Church News

We Are All Part of the Body of Christ

I want to extend a great big Thank You to all of our members who worked very hard to clean our church over the past month! It looks great!!!! No one person could have done this alone and it is great to see people pitch in to help. Many came in on their own time and it was greatly appreciated!

The apostle Paul wrote in the book of Romans: “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” (Romans 12: 4-5). As church members, we are all part of the body of Christ. However, we all have different gifts that God has given us. In cleaning our church it took many different eyes to catch all the areas that needed to be addressed. It took many different experiences and knowledge to do things properly. The same is true of our church and its every day functioning. We need leaders who can see things that need to change and address it. We need people of service to provide meals for our members who are sick or visit members in the hospital. We need great financial leaders who can assist with the budget. God has provided us with many talents, but all of ours are different. Whatever our talent, we should be using it to glorify our Lord and to help in furthering his kingdom. He is our Maker and the One that has bestowed us with the gifts/talents we have. We are fast approaching a new fiscal year. I ask you to prayerfully consider if you are using your talents to serve our one and only King. Maybe there is a council you could be a part of, or maybe you could assist with inreach or outreach. Are you contributing to your church the way that God has contributed to you? “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.“ (1 Corinthians 10:31). I know I am guilty of letting my life get so busy that I forget what my main focus should be. I enjoy being around my church friends who remind me what our purpose is here on this earth and to live every day for Him, our Maker. Being among my church friends, giving back to my church, and living my life for Him gives me peace.

John 14:27 – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives...“

Yours in Christ,

-Becky Aragon, GSLC President

Leading and Living Generously

The Thrivent Member Network - Mid America Region is hosting a generosity event at Camp Joy in Clarksville, Ohio, Nov. 2. The goal of the event is to strengthen the Greater Cincinnati community through leadership development. We invite Thrivent members who lead church groups, nonprofits, small businesses and other organizations to join us for a FREE day of professional development with their teams – up to five people from an organization.

Steve Coats one of the leading authorities on the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership®, will guide attendees through a personal assessment and understanding of the Five Practices during the morning. Then in the afternoon, attendees will have the opportunity to exercise two of the Five Practices by participating in challenge activities offered on the Camp Joy grounds. Please contact Tammy Woolley for more information. 

Reformation Bible Study

This Sunday we begin a new Bible study as we look forward to Reformation Sunday (10/29). In 500: The Impact of the Reformation Today, we examine how a lone monk’s actions 500 years ago continue to have a great impact. Hear from some of the world’s greatest scholars on Martin Luther and the significance of the Reformation for our modern world. This study reveals how the Reformation surrounds us more than we realize through religion, politics and our society.

We will meet in the Family Life Center between services. Hope to see you there! 

 

Finding Peace Among Chaos

Summer has quickly come and gone, and now I am finding myself trying to adjust to the busy schedule of work, school, and kid’s schedules.  Oftentimes this task can be overwhelming and leave a person exhausted.  I am often trying to find time to fit in time with my husband, time with my kids, and time for myself.  At the end of all of this chaos I often feel very empty.  I keep telling myself in time it will get better, but the truth is the to do list never ends.  I am ashamed to say I have felt this way a lot lately.  I have always felt that when I reach the extremes of various emotions, God has a way of talking to me.  Often this is through exposing me to various situations that help me realize that I spend way too much time focusing on things that in the end are not very important.

As many of you know, I am a Licensed Physical Therapist.  With that being said, I encounter a lot of interesting situations, especially in the Pediatric World.  I have met many awesome families who have the overwhelming responsibility of not only parenting their child with disabilities, but also having to be their nurse and caretaker.  Many of these families have to be with their special needs child 24/7 for the child’s safety.  Some of these parents even have to sleep in the same room as their child for pulmonary or cardiac reasons.  When I talk with these parents, we are able to carry on conversations just like I do withmy friends at church.  I am always amazed at how much responsibility lies on their shoulders, and they are not complaining.  That is just the way their life is and they are very happy to have this time with their child.  These families help to remind me what is important in life; and that is my religion and time with my family.

It is sad that I have to be exposed to somebody else’s struggle to remind myself to take time and breathe.  My best days are when I start in devotion, followed by Christian music as I feed the kids prior to school.  By the time I leave for work I feel I am at peace.  “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  John 14:27.  I pray that you have peace within as you go about your daily life.  If you do not have daily peace, I pray that you will find the time to dig within the scriptures, and that it can fill your life like it has filled mine.

