As I reflect on the reality of a pandemic and a continuing epidemic: perhaps, Charles Dickens said it best in his historic novel, A Tale of Two Cities,
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."
In light of the realities of our collective lives today: what sets us apart from the world as Christians and allows us to live our life to the fullest? How do I remain hopeful; when I feel so helpless? How do we become difference-makers?
I believe that we have under valued the benefits of the Church. So, for the month of June, we will focus on the benefits and pray that you will conclude what we, your pastors, have concluded and summed up in one word: grateful. The sermon series for the month of June:
June 7: Grateful to be...Connected
(Matthew 28:16-20)
June 14: Grateful to be...Sufficient
(Romans 5:1-8)
June 21: Grateful to be...New/Renewed
(Romans 6:1-11)
June 28: Grateful to be...Free
(Romans 6:12-23)
Please continue to pray for the church and one another during this season of "the pandemic (COVID-19)" and "the continuing epidemic (racism)". We love you and continue to support you, as well as our community.
Grateful,
Pastor Gene and Pastor Jill
Sunday, June 7, 2020
Worship on Sunday, June 7, will be offered via live stream or dial-in. Please watch the website (and these update emails) for more information. To view the live stream video go to the Good Shepherd Christian Church website. After clicking the "Live Stream" button on the website you will be redirected to the YouTube channel for Good Shepherd Christian Church. Make sure you click the "like" and "subscribe" buttons under the live stream video!
If you do not have access to a computer to join the live stream follow these easy steps to dial-in:
Call this TOLL FREE number: 1-866-899-4679
When prompted dial this access code: 668-689-701
As a reminder, we do have online giving available. Click here to be taken to our online giving form. The Development team is also checking the church mailbox for any checks sent to the church. If you are dropping your offering in the church mailbox be sure to put it in a sealed envelope and mark it c/o Don Taylor OR Development Team.
Urgent Announcements
GSCC's Garden of Hope
Snow in May and social distancing has thrown us off a little in our usual garden timeline!
John Humphrey is once again willing to coordinate our Garden of Hope this year, which will provide corn to The Emergency Assistance Center (TEAC). We have decided to focus on growing one thing this year, but John CANNOT do this alone. We need volunteers willing to help put in our garden of corn by this weekend. These folks need to be able to help move bags of compost and turn over soil. Additionally, throughout the summer we need volunteers willing to weed and water on a regular basis. Please contact John HumphreyASAP if you are interested and able to help in either of these ways.
Coffee Table Conversation
The Coffee Table Conversation group will meet tomorrow, June 2, at 7:30 pm via GoToMeeting. We will be discussing TED talks on the topic of connection, something vital for us right now. Erica Ware will be leading our conversation. Below you will find the information to join the meeting as well as the links to 3 TED talks that Erica recommends. It would be helpful if you have time to watch at least one of these ahead of time. Everyone is welcome! Please join!
Good news! We have found a virtual meeting service that will work for all our needs! Hallelujah! This service will be used for ALL virtual gatherings we have at GSCC unless otherwise specified.
To join us from your computer, tablet, or smartphone please click here or go to https://www.gotomeet.me/GSCCOH
If you do not have access to a computer, tablet, or smartphone, you may also dial-in using your phone. To join us using this method please call this toll-free number 1-866-899-4679, and when prompted, dial this access code: 668-689-701.
New to GoToMeeting? Get the app now and be ready when the first meeting starts: Click here: GoToMeeting or visit https://global.gotomeeting.com/install/668689701
Virtual Gatherings for the week of Sunday, May 31 through Saturday, June 6:
A Worship Team Meeting will be held today (Monday) at 6:30 pm via GoToMeeting.
A Coffee Table Conversation will be held Tuesday at 7:30 pm via GoToMeeting. (GoToMeeting information under "Coffee Table Conversation" section above).
Prayer Time with Pastor Jill will be held Wednesday at 10:30 am.
Bible Study with Pastor Jill will be held on Wednesday at 11 am.
Join Pastor Jill as she does a brief Facebook Live event on Wednesday at 1:30 pm! This will be geared towards our church youth, however, anyone is free to check it out! You can click hereto be redirected to the GSCC Facebook page. *You cannot use GoToMeeting to join this event. You must have a Facebook login to view.*
"Connecting with God and One Another" with Pastor Gene (Bible Study and Prayer) will be held on Wednesday at 7 pm.
*This section will be a permanent addition to our biweekly updates and will be updated to reflect meeting times every week*
Important Congregational Information
The annual congregational meeting will take place on June 14 via GoToMeeting, and will include the election of our leadership team for the coming year and the vote on the budget for the coming fiscal year. The proposed budget was included in the Generosity Campaign mailing sent out a few weeks ago (by email or regular mail). Ballots for the leadership team and budget approval will be sent out tomorrow, along with further information about when we will gather to ask questions ahead of time as well as the process for the congregational meeting.
