News

Last Updated January 21, 2025   

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

High 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!

Portals of Prayer for January-March are available in the narthex tract rack.

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.

2025 Flower Chart - The flower chart for 2025 is on the bulletin board. the cost is $40.00/vase. Please sign up at your convenience.

2024 Giving Statements will be available on a requested basis. If you want your statement, please send a request to churchoffice@gslcs.org and it will be provided.

You're Invited! Please come to Metro East Lutheran High School for our Open House on Sunday, February 2nd from 1pm-3pm.  Come tour our school, meet our faculty, and find out why MELHS is a wonderful place to be! 

The Winter Saturday morning Bible Study is continuing. Please join our study of “Be Still & Know: A Study of Rest and Refuge” by author Deb Burma, published by CPH. This study provides individual 5-day study, and the Saturday weekly study/fellowship with a short video. Study began on January 4 with the Introduction and passing out the Bible Study Books. If you were unable to attend previously please contact Terri Blasingame to check about getting a book. [The books have been donated – there is no cost.] Location: Conference Room/Library or Fellowship Hall: Time: 8:30 am to 9:45 am. Saturday March 8:     Bible Study Conclusion

WALK IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ST. PAUL - You are invited to join Rev. Dr. Kirk Clayton and Rev. Andrew Packer for an unforgettable journey to Greece and Turkey in July of 2025! To find out more about joining this journey, you are invited to an Info Share Meeting to be held on Sunday, January 19th  at 12:00 PM in the basement fellowship hall of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 1300 Beltline Road, Collinsville, IL 62234. Lunch will PROVIDED so please RSVP at https://purposefuljourneys.org/info-share-christ-and-culture/ or call (618) 344-3151. 

Rainey Mae McDonough, daughter of Brian and Abbey McDonough, was baptized Saturday, 1/18/25. Please help welcoming her to our church family.

The new year will bring two new classes - both starting in the beginning of February:

• There will be another new member's class.
• There will also be another first communion class. 

If you know anyone interested in either of these, please let us know. There will be a brief meeting Sunday the 26th after the 10:30 a.m. service for anyone interested in either one..  Just meet in the Fellowship Hall a little after 11:30am.

5th and 6th grade youth group will meet Friday, January 31st from 6-8:30 PM. 2 volunteers are needed. Meet at the TRACKS door to sign in your youth. Pizza dinner will be provided with Bible study, games, prayer, and fellowship. Contact zstegman@gslcs.org to volunteer.
Future dates: Friday, February 14th, Friday, March 14th, Friday, April 25th.

Lunch Bunch: January Lunch Bunch will be on Tuesday, January 21st, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. at Colton’s in Collinsville. The address for Colton’s is 5 Eastport Plaza Dr, Collinsville, IL 62234. Please call Linda Luebbert at 618-830-8189 and let her know if you are planning on attending.

Christian Fiction Book Club: Ladies, please join us, the Good Shepherd Christian Fiction Book Club, at Panera in Collinsville Monday, January 20th. Hope to see you there!

Help and food needed for SOS: GSLC will be serving at the SOS (Spirit of Sharing) Soup Kitchen at St. John UCC in downtown Collinsville Thursday, January 30. We will be serving approximately 200 people and will need at least 12 volunteers, 8 to prepare the casserole and put it and the other food into the bags for take-out service and 4 to serve the take-out meals through the church’s take-out window, and then clean-up. Please call or text Pat Hoffmeier at 618-305-9622 if you can help, beginning either at 3:30 or 4:45 p.m. We will also need donations of six packs of fruit cups (any kind) and granola bars (any kind). The donations can be placed in the marked crate in the connecting hallway. THANK YOU!Metro-East Lutheran High School is now accepting applications for new students for the 2025-2026 school year. Apply online by clicking on the "Admissions" tab on our website at melhs.org. For more information, email admissions@melhs.org. Apply today for your student to be a part of our growing school community!

