March 2015 Staff the VOLUME 54 n ISSUE 3 SHEPHERD’S The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd Newsletter FROM PASTOR GREG Lenten Mid-Week Services - Come Explore Our Baptismal Promises Wednesdays, February 25, March 4, 11, 18, and 25 at 7pm In the waters of Baptism, God offers us forgiveness of sin, delivers us from death and the devil, and grants us eternal life! These are God’s rich and never-failing promises to us. As receivers of these gifts, we in turn pledge to live our lives in thanksgiving. We respond to God’s gracious actions with intentional, Christ-like attitudes and behaviors. It is our hope that God might work in the midst of our response to bring others to the waters of Baptism. The rite for the Affirmation of Baptism in our Evangelical Lutheran Worship hymnal gives specific language to our response to God’s promises. In this rite, we promise to: • live among God’s faithful people; • hear the Word of God and share in the Lord’s Supper; • proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed; • serve all people following the example of Jesus; and, • strive for justice and peace in all the earth. (Photo by Carol Mellor) Lent was historically the time when people prepared for a baptism at Easter. With that example in mind, this year we will explore one promise from the affirmation rite each week. Join us for prayer, scripture, song, and reflection each Wednesday evening at 7pm! The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd Lenten & HOLY WEEK Service Dates and Times 1515 Emmorton Road Bel Air, MD 21014 p: 410-838-8081 f: 410-838-8026 Lenten mid-week services; March 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th - 7 p.m Sundays in Lent: March 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd - 8, 9:40 & 11 a.m. Like us on .. .. Holy Week: March 29th Palm Sunday - 8, 9:40 & 11 a.m. Monday - Friday: 9 am - 3 pm April 2nd, Maundy Thursday - 7:30 p.m. April 3rd, Good Friday – 12 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. April 4th, Easter Vigil - 6:30 p.m. April 5th Easter Day - 7, 9 & 11 a.m. www.lcgselca.org Office Hours Sunday Worship 8:00 AM, 9:40 AM & 11:00 AM Contemporary Cross Walk Worship 2nd & 4th Sundays at 11 AM Fellowship & Education Hour: 9:30 AM Pastor Greg Fetzer is Installed as the New Pastor at LCGS The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd The Rev. Greg Fetzer Senior Pastor (410) 838-8081 office Pr.Greg.Fetzer@lcgselca.org Deborah Woods Director of Music music@lcgselca.org Linda Ruese Treasurer treasurer@lcgselca.org Gina Miller Interim Office Manager (410) 838-8081 office officemanager@lcgselca.org Ruth Marteny Office Assistant officesecretary@lcgselca.org (410) 838-8081 office Pastor Greg and his family (Photo by Warren Hillstrom) Steve Starbuck Editor, The Shepherd’s Staff communications@lcgselca.org Heather Raedeke Graphic Designer, The Shepherd’s Staff communications@lcgselca.org Communicatons Team communications@lcgselca.org Pr. Greg’s Installation Reception Good Shepherd Lutheran Preschool Pastor Judy Cobb speaks at Pastor Greg’s installation (Photo by Warren Hillstrom) Lois Dobart, Director school@lcgselca.org (410) 838-8457 www.facebook.com/goodshepherd lutheranpreschool New Covenant Christian School Jean Armstrong, Principal Lisa.Stone@ncpres.org (410) 420-7727 The Shepherd’s Staff is published monthly, and mailed to all member households.The deadline for submitting material for inclusion in the April issue of The Shepherd’s Staff is Sunday, March 15th. Please send, as early as possible, your articles, notices, etc. to editor Steve Starbuck at communications@lcgselca.org (Photos by Carol Mellor) MARCH 2015 I PAGE 2 LCGS Welcomed New Members into Our Fellowship on February 15, 2015 Our new members share a bit about themselves... Their photos are displayed in the Narthex, please take a moment to introduce yourself and welcome them! Sherman and Ann Canapp • Sherman and Ann got married at St. Michael’s Lutheran, Perry Hall, in 1998. They moved to Harford County in 2001. Sherman has three sons and Ann has two daughters. They are busy with 11 grandchildren going to their soccer games. They love to go to Bonefish Grill. Pastor Greg, Monica, Sophia, and Jonah Fetzer • Pastor Greg enjoys playing board games with his family over video games. Jonah likes to play lacrosse. Sophia is an artist and loves to read. The Fetzer's will soon be welcoming a new member to their family. Jonah is getting a puppy for his