News

Last Updated October 1, 2025   

Adult Bible Class will be at 9:15 a.m.in the fellowship hall.

High School Youth Bible Class meets on Sunday Mornings at 9:15 a.m. in the Youth Room on the School Lower Level. Youth who have graduated from 8th grade through Senior year in High School are invited to join us for Bible Study, Fellowship, and Snacks!

Sunday School – Join us this Sunday, from 9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. for Sunday School!
- Parents & Babies (birth - 2 years old) will meet in the Nursery in the Church Lower Level.
- Preschool 3 year olds - Kindergarten will meet in Tracks 
- 1st - 6th grade will meet in the school cafeteria
- 7th & 8th grade in the learning center. 

Pastor Packer has a Fascinating Finds page and a Book List page. Please visit these links.

Midweek Prayer Service at 6:15 p.m. on Wednesday's.

Portals of Prayer for October - December are available in the narthex.

Harvest Fest Sunday, 10/5, from 3:00 - 6:00 PM! Be sure to join us and invite your neighbors and friends to enjoy FREE food, games, bounce houses, music, and more.
Your help is still needed! Your help is needed to make Harvest Fest a success. Please sign-up online or just show up today and pitch in! If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Buchanan at 618-580-3150.

Wagon Parade starts at 4pm during the Harvest Fest. The theme this year – “This is how we make a Joyful Noise”. Decorate your Kid-size wagons to show your families joyful noise and happiness. Please email Lynn Sengele’ (lsengele@gslcs.org) to register your participation or if you have any questions. Thank you.

Please stop by the Life Team table at the Harvest Fest on Sunday and sign the petition opposing SB1950. This is a Bill that started as a Sanitary Food Preparation Bill and at the very end of the legislative session was amended to become an Assisted Suicide Bill.

LWML - All Women are welcome to join us on Saturday October 4th at 9:00 am. Presentation by Sue Hasselbring -International Student Ministry will be speaking on Neighborhood Ministry.   Mission Outreach ingathering will be collecting Monetary contributions or gift cards to support Metro East Lutheran High School  Auction. See you all there. 
The 4th weekend of the month the Lwml mitebox will be in the narthex for all congregates to contribute for missions. 

Blood Drive - The next blood drive is on Monday, October 6, from 2 – 6 p.m.  The mobile bus will be in the Good Shepherd front parking lot. Click here to schedule your appointment today or call ImpactLife at 800-747-5401; group #9887. With your help ImpactLife is continuously able to provide lifesaving blood products to patients! Get a $20 e-gift card (or points to shop out Rewards Store) when you successfully give blood. 

Altar Flower Openings - November 2nd.The cost is $40.00 per vase. Please sign up at your convenience .Thank you.

October is Church Worker and Volunteer Appreciation month.  See the October newsletter for thoughts on how to say THANK YOU to our faithful pastors, teachers and other workers and volunteer who bless us all as they labor in our congregation and school.

Join the Life Team Life Chain by standing for LIFE on Sunday, Oct 5, from 2-3pm on Beltline Road along the church.  Signs available in the fellowship hall.

Life Team - Every Life has Value!  In our Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, we value ALL ages and stages of life. Please stop by the Every Life has Value! table in the narthex on Saturday, Oct. 4 and Sunday, Oct. 5, to find helpful information on end-of-life issues, such as:Hospice...What Should I Ask?
Determination of Death (with special reference to Organ Donation)
Illinois Power of Attorney for Health Care - Christian Version
Going Gracefully 
Advanced Directives
Physician Assisted Suicide
Ventilators, Feeding Tubes, and other End-Of-Life Questions
Also, please join us for Bible Study on Sunday, Oct. 5 at 9:15 am in the Fellowship hall to further discuss this important and timely topic on End-of-Life issues.

The handbell choir has started practices on Tuesday evenings from 6:45 - 8:00. Please join us for fellowship, fun and beautiful music. Contact Cheryl Urban at 618-407-0867 or cherylurban55@gmail.com.

