Christ, The Good Shepherd

Love in Action

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

1300 Belt Line Road Collinsville Illinois 62234

618-344-3151 (Church) 618-344-3153 (School) 618-344-3378 (Fax)
Pastors M. Walther & P. Hemenway  Vol. 33  No. 6   June  2010

 


 The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod

At 113 years, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod is the longest continuing Lutheran church body in America.  During the month of June you will have aThe Luther Rosen opportunity to learn about how this church began with just 750 German immigrants. Pastor Walther will be leading an Adult Bible class on Sunday mornings to explore the birth and growth of this group. Many aspects of our church today are influenced by past experiences. We will be exploring the reasons why the immigrants left Germany because the government was forcing them to believe and follow practices contrary to Scripture. We will examine the way the LCMS values both pastoral as well as lay leadership following the misuse of power by one of its first leaders.  Who is ultimately in charge of the church? In the 1800s the LCMS went through a painful struggle regarding the doctrine of predestination.  While very prominent in the pages of Scripture, this doctrine is often ignored today.  Beginning in the early 1900s many American church bodies slowly turned toward liberalism.  The LCMS resisted. Why?  Today many American Christians are very casual about the church and tend to be loosely connected to it. Some churches are trying to compensate by taking a casual/loose approach to worship and Bible study. Can this approach help to develop a higher level of commitment? Or should we contend directly against the trend to "casual Christianity" by maintaining a firm approach?  Come and join the discussion on Sunday mornings at 9:15 a.m.  

 

Credo in Deum Patrem...

...omnipotentem creatorem caeli et terrae (I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth).  So begins the Apostles’ Creed.  Come, join us for "Latin for Fun" on Tuesdays 7:00-8:30 beginning June 8th

Schedule:  Tuesdays, June 8 - August 3 (no class June 15, July 6)

Textbook:  Collins. A Primer of Ecclesiastical Latin. Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University Press of America, c1985. Contact the church office (344-3151) or Lyle E. Buettner (696-2649; lylebuettner@yahoo.com) if interest.

Women’s Summer Bible Study

A "Heroes of the Faith" Bible study will begin June 8 at 10 a.m. in the church basement. As you progress through the 6-session study, you will learn how God chooses ordinary people – people like you – to do His extraordinary work. While all ladies are invited to attend, we are especially encouraging those whose jobs prevent them from attending daytime studies during the school year. We will not meet on June 22 because of VBS.

Church Yard Sale

Church Yard Sale - The High School Youth attending the National Youth Gathering will be having a Yard Sale at church on June 5th. If you have boxes and smaller items to drop off for this please bring them after services Sunday May 30th or during the church office hours the week before, May 31-June 4. If you have larger items such as furniture, please call the church office ahead of time so we can make sure we have a place to store it! Receipts for tax purposes will be available from Marty upon request. Any other questions concerning the sale please call Mark Sengele at 618-401-8200. The sale hours on Saturday will be 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

Volunteer Ministries Survey

The Board of Congregational Life would like members to prayerfully consider filling out the survey to volunteer for activities in which you could participate on an as needed basis. These activities provide a means for becoming better acquainted with other members by working together with fellow Christians and by using your particular talents to serve the Lord. When an event is scheduled, you would be contacted to determine your interest and availability at that time. Put the completed survey in the box located in the narthex. Thank you.

Ben Blasingame Wins Rodland National Organ Competition

Ben Blasingame

Benton Blasingame, a sophomore at the University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music and a former Collinsville resident, won the $8,000 top prize in the John R. Rodland Memorial Scholarship Competition on Saturday, April 10, in Ridgewood, N.J.

Sponsored by the Northern New Jersey American Guild of Organists Chapter, the Rodland Scholarship is the largest and one of most competitive church music scholarships in the nation. Blasingame was one of three finalists selected from candidates throughout the United States.

The application process for the Rodland Scholarship emphasizes the candidates' personal philosophy of music in worship as expressed in an essay, and, for finalists, in an interview with representatives of the scholarship board. Performance includes playing music of Bach and one other classical composer of choice, accompanying congregational singing of a hymn, and conducting a sample choir rehearsal.