birthday and Sophia is getting the fence for her birthday! Erica Witte and Rick Greezicki • Rick and Erica are from Bel Air. They are raising 5 boys: Ryan, Matt, Josh, Zach, and Patrick. The boys are active in soccer and basketball. Some LCGS members know Rick through coaching. They are happy to be here at Good Shepherd. Timothy and Dana Krakowski (Owen and Alexa) • Owen likes his preschool class at LCGS and riding his bike. Alexa likes to tag along with her big brother. Owen and Alexa love eating pretzels and waffles. The Krakowski family likes to spend their free time at the beach playing in the sand and making sandcastles. Joshua and Stacey Reese (Caroline and Emerson) • Joshua and Stacey live in Forest Hill. They have a very active three year old, Caroline, and nine month old, Emerson. The Reese family likes to spend time at the beach and riding the waves. Ruthann and Gerrit Sutherland (Annika and Elise) • Ruthann and Gerrit have been married since 2006. Gerrit is a physicist at the U.S. Army Research Lab. Ruthann homeschools the girls. Annika plays the violin and enjoys Irish dancing. Elise plays the piano and twirls the baton. Music Notes “Sprucing-Up” the Chancel Choir and the Youth choir At the end of choir rehearsal last week, I was “cornered” by several of my singers. It was suggested to me that it was time to investigate the purchase of new robes. There were many reasons. The present green robes were purchased in 1992, right after the new sanctuary was built, and they were beginning to show some wear and tear. Many of the zippers were broken and the polyester material is very hot and heavy to wear. I didn’t think that the robes looked that bad, but then during the next service, (Feb 8th), my zipper came undone as I hopped from the organ to the piano. Hmmm……….maybe this proposal was worth considering. And then, my thoughts turned towards the youth choir, “Ringers and Singers.” They have no robes at all---I even tried to stretch the Angel Choir cottas on them one Sunday, but that was really a “stretch.” (literally!) They were way too small. I feel that if we have a group of children willing to assist in worship at LCGS, we should provide robes for them……maybe even ones that match the Chancel choir robes. In short, I became a convert to the “New choir robe” campaign, and I’m now spreading the word. During the Lenten season, a small committee, headed by Stephanie Talbott and Andrea Hooper, will investigate different colors and fabrics for new choir robes at LCGS. (In case you’re wondering, we’ve sought Council approval for this project.) After Easter, we will launch a short campaign to raise funds for our new robes, and even, perhaps, have a music concert to “spruce up the choir.” I hope that you will support our efforts. We’ve started a new chapter in our church’s history, and it would be nice to “look a little brighter and fresher.” Who knows, maybe YOU might want to join choir to wear one of those spiffy new robes! - Debby Woods DATES TO REMEMBER Sunday, March 30-Palm Sunday Procession and Passion narrative – 8am and 11am **9:40 service-”Welcome to the King”-Youth Choir Musical April 2,3,4 - Holy Week Services - 7:30pm (Vigil-6:30pm) April 5 - Easter 7am, 9am, 11am - Festival Worship with choirs, brass, and timpani Victoria Yurechko (Alexis and Christopher) • Vicky and her children, Alexis and Christopher, live in Port Deposit. Alexis is busy taking horseback riding lessons. Christopher is busy with his “wonderful twos.” Vicky has returned to playing in the bell choir. Debby Woods, Pastor Greg, and Freddy taught our young congregants the Magic Penny song by Malvina Reynolds in which they learn that love is something if you give it away, you end up having more. (Photo by Carol Mellor) MARCH 2015 I PAGE 3 CIA Youth Events CIA (youth group for grades 6 - 12) are the first Sunday and third Tuesday each month from 7-8:30 p.m. in the lower level of the parsonage Contact Mrs. Connie cowboysrule87@gmail.com or any of the CIA leaders with questions/ information. Attention bowlers of all ages!!! Do you want to have an evening of fun with a wide variety of ages? Then sign up to join the CIA Youth at APG for an evening of bowling Friday, March 13th from 9:30-10:30pm. Those attending will meet in the parsonage at 8:15 for pizza and chips. Everyone will carpool to APG for an evening of fun. Please sign up by Sunday, March 6th. The cost is $4 per person to cover the cost of shoes and bowling. CIA will provide