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November 2014
Dear Church Family,
The weather has turned cold (we even had some hail in Matthews on Halloween night!) and we’ve turned on the heat at church. Thanksgiving is on the way, with Christmas soon after. This morning (Nov. 2) I preached on the glory of God and how it shines as God intersects our lives: present with us, protecting us, redeeming us, saving us, remembering us, and in so many more ways.
And with Thanksgiving on the horizon I am particularly mindful today of how blessed I am (and we are!) at Good Shepherd. God is so faithful to show up among us. In light of that, I want to challenge you to ponder this question:
How have you experienced God’s goodness and greatness (His GLORY!)
through the ministry and mission of Good Shepherd?
Maybe it’s been with the Primetimers or the youth group, or engaging in missions like the Christmas Shoppe or summer mission trips, or maybe singing in the choir or listening to the worship team. Maybe it’s been through the personal care and ministry of a deacon or a faithful Sunday school teacher or church friend.
But I’d like to hear your experience. Actually, I’d like us to share these experiences! And I’m going to invite you to do just that – share such an experience of the glory of God – in worship these next few Sundays. So would you be thinking about how YOU would answer that question? I’d love for you to write a note or stand up and share briefly or send me a short video clip (college students!!) or draw me a picture.
I think we will all be greatly encouraged and reminded of just how good and great God is… and if today’s scripture lesson was any example, it may well open our eyes wide to see and experience even more of God in our lives!
With love and affection as your pastor,
Pastor Robert
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UPCOMING SERMON TEXTS & THEMES
November 2: Belonging... For God's Glory: Isaiah 43:1-7
God's calling and claiming people from afar shows just how amazing God is!
November 9: Church that Matters: Luke 18:35-43; 19:1-10
Encountering Jesus changes lives!
November 16: Church that Matters, part 2: Luke 18:35-43; 19:1-10
Encountering Jesus changes lives!
November 23: Thankfulness and Seeing God's Glory: Luke 17:11-21
Thankfulness is intimately related to an awareness of God's presence and glory. |
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NOV events
09: 2:00-4:00 pm
Baby shower for Ashley Hatfield McMillan
11: 7:00-8:00 pm
Ministry team meetings
14-16: weekend
Youth: high school fall retreat
16: 12:15-1:00pm
Deacons' meeting (library)
19: 6:15-8:00 pm
Hanging of the Greens - dinner and decoration
23: 6:00-7:30 pm
Vivaldi's "Gloria" at Carmel Pres. (combined choir)
25: 7:00-8:00 pm
Community Thanksgiving service at Candlewyck Baptist (Robert preaching!)
27-28: church closed
Happy Thanksgiving!
A LOOK AHEAD...
05-06: Christmas Shoppe
06: Primetimer Christmas
13-14: "Behold the Lamb of God" - Christmas concert
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NOV service
communion:
captain: Steve Fine
prep: Sonnie Wright
usher captain:
Russ Lancaster
lay assistant:
02: Chris Orr
09: Leslie Pack
16: Todd Pearce
23: Emily Pearce
30: Ruth Ruane
children's church:
09: Melissa Lancaster
16: Doran Buchmann
23: Cindy Dolinger
30: TBA
nursery:
02: Beth Kreutzer
Henry Slade
09: Megan Butler
Calista Ball
16: Maria Messersmith
Savannah Ball
23: Robin Orr
Maggie Slade
30: Kim Kinken
Lily Orr
fellowship time:
02: Mary Ellen Page
09: Todd & Emily Pearce
16: Betsy Richardson
23: Bob and Mary Robinson
30: Steve and Ruth Ruane
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NOV birthdays
03: Cindy Dolinger
05: Morgan Shuler
06: Bobby White
07: Mark Katibah
07: Cameron Cary
08: Linda Terrell
11: Bruce Fourcher
13: Joanie Fedor
14: Mary Ellen Page
15: Lynda Shuler
19: Todd Rose
20: Angela Hinton
21: Shannon Klar
23: Olivia Moormann
26: MaryGene Longenecker
If we have missed anyone, please let us know so we can update our records!
