News

Last Updated March 28, 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 April-June 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.

Please join us for Midweek Lent Services. Services will be at 4:30 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. with a meal in the Fellowship Hall every week, between the services.

Wednesday's Lenten dinner between services will be served by Wednesday Woman.  The proceeds from this dinner will be going to "Lola Children's Home" in Ethiopia.  This is an orphanage that cares for children who are limited on food and water with some medical needs.  Presently, there is a set of conjoined twins seeking help at Children's Hospital in St. Louis.

Holy Week & Easter Services
Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday Vespers Services at 6:15 p.m.
Maundy Thursday: Communion Services 4:30 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.
Good Friday: Chief Service at 12 p.m.;Tenebrae Services at 4:30pm & 6:30 p.m. 
Saturday: Easter Service at 5:30 p.m. & Easter Vigil Service at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday: Easter Services at 8 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. with Easter Breakfast and an Egg Hunt between

The Board of Congregational Life is asking for cash donations to be used to purchase Aldi gift cards for those who indicate they need assistance with groceries. While cash donations are always welcome for this ongoing emphasis, we are asking that this be a special consideration leading up to Easter. You may place your donation in the offering plate, marked "Easter Basket." Thank you for your
generosity.

Easter Lilies – Help Good Shepherd’s altar look beautiful for Easter Sunday! Order your Easter lilies In Honor of, In Memory of, or In Thanksgiving for your loved one(s). We will list the donations in our Easter service bulletins. You are welcome to take the lily home after our Easter Services or leave it for the rest of the season. Please complete the form in the announcements by April 13th. Please contact the church office with any questions, thanks!

Altar Flowers - We have openings for Altar Flowers. The cost for flowers is $40/vase. Please sign up on the flower chart in the narthex or contact the church office.

Shake, Rattle and Bid! - Dinner Tickets! Consider purchasing dinner tickets sooner, rather than later. This will help ensure that we have an accurate count for the caterer. Please click the link below to buy your tickets. Invite friends and family to be at your table. https://events.handbid.com/auctions/good-shepherd-lutheran-school-auction-2025"
Items! An auction isn’t successful without donated items. Please email gs.auctioncommittee@gmail.com to let us know what you plan to donate. We are starting to take inventory! There are items to donate on the board in the narthex.
We hope you’re able to join us on March 29th at the American Legion. Feel free to add a little 1950’s flare to your outfit choice!  

LCMS Youth Gathering:As the youth continue to raise money for the upcoming Youth Gathering, you can be part of our support system.  Pick up one of our "Take Stock in Our Youth" Forms from the Narthex, make a donation, and become part of our "Stock Holders Meeting" after we return from our trip.  This special meeting will be a chance for you to see what our group all did and experienced at the gathering.   Thank you for your continued support!

Raise Right - Charger Bucks scrip will be available in the connector hallway before & after Sunday School on April 6th. Check out RaiseRight.com for information and sign up to start earning tuition credits for your family or another school family of your choice!

Easter Egg Hunt - Christian Outreach will be hosting Easter breakfast and an Easter Egg Hunt on Easter Sunday, April 20th at 9:15 AM. We need your help in making the Easter Egg Hunt a success. Please grab a bag of 24 plastic eggs to take home and fill with small toys or pre-packaged candy and return to the church narthex no later than Sunday, April 13th.

Table of Friendship begins in next month and goes through June. Table of Friendship is designed to provide GSLC members social time together to become better acquainted with each other. Five or six people( couples or individuals) are grouped together for three months. During that time they will take turns planning/hosting a dinner, brunch or lunch with the others in their group. The hosting person(s) decides whether to hold their event in their home, at a restaurant, at a park, etc. If the meal is in a home, it could be a potluck with the host providing the main dish and the others providing the side dishes. The focus of the group is fellowship and meeting people in a smaller setting. Please contract Jan Van Beek with any questions or interest 217-851-7417 or janetlvb@yahoo.com.

Lutheran Young Adults (LYA) March Event: Join LYA on Saturday, March 29 for an afternoon at the zoo! We will meet at the south entrance around 1:00pm. If you arrive later, message the GroupMe to find us! Feel free to bring a friend!

Life issues involve many areas; the disabled being one of them.  Our Life Team is interested in knowing if the needs of the disabled are being met in our congregation.   This includes physical (functional, sight, hearing), mental and cognitive impairments; and to remove barriers that may make it difficult to worship here.  Kathy Seggerman (618.974.9558) and Lynn Cook (618.789.4749) and interested in meeting with you and discussing concerns and comments.  We would like to listen.

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. Mark your calendars today! Consider volunteering to help make it a great week for the kids. 

Sunday School Substitutes – We are needing substitutes for Sunday School. Please contact the church office if you are interested in helping.

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 with a teaching license. 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! Teachers shall have, at minimum, a bachelor’s degree in education with a teaching license. 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.

Metro-East Lutheran High School is seeking qualified candidates to join our rapidly growing school.  For the 25/26 school year we are accepting resumes for an English position as well as a Spanish position.  Interested candidates should send a letter of interest and resume to Dr. Jay Krause, Principal, at jay.krause@melhs.org."  For more information on these positions you can also contact him at school at 618-656-0043.

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. 

Issues, Etc.- YOUR COMPREHENSIVE SOURCE FOR NEWS, INFORMATION & TRUTH… 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 teachings include: Christians & Public Schools; God Promises in Isaiah; A Pro-Family Housing Agenda; The Effect of Same-Sex Marriage on Children; “The Day of the Lord” in the Bible 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. Part of that tension flows from immediate needs versus long-term needs in our lives. You can list the members of your family today, but what happens to inheritance if family situations change? What happens if one of your children gets married or a grandchild is born, and they are not listed in your will or trust? Your attorney can place language in your legal documents to address these matters. Your LCMS Foundation Gift Planning Counselor can highlight the concerns you have with your attorney to ensure they are addressed. For assistance contact Scott Radden, Sr.Gift Planning Counselor, at (618) 977-4049 or Scott.Radden@lfnd.org.

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

Altar Flowers – Given by Edward & Christine Kovachin honor of the marriage of their son, Joshua Kovach to Deborah Karlak on Saturday.

Attendance last weekend was 459. The offering was: General Fund $21,374 Specials $5,782 with $793 from memorials for Shirley Knippenberg, Total $27,156

Thanks to those who serve this week:

Usher Team:(5:30) D. Ulkus  (8:00) C. Engeling (10:30) M. Schneider
Altar Guild: (5:30) Pam Hoffman  (8:00) Jeff & Terri Blasingame (10:30) Janice Wilson
Greeter: (8:00) Steve & Carol Hyatt (10:30) Donna 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 Patty Childress, niece of O'neal & Betty Smith, for her recent cancer diagnosis (March 27, 2025)

For Gary Engeling from a heart attack (March 22, 2025)

For the family of Stephen Wilfong Sr., passed away (February 2025)

For Megan Harrison, niece of Blake Harrison, brain surgery recovery/continued complications (March 17, 2025)

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

For Angela Bojanic & Samantha Dietrich, daughters of Cynthia Javurek, suffering health issues (March 9, 2025)

For the family of Shirley Knippenberg,mother of Lynn Lauber, Asleep in Jesus (February 27, 2025)

For Pastor Walther while he is recovering from back issues (March 2, 2025)

For Marcia Cox, continued prayers for treatment of bone infection (March 2, 2025)

Paul Manning, grandfather of Nathan Skosky, for peace and comfort in Hospice (March 1, 2025)

For Jamie Rezabek, nephew of Amy and Ed Beyer, on her recent cancer diagnosis (February 11, 2025)

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

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.