pizza and asks for donations of chips and desserts from those attending. If you have any further questions contact Connie Charitonuk. Youth collecting items for TerraCycle recycling to raise funds for their activities Our middle and high school youth are collecting many items in the Youth Room to recycle through TerraCycle to raise funds for their activities and programs. You can help by bringing these items to the Youth Room and leaving them in the collection boxes. Check the E-Pistle for a link to a list of items that are being collected. For more information about our programs through TerraCycle, which collects and repurposes hard-torecycle waste, visit www.terracycle. com. If you have questions about the program and how you can help us raise funds for our youth programs, contact Debbie Madigan. Attention Confirmation Students Retreat sign-ups due March 7th! Just a reminder that permission forms and payment for the mandatory confirmation retreat are due no later than March 7th. Completed forms can be left in the Confirmation mail slot outside of the office suite. Contact Jo-Anne Toepfer with questions. Thank you! “Eat More Chikin” to Benefit GAX! Dine at Chick-fil-A at Constant Friendship ALL DAY the 3rd Tuesday of each month February through June and 20% of the non-taxed sales will be donated towards our GAX program. You MUST TAKE THE FLYER with you to Chick-fil-A so GAX gets credit for the sale. Flyers are located in the Narthex or they can be printed at: http://lcgselca.org/pdf/LCGS-GAX-Program.pdf . Contact Jill Healey with questions. Thank you for your support! February KFC EVENT Thank you to Meghan Marx for organizing a fun afternoon of games, crafts, and snacks for KFC. (Photos by Carol Mellor) MARCH 2015 I PAGE 4 The Faschnaut Variety Show The CIA youth hosted their annual Faschnaut Variety Show on Tuesday, February 17th Talented youth preformed short skits and sharing jokes throughout the fun evening. (Photos by Carol Mellor) MARCH 2015 I PAGE 5 staying CONNECTED The Faschnaut Variety Show continued... BROWN BAG BOOK CLUB: March 15, 2015 Martha: A Novel by Diana Wallis Taylor The Brown Bag Book Club will next meet on Sunday, March 15, 2015 following the 11:00 AM worship service. We will meet in the LCGS Conference Room. Please bring your lunch or snack and join us as we discuss Martha: A Novel by Diana Wallis Taylor. She has spent her life caring for others--will she ever find someone who will cherish her? Martha’s entire life is marked by her responsibilities to her family. In the absence of her mother, she runs the household, makes the meals, cares for her father, and attempts to keep her absentminded younger sister on task. In the midst of her duties, will she ever find time to live her own life--or find her own love? This touching, well-researched portrayal of Martha of Bethany, sister of Mary and Lazarus, unveils the woman within the Bible character. Through Diana Wallis Taylor’s lush descriptions and inspired fusion of imagined and recorded dialogue, Martha’s world--her trials, triumphs, and loves--vibrantly comes to life. Follow Martha as she navigates the complicated worlds of family, faith, and love . . . and you’ll never read her story the same way again. (Summary from the publisher.) 7 copies available at Harford County Library (plus 5 copies in EBook). 247 pages. Published in 2011. Any questions? Please contact Linda Ruese or Andrea Hooper. Our upcoming 2015 schedule… April 19, 2015 Stones for Bread by Christa Parrish May 17, 2015 The Round House by Louise Erdich June 14, 2015 Gray Mountain by John Grisham July 19, 2015 Love Anthony by Lisa Genova Aug. 16, 2015 Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good by Jan Karon Sept. 20, 2015 Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver Oct. 18, 2015 The Dinner by Herman Koch Nov. 22, 2015 Angels Walking by Karen Kingsbury Dec. 13, 2015 A Christmas novel (TBD) by Richard Paul Evans (Photos by Carol Mellor) Need prayers? Here’s how to list someone on our Good Shepherd Prayer Chain To list someone on the Prayer Chain, call the office at 410838-8081 or Coordinator Doris Mellor or complete a prayer card (in the pew pockets.) Provide the person’s first and last names and a contact number, or include your contact number. The Coordinator will verify a member’s desire to be on the list and specific purpose to be listed. In order to make the extensive list of family and friends current and manageable, we will keep the name