Along with Blasingame, the finalists included Ray Nagem, the $3,500 second-place winner and a master's student at the Juilliard School of Music in New York; and Thatcher Lyman, the $2,500 third-prize winner and a doctoral student at the Eastman School.

Blasingame, a 2008 graduate of the Interlochen Performing Arts Academy in Interlochen, Mich., won the high school division of the Albert Schweitzer National Organ Competition in Wethersfield, Conn., in 2007, and has performed twice on NPR's Pipedreams Live radio program.

The Collinsville native studied under Thomas Bara at the Interlochen Academy, was a senior organ scholar under John Romeri at the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica and an organist with Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Collinsville. He is the son of James and Bonnie Blasingame, of Collinsville, and the grandson of John and Carolyn Blasingame, of Granite City, and Rich and Linda Luebbert of Glen Carbon. (This story originally appeared in the April 28, 2010 edition of the Collinsville Herald.)

LUTHERAN WOMEN IN MISSION

All ladies of the church, and friends!!...............You are invited to hear Diane Gebring speak on "A Scriptural Travelogue" at our next LWML meeting on June 3rd in the Fellowship Hall. Please bring a photo you have taken on a vacation that reminds you of a "characteristic of God" (His strength, power, majesty, care, creativity, etc.) We will share them during Diane’s presentation.

Our regular meeting time is 6:45 PM, however, those who wish to participate in our mission outreach project should arrive at 6:30 PM, with a pair of scissors, to help prepare materials for Vacation Bible School.

Please note that there is no meeting in July. We will reconvene on August 5th when the Senior High Youth Group will share their experiences at the National Youth Gathering with us. You won’t want to miss how inspired our dedicated young people are from being in close fellowship with other Christian youth from all parts of our great country.

Our LWML theme for June is Serving With a Prayerful Heart! "We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work of faith, produced by your labor of love and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thess. 1:2-3)

Congregational Life

Braille Workers: 6/3 at Zion Bethalto. Meet in the church parking lot @ 8:30 a.m.

Blood Pressure Screening: 6/6 in the connecting hallway between services

Grief Share: 6/7 and 6/14 @ 5 p.m. in the Conference Room. The next session of Grief Share will then begin September 9 from 6 – 7:30 p.m..

Congregational Life Meeting: 6/14 @ 7p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. New members are always welcome!

Sunshine Corner: 6/27 Stop by the table in the narthex and sign cards for our members not able to attend church.

Sunday School Teacher’s Appreciation Sunday 6/27 Stop by your child’s Sunday School class and say thanks to these people who give of their time each week.

Lunch Bunch

On June 15 we will meet at 9:15 a. m. on the church parking lot and go to the International Center of the Lutheran Church. At 10:00 we will attend chapel. After chapel we will tour the Concordia Historical Museum and then have lunch in the cafeteria. Please call Mary Preuss (288-9525) or Kathy Bohnet (345-5086) by June 10 so we can make a reservation for you. Everyone is welcome to join in the fellowship as we support each other in our faith.

Concordia Seminary Summer Workshops

Concordia Seminary LogoConcordia Seminary is offering two Summer Workshops for you on our campus this year.

Professor Emeritus Dr. Louis Brighton will present The Johannine Epistles and the Apostle of Love. The three epistles of the beloved John encourage all who follow Christ to be an icon, a picture of Christ, as we exhibit the sacrificial love of Christ to others. We do this by reflecting the light of Christ, by resisting false Christianity, by love one another in Christ’s love to us and by showing forth the confidence of standing before God’s judgment because of our faith in Christ as our advocate before the heavenly Father. This workshop will begin on Monday, August 2, at 1 p.m. and conclude on Wednesday, August 4, at noon.

Rev. Travis Scholl, Editor of Concordia Journal, and Peter Mead of Creative Communications, will present Faith and Creative Writing. This workshop will explore various kinds of creative writing—storytelling (for "page" and "stage"), creative nonfiction, and poetry—and what it means to write in these genres as a person of faith. What role does faith play in the creative process? How is religion expressed through creativity? What makes for effective communication of faith? Questions like these will be explored through presentations, discussion, and creative exercises. Although not required, participants are encouraged to bring their own work, as well as favorite works by others. This workshop runs Monday, August 9, through Wednesday, August 11, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. each day.

