GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH 4201 Stoudt’s Ferry Bridge Road Muhlenberg Township, Reading, PA 19605 Telephone 610-926-4201 Pastor Thomas Reinsel. Interim email:

Number 11 November 2015

Dear members of Good Shepherd

Thank you so much for your warm and friendly greeting. You all have been not only helpful, but so much about ministries at Good Shepherd. I am making every effort to be part of all of the activities that make us a congregation. The first Sunday “meet & greet” was much appreciated, for I was able to talk with many of you. The Saturday Breakfast also allowed me many opportunities to chat.

Pastor’s letter pg. 1 Worship Highlights pg. 2 Preschool pg. 3 Stewardship pg. 4 Worship & Music pg. 5 Women of the ELCA pg. 6 Youth Ministries pg. 7-10 West Berks Mission pg. 11 Prayer Garden pg. 11 AYCE Breakfast pg. 11

As our two weeks together have progressed, I have come to appreciate our High School young people at Good Shepherd. Seeing a good number of them in worship and assisting in many activities has been terrific. Our Sunday Church School attendance this morning had our Rally Day Tent full of laughter, excitement and moments of reflection.

Also to Staff & volunteers, the Church Council, I need to say a “Thank you”. My many questions have been explained and answers found. How wonderful to be met every morning with seventy-five children going to school and coming to our Preschool. One can live with a smile every day, all those “High Fives”.

So God’s peace be with you all, I look forward to greeting each of you, as we worship and work together.

Pastor Tom

WORSHIP HIGHLIGHTS

Sunday, November 1st – All Saints Day: Of all three years of the lectionary cycle, this year’s All Saints readings have the most tears. Isaiah and Revelation look forward to the day when God will wipe away all tears; in John’s gospel, Jesus weeps along with Mary and all the gathered mourners before he demonstrates his power over death. On All Saints Day we celebrate the victory won for all the faithful dead, but we grieve for our beloved dead as well, knowing that God honors our tears. We bring our grief to the table and find there a foretaste of Isaiah’s feast to come. The readings for this Sunday are: Isaiah 25:6-9; Psalm 24; Revelation 21:1-6a; John 11:32-44. Holy Communion will be served at 8:15am & 10:30am. We will also remember those who have passed on to their new life in Christ.

Sunday, November 8th - Widows are visible everywhere in today’s readings. Jesus denounces those scribes who pray impressive prayers but devour widows’ houses. He commends the poor widow who in his view gave far more than the major donors. Jesus doesn’t see her simply as an object of compassion or charity. She, like the widow of Zarephath who shares her last bit of food with Elijah, does something of great importance. The readings for this Sunday are: 1 Kings 17:8-16; Psalm 146; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44.

Sunday, November 15th - November begins with All Saints Day and ends in or near Advent, when we anticipate Christ’s coming again. So the readings today tell of the final resurrection and the end time. In the turmoil of hope, fear, and disbelief that these predictions provoke in us, Hebrews sounds a note of confident trust. Christ makes a way for us where there is no way, and we walk it confidently, our hearts and bodies washed in baptismal water, trusting the one who has promised. The more we see the last day approaching, the more important it is to meet together to provoke one another to love. The readings for this Sunday are: Daniel 12:1-3;

Psalm 16; Hebrews 10:11-14 [15-18] 19-25; Mark 13:1-8. This Sunday we will celebrate our commitment to the mission of Good Shepherd. Please have your Time & Talents sheet & Pledge card ready to present at the Altar.

Sunday, November 22nd - Even after Israel had experienced the vagaries of kings, they still longed for a true king to set things right. He would have the king’s title of Anointed One (Messiah); he would be the “one like a human being” (Son of Man) given dominion in Daniel’s vision. Jesus is given these titles, even though he is nothing like an earthly king. His authority comes from the truth to which he bears witness, and those who recognize the truth voluntarily listen to him. We look forward to the day he is given dominion, knowing his victory will be the nonviolent victory of love. The readings for this Sunday are: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; Psalm 93; Revelation 1:4b-8; John 18:33-37. We will be celebrating Thankoffering Sunday today with a special speaker from Diakon. It is also Christ the King Sunday.

Sunday, November 29th - Advent is about the “coming days.” God’s people have always lived in great expectation, but that expectation finds specific, repeated enunciation in the texts appointed for these four weeks. The ancients anticipated a “righteous Branch to spring up for David.” The Thessalonians awaited “the coming of our Lord Jesus with all the saints.” Our Lord’s contemporaries hoped for the time “to stand before the Son of Man.” With them we eagerly await the coming days: another Christmas celebration, a second coming, and the advent of our Lord in word and supper. The readings for this Sunday are: Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalm 25:1-10; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; Luke 21:25-36. Come join us for our Advent Breakfast from 8-10am and then for Holy Communion on the first Sunday in Advent.

GOOD SHEPHERD PRESCHOOL

Preshool is moving right along as we explore and learn!! We have had some extra special days including a field trip to Angora Fruit Farm (an environmental educational center of Berks County). We also visited the Goodwill Fire Company and, of course, enjoyed a Halloween Party. We are now learning about the first Thanksgiving and getting ready for our own Thanksgiving Feast.

We still have a few openings in our Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning classes for our four and five year olds. In addition, there are several openings in our Tuesday-Thursday classes for our three and four year olds. We will register anyone at any time of the year if we have openings. So if you know of anyone who might be interested in placing his/her child in our school, please have that person call Diane Rothenberger at 610-926-0274 or email

Remember, if you shop at the Giant, you can register your Bonus Card with our school to earn Giant APlus rewards for us. If you need information about this, please contact Diane at the addresses above. Thanks.