listed for three weeks unless it is resubmitted. MARCH 2015 I PAGE 8 DAY♥TIMERS The Daytimers will have their luncheon/meeting on Tuesday, March 10, at 11:00 am in the Celebration Room. Come and meet our new pastor, Rev. Greg Fetzer, who wants to meet all of our group and speak to us. Please come and bring a friend, food for the Sharing Table, and paper goods for FCCAU. - Lowell Repp Homelessness in Harford County During the FED Hour on Sunday, March 8, 2015 from 9:30 to 10:30 AM, four speakers will share gripping stories about homelessness in Harford County; two homeless persons each of whom has a very different story to tell, a case worker at the Welcome One Center and the financial director of the center. We will get a very personal glimpse into this sad issue and learn about causes and what we can do to help. Behind the Scenes… The good folks who keep the physical church running behind the scenes are your facilities team. In the past few months we have coordinated the snow removal, salted the side-walks, fixed leaky roofs, improved the lighting, and plunged whatever required plunging! We jumped through numerous hoops when the call came in about a burning smell in the Celebration Hall, we shut down the entire system as a precaution, inspected the building, and climbed on the roof with BGE only to find everything was fine with the HVAC. At the end of the day we found a very happy lizard in the science lab who was enjoying an extra warm heat lamp that had melted its base! In the next few months we will be managing some significant projects including the new church sign and the replacement of a storm water outfall. MOM2MOM Mom2Mom will have our monthly meeting on March 13th at 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM in the Narthex. We will prepare for our family Easter Night. Our Family Easter Night is Friday, March 13th from 6-8 PM. The cost is $3 per person. Please RSVP to mom2momlcgs@gmail.com if you would like to attend. Childcare will be provided for children 1 - 6 years old. Please bring a sippy cup and $5 dues (per family). Mom2Mom is a mommy Christian support network. We offer a time to get together with other women who face similar situations and challenges you do. We encourage each other, have fun and learn together! If you are interested or have any questions about our group, please contact Cindy Burkhardt or Jennifer Nesaw. You can email us at mom2momlcgs@gmail.com, find us on Facebook, or visit us at http://mom2momlcgs.blogspot.com. Mom2Mom Enjoyed Making Chocolate Candies to Celebrate Valentine’s Day. We are also beginning to develop our capital budget for the next 5 - 25 years. It is hard to believe our sanctuary was dedicated on June 14, 1992. We are still operating on much of the same equipment that was installed over 20 years ago. Once again that is a testament to the folks behind the scenes who keep things running. The end of winter is approaching and we can all rejoice when the first daffodil emerges, the first tulip blooms and the grass begins to grow. Behind the scenes the facilities team will be getting the mowers ready, picking out plantings for the church grounds, and picking dates for the spring cleaning! If you want to help out behind the scenes please let us know…nothing flashy but you feel good at the end of the day and we can always use your help! -- Chris Poling Outreach Postcards The Communication Ministry team is in the process of creating a postcard announcing our new worship schedules and new pastor, Greg Fetzer, and inviting visitors to join our church family. Information about our youth and family programs will also be included. We hope to have the mailing ready within the next month and plan to send the postcard to roughly 8000 households in surrounding neighborhoods. Although there is money budgeted, we are seeking donations to help offset the costs of this mailing. If you would like to help spread the good news about the excitement at LCGS, please use pew envelopes and list “postcard mailing” on the front or contact the church office. Thank you! (Photos by Carol Mellor) ways to SERVE from the FLOWER COMMITTEE Altar Flower Sponsors Needed Have a Special Occasion that you want to honor? Sign up for your “Special Date” ASAP! Just pick your date and sign up on the Flower Chart which is on the counter by the windows in the Narthex. OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE ALTAR GUILD The Altar Guild is a vital group of volunteers at Good