Cost for each workshop is $125. Limited on campus housing is available.

Open House/Baby Shower For Jaime & Thomas Brinkmann

Have you ever shared words of parental wisdom, told stories about you or your wife’s pregnancy/delivery, guessed what sex a baby is going to be by how the expectant mother looks or walks or do you just love to attend happy events? If you answered yes to any of these then you won’t want to miss coming to Jaime and Thomas Brinkmann’s open house/baby shower. Please come join us in celebrating this big life event and share your words of wisdom and encouragement (you know we all have them, including you men) with Jaime and Thomas on Sunday, June 13th from 2-4 p.m. in the church fellowship hall.

To make your life easy the Brinkmanns are registered at Target and Babies R Us.

Jaime and Thomas have graciously asked that we share their happy time with the babies at Mosaic pregnancy center. If you are so inclined there will be a basket at the open house for: Mosaic donations such as: Onesies (Small-Medium-Large), Sleepers (S-M-L), Small Diapers, Wipes and containers, Baby shampoo and body wash, Brush and comb, Pacifiers, Formula (any kind), No Blankets (they are overloaded with all kinds of blankets)

See you there!!!!

Extreme Makeover God’s Way

Imagine feeling more energetic, more fit, and more alive than ever before! Imagine that this kind of vitality is easier to attain than you ever dreamed! Join Dr. Matt Uchtman Saturday, June 5, from 9 a.m. to noon for a seminar explaining the Five Essentials to Healthy Longevity. He will discuss nutrition, how to maximize weight loss, personalized dietary needs, how to beat aging, how to diminish stress, how to minimize exposure to toxins and how the body was designed by God to be healthy and happy. Explore God’s creation and the power you have inside of you to be well, live to 80 and beyond in good health and live out your life’s purpose! Cost is $10. Book is included.

Thank You

Thank you, to my church family for holding Dennis & me up in prayer, & for all of the visits, gifts, cards, flowers, food, words of advice, & encouragement during Dennis’ last days in this temporary home. With every loving action & every word of scripture that you shared, God had blessed Dennis, & continues to bless me, with comfort & strength. God’s promise of carrying us through difficult times was, & is, fulfilled through you, His earthly saints. God bless & keep you in His care.

- Cindy Henderson

Crossroads

Social Event – Wednesday June 2 – Shakespeare in the Park. We will meet on the steps of the Art Museum (by the horse statue) in Forest Park at 6:30 p.m. The performance will take place on the east side of Art Hill & begins at 8 p.m. admission is free. Bring chairs or blankets. Feel free to bring a picnic dinner. Kids are welcome, may not be an enjoyable event for younger ones. Potluck – come join us on June 13th for a potluck in the Fellowship Hall after late service (11:45). Deli sandwiches will be provided. Bring a side dish to share. Come join us for some fun & fellowship.

Christian Fiction Book Club

Our June book is "The Apothecary’s Daughter" by Julie Klassen. We meet at St. Louis Bread Co. at 7 p.m. on June 21. All ladies are welcome to join us.

 

VBS Logo

Help support VBS

While we ask families for a $15 suggested donation to cover our VBS expenses, many families in the community cannot make that contribution. If you would like to help support VBS with a financial contribution, donations can be placed in the VBS tin on the table in the narthex.

VBS Volunteers still needed—especially group guides! The site rotation program that we use needs one "Group Guide" for every 6 students. Many group guides are needed! Sign up in the church narthex or talk with Carol Walther for more information. Karen Hemenway is working on decorating ideas. Please sign up if you would like to be on the decorating committee.

VBS fliers - Please pick up VBS fliers with registration forms on the back to pass out to friends and to families in your neighborhood. They are available on the VBS table in the narthex.

VBS Training Meeting - Training for all VBS volunteers (especially group guides) will take place on June 19th at 9 A.M. in the fellowship hall.

It’s Happy Birthday time!!!

