains youth in discipleship skills for youth who have completed grades 6-12. Affirm is based on 10 different age appropriate leadership and discipleship units. Each of these units are staffed by small group leaders and a pair of unit directors. Youth will spend about 6 hours each day in experiential learning with games, skits, and discussion. 

OUTREACH MEETING

The Outreach Committee will be meeting between services at 9:30 AM, on June 9th. Please plan to attend if you are a part of this committee.

SUMMER HOURS

The church office will switch to "summer hours" starting Monday, June 10 through Monday, July 29. The office will have staff available "virtually" on Mondays and in-house staff Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

ADDITIONAL HELP IN THE OFFICE IS STILL NEEDED

During VBS week and a few weeks during the summer, while Mel, our Youth and Family Ministry Coordinator is out of her Office Coordinator role, we would like some additional help in the office answering the phones and the door. If you would like to volunteer to serve in this capacity, please sign up using the button below. No experience is necessary.

SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING RECAP

This past Sunday, June 2^nd the Congregation of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Woodstock GA gathered during one praise filled worship service with nearly 150 people in attendance. During the service we installed our new Call Committee and lit a special candle on the altar to remind us of the Holy Spirit guidance during this time, as the Call Committee moves forward in their process. 

Following the service, a Semi-Annual Congregational Meeting was held. During that meeting, the congregation voted and unanimously approved the last meeting minutes, the 2024-25 budget and a nominating committee comprised of Bill Alderfer, Carrie Finney, Holly Jones, Ron Mixon, Melinda Mundis and Ben Setzer. Pastor Karen also announced that she will extended her contract through the end of the Call Committee process. Gina Crittenden from the Long Range Planning Task Force, gave a high level report that was previously submitted to Council and Pastor Karen gave a brief summary of the roles of the Long Range Planning Task Force and the Call Committee and a brief outline of what happens next in the process. 

Following the meeting, a full Fellowship Hall gathered and celebrated all this goodness with a feast of food from the hands of many members and our Fellowship Committee. Thanks be to God!

A slideshow of the Good Things happening at Good Shepherd!

GSLC CALL COMMITTEE NEWS

The Call Committee met with Pastor Jonathan Hemphill, Assistant to the Bishop, for instructions on how the Call process works.

The Committee then met with Pastor Karen and Craig Stitchenoth (our Council President) to review procedures and timelines.

We have chosen to keep a candle burning on the altar and in our communications as a reminder that we are including the congregation in our prayers while we search for our new pastor. We ask you that you also keep us in your prayers as we proceed. Light a candle at home as a reminder that we are on our way to finding our new pastor.

Our first step as a committee is to create a Mission Site Profile (MSP) that reflects who and what our congregation is about. We will get this information from the Long Range Planning Task Force findings as well as conversations that we have with all of you.

Please feel free to approach any of us with the blue name tags to discuss this process. We’ll be happy to share our progress as much as we can.

SOUTHEASTERN SYNOD ASSEMBLY REFLECTION

“The opposite of poverty is not wealth. The opposite of poverty is justice.”   This quote from Bryan Stevenson, the banquet speaker at the Southeastern Synod Assembly in Columbus last weekend, was not only thought-provoking and inspiring, but also appropriate as the theme of the conference was “Striving for Peace and Justice throughout the World.” While hearing from attorney Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy and head of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, was certainly the highlight of the trip, Pastor Karen, Sharron Ryan and I heard from many motivational speakers and learned about different advocacy programs within the Southeastern Synod and Churchwide.

In between the normal business and elections of the Synod, Allison Lizdas told us about the Election Engagement Program and Deacon Ross Murray, Director of Education and Training at GLADD, shared advice about how to be a better advocate. Izumi Hall, a teen from Birmingham, stood before the entire hall of hundreds, speaking on behalf of Youth Reconciling Works, and said in a brave quivering voice: “if you’ve never met a trans person, now you have.” There were unique singing and worship experiences that renewed my spirit. We wrote encouraging notes inside 400 "Hear My Voice" Prison Ministry Prayer Books that were presented to the local chaplain for distribution at the local correctional institutes. As a first time attendee, it was all new and I learned so much about being Lutheran.

At worship on Saturday evening, Reverend Amy Reumann, ELCA Advocacy Director in Washington D.C., reminded us that God does not need our good works, but our neighbors do. “So. Just. Go. Do. It.” Let us be inspired to go serve and strive for justice.

Handmade Card ministry at GSLC

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

Father’s Day: We will have a limited number of Father’s Day cards available this month and into June. Do you have a father, husband, son, son-in-law, or grandson that you would like to honor on Father’s Day with a card? Get your card(s) while they are available!

Metal Recycling

Caring for Creation is now recycling scrap metals. Help preserve our Planet.

Drop off your scrap metals in the white 55-gallon drum located at the north side of the garage and we will take it to the Metal Recycler in Woodstock.

Click the button below for more information about what can be recycled.

PEW TO PULPIT SERMON SERIES

For 5 weeks starting on July 28, Pastor Karen will preach a sermon series inspired by your questions. What have you, in the pew, wanted to hear discussed from the pulpit? Is there a particular question that intrigues you or a piece of scripture that you'd like to see addressed? As you feel called, fill out the form HERE and let us know your question and why the question is of interest. If there is a scripture reference, please include that too. We hope this will be an interesting interlude for all of us this summer and provides an even further connection between the pew and the pulpit.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HYMN OR PRAISE SONG?

This summer we want to sing some of your favorite songs and hymns. Answer the following questions using the button link below, tell us your favorite (one per person, please) and why it's your favorite. We'll do our best to work them in over the long lazy days of summer.

This week’s favorite hymn or song is “How Great Thou Art”, selected by Donna Garges. “This is a song sung at every family funeral I've attended. It's always a reminder that God's bigger and greater, even in death. My family can certainly belt this one out!”  Get some additional commentary on this song in this Sunday's worship bulletin. 

VBS TRAINING

Saturday, June 15th at 10 AM in Fellowship Hall! This is for all those who have signed up to help with VBS this year and did not attend the session on June 8th. At the meeting, Mel will give a rundown of the schedule, expectations for different positions and a chance for questions. We will also be tie-dying our leader shirts. Need more information? See the e-mail that was sent by Mel, on May 29th. Plan to attend a decorating overhaul on June 16th, following the 10:45 AM service, as we transform our space for the week long event.

Registration is closed, however last minute additions can be added by reaching out to Mel at Youthfamministry@gslutheran.org

Yarn Angels will meet at the home of Linda Rowell, on Monday, July 8th, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided.

The next Ladies Night Out will be on

Tuesday, June 18, at 7:00pm, at:

Izumi Asian Bistro

2035 Towne Lake Parkway, #150

Woodstock, GA 30189

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

1. ORAL CARE WASTE

2. HEFTY ORANGE ENERGY BAGS: (first Sunday of the month-Please remove labels (see below)

3. BATTERIES: (Size D and smaller) 

4. OLD EYEGLASSES

5. POPTABS

6. PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE BOTTLES

We need to remove labels from these bottles 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

BRING IN YOUR LADIES CLOTHING

Caring for Creation continues to support the Drake House, collecting SEASONAL, clean and like new donations. Look for the big orange drop-off bin in Fellowship Hall.

MORE NEWS AND INFORMATION

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

DATES TO REMEMBER

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 Office Coordinator and she can add you to the Prayer Circle group.