Shepherd, who make sure the communion elements are set-up and ready for each service by volunteering on Saturday mornings during an assigned month. One or two members of the team also help the communion assistants keep the wine trays filled. Each team serves one month at a time. This is a great opportunity to serve Good Shepherd and takes minimal time on your part. For more information contact, Sallie Gartside, Vicar Dean. COMMUNION ASSISTANTS Arrangement Availability: March 29th April 19th May 10th, 17th and 24th Communion Assistants are needed, for the 9:40 & 11 a.m. services. As a Communion Assistant you get to be a part of serving the congregation at the Banquet. Please contact Sharlene Krause. When you sign the chart, be sure to take an envelope, located on the display. Complete the information on the envelope and either put it in the offering plate or send it to the office along with the payment, $40.00 per arrangement. The flowers need to be paid for prior to the week they are on the altar. Please be sure you indicate on the Flower Chart if you will remove the arrangement or if you want the Flower Committee to deliver it to a hospitalized or “home bound” member. When you remove the flowers, please just take the paper mache container and leave the silver one on the shelf. We have four Usher teams who serve once a month, and take turns when there is a 5th Sunday in the month. Four people are needed at each service. We are short at ALL services. If you are willing to help out on one of the teams contact Harry Quinn. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Karol Ashbrook, Flower Chairperson. USHERS GREETERS NEEDED Are you a “people person”? The 9:40 and 11 a.m. service needs greeters. This is a great place for our youth as well as adults to serve God at LCGS. Two friends could serve together! Think about it and mark on the Pew Pad by your name or contact Ruth Marteny in the church office at to officesecretary@lcgselca.org. LAY ASSISTANTS & LECTORS This is another area that needs help at ALL three services. The Lay Assistant leads in Scripture reading and prayers. The readings and prayers are e-mailed to you each week so you can prepare. The Lector, (currently only at 8 a.m.) reads only the Second Scripture, (also e-mailed to you). We’d like to see Lectors used at the 11 a.m. service as well. Contact Ruth Marteny in the church office at to officesecretary@lcgselca.org. PLEASE PRAYFULLY CONSIDER SERVING IN ONE OF THESE POSITIONS AT THE SERVICE YOU ATTEND. Karol Ashbrook Flower Chairman EASTER FLOWERS DEADLINE: SUNDAY March 22, 2015 We will once again be decorating our Altar with beautiful spring flowers for Easter. If you would like to sponsor a plant (or plants) the cost will be $9.00 each. You have the option of ordering Easter Lilies, Asiatic Lilies, Azaleas, Daffodils, and Tulips. The deadline for ordering is Sunday 3/22/15. Envelopes are on the Counter in the Narthex. Please complete the information, include your payment and put in the offering plate, or drop by the office. If you have any questions, please contact Karol Ashbrook. Volunteers needed to help with funeral receptions There are sign-up sheets in the Narthex which divides the times and areas we need help. Check all times and areas you are available.Your help will be greatly appreciated. Please see Carol Mellor with any questions. MARCH 2015 I PAGE 6 WANT TO SERVE? God’s Work, Our Hands It is an exciting time to be involved at LCGS! At our February meeting we re-capped the successful Christmas Basket and the Youth-led SouperBowl Sunday projects. Did you know our youth (and congregation) collected over 297 cans for The Edgewood Sharing Table that weekend? Special kudos to Gwyneth Steel who asked her 14th Birthday guests to donate food for the project, instead of gifts. All together her friends contributed an amazing, 97 cans to the drive. (Maybe this will start a generosity trend!) Meghan Marx is our representative for the Tanzanian Task Force, and reported the group has now shipped $28,000 in medical supplies to Bunda Hospital. It will take months to get there as it must travel first by barge to the Tanzanian border, and then another 400 miles inland to the hospital. The Task Force worked diligently to raise funds for delivery of an electric pump to the hospital to provide running water however, they now realize pipes need replacement to accommodate the difference in water flow. That is their most recent challenge. For more project