November 6

Beloved of Good Shepherd Church,

Grace to you and peace in Jesus Christ our Lord!

We are here to grow spiritually. Our core purpose as human beings is to grow in love with God and each other. As we grow spiritually our delight at simply being alive on this planet increases, and we come to know what Jesus meant when he said, “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” It’s all for joy!

At Good Shepherd we are gardening for growth. Our aim is to nurture an environment at our church and school where people of all ages can meet God, follow Jesus, and grow in love, so that we might all live joyful lives. Practices that invigorate growth are prayer, service, formation, and giving. 

Prayer is an active relationship with God. When we worship and pray together we grow spiritually.

Service is an outward expression of one’s inner transformation in the form of helpful service to another. When we serve together we grow spiritually. 

Formation is study that leads to a deeper understanding of the spiritual path. When we study together we grow spiritually.

Giving is offering some measure of our resources to God through the ministry of the church in gratitude for the gift of life. We believe that giving is a vital part of the spiritual journey. Not only is it an expression of gratitude, it is also a way to give up control. When we put some measure of our treasure out of our control by giving it away, we grow spiritually. Financial giving is not only a way to support the ministry of the church it is also a way to foster greater trust in and dependence on God. When I give money away I am essentially saying, God, I am letting go of control of this portion of my resources, and giving up control mysteriously draws me closer to you. When we give, we grow spiritually.

This Sunday we will focus on giving as a vital part of the spiritual journey as we celebrate Commitment Sunday. Each of us will receive two pledge cards during worship. After the sermon we will get the opportunity to fill out our pledge cards in silence and bring them to the altar as an offering to God through the ministry of the church. One pledge card is for our Annual Mission and Ministry Budget, and the other pledge card is for our Building Together Capital Campaign which will fund the construction of our new parish hall. If you can pledge to both campaigns - that’s wonderful! Thank you! If you can pledge to one campaign - that’s wonderful! Thank you! We ask that if you need to choose one, pledge to the Annual Budget.

You are invited to a celebratory catered lunch after the 10:00 a.m. worship service this Sunday at Ashland Elementary School. Please come join us! All are welcome! RSVP HERE.

Remember this always - God loves you, and I love you too!

Love is all,

Hendree+