**Remember that you can access our church calendar online anytime at http://gspccalendars.
blogspot.com
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CAPITAL campaign
November looks to be another month where we will see visible progress for another of the projects. John Wright and his team are keeping a keen watch over the Norton Hall construction. John has been working far more than we probably really know to keep this project moving and we owe him a big thank you.
Additionally, Good Shepherd is a recipient of another real blessing from Robyn’s Fabrics. Barbara Gould, the owner, was very generous and gave us a major discount on both the materials and labor for our 225 chairs! Besides the beautiful material and workmanship, this helped us stretch every dollar to cover other needs to further our ministries. If you have an occasion to need fabric or other similar services, I hope you will consider Robyn’s Fabrics.
I will be giving another Campaign update on November 9th during worship and hope you will be there to hear it.
Mark Katibah
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BABY shower
November 9, 2:00 - 4:00 pm for Ashley and Josh McMillan and their baby boy, Grayson Joshua McMillan! Come to the church for snacks, cake, games, and to shower Ashley with our love, gifts and prayers. Because there will be games, this is less of a drop-in, more of a come-and-party type of shower. Proud grandparents are David and Melanie Hatfield! Ashley and Josh are registered at Babies R Us and Target.
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OCC shoeboxes
Operation Christmas Child's annual shoe box ministry is an opportunity to put a smile on the face of a child and spread the Gospel. We have the shoe boxes and hope you will take one or more and fill them with the suggested items. This could make a real difference in these children's lives.
We will be giving the boxes out on October 19, October 26, and November 2. We would like to have them back by November 9. It is suggested that a gift of 7.00 be given for each box for shipping.
Thank you for your participation in this special opportunity.
Jim Kennedy
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CHRISTMAS shoppe
Mark these dates on your calendar:
December 5 & 6
Location: Candlewyck Baptist Church
GSPC will again be joining with 4 of our neighborhood churches to provide a very Merry Christmas to children in our area who may not otherwise have a bright Christmas. The Christmas Shoppe is a place where new items can be purchased at greatly reduced prices (about 10 cents on the dollar) by families that qualify. This gives struggling families a helping hand rather than a hand-out. In addition to their purchased items, families are given a traditional Christmas dinner and stocking stuffers. Our goal this year is to help 250+ children (infant through high school). To accomplish this, we need everyone's help in providing new items: coats (all sizes), hats & mittens, toys, dolls, stuffed animals, board games, jewelry, gift cards, food and your time.
Donations will be collected throughout November and can be dropped off at the church. Sign-up sheets for volunteering your time, specific food item shopping lists, as well as suggested gift items to donate are located in the gathering area. Not a shopper? Monetary donations can be made to the church (please mark for "Christmas Shoppe") and we'll do the shopping for you.
Volunteers are needed for:
1) Set up and decorate the Christmas Shoppe December 1-4
2) Work during the Shoppe for a specific assigned 2 hr shift and job, either the evening of Friday, Dec 5 or Saturday morning, Dec. 6
3) Clean-up crew, Saturday afternoon, Dec 6
4) Donate homemade Christmas cookies for the Hospitality Suite where family members wait while the primary family member is shopping
For questions, please contact Marty McKenzie (704-996-7761; martymck110@gmail.com).
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THANK you
Remember when we provided chocolate dessert items for a UNCC campus ministry event? They sent us a sweet thank you note:
Thanks to your support, our "Death by Chocolate" event was a HUGE success! With a full carload (and I mean completely packed), we were able to give chocolate out to over 450 students. Thanks to you, hundreds of students now know about your denominational campus ministry at UNCC and all of the wonderful events and plans that we have for the coming year. We can never thank you enough for all the wonderful and generous support that you have and continue to show us! We will be sure to contact you next year for an even bigger and better event!