info and how you can contribute please contact Meghan Marx. Kristin Woods will once again lead the LCGS Team of Habitat For Humanity Volunteers and asks anyone who would like to join in the next build to 'pencil in' the weekend of either April 18th or 25th as tentative work dates. The upcoming build will be on Franklin Street, Bel Air and a firm date and sign up information will be posted in weekly bulletin and Epistle as soon as it becomes available. Questions? Contact Kristin Woods. The Lenten fleece collection project to blanket our friends at the Upper Chesapeake Hospital Infusion Center is well underway. Our goal is to make 25 'no-sew' blankets for patients currently undergoing treatment, and we will need two 3-yard pieces to create each blanket. If you have fleece yardage leftover from other projects or can shop the local Walmart or JoAnn Fabric stores, please donate! (Donation box is located in the church coat room.) We welcome everyone to help tie/assemble the blankets during the FED hour on Palm Sunday. Mark your calendars now! April 1st is our next, assigned serve date at the Day Shelter. If you would like to help in the kitchen, sit and chat with guests, or just learn more about this very worthy, ongoing outreach program please contact Kim Wagner. Opportunities to use our hands for Gods Work surround us! If you would like to become more involved in planning or participate in the many 'Gods Work' projects that our Servanthood group has on tap for 2015, please contact Patty Resnik. God’s Peace - Servanthood Committee Peacemaker Ministries - PeaceMeal Welcoming others – How do we reflect God’s glory? And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being ntransformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory. 2 Cor. 3.18 The apostle Paul indicates that the unveiled faces belong to those who are the Lord’s Christians, believers, sons and daughters of God. As such, our unveiled faces are reflecting the Lord’s glory. If we truly allow his likeness to permeate our words, thoughts and feelings, then true reflection is taking place. However when our own thoughts or opinions cloud our interactions, then the reflecting is anything but true. The veil is back on and our personal glory trumps everything else for the moment. Jesus reflected God’s glory as he went about proclaiming peace. He invited the least of these to experience his love. He also glorified God by challenging the Pharisees and religious leaders. Daily we have opportunities to interact with co-workers, friends and family as well as strangers. Let us pledge to reflect God’s glory. Need help? If you desire help in reconciling a conflict, disagreement or broken relationship, consider calling a LCGS Peacemaking Reconciliation Team member. Owen Ashbrook; Debbie Smeton or Gail Fricke. All communications are confidential. - Gail Fricke, Peacemaking Team Sharing Table The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd will serve a hot lunch at the Sharing Table on Saturday, March 21, 2015. Help is needed to provide ground beef barbecue, potato chips and hamburger rolls; to wait tables; to serve the meal; to set-up and clean-up; and to work in the kitchen. Credit for service hours is available. It’s a great way to serve our Lord! Please contact Lisa Steel if you can help. The Sharing Table is a group of churches and organizations working together to serve a free meal every Saturday to anyone in need at Prince of Peace Church 2600 Willoughby Beach Road, Edgewood. The Sharing Table serves approximately 75 to 100 guests from 11:30am to 1:00pm and distributes grocery bags of food for clients to take home. - Lisa Steel MARCH 2015 I PAGE 7 PRESCHOOL CORNER “Oh you can’t keep Jesus’ love in a box ‘cause His love will come a ’bubbling through.” This was the song the preschoolers of Good Shepherd sang at their February chapel when they learned the story of Naaman. God showed his love for Naaman by healing him of his leprosy in the muddy waters of the Jordan River. The preschool children found ways to let Jesus’ love come “bubbling” out of them this month. All the classes spent the beginning of the month making valentines to show friends and family how much they are loved. The three year-old classes then learned about nursery rhymes and acted them out using props. How fun it was to see our plastic Humpty Dumpty fall off our block wall and break in two and see the spider puppet come down and scare Miss Muffet off of her tuffet! The