Disaster Response Training (LERT): Disasters like tornadoes, hurricanes and floods can have a devastating affect on communities. Most community, state and federal agencies require volunteers responding to disasters be trained and certified. Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Collinsville, will be hosting a Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT) training on October 18. This training, will allow you to volunteer and to serve those affected should a disaster strike locally, or in other regions (such as St. Louis and our Concordia Seminary this spring). This training is part of the Synod-wide disaster response program, facilitated by a national network of District Disaster Response Teams. 
Training will take place at Good Shepherd Lutheran, 1300 Beltline Rd, Collinsville, IL, on Saturday, October 18, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 
Registration for the training is on-line at www.LCMS-LERT.org. Click on the yellow ‘Sign Up’ box near the top to create a login (email address) and password (remember your password for future use). Note; each individual signing up must use a separate email address. You will then be asked to create a profile and to sign a generic release form. Click on the ‘Training and Deployment’ box on the left and look for the Basic LERT training to be held at Good Shepherd. Registration should be completed two weeks prior to the training date. 
Cost of the training is $35.00 and should be paid the day of the training (please make checks to Good Shepherd Lutheran). This fee covers the cost of the LERT manual, certificate, ID badge, t-shirt and lunch. 
This training will help you focus on the most important things to remember as you prepare for or respond to a disaster in your community or beyond. At the center of our LERT volunteer training is one thing: MERCY! Christ's mercy is the basis for everything we say and do. This training event will equip you to be an effective volunteer should a disaster strike your community.
If you have any questions regarding the training or sign-up process, please contact Bryce Cramer (one of our SID disaster trainers) at bcramer197364@gmail.com or 618-201-1806. 
Facebook users that wish to stay current on Synodical disaster activities can follow LCMS Disaster Response and those wishing to follow Southern Illinois District activities can follow LCMS Southern Illinois District Disaster Response. and Immanuel Lutheran Disaster Response LERT Team.

New Women's Book Club – Exploring the Classics: Join us as we read and discuss classic literature! Whether you’re revisiting old favorites or reading them for the first time, this is a great opportunity for fellowship and thoughtful conversation. We will plan to read 2 to 3 books over the course of the year, meeting just once for each book. Our first meeting to discuss the first book will be in November with more details to come.
Fall Book Selection: Dracula by Bram Stoker
For more information or to sign up, please contact Rachel Gray at 319-855-9689 or rachel.k.gray@gmail.com

Please join the Women's Christian Fiction Book Club at Panera in Collinsville on the third Monday of the month to discuss that months book choice and for fellowship. You can come for dinner at 6:00 or arrive at 6:30 for the book discussion. 

Be a Friend to an International Student at SIU-E - Is your family willing to get together with an international student studying at SIU-E once a month for their first year in the U.S.? You would invite them to join your family in things you already do. Couples and singles of any age, with or without children have found this rewarding. Contact jodi.olyseen@gmail.com or search for International Hospitality Program SIU-E on facebook.  

Issues, Etc.- EQUIPPING THE PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS... Issues, Etc. is a radio talk show and podcast produced by Lutheran Public Radio in Collinsville, IL and hosted by LCMS Pastor Todd Wilken. Recent topics include: The Fruit of the Holy Spirit, Critical Race Theory, Gen Z Rediscovering the Christian Faith, Did Martin Luther Invent the Doctrine of Justification? and more.  You can listen at your convenience at issuesetc.org, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomePod, TuneIn, the LPR mobile app and a podcast provider.  You can also tune in live weekdays from 3-5 p.m. on KFUO, 850 AM in St. Louis.

