+ Palm Sunday + Full to the Brim: Even the Stones Cry Out Sunday, April 10th 8:00 am & 10:30 am
Worship in the Sanctuary Service of the Word will be Live-streamed at 10:30 am Holy Communion will be celebrated at both in-person services.
Sunday school youth will be singing at our 10:30 service.
Palms will be available for pick up for those worshipping at home (see below) Masks required at our 8:00 am Service. Masks optional (that is, encouraged & affirmed but optional) at our 10:30 am Service.
Physically distanced seating in rows is available. Pre-registration is needed to plan well for our congregation's well-being. Please pre-register here: https://rsvp.church/r/1dvZJKj2
+ Maundy Thursday + Full to the Brim: Take Off Your Shoes Thursday, April 14th 7:00 pm
In-person Worship in the Sanctuary + Live-streamed We will celebrate 1st Communion with our Good Shepherd youth Masks required
Physically distanced seating in rows is available. Pre-registration is needed to plan well for our congregation's well-being. Please pre-register here: https://rsvp.church/r/1dvZJKj2
+ Good Friday + Full to the Brim: A Cup of Sorrow Friday, April 15th 1:00pm
In-person Worship in the Sanctuary + Live-streamed Masks required
Physically distanced seating in rows is available. Pre-registration is needed to plan well for our congregation's well-being. Please pre-register here:https://rsvp.church/r/1dvZJKj2
+ Easter Sunday + Full to the Brim: An Expansive Life
Sunday, April 17th
~ 7:30 am ~
Worship in the Sanctuary with Holy Communion Masks optional (that is, encouraged & affirmed but optional) at this service
Physically distanced seating in rows is available. ~ 9:00 am ~
Worship in the Sanctuary + Live-streamed Holy Communion will be celebrated at our in-person service.
Service of the Word will be Live-streamed at 9:00 am Masks required
Physically distanced seating in rows is available. ~ 10:30 am ~
Worship in the Sanctuary with Holy Communion Masks optional (that is, encouraged & affirmed but optional) at this service
Physically distanced seating in rows is available.
Pre-registration is needed for all Easter Servcies to plan well for our congregation's well-being. Please pre-register here: https://rsvp.church/r/1dvZJKj2
Please know that our facilities are open in accordance with our Covid Care and Concern Policy. Outdoor options are also available.
If you have a pastoral care concern, please do contact the church office, Pastor Leah, or Deacon Sandy to make an appointment. We will determine together whether a virtual or in-person visit is most appropriate for the circumstances. If you have a team ministry need, please let the church office know.
If your Good Shepherd small group ministry would like to meet in-person at Good Shepherd, please contact the church office and let us know how we may accommodate your group.
It is important for the safety and well-being of our staff, our Good Shepherd community, and our neighbors that we attend well to carefully coordinated use of the building and grounds along with practicing other good mitigation practices.
We are thankful for your support and for the very creative adaptability of our ministry teams during this time of on-going pandemic. All are encouraged to continue to support the ministry of Good Shepherd by mailing your offering to church, giving online at eflock.org/give , or bringing your financial gifts to in-person worship. Offerings can be sent to:
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
2000 Roosevelt Drive
Plover, WI 54467
SPECIAL MEETING FOR UPDATE ON THE CALL PROCESS A reminder that we have scheduled a special meeting of the Congregation for Sunday, April 24, at 11:30 a.m. (after the second service). The meeting will be held in-person in the sanctuary and live-streamed using zoom. The purpose of the meeting is to provide you with more information about our transition and staffing at Good Shepherd and give you an opportunity to ask questions.
Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
COVID MASK POLICY In case you missed it, this past week our Good Shepherd Covid Task Force sent out communication pertaining to recent changes made to our Covid protocols and policy. You may find more information here:
HELP BEAUTIFY OUR CHURCH FOR EASTER SUNDAY Orders due April 13
This Easter please consider honoring a loved one or giving thanks by helping us beautify the church with lilies and spring flowers. The flowers are $10 each.
You can make your request by:
completing the order form that is on the Greeter table
call or email the church office office@elock.org with your request
The flowers will be available for pick up after the last service on Easter Sunday or Tuesday and Wednesday following Easter Sunday.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).
Friends,
I write to you again about our neighbors in Eastern Europe. First, I thank you for your outpouring of prayers and generosity — you are making a difference in the lives of people impacted by the war in Ukraine.
Your gifts to Lutheran Disaster Response during this crisis are already at work. Because of your generosity, $1 million will support the Lutheran World Federation and these member churches:
German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine
Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland
Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovakia
Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Romania
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Romania
They are distributing hygiene supplies, food, medicine, bedding and psychosocial and pastoral care to refugees and internally displaced people, most of whom are women and children.
Additional responses through partners in these countries and others in the region are expected in the coming weeks and months, and Lutheran Disaster Response is committed to accompanying those partners as the situation evolves. We pray for the Roma communities and foreign nationals who are facing racial and ethnic discrimination at the borders as they flee Ukraine. Our companions are ensuring that people in these marginalized groups will be treated with respect and dignity as they seek safety.
