News

Last Updated November 20, 2024     

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!

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. 

Thanksgiving Worship with Holy Communion on Wednesday, November 27 at 6:30 p.m.and Thursday, November 28 at 9:00 a.m.

Thank you so much for all that you have done for us. You have given us such a gracious welcome to the congregation and the school and have made a big transition for our family feel like home and we can't thank you enough for that! We look forward to many years here at Good Shepherd. 
– Pastor Gray & Family

Congregational Assembly – The next voter’s assembly is November 24th at 11:30 a.m. At this meeting we will elect new officers. All communicant members, age 18 and older, are able to participate.

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

The Life Team would like to make it easy to offer hospitality this Christmas season. We are sharing some of our favorite Christmas cookie recipes in the hope that you can help bridge the gap.  As we enter Advent and begin our Christmas preparations, it’s the perfect time to share cookie baking and also the results of cookie baking…cookies. Your cookie book will be handed out at the Nov 23 & 24 services.

Sewing Day for Missions - Please join us on Thursday, November 21 starting at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall.  We will continue to tie quilts  and sew pillowcase dresses for little girls in other countries.  Both of these projects will be given to Orphan Grain Train.  We are still collecting vintage pillowcases.  For questions contact Marie Wudtke 618-792-1787. 

Please Join Us on Friday, December 13 for a delicious meal, holiday devotion, entertainment and fellowship with friends at the annual Senior Adult Christmas Dinner! Doors open at 11 a.m. The meal will begin at 11:30 a.m. Make reservations at the church office 
(344-3151 or churchoffice@gslcs.org .) or by checking your name off or adding it to the SIGN UP in the narthex by Monday, December 9. Hope you can all join us!

Volunteers Are Needed to help provide a special Christmas celebration for guests at the Senior Adult Christmas Dinner on Friday, December 13. Help will be appreciated with decorating and food preparation on Thursday, December 12 and serving and clean-up on December 13. If you are able to help, please text Pat Hoffmeier (618-305-9622). Thanks! 

The Life Team will be collecting items to make baskets for mothers for their newborn babies for a "Bring the Joy of Christmas to Women Who Have Chosen Life?" campaign by Coalition Life St Louis.  Items needed are blankets, boy, girl,  swaddlers, short-or-long-sleeved onesies, baby toys, bath supplies,  and more!  All items must be collected by Sun., Dec 1. A collection box will be in the connecting hallway by the food pantry cabinet.

The Life Team would like to thank everyone that stood for Life at Planned Parenthood during the 40 Days Campaign.

Youth News:
November 24 - Millstadt Gardens Poinsettia Wonderland - 12:30pm - 3pm – Christmas shopping including from Monarch Jewelry who funds help support victims of Trafficking
December 1 – Lunch after late church & set up Christmas Trees, Wreaths, and Nativity
December 4 – Serve Advent Supper
December 6 -  Parent’s Night Out Fundraiser
December 13 – Senior High Christmas Party – at Packer’s Home 6pm-9pm
December 15 – Junior High Christmas Party – in youth room – 5pm-7pm
December 21 – Christmas Gift Wrapping Fundraiser
Please support our youth by donating to our group for upcoming trips including the National Youth Gathering.  Thank you for your support in word, prayers, and financial support.

Handbell Choir practice for the fall season has began. There is practice on 11/19 at 6:45 p.m. No experience is necessary, if you can count, you can play. Please contact Cheryl Urban at 618-407-0867 or cherylurban55@gmail.com for information or any questions. Please consider joining us!

Good Shepherd Lutheran Early Childhood Center is looking for caring teacher aids. If you are feeling called to assist, or know someone who would, even if it is a few hours a week, please reach out to Rebecca Nobbe at rnobbe@GSLCS.org or call the school office at (618) 344-3153.

Good Shepherd Lutheran School is looking for kind and caring substitute teachers to ensure our students continue to thrive when teachers need to be out of the classroom. Substitute teaching is a great opportunity for future teachers, stay at home parents, retirees, part-time employees and anyone that wants to make a difference. You will need to have a substitute teaching license. We provide substitutes a flexible work schedule that a substitute teacher can tailor to their needs. This includes choosing the grade level(s) and /or subjects you’d like to teach. If you are interested or know someone who may be interested in being a substitute teacher for Good Shepherd, please call the school office at 618-344-3153 and ask for Jennifer Osborn.

The Lutheran Witness Subscription – If you would like to subscribe to receive The Lutheran Witness in 2025, please contact the church office. The cost is $27.85 for the year.

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 441,000. 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. 

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.

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.- MYTHS ABOUT LUTHERANISM SERIES… Lutherans follow Martin Luther; Luther didn’t go far enough; Lutherans don’t have the Holy Spirit. Issues, Etc., a radio talk show and podcast produced by Lutheran Public Radio in Collinsville, IL, is doing a series with Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller on debunking popular myths about Lutheranism. You can listen at issuesetc.org/lutheranmyths. 

LCMS Foundation - Gift planning can ensure that your charitable intent is honored in your overall estate plan. Many have charitable intent, but often this intent is nothing more than a wish, not being clearly articulated in the estate plan. Executors and trustees usually do not have latitude to create charitable gifts from your estate. Giving inheritance to family hoping they will follow through with your intent to allocate assets to ministry probably won’t work for the same reason you are not achieving that goal in your life. It needs to be spelled out. Your LCMS Foundation Gift Planning Counselor can assist you in clarifying your desires, making sure they are represented in the legal documents you create. For assistance, contact Scott
Radden 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 – Steve & Carol Hyatt in thankfulness for their grandchildren.

Attendance last weekend was 509 with 392 Communing. The offering was: General Fund $16,319 Specials $2,183, Total $18,502

Thanks to those who serve this week:

Usher Team:(5:30) D. Ulkus  (8:00) J. Fiudo (10:30) W. Curtis
Altar Guild: (5:30) Chris & Marcy Ford (8:00 ) Jeff & Terri Blasingame (10:30) Janice Wilson
Greeter: (8:00) Julie Wrigley (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

 

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

Tim Meister, for his surgery on November 4 (October 29, 2024)

Erin Engeling-upcoming surgery (October 29, 2024)

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)

For the Family of Josh Chapman, School Parent, Died in a car accident (December 9, 2023)

Debbie Wink,cousin of Robin Fritzsche.Asleep in Jesus (December 12, 2023)

For the Family of Elmer Burstadt,Asleep in Jesus (November 24, 2023

Ray Hoffman, Member, Surgery (August 6, 2023)

Gary Whitehead, Member, Lymphoma (June 23, 2022)

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.