There will be a door collection for Lutherans for Life and Good Shepherd Life Team following the services on Sat, Jan 25 and Sunday Jan 26.  Thank you!

Looking for 2 or 3 nurses willing to take blood pressure following the 8am service once a quarter.  Please contact Lynn Cook, lynnac@charter.net or 618-789-4749.

Save the Date - VBS 2025: G'day, mates! Get ready to embark on an Epic Australian Adventure at this year's Vacation Bible School! The dates are June 23 - June 27. Join us for a week of fun, faith, and discovery as we dive into the beauty of Australia's unique wildlife, landscapes, and God's Word. Stay tuned for information on early registration and ways to volunteer. Mark your calendars today! 

Teacher Openings: Good Shepherd Lutheran School is accepting applications for Christian teacher positions in grades K-8. We are planning for the 2025-26 school year and will be looking for teachers. Good Shepherd is a special, unique Christian school having strong commitment to the quality education and Christian training of the lambs of our Good Shepherd. Teachers shall have, at minimum, a bachelor’s degree in education. Applicants should have good communication, organizational skills, leadership qualities, and a love for children. A more complete job description is available in the school office. Please contact Mr. Mayhew at 618-344-3153 or gsls1@hotmail.com, if you are interested or know of anyone who may be an excellent candidate.

Physical Education Teacher: We're excited to announce an opening for a PE Teacher (Grades K-8) at our school! We're seeking an energetic leader who thrives on teamwork and is passionate about inspiring students to embrace physical activity. If you have a knack for fostering a love of movement and are interested in coaching volleyball or other sports, we want to hear from you! Please contact Mr. Mayhew at gsls1@hotmail.com or 618-344-3153 to learn more about this exciting opportunity.

Teacher Aides Needed: Good Shepherd Lutheran School is receiving resumes for teacher aide positions. The part-time positions will work with the Early Childhood and Day School teachers for the 2025-26 school year. Seeking a dedicated person who loves children, who can follow instructions, work cooperatively with others and be a self-starter. Please contact Mrs. Nobbe or Mr. Mayhew at 344-3153 or rnobbe@gslcs.org or gsls1@hotmail.com 

Help Us Finish Our $3+ Million Dollar Loan! - Good Shepherd’s Early Childhood Center has been a blessing for children since 2015. We are asking for assistance from our Good Shepherd family to help pay off this loan! Our remaining balance is 401,000. Donations are tax deductible and can be made via check to GSLC or through any of our Online Giving platforms by designating your gift for our Building Loan Fund. Thank you for your support of Good Shepherd and our mission, “To Feed the Sheep Who Have Been Found & To Find the Sheep That Are Still Lost.

Christian Fiction Book Club: Ladies, please join us, the Good Shepherd Christian Fiction Book Club, at Panera in Collinsville on the third Monday of every month. 

Lutheran's for Life Quote: John’s baptism convicted every human being – “Jerusalem and all Judea” (Matthew 3:5-6). No physical incapacities excused anyone. Jesus’ baptism consecrates every human being. God, in giving His Son, identifies with us at our weakest and embraces us at our worst. Even when we don’t resemble anything our Maker intended, He doesn’t call us “unwanted” or “better off dead.” Instead He declares, “This is my beloved [child], with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). In this newness of life, Christians can also welcome the least among us. Lord, construct Your kingdom of little ones like us. Amen.

Braille - 10 members of GS go to Zion, Bethalto the first Thursday of every month to assemble Braille Books. We are in need of volunteers as substitutes and possibly monthly workers due to some long term illnesses. We work from approximately 9:00-11:00 or 11:30. We is easy, fulfilling mission work. If you can help with this mission, contact the church office or Kathy Bohnet at 618- 910-1698.

Help with Shut-ins - Good Shepherd has approximately 30 shut-ins and “lonelies” (those able to navigate outside their homes but have little contact with other people). The Board of Congregational Life is searching for members, both male and female, who would be willing to be a regular visitor to a shut-in (some in their homes, some in nursing homes).  You could potentially do this with a friend or your spouse and extend the circle of relationships. Please prayerfully consider this need and call or e-mail the church office if you are willing to give it a try.  (618-344-3151) churchoffice@gslcs.org. 