 

Becky Aragon, GSLC President

Notes from the Head Elder

Can you see from your seat?

As a person of average height, I generally have no problem seeing our Pastor when he preaches. Of course, sometimes a taller person sits in front of me requiring a little more effort to see what is going on up front. 

How about your children? Can they see from your spot when they are seated with you or on the floor standing? When our children were small, we went to a conference on worship and the worship leader had us sit in the back as if we were small kids. We could not see anything going on; it was as if nothing was happening as we could see nothing.

We were recently at a baseball game and the stadium officials made a great effort to ensure everyone could see the action, including stopping people from walking up the steps when a batter was at the plate. I am sure you want to see the action regardless of your age; whether you are at a baseball game or sitting in church, all of the action is up front.

At Good Shepherd we love kids and we want them involved in what is going on up front. Here are a few tips to ensure you and your children are getting the most out of our Sunday morning worship service:

  • Sit with your children in the front of the church so you and your children can see the colors on the altar as well as Pastor as he moves.
  • Explain to your children why Pastor stands in different locations and point these times out to your children. (Please ask if you do not know for certain.)
  • Active looking and listening will assist in enhancing the worship life of your child.
  • If they cannot read, have them listen for key words or phrases such as Jesus or love. Look ahead in the readings and pick some words out for them to keep them engaged.
  • If they can read, have them follow along and have them point out key items to you. We played a game on Sundays called “what sin was discussed in the sermon and readings.” This is easy enough to play and can provide a good discussion for after the service.
  • Participate in the service joyfully. As you know, our children model our behavior. Even though they will not yet understand the service, they are always looking around for clues on how to act from us.
  • Explain the service to your children. It is easy from the front rows as they can see what is happening.
  • Encourage them to participate by saying “amen” or teaching them the Lord’s Prayer.
  • Involve your child in the worship service by singing, folding hands, standing and sitting with you.
  • We expect everyone to get up from the worship service at some point. It happens to adults and children.

The point is: What we do on Sunday to engage our children will shape them powerfully and forever. Also, if you cannot see what is going on, please move forward so that everyone you came with can see.

But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Luke 18:16

-Glen Leavens, Head Elder

Who is my Elder and what should I expect?

Who is my Elder and what should I expect?

At Good Shepherd, the role of Elder for the church is to watch over the spiritual health and personal life change of the members. We measure the spiritual health of the congregation through the member’s regular attendance at worship and partaking in communion. We care about you and your physical well-being and want to know how you are doing. Our other role is overseeing the worship and music of the Church as this is directly tied to Spiritual health.

We have designated your elder based on your last name as follows:

Members          Elder

A - F                 Dean Daniels

G - K                 Leroy Raap

L - Q                 Terry Frey

R - T                 Vincent Woolley

U - Z                 Glen Leavens

Each elder was assigned part of the alphabetical membership list of our congregation and asked to call every family on his list. We are concerned about the spiritual health of the congregation.  The church constitution asks us to follow-up with members in irregular attendance. Please sign in each time you attend as that is how we track attendance.

Your role:

  1. Welcome your elder.  We will look to contact you as well.
  2. Reach out to us when you are having any issues, Spiritual or physical that the Church could assist you with. Allow us to follow-up with you. If needed, we will also get Pastor Bill involved. 
  3. Help us identify those that are hurting and in need of care. We will look to provide assistance and identify resources to assist.

We all want to share how we enjoyed the stimulation of Christian fellowship. If coming together in worship was not important, we could broadcast our services or just send our sermons via email. We care about the members of the congregation.

My belief is that our congregation should be a close-knit fellowship, a family in which we share tears and laughter and are genuinely interested in each other; bearing, caring, and sharing burdens. Shepherd sheep before they lose their way. It’s easy to maintain fellowship with friends, relatives, and cronies. But it’s equally easy to ignore the odd person, the reticent one, the “stranger” whom we don’t know. Good Shepherd has always been a friendly congregation, and we want to ensure that all feel welcome and none feel unwanted and fall away because we’ve excluded them from the circle of our friendship and activity. We ask the elders to include everyone in church activities because Christ invites everyone to His banquet table.

