eVOICE for December 5, 2024



GOOD SHEPHERD EPISCOPAL CHURCH



The Second Sunday of Advent

December 8, 2024

We will be celebrating virtual Eucharist with Transfiguration Church via Zoom at 9:00 am, and Holy Eucharist in-person at Good Shepherd Church 10:30 am.

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Just like the hymn 'We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing..." we had a lovely Thanksgiving meal at Good Shepherd on Thanksgiving Day. Thanks to Joe Burkle and family for organizing and providing the turkey and to everyone else who brought other delicious fixings!! Excellent food and wonderful company made for a truly exceptional fellowship experience!! 

Fall Cleanup- Sunday December 15, 12-3 pm, weather permitting. Leaf raking and gutter cleaning will lead the chore list, with other inside and outside jobs to be determined.

Pre-CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY LUNCH BUNCH -Wednesday, December 11th at 12:30 in the Education Wing (old church). Bring a favorite "festive" dish to enjoy and share. 

An Adult Education Offering for the Season of Advent: "Living Into Our Baptismal Covenant"- Join Deacon Linda Mahler and Lynn Wood for an open and far-ranging discussion of how we as Episcopalians can live into the baptismal covenant we have made that calls us to faithfulness in our relationship with ourselves, with God, and most especially with our neighbors. This discussion seems particularly important in these uncertain times, and with violent conflicts raging in many parts of the world,  We will meet on Zoom on Tuesday evenings in Advent, 12/3, 12/10, and 12/17, from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM. For more information or to get the Zoom link, please email Linda at deacon@gmail.com or Lynn at greglynn2@verizon.net

Crossway Community Giving Tree - To our surprise and delight, all the tags on the giving tree were selected last Sunday. If you went to select a tag and all were taken, you will be happy to know that there are now a few additional tags on the tree. Note that two of the new tags are identical. They offer two of you the opportunity to share the giving of one "special" gift requested by a 9-year-old boy. This "special" gift has actually been obtained, which will make life even easier if this gift interests you. (See Lynn Wood on Sunday by the tree.) IF you are having difficulty locating something on your tag, elves Lillian, Diane, and Lynn might be able to assist. A reminder that you can bring your bag with your unwrapped gifts inside and the tag securely attached on the outside either to the food collection this Saturday from 11:00 to noon, to church this Sunday, Dec. 8, or to church next Sunday, Dec. 15. Thank you. Gracias. Merci beaucoup.

For those of you who want to participate but do not attend the in-person service, contact Lillian Luksenberg before Dec. 15 for alternate plans.   

Wednesday Bible Study - 11:30 am in-person with Deacon Linda Mahler 

Food Drive Collection, Saturday, Dec. 7 11 am

Telephone prayer meeting every Thursday at 9:15 am. The number to call to join the prayer meeting is 508-924-2778. If you have any questions contact Lynette Clark at 301-357-1726. 

From the Worship Team: 

Randy Wilkinson become our long-term supply priest starting on December 1st.

We are hard at work to make sure that worship at Good Shepherd is both beautiful and meaningful. There are several ways you can let us know how we’re doing, share ideas about what would make worship more fulfilling for you, or ask us questions:

• Come to a worship team meeting. Email Linda (mahlerlindal@gmail.com) for the Zoom link.
• Use this online form to give written feedback: bit.ly/GSECworshipfeedback. We see your comment as soon as you post it. 
• Talk to one of us at church on Sunday.

The conversation continues.… Ray, George, Debbie, Linda and Lynn

Donating through Servant Keeper: Good Shepherd continues to be blessed by all of YOUR generous support! Thank you!! The Vestry and the Finance Committee are faithful and committed stewards of our finances. We now have expanded our online giving capability through our existing Servant Keeper application. This allows you to add the processing fees to your donated amount so the church is not paying them, as we do for PayPal. (The church is currently paying PayPal fees up to $2,000 per year.) The link for donating through Servant Keeper is: https://giving.servantkeeper.com/good-shepherd-episcopal-church. In the upper right corner are 2 green buttons: click on "sign up" to start your account. Servant Keeper will find your prior history and you can then establish a personal account (name and password). There are 2 modes of payment (credit card or bank transfer (ACH). There will be a checkbox to indicate whether you want to pay the fees for the donation. If you have any problems with setting this up, call Debbie at 240-393-5614. The advantage of having this account is you will have direct access to all your donations!!

MESSAGE FROM SENIOR WARDEN

This is the last week of our stewardship campaign and it is important to hear from everybody. We are extremely grateful to the 30 people who have pledged $200,579 so far. We have $34,421 to go to meet our goal of $235,000. Every pledge counts! Thanks to Lillian Luksenburg, Ana Curtis, and Vonnie Schoppelrei who gave inspiring testimonials. This Sunday December 8 will be our in-gathering and you can add your pledge card to the plate. Sal Campo will give a final 'personal reflection' in support of giving to Good Shepherd.

Our theme this year is Courageous Discipleship where we seek to join our Savior in caring for others by generously sharing what we have been given. We have many reasons to be grateful including our Deacon Linda, our Pastoral Care Team, our Diocese, our congregation and two other congregations all of whom worship in our beautiful sanctuary, Bible study, our Prayer Group and our ministries including the Food Drive, Refugee Response, Crossways Community, Shepherd's Table and a Core Team for Action in Montgomery (AIM). 

Your financial support is crucial for sustaining and strengthening our congregation and its ministries. Feel free to call me with any questions! 

Love and blessings, Debbie

GOOD SHEPHERD EPISCOPAL CHURCH

818 UNIVERSITY BLVD. WEST, SILVER SPRING, MD 20901

Quick Links: GS website GS facebook Episcopal Diocese

Questions/Comments Form