children used their fine motor skills to cut, glue, and draw to make some nursery rhyme art. The four year-old classes studied friendship and fitness as they made art projects with friends and learned about activities that increased or decreased their heart speed. At the end of the month they had a “Fitness Day” in the ministry room/gym and had fun exercising! The Transitional Kindergarten also studied friendship and made a special friendship quilt. Their other topic of study was “Me on the Map”. They read a book by that name and learned where they are in relation to the community, the state, the country, and the world. The children then made their own books to show those concepts. Even with delayed openings and days off, there were still many opportunities for learning and fun at Good Shepherd Preschool in the month of February! Do you enjoy writing, editing, photography or design? The Communications Ministry Team invites you to join us Do you enjoy writing, editing, graphic design, Web design, photography, or shooting videos? The Communications Ministry Team invites you to explore how you could use your talents and interests to help share the good news of Jesus and His work in and through Good Shepherd in our congregation and in the wider community. Our next meeting is Tuesday, March 3 at 7 p.m. in Room 208 in the education wing. All are welcome. Hungry for more Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd news? Contact the Communications Team at communications@lcgselca.org with your First and Last Name and email address to sign up to receive the newsletters of your choice: • E-pistle is the e-newsletter for Good Shepherd members and friends. Its purpose is to share brief, timely, upcoming information that cannot wait for the weekend or The Shepherd’s Staff monthly newsletter. It’s a good place to read emergency or time-sensitive announcements, and to receive The Shepherd’s Staff newsletter, in full color. • Sunday School is the e-newsletter for Sunday school parents and teachers. Its purpose is to share news and time-sensitive announcements about our Sunday school program. You can also visit our Website, www.lcgselca. org, for more information about our ministries and programs. We’re on Facebook too: • Find Good Shepherd on Facebook at www. facebook.com/LutheranChurchoftheGoodShepherd.LCGS - Rhonda Messick Good Shepherd Lutheran Preschool 2015-2016 Registration Information Registration for preschool is currently open. The preschool offers a wide variety of classes for 3, 4, and 5-year-olds, including a transitional kindergarten program. If you know of anyone who may be looking for an excellent preschool, please help us to get the word out about registration. For more information about the school, visit our Web site at www.lcgselca.org or our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/goodshepherdlutheranpreschool or contact Director Lois Dobart at (410) 838-8457 or school@lcgselca.org • The CIA youth group is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CIAYouthGroup.LCGS • Good Shepherd Lutheran Preschool is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/goodshepherdlutheranpreschool - The Communications Ministry Team - Lois Dobart MARCH 2015 I PAGE 10 Health Care Ministries AED News and call for certified members: We now have our 2nd AED! It is located outside the Celebration Hall near the water fountains. There is also an AED in the narthex near the coat room. Please take a moment to locate these potentially life-saving devices! We are also looking to compile a list of members who are currently CPR/ AED certified. If you are currently certified, please e-mail Kathy DeHoff. Blood Pressure Screening: On Sunday, March 1, the Health Care Ministry will continue offering free blood pressure screenings. You do not need an appointment, just come to the Library between 9:15 and 10:45! Hand Sanitizer: For your convenience during cold and flu season, you will find hand sanitizer at the front of the aisle for you to use prior to taking communion. Join Our Walking Group!! Contact Kathy DeHoff. Health Tips and Recipes: Please continue to check the narthex and e-pistle for our health tip and recipe of the month.If you have any questions or would like to join the Health Care Ministy team, please contact Diane Brown. Questions or Comments? Please feel free to contact any of the 2015 Congregation Council: President Stuart Goemmer Vice-President Evelyn Spratt Treasurer Linda Ruese Secretary