A SIMPLE WAY TO HELP OUR PRESCHOOL

Giant Markets is once again running its School Rewards program through March 17, 2016.The preschool is saving money along with Kids Korner and Summer Camp for a new floor in the multi-ministry room. You can help with that project by using your Giant Bonus card when shopping at the Giant.

If you registered your card last year, you need not do a thing more right now except use it when you shop.

If you have not yet registered for this program, there are two ways to do that. You can call the A+ hotline at 888-448-4642 for assistance (have your card handy) or you can go online at www.giantfoodstores.com/aplus to designate Good Shepherd Lutheran Preschool as your choice to receive a bonus.

If you have friends or relatives who have not designated a school, please ask them to choose Good Shepherd Preschool for their card and their purchases will also benefit us.

At the end of the program, our preschool will receive a check for the amount of points earned and we will be that much closer to a new floor!

Thanks for your help.

MARGHERITAS FUND RAISER

Please don’t forget to use your coupons for Margheritas Restaurant during the months of Nov. and Dec. There is a new sheet enclosed with this newsletter. Please hand your coupon (both parts) to your server & she will fill it in & give you the half back which needs to be returned to the church. If we do not get this half back, we do not get paid for it. The two halves will be matched up with Mario & then we get paid. You’ve got to eat anyway, right?

COMMITMENT SUNDAY

Every member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church needs to be present for worship on Sunday, Nov. 15th at 10:30 a.m. At this service, each of us will have the opportunity to offer to God our commitment of time and abilities and offerings for the year 2016.

The Stewardship Committee invites and encourages each of you to pray about this matter and honestly ask yourself if you are giving God your very best in time, talent and treasure. This can lead to some deep questions, for example, what aspects of your lifestyle might you change to be a better steward? Or is there not some place in the congregation’s variety of ministries you can “plug in” to add your wisdom and energy to the total life of God’s people in this place?

Give the matter of stewardship some serious thought and prayer before the 8th and then come prepared to present your commitment to the Lord in joy and gratitude for all that God does for you, from supplying your daily needs to giving you the hope of eternal life and everything in between. A special thank you to all who participated in the Oct. 25th Fall Stewardship Event.

The Stewardship Committee

NOVEMBER JINGLE OFFERING

On Nov. 15th, the Jingle Offering for the month will be received.

This month it will be given to the Children’s Home of Reading. The ministry of the Children’s Home is familiar to many of us. Not only does it provide a school environment for the residents, but it also provides as nearly as it can duplicate a home environment. The children who live there are, for the most part, from families with some type of dysfunctional issue. Sometimes, the best way to deal with those issues is to place the children or youth in a different environment while the issue(s) in the home are dealt with by a counselor or social worker. The goal is always to return the child or youth to the home environment as soon as possible, with the hope that the return will be to a better environment than what was left upon initial placement in the home. Your support of this effort through the Jingle Offering is most appreciated. Thank you.

WORSHIP AND MUSIC NOTES

Lots of different worship experiences are planned for the month of November.

All Saints’ Sunday falls on All Saints’ Day this year (Nov. 1). On this day we remember with thanksgiving to God all those believers who have gone before us throughout the ages, especially those members of our congregation who have passed on to eternal life with Christ in the past year. Communion services will be celebrated that day at 8:15 and 10:30 a.m.

On Nov. 15th we will celebrate Commitment Sunday. Please come prepared to offer to God your Time, Talent and Financial Commitment card for the year 2016.

Christ the King Sunday, the last Sunday of the Church Year, will be observed on Nov. 22nd. On that day, the Women of the ELCA will lead the service as we celebrate the annual Thankoffering Sunday. (See the WELCA article for details of that day.)

Thanksgiving Eve service this year will be held at Good Shepherd UCC on Nov. 25th at 7:30 p.m. This is the one opportunity we have during the year to join with our sister congregation in worship. Please make every effort to attend as we give thanks to God for all his blessings.

November worship wraps with the First Sunday of Advent on the 29th. That day will feature an Advent breakfast followed by a service of Holy Communion at 10:30 a.m.

Highlighting one part of this schedule, namely Nov. 15th, we want to give you an overview of the volunteer opportunities that are associated with our worship life. We sincerely hope that you will consider how you can be involved in this, as it is the primary way our congregational family gathers each week to give God praise and glory. There are many possible ways you can be involved. Here is a list, with a brief description of the duties, and a contact person to ask for more information if you need it.

+Communion Assistants-one to three persons are needed to distribute the bread and wine during each communion service. Contact Betty Nelson.

+Altar Guild-help prepare the sanctuary for each worship service and clean up after each service. Contact Betty Ledig.

+Choirs/Music Program-this includes the Handbell, cherub, and senior choirs. There are also opportunities for soloists and instrumentalists. Contact Gloria Pegg.

+Greeters-greeters welcome people as they enter the sanctuary. Contact Susan Walters.

+Readers-one person per service is needed to read the first lesson, lead the psalm, and read the second lesson. Contact Kathy Bobeck.

+Ushers-ushers are organized into teams of four to six persons. They assist worshippers as they enter the building, collect the offering, and guide worshippers to the altar area at communion. Contact Garry Forrer.

Thank you for doing your part to make our worship life fulfilling for all of us.

FINANCIAL NEWS

Faced with the financial uncertainties of our upcoming time of transition, our congregation cannot afford to fall way behind projected giving, thus incurring higher line of credit borrowing. Please give faithfully throughout this crucial time. If you miss a Sunday of worship, please be sure to make up what you would have given. Giving above and beyond your usual giving would be appreciated too. Let’s not let a financial shortfall get out of hand. YOUR help would be greatly appreciated!