LCMS Foundation - We can face competing priorities when we think about planning our estates someday. To work on your Christian Estate Plan today, you must decide if you are more controlled by past goals or future desires. For those who are strongly guided by specific goals in life, it can be difficult to accept that past goals might need to be changed. This can include financial accumulation, choices about personal representatives, power of attorney representatives or guardianship of a child. Illness might introduce new challenges. Your plan needs to be reviewed regularly. Your LCMS Foundation Gift Planning Counselor can help you get started. Contact Scott Radden @ 618-977-4049 or scott.radden@lfnd.org

Altar Flowers - Given by by Ken & Donna Bunton in loving memory of Rev. Gordon Senechal.

Attendance last weekend was 468. The offering was: General Fund $30,964, Specials $358, Total $31,322.

Thanks to those who serve this week
Usher Team:(5:30) D. Ulkus  (8:00) M. Kober  (10:30) W. Curtis
Altar Guild: (5:30) Steve & Marla Hendry (8:00) Kathy Bohnet & Marie Wudtke (10:30) Amy & Rose Beyer
Greeter: (8:00) Steve & Carol Hyatt (10:30) Kent & Kathy Splaingard

Download Good Shepherd’s App so that you have easy access to announcements, videos, online giving, and much more. Also, you can join our Good Shepherd Facebook Group to see additional announcements from the church and individual members.

Prayer List 

Click here to add someone to the Prayer List
 

For Michael Fedorsak, hospitalized (September 27, 2025)

For Sally Randles (of VA), sister of Ann Goldsmith, who had emergency open heart surgery for an aortic dissection Saturday (September 27, 2025)

For the family of Diana McMahan, Asleep in Jesus (September 21, 2025)

For the family of Linda Shasteen, Asleep in Jesus (September 13, 2025)

For Cheryl and Bruce Clessa in honor of their 40th wedding anniversary (September 12, 2025)

For the family of Vernon Meister, father of Tim Meister, Asleep in Jesus (September 11, 2025) 

For Ralph Montgomery, hospitalized (September 11, 2025)

For Thanksgiving for Tony Zidolek, son-in-law of Rich and Linda Lubbert, who had a successful heart transplant (September 4, 2025)

For Janet Martino, close family friend of Elizabeth Diggs, diagnosed with lung cancer and has upcoming surgery (September 3, 2025)

For Karla Werre, as she undergoes shoulder replacement on Friday, August 29 (August 25, 2025) 

For Paige Beyer and Aaron Fisher, starting their hike of the Pacific Crest Trail through Washington (August 23, 2025)

For Nancy Schilbe, for her upcoming surgery (August 22, 2025)

For Gail Mayhew-healing from eye surgery (August 6, 2025)

For Amber Lynn Radford, niece of E. Antonovich, massive stroke (August 7, 2025)

For Richard Surface, brother in law of Mitzi Montgomery who is hospitalized (July 30, 2025)

For Larry Shasteen, beginning Chemotherapy treatment for cancer recently found (July 24, 2025)

For Ann Goldsmith, that God will continue to be her strength through her continuing battle with cancer & radiation beginning in August (July 24, 2025)

For Barbara Brown, friend of Kay Jones, prayers for cancer surgery (July 15, 2025)

For Jamie Rezabek, nephew of Amy and Ed Beyer, back in hospital with complications after cancer surgery (July 11, 2025)

For health and healing of cancer for Daylene Sullivan, sister of Cheryl Clessa (July 1, 2025)

For the family of Dorothy Hoffman, Asleep in Jesus (June 10, 2025)

For the family of Myrna Schneider, Asleep in Jesus (June 2, 2025)

For the family of O'Neal Smith, Asleep in Jesus (May 15, 2025)

Family of Karen Dall, mother of Valerie Fortner, Asleep in Jesus (April 13, 2025)

For the family of Ruth Clark, Asleep in Jesus (March 10, 2025)

For Gary Whitehead, being out of remission 
 

Note:  All prayer requests are kept on the list for one month unless you make a request for long term prayers. It is helpful to resubmit prayer requests with updates.