-Glen Leavens, Head Elder

God Will Meet Us Where We Are

Well, we just ended one of my favorite times of the year, VBS!  I am not sure where my love for VBS comes.  I really don’t have many memories of VBS as a child, but do remember the first day I took Katelyn to VBS at Good Shepherd.  This was before the new addition had been added onto our church and our sanctuary had been turned into a workshop for “Rick the Brick.”  I was in awe of all the decorations, the music, and all of the kids that were dancing around to the music.  Within a few years I found myself being a bigger part of VBS, and even coordinating it for 6 years.  It was truly a lot of fun and a very rewarding experience.  I think what I enjoy most is the excitement and enthusiasm the kids show, all while learning more about Jesus.  I have always felt that if you can meet people where they are, you have a better chance of really impacting them and their lives.  VBS does this for kids.  They always pick a fun and exciting theme that they think can grab a kid’s attention.  They then find Bible stories to go along with the themes, always ending with Jesus’ death and resurrection so they can know the biggest and most important story!  They develop fun and catchy songs that the kids end up singing all week (I still sing some from several years ago).  Then of course they have great games and crafts to go along with the stories!  I will admit, sometimes the kids don’t really catch the true meaning or importance of the story; however, a seed has been planted and hopefully it will continue to grow.

Even as an adult I still find that sometimes I struggle with the true meaning of the story when reading my Bible.  Admittedly, I did not read my Bible nearly as much as I should have in the past unless forced to do so because of confirmation or a Bible class.  In the past few years that has changed.  I now make it a point to do a Bible study each morning when I get up.  I have found that by doing this my day gets off to a good start and it feels much more complete.  My relationship with God has grown greater, and I find myself wanting to know more.  I am amazed that even though I grew up in a Lutheran church and have attended church my whole life, there is still a lot in the Bible I don’t know.  Getting back to the comment of meeting people where they are - I found that by finding a book that explains, correlates, and ties everything together it has increased my thirst as well as my understanding of the Bible.  It has also helped me to develop a closer relationship with God.  My son Ty received an Action Bible for Christmas.  I have seen Grant and Emily Reasoner walking around with the same Bible.  My son has now read the whole Bible because he found a book that put it in a way that is interesting to him. 

I hope each and every one of you are doing well in your spiritual life.  I hope you have found something that keeps you captivated and keeps you longing for more.  Our relationship with God is extremely important.  John 15:5 states: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.”  Those words are so true.  I pray for each of you and your spiritual journey.  I pray that God feels you with his love, and gives you a desire to want to know more and to want to do more.

 

Yours in Christ,

Becky Aragon, GSLC President

July 9th Brunch

On July 9th we will host a group of 35 young people and adults traveling from South Dakota.  We are inviting them, along with all of you from our congregation to enjoy breakfast with us starting at 9:30.  We're calling this Special 5th Sunday Brunch, as it will take the place of our regular Brunch this month.  We will need plenty of pastries, fruit or any other brunch items you would like to bring.  If you can't make it and would still like to donate food items, please contact Debbie Fitzpatrick or Lynn at church.  Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Notes from the Head Elder

Simple truths

This week we celebrated VBS Sunday. The theme this year was “Mighty Fortress” and the kids did a great job of sharing the theme in today’s service. Pastor Bill preached on the lessons taught to the kids each day during VBS, and I needed to hear that message today.

The stories told to the VBS kids are similar to the stories shared with our Sunday school kids. When our kids were young we read many of the same stories to them. We had Arch books from CPH and would read them to our kids. 

Simple messages resonate with all of us. You may remember these foundational stories as well. Pastor Bill shared with us during the adult Bible class that some of the lessons used in VBS and read today are not in the lectionary. We were surprised that the battle of Jericho is not in the lectionary.

Here is a recap of Pastor’s message to us:

  1. Shout. God is mighty. Using the story of how Jericho’s wall falls from Joshua 6: 1-20.
  2. Fear Not.  The story of King Hezekiah with the Lord destroying 185,000 of the enemy from 2 Kings 18-19.
  3. God’s word is true and powerful. The story of King Josiah and finding the Book of the Law from  2 Kings 22.
  4. Jesus comes to save. The story of Jesus entering Jerusalem from Luke 19:28-40.
  5. Jesus wins the victory. The crucifixion account from Luke 23-24.