Meals for Moms - Having a baby or know someone at church who is having one? The Good Shepherd Life Team would love to serve Mom and the family by providing a few meals. Either Mom or a friend can contact the church office to get meals delivered. If you would be interested if providing a meal, please contact the church office as well or contact Pam Meister – 618-799-9348.

Meals on Wheels needs volunteers from Good Shepherd to drive and deliver meals to clients who are elderly, disabled or homebound.   Deliveries are from 10:15 am until about 11:15 during weekdays.  Our church rotates with other area churches and is responsible for delivering 5 weeks of the year. The delivery week occurs about every 3 months.  If you can help or have questions please call or text Rochelle Meyer at 618-978-4474 or email rocmeyer1@gmail.com.

Zion Lutheran Church, Bethalto, will be hosting their 75th annual Sausage Supper on Sunday, January 26 from Noon – 6:00pm. This year the dinners will be carry out with a place to take carry outs and dine in.  All dinners are $13. In addition to the dinners, 3 lb bags of raw sausage links will be available for purchase for $14/bag and bags of cooked sausage will be available for $15/bag on the day of the supper. Zion’s address is 625 Church Dr; Bethalto.Lutheran Young Adults (January): LYA will be meeting at the Gruben home for a game night on Friday, January 17th from 6:30-8:30p. Bring a game, snack, desert, or drink to share. And don’t forget to invite a friend!

International Student Ministry is a District ministry of friendship and hospitality to students arriving at SIUE.  We make contacts through household donations. This fall some 400 international students arrived on campus.  We have been assisting them with household items, mattresses, loveseats, kitchen items, blenders, pots, rice cookers, vacuums, rugs.  If you could help with any of these items it would be appreciated.  Recently an apartment building in Edwardsville burned affecting 6 apartments with about 24 international students.   We are seeking to assist the internationals refurbish their new apartments.  If you could help with any items, please contact Bessie Fick 515-230-9937 or bessie.fick@yahoo.com

Issues, Etc.- LIVE DAILY LUTHERAN CHAPEL SERVICE… You can listen to a live chapel service weekdays from Concordia Theological Seminary–Fort Wayne, IN.  Lutheran Talk Radio streams Morning Chapel from Kramer Chapel at 9 a.m. Central Mondays through Fridays.  You can listen at issuesetc.org, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomePod, TuneIn or the Lutheran Public Radio mobile app.

LCMS Foundation - Putting an estate plan together presents many competing priorities around which to make decisions. Certainly, you wish to care for the family you love. Yet even families can present competing priorities. Maybe you are reaching the later part of earthly life and have no children. Is family inheritance still required, or expected? Might God have another plan for His resources in your life? Your LCMS Foundation Gift Planning Counselor can help you to begin discerning the right thing to do. Contact Scott Radden, Gift Planning Counselor at (618) 977-4049 or Scott.Radden@lfnd.org.

Lutheran’s For Life Quote: The Gospel (Romans 1:16) brought struggle to St. Paul, but God’s grace also gave him unconditional worth and purpose. He could not help but rejoice to proclaim and perform it. Sometimes declaring the sanctity of human life sets us at odds with popular opinion and even our own loved ones. Yet we need not be ashamed. Indeed, we may be most excited to speak and share it, for Jesus makes us and every neighbor a precious treasure from fertilization to forever. Heavenly Father, fill us to overflowing with the courage and compassion of Your creating, redeeming, and calling. Amen.

We have many on-going Volunteer Opportunities. Check out our Volunteer page to see how you can get involved!