We know there are many organizations that you can choose to support, but it is only by giving to Lutheran Disaster Response that guarantees your gift will fund ELCA-supported work through faith partners in the region.
SOFTBALL TEAM Attention Good Shepherd Men over the age of 35. We are trying to put together the softball team this year and need more teammates! We play on Thursday nights in a league for men aged 35 and older. We would love to have new players on the team. There would be a player's fee to join ($35) charged by the SPSA. Contact Don Werle (715.570.6613) as soon as you can. Team signup has already begun. I need to know that I have enough players to make a team before I register.
.
1983 HISTORY RECORDS The church office is looking to create a memory book of Good Shepherd’s 5th anniversary. If you have any information or documentation you would like to share or if you would like to help with making a memory book, please let Elise in the church office know.
WELCA Spring Events Open to All Women All of the Women's Spring Events below are open to all women. Grab a friend or two and sign up!
April 23 - Oshkosh Conference
Grace Lutheran, 430 West Griswold, Ripon 54971,
9 - 1 p.m.
"Love Your Neighbor: Advocate for immigrants and Refugees"
Speaker: Kat Griffith, Immigration Advocate
Contact: Sheri Bradshaw bradshawsheri@gmail.com
April 23 - Wisconsin River Valley Conference
Our Savior's Lutheran, 300 Logan St., Merrill 54452,
8 - 1 p.m.
Speaker: Dr. Don Evans, Doctors Without Borders
Contact: Lola Doll lkmgdoll@aol.com
HELPING AFGHAN REFUGEES LOCALLY Our local community is working with the State Department to resettle Afghan Refugees in the Plover/Stevens Point area. Area churches and ecumenical partners, through One Big Tent and other partner organizations, are working together to assist in this effort. We are seeking volunteers from our communities of faith to serve on various teams, which will work directly to assist our new neighbors as they settle here. If you would like to support this humanitarian effort out of love and care for our global neighbors, please let the church office or Pastor Leah know. We will help you connect with a community team best suited to you area of interest in this effort. There is a list of needed items on the Greeter table in the Welcome Area, or please see the list below.
GSLC is a member of a group who will be helping an Afghan family resettle in our community. We are looking to create a list of people who are willing to help move furniture, clean/help set up the house, or have a truck or trailer to use in the moving process. If interested, please contact Lee at bendtsenlee@hotmail.com. We are also looking for volunteers to help drive the family to appointments during the day. If interested, please contact Yvonne at ychojnacki@stevenspointumc.org. We are also looking for volunteers to help tutor the family in English or help the kids with schoolwork. If interested, please contact Angie at ahauer1128@hotmail.com. We are also collecting food for the family (the list is attached), which can be dropped off at GSLC. A background check will be necessary if you are working with the family directly. Please contact Lee Bendtsen, Angie Hauer, or Angela Poth. Thank you.
FULL TO THE BRIM-EXPANSIVE CARE CREATED FOR THE COMMUNITY
During this Lenten season, we are embarking on a time to Fill to the Brim the shelves of the local Food Pantries with your assistance. More to come on while we are filling the Food Pantries, how we can fill our souls during this Lenten Season. Please consider bringing in any of the following items during lent so that we may assist the InterFaith Food Pantry, Operation Bootstrap and the Little Food pantry’s (We have one right outside the church!) Peanut Butter, Canned meat, canned fruits, Dinty Moore Beef Stew, Canned Chili, Tuna packets, Boxed meals (i.e. Hamburger Helper), Nonperishable Food for special diets, i.e. Low salt, sugar free.
Also cleaning supplies, Paper Towels, Kleenex, blankets, pillows.
Gift cards from local grocers - Metro Market, Festival Foods, WalMart – in $5, $10, $15 or $20
Any monetary donations – please place a note that you desire this donation to go to the Food Pantries.
Any and all donations are greatly appreciated!
Note: This Lenten project, supporting our local food pantries, is shared with our community by Gaye Miller, who is a GSLC member enrolled in our Synod's Lay School. She has created this Lenten project as part of her studies this semester. Thank you, Gaye!
2022 SYNOD ASSEMBLY SERVICE PROJECT This year' Synod Assembly service project will be partnering with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a non-profit committed to making sure no child has to sleep on the floor by building twin-sized bunk beds. East Central Synod of Wisconsin will be partnering with SHP in hosting a build day for 20 beds, or more to be given to local children in need of a proper place to sleep. Each bed costs approximately $250 to build, including building materials, tools, storage and delivery, and training volunteers. These are solidly build bunk beds meant to last for years. St. Andrew's in Oshkosh will be hosting the build-date tbd.
If you have any additional questions, please contact Rev. Paul Johnson at 715-201-9090 or PaulAndrewJohnson101@gmail.com for more information or to volunteer for the committee.