The simple point to all of these stories was that we, by ourselves, cannot win the victory.

  • Starting with Jericho with the trumpets and shouting it was all the Lord’s doing.
  • Jesus came unlike the expectation for a victorious king would have been in the minds of the people and us. He alone suffered for our sins and won the victory.

I needed to hear the message that I am not able to do everything on my own. I need the Lord in my corner.

We need assistance on the Board of Elders to carry out our ministry of caring for all of you. I knew all of the stories read today. The simple message was to pray and leave it in God’s hand and that is what I am doing.

Next week we are all looking forward to two baptisms, one in each service. This is a sign of a growing church. Come and witness the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. See you next Sunday.

-Glen Leavens, Head Elder

VBS 2017

THANK YOU to all of the volunteers who helped make VBS 2017 such a success! THANK YOU to the wonderful families who brought their children! THANK YOU to everyone who donated time, talent, and supplies to make it a wonderful week! Here are a few photo highlights from the week. The theme was A Mighty Fortress, so we could remember that In Jesus, The Victory is Won! The kids also successfully raised over $400 for our church's mobile food pantry. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Trinity Sunday Celebration

Trinity Sunday is the day our second son was born. As a result, Trinity Sunday has always been special in my house. Pastor Bill preached on the Genesis account, especially chapter 1 verse 31. “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”

Did you see the phrase “very good” in the account? Not just that it was good, it was very good. When I think of that Sunday over 27 years ago, I cannot help but think of the perfection that God created in our son and indeed in all of us. Of course, you know the story that we fall in to sin, just a few chapters later in the Genesis account. But at this point in the Bible we are perfect, being made in the image and likeness of God (see Chapter 1, verse 27).

The other point being made was that everything in creation was in its place. The stars, the seas, and all things. It made me wonder if we are all in our place? Of course the Creed reminds us that we should be at Church worshiping. Back to the Genesis account as it speaks of God resting, and we know from confirmation class and Sunday School that we are to keep the Sabbath Day (Sunday) holy as God rested on the seventh day. A look at the people in attendance today reveals that

  • Some were in worship with us.
  • Several members of our community of faith were not in church this morning.
  • We had several visitors and it is likely that some of our members were also out of town visiting other churches.
  • We also have several others on the prayer listing and in need of assistance. After the service, we spoke of one member who is currently in hospice.

Trinity Sunday is a special acknowledgement of the Trinity. We say together the Athanasian Creed, one of the three Ecumenical or Universal Creeds. At Good Shepherd, we alternate between the Apostle’s and Nicene Creeds on a weekly basis. The Athanasian Creed has a fuller (okay lengthy) discussion on the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—than the other confessions. All are good explanations of our faith, and the one we read each year on Trinity Sunday is a good expression of the triune God. For me, it is a good reminder of the faith.

I want to encourage all of you to come and worship with us next Sunday. If you have a moment, re-read the Athanasian Creed, and reflect on what it means to you. See you next Sunday.

-Glen Leavens, Head Elder

You're Invited - VBS 2017!

In Jesus, The Victory Is Won
Based on 1 Corinthians 15:57

You're invited to Vacation Bible School at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church - June 12th-16th, 6:00-8:30 pm, ages 3 years old to 5th grade!

VBS 2017 is a victory celebration! They'll look into the Bible, God's Holy Word, and explore five Bible accounts about God, our Mighty Fortress, and the victory Jesus has won for us. Join us for VBS and bring your friends! Don't miss out!

You can register online here! 

See you there!

You're Invited - VBS 2017!

In Jesus, The Victory Is Won
Based on 1 Corinthians 15:57

You're invited to Vacation Bible School at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church - June 12th-16th, 6:00-8:30 pm, ages 3 years old to 5th grade!

VBS 2017 is a victory celebration! In Mighty Fortress VBS, your children will learn that in Jesus, the victory is won! They'll look into the Bible, God's Holy Word, and explore five Bible accounts about God, our Mighty Fortress, and the victory Jesus has won for us. Join us for VBS and bring your friends! Don't miss out!

You can register online here! 

See you there!