Altar Flowers – 

Attendance last weekend was 427. The offering was: General Fund $18,652, Specials $1,355, Total $20,007

Thanks to those who serve this week:

Usher Team:(5:30) D. Ulkus  (8:00) M. Kober (10:30) M. Schneider
Altar Guild: (5:30) Jeff & Jeannie Moeller (8:00 ) Jeff & Michelle Fiudo (10:30) Tamara Tucker-Lindsey & Mandy Kitzmiller
Greeter: (8:00) Terri Blasingame (10:30) Mike & Susan Kober

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 Bill Curtis, who is having lung issues (January 15, 2025)

For Jeanne Fischer, whose brother, Tom Calza passed away (January 9, 2025)

For Stan Wehling, Hannah Gruban's Grandpa, recovering from hip surgery (January 5, 2025)

For the Joe Werre family whose mother passed away (December 22, 2024)

John Ashcraft, hospitalized with pneumonia at St. Elizabeth's (December 16, 2024)

Gary Whitehead has gone out of remission and has recently been recently rediagnosed with Marginal Zone Lymphoma (December 8, 2024)

Mick Cox with pneumonia, heart and breathing problems (December 2, 2024)

Emma Hill for her surgery on December 9 (November 29, 2024)

Prayer of thanksgiving, Marcy Hawk's sister, Margie Maul is now cancer free (November 29, 2024)

Julie Braundmeier, Carol & Steve Hyatt’s niece-in-law for her upcoming pregnancy and overall health during the pregnancy (November 26, 2024)

Kevin Hughes, friend of Shelly Rodgers, on his cancer diagnosis & heart issues

For the family of Burke Latch, former member,Asleep in Jesus (October 27, 2024)

Mary Jane Rendon, mother of Joel Italiano, having major heart surgery Friday (October 9, 2024)

Army Sgt Alexander Stowers, grandson of Carol & Steve Hyatt, has been deployed to secure location for 10 months (September 22, 2024)

Mike Ruger Asleep in Jesus (September 23, 2024)

Janette Kienle had a stroke on Saturday (September 15, 2024)

Rich Lapolice, hospitalized

Sarah Suhrenbrock, Friend of Pamela Landwehr, diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (August 29, 2024)

Allen Hartmann, father of Ron, Asleep in Jesus (August 31,2024)

Friend of Steve & Carol Hyatt, Dennis Hahn, for liver cancer surgery on Sep 3 to remove the cancer (August 9, 2024)

For the family of Todd Evers, Asleep in Jesus (July 31, 2024)

For the family of Anita Hischke, Asleep in Jesus (July 18, 2024)

Joe Heet, friend of Mike Landwehr, who was recently diagnosed with cancer (July 14, 2024)

Margie Maul, sister of Marcy Hawk, breast cancer (June 26, 2024)

For the family of Shelly Rodgers whose dad, Chuck Zimmerman, went to be with the Lord (June 11, 2024)

For the family of Laurine Mandeville,Asleep in Jesus (May 31, 2024)

For the family of Pam Holten who passed away,mother of Jessica Smith (May 26, 2024)

For the family of Harry Johnson, father of Lucy Thompson,  who passed away (May 10, 2024)

For the Family of Dotty Kitley, Asleep in Jesus (May 3, 2024)

Bob Gnaegy, (May 2, 2024)

For the Family of Nate and Wilhemina Roney whose grandmother, Dorothy Toth, passed away (April 18, 2024)

Zaiah Ben, newborn son of Emmanuel and Joyce, in NICU. (March 11, 2024)

For the family of Donald Koenig, Uncle of Terry Ritter, Asleep in Jesus (February 24, 2024)

For the family of Theresa Hartmann, mother of Ron Hartman, who died recently (February 6, 2024)

For the family of Dennis Patterson, husband of Judy (former secretary at GSLS), who died of a massive heart attack (January 31, 2024)

For the family of Cheryl Metzler,Asleep in Jesus (January 29,2024)

Julie Holkenbrink,sister of Kay Jones, Asleep in Jesus (January 5, 2024)

Note: We keep the families of those deceased on the prayer list for one year. All other prayer requests we keep on the list for one month unless you make a request for long term prayers. It is helpful to resubmit prayer requests with updates.