Once upon a time, there was a small group of people who had decided to work at making the dream of planting a new Lutheran church on the North end of Collinsville a reality.  One of those people was Lew Eckert.  This year, on June 2, Lew will be blessed with his 90th birthday!  His family requests that anyone who has memories to share, pictures to share, or well wishes to pass his way, would do so in the form of a Card Shower.  All you need to do is get or make a card with your memories and/or sentiments written inside and bring it to church here at Good Shepherd.  There will be a basket into which you can place it.  Lew can then read them at his leisure.

Thank you for bringing a smile to the face of a guy who has been bringing smiles to so many others for so long!!  And please don’t forget to say a prayer of thanks for all those who have served the Good Shepherd in their lives in order that Good Shepherd Lutheran Church might become the house of worship it is today.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Be Blessed,
Ann, Cindy, Ed and Marty Eckert.

Yarn Needed

If anyone has yarn they are not using, Carlene Wirth could use it to make blankets for layettes that LWML send in the fall. She would be glad to pick it up or you can bring to church. Call Carlene at 618-407-6854

Trivia Night

Meridian Village Trivia night, Friday, June 11 at Trinity Lutheran in Edwardsville. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Trivia begins at 6:30 p.m. More information posted.

5th & 6th grade youth

The current 5th & 6th grade youth continue to meet throughout the summer. Our June meetings will both be at church on the usual 1st and 3rd Sundays from 6-7:30. In July we will only have one activity. We will not meet on July 4th and on July 18th we will have a swim party at the home of Tom & Christy Grimm. August 1st will be our regular meeting. On August 15th we will welcome our new 5th graders into the group with a parent informational event. Children Playing

Play Dates on the Playground

Wednesday mornings this summer are play dates at the Good Shepherd playground. You don’t have to have young children to come and visit with other women. Bring a lawn chair and your own drinks and snacks. You are also welcome to pack a lunch and eat at the picnic tables. Come anytime between 9 and noon. We don’t meet the week of VBS.

 

Youth

Jr. High June Event - Come join us for a week of Vacation Bible School, June 21-25! All students finished with 7th and 8th grade are welcome to join us for VBS Jr. High style. Also, graduated 8th graders may choose to help as volunteers this year instead. Theme days include: LOST, Livin’ Large, Messy Games Day, Glow in the Dark, and Show Your Inner Crazy. Each day we will have a mini breakfast, Bible study, games, and a craft or activity to go with our theme. We will be meeting at the same time as the younger kids, 9 am to 12 p.m., & our Bible stories will reflect the same things. Make sure to register on the regular VBS forms and Jaime will send out information regarding what to bring and how to prepare for each day. Even if you can only attend for a day or two, come, learn, serve, and play!

Refuge this month - Join us for "Minute to Win It" games and activities Sunday June 6th and devotions that focus on positively coping with stress. On Sunday June 20th, come help put on your own "Glee" performance as we talk about spiritual gifts and how we can share those gifts to further the kingdom.

National Youth Gathering Activity, June 27th - Come get to know our bus buddies for the bus ride to and from New Orleans by attending the ice cream social and pool party, 1-3 p.m., hosted by St. Paul in Troy. The other group we are traveling with is Blessed Savior in O’Fallon. Bring some drinks to share, your bathing suit and towel, and they will provide the rest. Sign up on the youth board!

College/Young Adult Summer Bible study starts Sunday, June 6th; Come worship at the 10:30 a.m. service on Sundays and then stay for a free lunch and Bible study afterwards. We’ll be going through "The Truth Project" by Focus on the Family. This challenging study is part video, part discussion. Check out trailers on youtube.com by typing in The Truth Project. Families looking to support college student ministry, please consider preparing a meal for one of these Sunday Bible studies. A sign up for meals will be on the college section on the youth board. You can also talk to Jaime directly about making a meal. Thank you!

Coupon Report #7

With the help of donated coupons we have been able to donate 43 boxes of cereal and baby food items to the Stamp Out Hunger campaign sponsored by the postal workers. We have also collected over two hundred pet related items that will be donated to the humane society.