Cross The Bridge For Life

Sunday, June 4, 2017 marks the 12th anniversary of this very special event of bringing thousands of people together from the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area to stand up for the sanctity of human life in a peaceful, prayerful, family-friendly atmosphere. The fun begins at 1:00 p.m. at the festival grounds on the Ohio River next to the Purple People Bridge and behind Newport on the Levee. Activities include free face-painting, clowns, balloon artists for the children, music entertainment, free t-shirts, free picnic lunch provided by JTM after the Walk and other food vendors. Our very own NKY Chapter of Lutherans For Life is a Rose Sponsor for this fabulous Walk. Come and join in the celebration as we Cross The Bridge For Life together!

A Note From Our Head Elder

Are We On the Road to Emmaus?

 This Sunday, April 30, 2017, Pastor Bill preached on the Luke 24:13-35 text. This text is Jesus encountering two followers on the road to Emmaus. One is named in the text and the other is not. I penciled in myself with Cleopas as the other one journeying on the road as Pastor Bill was preaching.

After Easter attendance is generally down, and I have been a member of the church long enough to expect that phenomenon. Then I found myself asking, is Jesus chasing me too? He clearly caught the two followers who, as Pastor Bill put it, were getting out of town.  Luke says in verse 21 “But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.” They clearly had given up their hope. They were clearly leaving town and their hope in Jesus.

We talked a lot about hope in the bible study today related to this lesson. We settled on the word “trust” as a class. Of course, Pastor Bill reminded us that we should say a “certain” hope. That got me to thinking that like Cleopas and the other one journeying with Cleopas, we were present for the big event and could not make it back to church. It is as if we are saying that nothing in my life changed as a result of Easter services.

I wonder if that is true. Has nothing changed since you were in church on Easter Sunday? For me, we have had several personal changes. The one thing I know is that the joy I experienced on Easter Sunday has not faded. Unlike the two on the road to Emmaus, I know that my redeemer lives. Each Sunday is a chance to celebrate the resurrection, especially the weeks following Easter when all of the lessons begin with the resurrection.  

Take a moment with me to reflect on the ones that were closest to Jesus. Are we on the road, leaving town or are we hiding in a room so not to be found out as a Christian. One of the joyous events coming next week is confirmation. In the confirmation service, three of our young people will publically leave the road and proclaim their faith. What a joy it will be to see their courage in speaking to us next week.

My prayer for you is that you share the joy from Easter with others. As you share that joy, as Jesus did with the two on the road to Emmaus, you regain the hope and want to be again with the other believers. After Jesus reveals himself in their sight, the two leave the same hour. From Luke 24: 33 “And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together,”

Like me, Jesus is looking for us on the road. I am looking forward to seeing you in Church on Sunday.

A Note From Our President...

Easter Sunday has now passed and I hear I missed out on a fantastic Easter Sunday at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. I missed out on our first ever Children’s Easter play along with the egg hunt. I also missed out on the wonderful breakfast and fellowship. I hope each and every one of you had a very blessed Easter and enjoyed the festivities. But mostly, I hope you were truly blessed and touched by God’s greatest gift, the gift of His Son, who was sacrificed for our sins so that we might have everlasting life with our one true Father in Heaven. Easter, to me, is such an amazing time. It is amazing all of the events that took place leading up to Jesus' death that were foretold about in the Old Testament from the dividing of His garments to the piercing of His side. It is even more amazing that this man, Jesus, came down from heaven to be with us. He showed and taught us how we should live our lives, and about His Father in heaven. This man knew no sin, yet He died on the cross for OUR sins. This is true love, grace, and dedication to His Father in Heaven. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Luke 22:42. He never experienced the joy we might experience in our sin, only the pain of it. “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities: the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53: 5. Amazing!!!!!

On May 7th we will be confirming three confirmands. Their confirmation journey has been a three year long process. During this time they have learned more about the Lutheran Church, studied Luther’s Small Catechism, and of course – learned more about the Bible. They have been quizzed by the elders and Pastor on all that they have learned, and will be confirming their faith before the congregation during the late service on May 7th. They will also be giving mini sermonettes on a topic they have chosen to share their faith with us. This is a big time for them. I hope you will join us in celebrating with them as they continue on their life long journey with Christ. For our confirmands, I hope they will continue to grow in their faith and stay straight on their path to righteousness. Jesus has given us the ultimate example of a righteous life. John 17: 20-21 gives us these words that Jesus prayed as he was approaching his crucifixion, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them which shall believe on me through their word. That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”

Becky Aragon, GSLS President