SHEEP BUZZ NEWSLETTER

October 10, 2025

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

Bring your furry friends, a friend with their furry friend, and join us for a casual service of blessing just for our pets in our courtyard located between our Sanctuary and Education building. If you are able, bring a chair and make sure your pets are on a leash or in a crate.

The Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost

"Blinding Familiarity"

October 12, 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 the 8:30 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

PONY EXPRESS LUNCHEON

Join us in kicking off our 26-27 Pony Express Stewardship Campaign on Sunday, 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. Consider bringing a side dish or dessert to share. We hope to see all of you in attendance. 

We will also be passing out our Stewardship Packets. Please see a member of the Stewardship Committee to collect yours. We would like these to be returned by November 9th.

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.

FELLOWSHIP HALL

When you walk into Fellowship Hall this Saturday or Sunday, you may notice a change on the wall near the exit doors. Damon Garges has used a Thrivent Action Team grant to purchase supplies to create a new space that will hold individual sentiments of Praise and Prayers. Want to shout out something worthy of Praise? Pick up a tag near the wall labeled "Praise". Write your praise on the back of the tag, date it, and hang it on the wall. Likewise, need to offer a prayer for group support? Pick up a tag labeled "Prayer". Write your prayer on the back of the tag, date it, and hang it on the wall. When you are in Fellowship Hall, read these. This is a great way to offer support, love, and gratitude for each other. We will rotate these off the wall every couple of weeks to create space for new praises and prayers.

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.

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.

CHRISTMAS JUBILEE OF LIGHTS PARADE

Good Shepherd has the opportunity to represent our Church in the Woodstock Christmas Jubilee of Lights Parade on Sunday, December 7th. The parade begins at 5:30 and ends at 7:00. Our theme: The Good Shepherd.

Anyone wishing to create and decorate the float is welcome! We need the following:

• A truck with a hitch (we have one on standby),
• A trailer we can attach and decorate
• White Christmas lights (battery operated) to donate or to borrow

Call Becky Mattocks or the church office if you would like to participate. (770-924-7286.) More information will be coming soon.

THRIVENT IS COMING TO US!

How many Thrivent T-shirts do you own? Next Sunday, October 19, representatives from Thrivent, in conjunction with our Stewardship Committee, will be hosting a workshop between services on Estate Planning and Legacy Giving. It might be a great time to show Thrivent our support, too by wearing our Thrivent T'shirts. There will be a few extras this Sunday in Fellowship Hall. Grab one if you would like and wear it next Sunday.

SPECIAL SHEEP BUZZ

A special Sheep Buzz went out Thursday at noon to all voting members of the congregation. This includes meeting details and documents for informed voting at the Semi-Annual Meeting on Nov. 9th, following one 10 AM service. If you did not receive this communication, please let the office staff know.

SOCIAL JUSTICE

There is a lot happening with Social Justice this month! Several of us had the opportunity to attend a conference on Christian nationalism at the Candler School of Theology at Emory in September and learn about the impact of Christian nationalism on our country. Our next book study, Unclobber, by Colby Martin, begins Monday, October 13^th , at 7:00 on Teams. What does the Bible say about the LGBTQ+ community? What are the Bible verses most often quoted? Using the book Unclobber, we'll discuss these verses and explore their context and history.

Also, please join us for a screening of "1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture," a 2022 documentary film that explores the effects of the translation of the 1946 Revised Standard Version (RSV) Bible that introduced the word "homosexual" in the Bible for the first time. We will follow the movie with a time for discussion. Please contact Holly, Gina or the church office for details!

On November 1^st, former U.S. Attorney and nationally recognized commentator and author Joyce White Vance will be in Atlanta to speak and sign her new book. There are still tickets available, so let Holly or Gina know if you are interested in attending.

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.

CAREGIVERS SUPPORT GROUP

Our next Caregivers Support Group in connection with the Alzheimer's Association is scheduled for Saturday, October 23, 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.

If you would like to decorate a car, sign up in Fellowship Hall so we can map out the area for the day of the event!

GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH

BLOOD DRIVE

Saturday, November 1, 2025

 from 8:00 am – 1:00 pm

Fellowship Hall

All presenting donors will receive a $10 E-Gift Card

to the merchant of your choice,

a free A1C screening on your blood,

a chance to win a $5,000 Gift Card, &

a coupon from Cheeseburger Bobby’s.

  For more information or to schedule an appointment, please go to www.redcrossblood.org and enter the sponsor code: goodshepherdlutheran

ELECTRONIC RECYCLE EVENT

Saturday, November 1, 10 AM -1 PM in our lower parking lot.

Start saving those electronics and bring them to our semi-annual drive. The money we collect and the money returned to us by the electronic recycler will offset the costs of future technology enhancements at Good Shepherd. A great way to care for creation and do something good for our church. Share this event with your family, friends, and neighbors!

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 This Sunday! 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. Our current study is "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis. 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.