Additionally, we know that many of you are wondering about when we might be worshiping together again in person. We do not currently have an answer for that, but there is a group of individuals from the congregation who are beginning to discuss what needs to be in place for us to safely gather in person. We will keep you up to date as we have more to share.
*Update to Building Entrance Policy*
*Masks are required and must be worn properly at all times while in the church building.*
This not only models anticipated behavior when GSCC does resume church gatherings but also for "risk reduction" and mitigation. The only exception at the present time is for the pastors when they are participating (speaking) in worship. Pastors will wear a mask when they are not engaged in a speaking role during the service.
If you do not have your own, masks will be available on the entrance table right inside the main doors. Please only take a mask if you do not have one, as they are in limited supply at the present time.
Thank you for your continued cooperation in keeping our church family healthy and safe!
We have DVDs available!
If you have trouble calling in for worship or do not have internet access but have a DVD player and want to SEE worship, we can have a DVD made up for you and sent directly to your house! If you are interested in receiving a DVD please contact Pastor Gene, Pastor Jill, or Kaleena Hensley.
Laptops for Loan
We at GSCC have been blessed with a generous donation of multiple laptops from one of our local companies. These have all been refurbished by an IT professional and are in good working order. They come pre-loaded with Zoom and GoToMeeting for your convenience. If you or anyone you know is in need of, and doesn't otherwise have access to, a laptop to connect with others, work during quarantine, or homeschooling a child please contact Kaleena Hensley in the church office.
**Please understand that, at this time, we cannot offer IT support for these laptops.**.
Coronavirus Information from the Ohio Department of Health
Here at Good Shepherd Christian Church we are always looking for ways to care for our flock. Recently, we found the Ohio Department of Health website has a wealth of information pertaining to the coronavirus pandemic. This includes information about Ohio statistics (updated daily), latest developments, helpful videos, and a multitude of resources. Please click below to be taken to the Ohio Department of Health website.
We know times are tough and a little scary right now, especially because we feel we have very little control over what is happening in our own communities and all around the world. The website has checklists to help you navigate through this including, but not limited to; avoiding scams, cleaning and disinfecting alternatives, cloth face coverings, coping with restrictions, and many more! There are 4 pages of checklists! Here is the direct link for those checklists.
**Due to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus pandemic we have temporarily changed the format of our Community Meal program on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month. We now distribute dinners through a drive-thru format, placing bagged meals directly into the guest's trunk so we protect our guests and volunteers through social distancing. Please be respectful and adhere to social-distancing policies while using this service. We will also have bags of shelf-stable food available for pick-up at GSCC on Wednesdays from 5:30 - 6 pm. Please email us here or here for assistance.**
If you have a prayer request for the Pastors and/or to be held in prayer by members of our community, please fill out the new Prayer Request form. You can also find the
form on the homepage AND the "Contact Us" section of our website.
A reminder that you are welcome to join our email prayer chain. You will receive weekly updates for prayer requests. Let us know you're interested!
Calendar Information
Please check the church calendar often! You can find the calendar by clicking the Events tab on our website. We will be updating the calendar weekly. We will be doing this to keep you as up-to-date as possible on any cancellations or postponements of church events.
Birthdays and Anniversaries
Birthdays:
Evan Guffin- June 4
Janet Rudder- June 4
Michael Nahas- June 5
Gene Bittner- June 8
Jack Wilson- June 12
June Dengate- June 18
Dan Lightner- June 21
Kendyl Varnum- June 23
Donna Fenton- June 23
Kim Humphrey- June 24
Joella Ruch- June 24
Merl Munsell- June 29
Paul Millin- June 30
Anniversaries:
Dave & Beth McCabe- June 19
Michael & Gretchen Nahas- June 21
Grant & Renee Varnum- June 22
Paul & Carol Millin- June 25
Eric & Michelle Unangst- June 25
Frank & Holly Schwartz- June 28
Rod & Peggy Clark- June 29
Merl Munsell & Karen Diller- June 29
*This section will be a permanent addition to our biweekly updates and will be updated in the last "mini" of every month.*
Monthly Newsletter Information
Due to the "day to day planning" nature of our lives right now, all of us at Good Shepherd Christian Church have agreed that we would be able to better serve you by keeping you updated more often! This is why we are temporarily suspending the monthly newsletter to be replaced by these biweekly "mini newsletters". If there is anything you would like to share with the congregation, we would be happy to share it for you in these updates! The "minis" will be sent out every Monday and Thursday afternoon. If there is something you would like to add please submit those requests by 9am Monday (for Mondays "mini") and 9am Thursday (for Thursdays "mini"). Those submissions may be sent to office.gscc@gmail.com. As always, you may also visit our website for more information at www.goodshepherdchristianchurch.org.
If you have questions, or difficulty with this email, please contact Pastor Gene at PastorGeneFisher@gmail.com