All the coupons that are donated to the church are sorted and organized – a time consuming task. The coupons are then taken to the various stores for purchases. We continue to encourage you to drop off your coupons from Sunday papers, magazines and mail. Hundreds of coupons are being redeemed and are being donated to a lot of different organizations. Together we can make a difference. If you would like to help with some of the sorting, purchasing or delivering, or if you just want to talk about couponing, please contact Debbie Jones at 344-5305. For even more details about this ministry, see the article posted on the bulletin board.

Ted Drewes Logo

Thrivent Financial

The South Madison County Chapter of Thrivent Financial will be treating those in attendance at the Carillon at the Seminary to free Ted Drewes Frozen Custard on Tuesday, June 1 at 7:00 p.m.  Come and enjoy the concert and a yummy frozen custard.

 

Notes From the Church Council - April 19, 2010 and May 17, 2010

Board of Elders - Paul Lauber; Pastors

* The Music Committee met in April to evaluate the musical aspects of worship.

* We would like to receive feedback regarding worship, and we want to educate the congregation about some of the aspects of worship.

* The circuit pastors met at Unity Lutheran School this month for an open house.

* We discussed a potential mentoring program with Lutheran pastors in South Africa.

* We have extended a call to Ms. Megan Loomis to serve as our new Youth Director and a call to Carol Walther to serve at Director of Women's and Children's Ministry (Part-Time).

Board of Christian Outreach - Bruce Cross

* We had our first full weekend of Greeters April 17/18. We are getting more volunteers.

* We are working on our website. We are taking pictures to give to the developer. We are also considering adding bandwith to our internet service.

* Discussed an article by Pastor Peters covering the history of evangelism in the LCMS. The focus of the article was that evangelism needs to be a congregational effort not something delegated to a board.

* VBS is coming up in June. This is an important outrearch event. We will be canvassing prior to the start of VBS.

* The Hymnfest is another opportunity to invite visitors.

* Greeters are doing well. We could use greeters for Saturday evening.

Metro East Lutheran High School - Tony Fuhrmann and Mike Schneider

* Enrollment is good.

* The new principal search is underway.

* Adjustments have been made to the building program and presentations are being made to the local congregations.

* We are trying to make contact with the 5th and 6th graders in order to inform them about future opportunities at MELHS.

* Good Shepherd hosted a presentation with the MELHS fund raising group. They hope to break ground for a new addition in August.

Board of Christian Dayschool - Eric Robinson & Principal Mayhew

* We are trying to plan for adjustments. Enrollment is a bit lower due to a large graduating class and a lower incoming kindergarten class. God has blessed Mrs. Sachtleben with pregnancy and will not be returning. We are considering moving some teachers around to adjust.

* Several church/school leaders will be attending a Synod sponsored Funding Academy to study different options for school funding.

* Have conducted a number of interviews for different positions including Early Childhood Director.

Board of Congregational Life - Kathy Bohnet; Lynn Cook; Pastor Hemenway

* Parish Nurse Lynn Cook continues to lead the Grief Share program successfully. She will also be attending a parish nurse conference in Mequon, Wisconsin.

* Easter food baskets were given to eight families.

* The anniversary dinner was a success with approximately 75 people. We would like to find ways to increase attendance.

* The pictorial directories are here.

Board of Stewardship - Doug Ruckman

* Motion to extend the terms for Ralph Schneider and Norm Oberdieck, passed

* In 2009 we distributed $36,236 through the Endowment Fund to various ministries for Metro Area Missions, World Missions, GSLS, Concordia Universities and Seminaries, and other various ministries.

Parish Administrator & Board of Church Property - Marty Hoffman; Bob Jones

* New parking lot lights have been installed.

* We are taking bids for resealing the parking lot. A little work needs to be done to repair the manhole covers that are sinking.

* Repairs are being made to the roof of the school rotunda.

* The lowest bid for an additional light on the back parking lot is $4,800.

* Working on cleaning schedules for the summer. This is difficult since GSLC/GSLS continues to be very active throughout the summer.

* Working on hearing impaired (infra red) audio systems. There are some problems using this system in a brightly lit room.

Youth Ministry - Jaime Brinkmann

* AGAPE Fest (Christian Bands at Greenville Fairgrounds) was a big success.