Chris Hampton and all the students at Niner United Campus Ministry
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HANGING of greens
It's time to decorate the church for Christmas! Please join us on Wednesday, November 19, from 6:15 pm to 8:00 pm. We will begin with sharing dinner together (provided by the church) and then decorate the church for Christmas. Childcare will be provided during decoration time. If you like, feel free to bring some of your favorite Christmas cookies to share, but please feel no obligation.
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CHOIR concert
Please come enjoy an evening of beautiful sacred and classical music with the combined choirs of Good Shepherd, Carmel Pres., and Peace Moravian on Sunday, November 23, 6:00-7:30 pm. They will be presenting Vivaldi’s “Gloria” under the direction of Paul Reynolds, music director at Carmel Presbyterian Church. A word about Vivaldi’s GLORIA: it starts with the words first sung by the angel choir to the shepherds in the field outside Bethlehem the night of Christ’s birth: “GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, AND ON EARTH PEACE, GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN!” To these words of angelic praise, Christians from the 2nd and 3rd Century Church have added their own expressions of worship, borne from nothing less than intense persecution. These psalms from the hearts of believers, together with the angels’ song, comprise what has come to be known as the GLORIA, sung to any number of musical settings through the ages by Christians of all denominations. Vivaldi set it to music sung by choir and soloists, accompanied by strings, oboe, trumpet and organ. The concert is not meant to be just “beautiful Christmas music” – it will hopefully cause us all to reflect on Christ’s presence on earth being the revelation of God’s glory, what it means for us to glorify God, and how He glorifies Himself in us. It is a theme we have been hearing about in November and one that is central to understanding the meaning of Christmas!
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THANKSgiving
Each Thanksgiving, we join with Olde Providence area churches for a time of fellowship, worship, and communtion together. communion together. This year Pastor Robert will be preaching at the service, which will be held at Candlewyck Baptist Church on Tuesday, November 25, at 7:00pm. Preschool childcare will be provided and there will be a reception following the service. This year’s joint Thanksgiving Offering will go to The Christmas Shoppe, a ministry supported by a number of these churches (including ours!), and for under-resourced families in our nearby community. This is a wonderful event and an opportunity to see and worship alongside neighbors with whom we share a ministry and mission field. We hope to see you there!
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KIDS club
SPECIAL FAMILY ADVENT KIDS' CLUB!
Sunday, November 16, 3-5 pm
In preparation for Advent, this month's kids' club will be a family event! Bring parents, brothers, and sisters and we'll have a celebration! We'll learn about Advent and what it means to prepare for Christ's coming and make a special craft for each family that you can use in your Advent celebrations this year.
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YOUTH ministry
Regular Youth Group
Nov. 2, 9, 23, 30 5:00 - 7:30 PM
In the church
High School Fall Retreat
Nov. 14-16 at North Myrtle Beach
Cost: $75 due before Nov. 9th
Party at the Ball House!
Sunday, Nov. 16th 5:00 - 7:30 PM
Middle School Youth Only!
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PRIMEtimers
Attention Primetimers!!! We're looking for volunteers to help plan the annual Christmas Gathering to be held on Saturday, December 6th at the church. A suggestion has been made to make the dinner into a luncheon so that our members would not have to travel at night. There is a need for a decorator, menu planner, clean up crew, program organizer, etc. Many hands make for a light load!! Please contact Jane Chiseck (704-560-5251; jchiseck@hotmail.com) and let her know that you are willing to help and if you approve of the change in time. We will schedule a meeting the first part of November. Looking forward to hearing from y’all!
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PREschool
There are two very easy ways that any church member can support our preschool through purchases you are already making anyway.
First, link our preschool to your Harris Teeter VIC card. It's easy to do. Ask the next time you check out or follow this link:
https://www.harristeeter.com/other
/my_harris_teeter/login_page.aspx
Our school code is 4409.
Second, if you shop on Amazon, try using AmazonSmile to support the preschool. It's easy to do. Look for Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church and link to us. All proceeds will go to the preschool.
Thanks for supporting our preschool in these ways!
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