Sallie Gartside UNDESIGNATED FUND In Memory of Sandy Depkin from: Mr. and Mrs. Robert Ewing and Children FAMILY FUND In Honor of Dorothy Kraft from: Mr. and Mrs. James Porter Christian Education Maureen Stark Outreach Susan Quinn DAYTIMERS FUND In Memory of Bertha Grimm from: Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Oaksmith Worship and Music Gene Oaksmith JANUARY 2015 TREASURER’S REPORT This Month, 2015 Income Expenses IncomeExpenses Year-to-date, 2015 This Month, 2014 Year-to-date, 2014 $ 31,012.50 $ 31,012.50 $ 29,342.83 $ 29,342.83 $ (42,308.97) $ (42,308.97) $ (39,917.51) $ (39,917.51) $ (11,296.47) $ (11,296.47) $ (10,574.68) $ (10,574.68) Stewardship Jim Lolley Congregational Life and Service (CLAS) Missy Leppo DEBT REDUCTION CAMPAIGN--LIVE THE VISION This Month, 2015 Beginning Balance 1/1/14 Inflows Outflows Youth Gordon Brown Year-to-date, 2015 $ 1,397.00 $ 830.00 $ 830.00 $ (1,639.50) $ (1,639.50) Balance at end of month Facilities Operation Chris Poling $ 587.50 December additional payments to principal $ 1,639.50 Campaign-to-date additional payments to principal $ 60,301.30 Mortgage Balance $ 103,651.53 Projected pay-off date Finance, Legal and Operations (FLO) Kim Wagner September 2017 MARCH 2015 I PAGE 11 The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd 1515 Emmorton Road Bel Air, MD 21014 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Is the Green Really Green Now? Most of the congregation is probably unaware that the pew seats and grey chair seats were cleaned with upholstery shampoo and deodorizer on December 29, 2014. This marks the first time since June 1993, when the Sanctuary was dedicated for use, that they have been cleaned in this manner. A little math tells you that. twenty-one years have passed. The cleaning team, which consisted of Gene and Claudia Oaksmith, Steve Resnick, Lee Seibold, and I, didn’t know quite what to expect as this was a totally new endeavor for us. Would the seats take long to dry? Would all the stains be removed? Would you really be able to see and smell the difference? How long would it take us, a crew of five persons, to accomplish this task? I’m pleased to say that the results were better than we anticipated. First, the years of accumulated wax (from many Silent Night candle lighting events) had to be removed by using an iron on a low heat setting and the paper from brown bags to catch the melted wax. Then we applied a spot cleaner to attempt to remove the stains. The final task was to apply the diluted shampoo mix and deodorizer and extract it. The removed water was really dark gray. All of the spots were removed except the tan colored stains. They defied all our efforts. We suspect they were caused by coffee spills at a time when it was consumed during adult classes that were held in the Sanctuary. We plan to revisit those stains with a stronger spot remover in the future. All of this work was accomplished in six and one-half hours which included fortyfive minutes for lunch. We thank my wife, Helen, for the scrumptious chicken vegetable soup she made and all the fixings for some great sandwiches too. We also thank Gene and Claudia Oaksmith, Walt and Ginny Polley, and Glenn & Cathy Garbinski for the use of their cleaning equipment. This event pointed out just what a few dedicated people can really do! We thank all who gave of their time and talent. By the way, most of the seats were fairly dry by the time we finished. - Jim Porter Our YAGM in Argentina Maddie Tallman, one of our Young Adults in Global Mission and member of Evangelical Lutheran Church, Frederick, sends this update. Maddie works at El Arca Argentina, a home and workshop center for adults with mental disabilities, and helps on Sundays at Santo Sacramento Lutheran Church. During the week Maddie assists at the El Arca workshop, helping to lead activities or assisting members with crafts. In the afternoons she spends time resting and conversing with the residents and assistants. “I do a lot of hanging out with my host communities. Missionaries and host communities accompany one another through the life that they share. I don’t ‘do’ very much besides spending time with the folks at El Arca and Santo Sacramento. We are ‘being’ together and growing together. I invite everyone in the states to ponder, pray and practice what it means to ‘be’ rather than ‘do’.” Our offerings help to make this program possible. - ELCA
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