* Fund raising continues for the National Youth Gathering this summer. We still need $4,000 to cover costs for the participants. On June 5th we will have a garage sale fund raiser.

* Thirteen youth participated in the Southern Illinois District lock-in at the Edw YMCA in April. Over 100 youth attended.

* We are looking for those who can help this summer as we wait for a new youth director.

Board of Finance - Tim Evers

* We are $163/week ahead of our forcasted income. We are $266/week ahead of giving from last year.

* All boards are working on budgets, and we will present our first draft of the budget for the May meeting.

* Our current bank loan balance is $1.58 million. Our endowment loan is $0.288 million for a total of $1.87 million borrowed.

* We have reduced the principal balance $1.8 million or 55% of the original balance in the last six years. We still have 19 years left on this loan amoritization.

Church Council - Jeff Baker, President; Mary Jane Wade, Secretary; Cindy Pulvirenti, Personnel

* We discussed the youth director call process and think that it is advisable to make recommendations to the congregation to extend a divine call. The Council approved a Congregational Meeting for Sunday, May 2nd following the 10:30 a.m. service.

Financial Guideline - Our first draft was presented. Total increase is 3.5%. Giving to the Southern Illinois District/Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod is 9%. We discussed increasing this percentage to 10% over the next three years. The final Guideline will be presented for approval at the June Voter's Assembly. If anyone would like a copy of the current draft of the Financial Guideline, please call the church office.

Nominating Committee - Each board needs to find someone who will serve on the nominating committee. We also need two at large members.

Vice-Chairman Proposal - We are considering changes to the bylaws that would create "vice-chairman" positions for our boards in order to facilitate a way to train upcoming leaders.

Official Acts

Baptism (Children): Spencer Orion Nance, Owen August Schank, Benjamin Clayton Hipple, Nicholas James Brunworth, Beau Matthew Kitzmiller, Makenna Michele Waitukaitis, Lauren Julia Klaas, Mason Andrew Taylor

Baptism (Adult): Kevin Wayne Nance

Confirmation (Children): Logan Tyler Anson,

Chadwick Alan Baer, Ian Seth Bauer, Samantha Michelle Bickel, Amelia Christen Biggs, Jonathan Terrence Bohnstadt, Ryan Michael Brunton, Luke Arthur Buettner, Chad Allen Carter, James David Clements, Patrick Lee Clessa, Jordan Anthony Clover, Tyler James Clover,

Nicolas Alexander Cook, Daniel William Cunningham,

Drake Martin Evers, Mary Allison Friedman, Trey D. Hawk, Brandon Donald Johnston, Katherine Rae Kirchoff, Caroline Claire Kozak, Phillip Douglas Lorentz,

Courtney Claire Luber, Austin Daniel Mefford, Samuel Thomas Meredith, Lindsey Ranel Moore, Lila Jill Musegades, Olivia Julianne Oistad, Matthew Paul Recklein, Morgan Ann Rodgers, Rachel Lynn Schaller,

Tayler Leigh Sloan, Devin Alexander Smith, Harry Kekoa Years, Holden Scott Vinnedge, Robert Austin White, Erica Ashley Winter, Emily Elizabeth Wrigley,

Connor Franklin Zabala

Confirmation (Adult): Paul Eugene Fleming, Linda Kathryn Fleming, Kevin Wayne Nance, Stacey Lorraine Nance, Aaron James Mueller. Angela Michelle Mueller

Received Through Transfer: Monica & Joshua Reising from Trinity, Edwardsville, IL; Jonathan, Catherine Kelly & Emily Sarah Lange from Trinity, Edwardsville; Jesse, Jennifer, Joseph, Justin & Jeremy Ovall from Holy Cross, Collinsville

Profession of Faith: Richard Jones

Marriages: Douglas Michael Simms and Tracy Irene Lambert, Daniel Jay Sweet and

Steffiny Nicole Rumage

Funeral: Dr. James Fredric Strieter, Mackenzie B. Barton, Dr. Terry Martinez, Dennis Keith Henderson

Souls: 1,653                                           Comm.: 1,367

 

 

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