News

Last Updated August 10, 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.

Portals of Prayer for July-September are available in the narthex.

Altar Flower Openings - October 5th & 19th.The cost is $40.00 per vase. Please sign up at your convenience .Thank you.

We’re updating our church directory! If you would like to set a time during the week to come and get the photo taken please email Pastor Gray at pastorandrewgray@gmail.com.  We will have them set up in the hallway connecting to the school. Thank you for helping us keep our directory current!

Beginning Wednesday, August 6th, we will be having our Midweek Prayer Service again beginning at 6:15 p.m. Please join us on Wednesdays!

Mandatory Confirmation Meeting – There will be a mandatory Confirmation 7th & 8th Grade meeting on Sunday, August 17th. The Meeting will be after the 10:30 a.m. service in the Fellowship Hall. If you are unable to attend, please schedule a private meeting with the pastors. Thank you.

Welcome back, Teachers!!!  The Board of Congregational Life is once again offering you all an opportunity to welcome our amazing teachers back to school.  There is a tree in the narthex starting the first weekend in August.  On this tree will be tags for each teacher with some items for their special "wish list" for their classroom.  You are invited to take a tag, purchase the item, return the tag and item to church or the school office.  The teachers are always so grateful for the congregation’s generosity.  Mostly, they appreciate all of your prayers for them and the students as they start the new school year!

Clean out your closets for Good Shepherd Church Youth Group: Our Goal: $1000, 385 Tall Kitchen Bags (avg. 13 lbs.),75 Medium boxes Fundraiser Dates: 09/22/2025 - 09/26/2025
Save your clothes, shoes, books, and movies to donate!
Bag clothes and shoes in tall kitchen bags. Box books and movies and small household goods in small to medium boxes.  Label boxes with an "H" for household goods and a "B" for books and Media
Drop off in the church fellowship hall - starting Sunday, September 22nd - September 26th
We Are Collecting:
Clothes - men's, women's, & children's clothes, coats, shoes, scarves, handbags, wallets, fashion accessories, belts, backpacks, etc.
Household Textiles - bedding, comforters, blankets, sheets, towels, linen, tablecloths, curtains, pillows, etc.
Small Household Goods -kitchen items (such as pots/pans, dishes, silverware, glasses, serving pieces and hand-held appliances), home decorative items, knick-knacks, toys, games, and small electronics
Books & Media -  paperback, hard cover - all genres
*media needs to be boxed separately
*no encyclopedias or text books
Please use bags for clothes and textiles and tightly pack boxes of small household goods. Separate books from household goods and media. All items must be clean and in sellable condition.Do you have an Used, Reliable Car that you could donate or sell for a reasonable price to one of our members? Emmanuel and Joyce Ben need a car. Joyce is starting a class in August and will be taking their son, Mitota, to daycare. Please call the church office if you could help!

The Saturday Morning Women’s Bible Study has moved to Saturday August 16.  All women are encouraged to attend,

Fellowship Potluck Sunday September 7th after late church. Hosted by the Table of Friendship and Congregational Life Board. Please join us for a fellowship meal and a chance to meet someone new and/or reconnect with old friends. A sign-up sheet is in the Narthex. Please call Jan Van Beek with any questions (217) 851-7417.

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 second round will be September, October and November. Please email Jan Van Beek at janetlvb@yahoo.com or call 217-851-7417 with your questions and/or registration. Please register by AUGUST 29th. We hope you will give Table of Friendship a try!!!

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.

Metro East Lutheran High School is looking for HOST FAMILIES for foreign students who would like to attend MELHS in the 25/26 school year.  Host Families can host for a semester or an entire school year and there are Host Family stipends involved as well.  For more information please contact Dr. Jay Krause, MELHS Principal, at 618-656-0043 or jay.krause@melhs.org."

MELHS is accepting applications for the following Head Coach positions for the 2025-2026 school year: 
Boys Tennis
Girls Tennis
Golf
Softball 
Track
If you are able to share your time and talents with our athletes, please contact Jason Batty, MELHS Athletic Director, at jason.batty@melhs.org or at (618) 656-0043 ext. 134. Thank you for your prayerful consideration.

