News

Last Updated December 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!

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.

Christmas Eve Evening Services
4:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Service
5:30 p.m. Christmas Eve Children's Service
11:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion Service

Christmas Morning
Christmas Holy Communion Service at 9:00 a.m.

New Years Eve
New Years Eve Holy Communion Service at 6:30 p.m. 

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.

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! From July 5–July 14 this group will visit Biblical and historical sites throughout Greece, with an optional cruise extension to Turkey from July 14–July 18. In Greece, the journey will take us to Thessaloniki, Philippi, Delphi, Athens, Corinth, and more! The cruise extension to Turkey will feature stops in Ephesus and Patmos, as well as an experience of the beautiful island of Santorini! Your hosts for the journey, Dr. Clayton and Pastor Packer, both bring a wealth of insight into both Scriptural sites and background and Classical Greek history and philosophy, to make the visits to each location come alive.  For mor information, contact Dr. Clayton at kmcljcuac@yahoo.com, Pastor Packer at pastorandrewpacker@gmail.com, or Mike Malone, owner of Purposeful Journeys, at mikemalone@purposefuljourneys.org. 

Poinsettias - Each Christmas we decorate the church with poinsettias donated by members giving In Memory Of or In Honor Of loved ones. We will list the donations in our Christmas services. You are welcome to take the poinsettia home after our Christmas service or leave it for the rest of the season. If you would like to donate a poinsettia, please fill out the form on the announcements page in your bulletins.

Charger Bucks Scrip Program - Check out RaiseRight.com and sign up to purchase scrip and start earning tuition credits for your family! Scrip will be available in the connector hallway, before & after Sunday School on December 22nd. A great way to purchase gifts for everyone on your list! 

JOY TO THE WORLD - A Christmas Cantata and Twelfth Night Festival on Sunday, January 5, 2025 at 6 p.m. The evening's performance of  John Leavitt's work, Joy to the World features the choir and orchestra of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. Cantata followed by a meal and fellowship at 7:00 p.m. For the meal please register at https://www.twelfthdayofchristmas.org/meal-signup or call (618) 344-3151. 

The Life Team has heard good things about the cookie book.  We would love to hear the story of how you used it.  Please email  lynnac@charter.net  Thank you for giving.

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!

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! 

Youth News:
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.

Our fantastic School Faculty made a list of their favorite things. Please check it out: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1eTm2tOAuOscee0gSIYMq3cJ2cCZfe_pAlSoauB69wbg/edit?usp=sharing

Gingerbread House – GSLS students will be shopping at the Gingerbread House December 16-19th. This event allows our students to select gifts for their family. Donations of tissue paper for the gift bags would be greatly appreciated and can be dropped off at the church or school offices.

Learn step-by-step who to budget, beat debt, save money and build wealth for the future God’s way. Financial Peace University is coming to Good Shepherd January Saturday January 11 from 3-5 pm. The class is 9 weeks long and costs $80 per family. Babysitting provided. Sign-up in the Narthex, call the church office or contact Tim & Pam Meister 618-799-9348. Scholarships available. If you’ve been before, come back for a free refresher!

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.

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.- CHRISTIANITY & OTHER WORLD RELIGIONS… Judaism, Islam, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Hinduism, Buddhism, Atheism, Scientology.  Issues, Etc., a radio talk show and podcast produced by Lutheran Public Radio in Collinsville, IL, is doing a World Religions 101 series with Dr. Adam Francisco of Concordia University Chicago.  You can listen to this multi-part series at issuesetc.org/worldreligions.

LCMS Foundation - Your estate plan can enable you to express your Christian faith. Have you ever endeavored to express your faith and desire for your family to remain in the faith, in a short, succinctly written piece that you can share as a lasting testimony even after the Lord calls you home? Your LCMS Foundation Gift Planning Counselor can help you to initiate this project, including sharing some examples. For assistance, contact Scott Radden, 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 – 

Attendance last weekend was 504 with 430 communing. The offering was: General Fund $27,812, Specials $842, Total $28,653

Thanks to those who serve this week:

Usher Team:(5:30) D. Ulkus  (8:00) M. Scaggs (10:30) K. Splaingard
Altar Guild: (5:30) Steve Hendry (8:00 ) Bruce & Ramona Cross (10:30) Peg Rincker & Melissa Hasamear
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

 

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 in the hospital 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.