BLOOD DRIVE Good Shepherd is hosting a blood drive on Thursday May 19th from 1:00 – 6pm. There is an urgent need for blood donors. We have a goal of 47 donors. Blood donors can donate every 56 days. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are appreciated. You can save time at registration by doing the Rapid Pass. Go to: www.RedCross.org/RapidPass for more info. Rapid Pass can only be done on the day of the blood drive. It takes about an hour to donate. Remember to bring a photo ID and your Blood Donor card. If you don’t have a Donor card, just bring two forms of ID. We are also looking for volunteers to help on May 19th with the canteen area and registration. If you would like to help call Vicky @ 715-592-6336.
YOUTH
A CELEBRATION OF HOLY COMMUNION With joy we recognize the following youth who have participated in the Fed + Forgiven classes during Lent this year, many of whom will celebrate their first communion on Mandy Thursday. Join us in celebrating with these youth as they gather around God’s expansive table of grace! Hannah Faust
Evelyn Grabski Riley Jed Natalie King Madie Marquard Christian Naas Seraphina Naas Liam Newport Natalie Rentfrow Abby Rentfrow Eleanor Rintala Jonathan Spiegel Ben Weisgram
SAVE THE DATE FOR VBS Lava, Lava Luau - Exploring Emotions will be held, July 25th-28th, 9am-Noon. Snacks provided each day. Open to entering 4K-5th grade (fall 2022 entering school year). All denominations are welcome from our community to participate. Registration will begin in May!
ADVOCACY EVENT FOR SENIOR HIGH YOUTH
LOPPW (Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin) and our advocacy organizing team, representing the six synods in WI and the UP, invite high school youth to share their interests in social justice for a one-hour virtual gathering on April 3 at 1:00 PM (Central Time). We'll later invite youth to a follow-up meeting to discuss where to go from there. Register HERE
Youth are invited to take a brief survey of their interests and to register by using the above link. For additional information click HERE.
CARE NOTES
With Health Concerns Rosie Paulson
Dcn. Leah Maves Carolyn Somers Don Somers Jeff
Laurie Jackson's brother Eli
Pat Lila's grandson Sarah Rurup
Rachael Leystra's sister Marlene
Sue Ecklund's friend
Companion Congregation Luka Lutheran, South Africa
For Those Serving in the Military Pfc Sarah Werle
1015 Burke Drive, Apt 2
Junction City, KS 66441
For Those Enrolled in the ECSW Lay School Emily Rueth
Gaye Miller
Congratulations To Hannah Virginia Faust, daughter of Brian and Julie Faust, who will be baptized on Sunday. May Gods' blessings be upon her!
For Those Who Grieve For Bill & Gaye Miller upon the death of their son, Matt Miller, who died April 2. May God's peace enfold them with love and fill them with hope in God's promise of life.
STAYING CONNECTED
STAYING CONNECTED WITH GOOD SHEPHERD
Good Shepherd Live- Check out eflock.org/live for worship guides and links to our live-streams on FaceBook and YouTube. If you’re on facebook, be sure to join our private Facebook group to connect with one another (facebook.com/groups/gslcplover). Starting September 12th, our livestreams will be broadcast regularly at 10:30 am.
Service on TV- Our service is broadcast on channel 984 on Wednesday at 2:30pm and 9:00pm and Thursday at 11:00am.
Weekly Readings-Here is the information where you can the readings in several different ways:
1. Signup at Dailylectio.net to receive readings in your inbox.
2. Download the app to your phone or tablet.
3. get your reminders from Good Shepherd's facebook posts.
Good Shepherd’s Sunday Morning Live is now also on Youtube.We will be simultaneously live-streaming our worship services on facebook live (as usual) and on youtube (new!). You can find the links for both ateflock.org/live
Note: Commenting/Livechat will only be available on Facebook Live.
Pastoral Emergency Telephone--715-600-6115
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
GIVE + CHURCH You can now make a contribution to Good Shepherd Church online or through a mobile app!
If you have an iPhone or Android phone, you can download Give+ Church for free from the App Store or Goggle Play. Simply search for "give plus church" to quickly find and start using the app. It's easy to make one-time or recurring donations to multiple funds with your credit or debit card. You can also choose whether to donate as a guest or set up an account that allows you to securely and conveniently manage, schedule and review donations using Touch ID, PIN or password. We hope you enjoy this way to contribute to our ministry, and thank you for your support.
Thank you for your continued generosity and support of Good Shepherd's Ministries.
Mission & Ministry
March Income 2022
The ministry of Good Shepherd
happens on a daily basis.
Maintaining your giving is important.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Budget
Received
March
$30,416
$24,603
Jan-March
$87,250
$92,521
SHARING OUR FAITH DEBT REDUCTION CAMPAIGN
JULY 2019-JUNE 2022
Monies received are applied monthly to Mortgage Debt and Crossways Camping Ministry Campaign.
Pledged $203,250
Recvd thru March $ 186,585
A special thank you for your continued financial support to the ministries at Good Shepherd during these uncertain times.
