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

A Note from Our Head Elder

Are you as Smart as a Confirmand?

Preparing for the confirmation questioning, I was reminded of the game show that went off the air in 2015 “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?” On April 2, the Elders met with the confirmation class for this year and quizzed then on what they know. Pastor Bill teaches this material year after year and is well versed in the material. For the rest of us, including some of the confirmation class, we may not know the material as well as we once did. Fortunately for us we had a printed list of questions and answers.

Some of the questions we asked come from Luther’s small catechism. If you look at each section of the catechism it starts with “As the head of the family should teach it in a simple way to his household.” The Elders and the Pastor are there to assist the family and their students learn the faith.

My copy of the catechism contains over 300 questions. I have been at churches where we ask the students these questions during the worship service, all 300, and hold each student accountable to answer from the text. At Good Shepherd we ask the questions for general spiritual understanding in a public forum with the Elders and teachers for the class along with their parents. Each student is expected to know all of the answers.

In reflecting and getting ready for the questioning, I found myself not being able to respond as the text would have me respond for each question I am looking at. Okay, I know the “answers,” just not the memorized answer from the text anymore. In the same way, when the students have memorized the text of the catechism and explained the meaning, we can be assured that the students understand what they are saying.

As we think back to our own education on what it means to be a Lutheran Christian, I am convinced that memorization is important to cement the knowledge for the questioning. And, the lifelong practice of being in the church and coming regularly to worship is what brings that head knowledge to our heart. Many times after confirmation is complete our young people (no different from my confirmation in 1973) fall away and do not have the opportunity to put into practice what they memorized or have learned.

My prayer for this confirmation class is that beyond the memorization and the sermonettes, God will touch their hearts and they will become active participants in the life of this church. I am looking forward to the confirmation service on May 7. See you there.

Glen Leavens, Head Elder