Organ Vespers Book Presentation featuring Organist, Composer, and Writer Benjamin Kolodziej at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church. On Sunday, September 21st the afternoon begins with a 3 p.m. Organ Vespers Service followed by the presentation of Mr. Kolodziej's new book, Portraits in American Sacred Music, starting at 4:15 p.m. More information on the bulletin board in the narthex.

Fall Music Lessons are being offered at St. Louis Christian Music Center. Call (314) 949-6590 or email musiccenter@ourredeemerstl.org for more information. 

Singles & Young Couples Roundup - Hosted by Zion Lutheran Church – Litchfield Evangelism Committee on Sunday, August 31, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. The roundup will be held at Gudgel's Ranch and Saloon, 14265 E 2nd Rd, Litchfield, IL 62056. There will be live entertainment, wine sold by the bottle, a cash bar, free hotdogs, icebreakers, conversation & LCMS fellowship. Please bring a Friend! Join singles & couples from regional LCMS congregations for connection & fun in a relaxed atmosphere. Registration not required but a heads up is helpful. Text 312-286-5800

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.- THE LIGHT OF GOD’S WORD IN A WORLD OF DARKNESS... 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: Biblical Manhood, Loving Your LGBTQ Neighbor Without Compromise, The Death of Mainline Protestantism, Gen Z Women & the Church and more.  You can listen on-demand 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. Am I giving things away or am I trying to control how things will be used? St Paul reminds us in 1 Timothy 6, “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” In Christ we know that He gives us all the treasures of His Kingdom. That frees us from being entrapped by the things of this world, allowing us to give them freely to family or ministry. Your LCMS Foundation Gift Planning Counselor can help you get started on your plan. Contact Scott Radden @ 618-977-4049 or scott.radden@lfnd.org

Altar Flowers - Given by James & Nancy Emahiser in honor of their 55th Wedding Anniversary

Attendance last weekend was 421. The offering was: General Fund $21,851, Specials $3,192, Total $25,043

Thanks to those who serve this week
Usher Team:(5:30) D. Ulkus  (8:00) M. Kober (10:30) K. Splaingard
Altar Guild: (5:30) Pam Hoffman (8:00) Jeff & Michelle Fiudo (10:30) Terry, Mark & Hannah Ritter
Greeter: (8:00) Julie Wrigley (10:30) Mike & Susan Kober

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Prayer List 

Click here to add someone to the Prayer List
 

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 Tony Zidolek, son-in-law of Rich and Linda Lubbert, hospitalized while waiting for heart transplant (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 Logan Kowalski, prayers for critical condition in the PICU due to his cancer (June 20, 2025)

For Nancy Schilbe, prayers for healing from breast cancer recently found (June 16, 202)

Prayer of thanksgiving for Zoey Wagenknecht, a healthy baby girl born to Nick and Hannah Wagenknecht. Granddaughter of Kevin and Deb Wudtke and great-granddaughter of Jerry and Marie Wudtke (June 14, 2025)

Marguerite Krenning, mother of Carrie Kober, prayers for surgery for a broken hip (June 11, 2025)

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

For Judy Brombolich, friend of Sharon Mays, being placed on Hospice care with congestive heart failure (June 8, 2025)

For Aaron Fisher, friend of the Beyer family, hiking the PCT and heading into the Sierras, with little phone contact for several days (June 7, 2025)

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

For Ester Bauer, friend of Carlene Wirth, prayers for cancer recently found (May 22, 2025)

For Michael Fedorsak, prayers for medical issues (May 21, 2025)

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

For the family of Dasima Bagby, sister of Sherolyn Goetz, Asleep in Jesus (May 14, 2025)

For the family of Kenneth Cole, father of Julie Fulton, Asleep in Jesus (April 21,2025)

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

For Gary Engeling while he is recovering from a heart attack (March 22, 2025)

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