Good Shepherd Update Thursday August 26th, 2010

Dear Good Shepherd,

Good morning, here’s this week’s Update…be sure to read carefully

Mission Groups: The current start date for mission groups is the week of October 3rd. That’s a little over a month from now. When we first started discussing the possibility last year we were looking for some way to get people connected to each other and engaged with scripture that went beyond a straight up bible study or class. Since that time the original concept of small bible study groups has grown to include a mission component so that not only will each group spend weekly time studying the bible and praying together but they will also work together to answer the Lord’s call to serve and make disciples.

The purpose of mission groups is, if you remember, is: to extend the kingdom of God by planting small mission groups in neighborhoods throughout Binghamton committed to deepening their own faith and to neighborhood transformation.

As time has passed and the planning has become more concrete some have wondered why we’re taking this step. I was planning to write a long article answering some of the questions I’ve received but then I found the following article on small groups published on the Christianity Today website and thought that much of what I was planning to write has already been written. Here’s an excerpt, but please be sure to read the entire thing:

...God wired us for community. At the very beginning of the story he made humans in HIS IMAGE, which means we are created in the image of the God who lives perpetually in community as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We have a void in our lives that only can be filled through human relationships. God made us that way.”

So if Biblical community started with three, that model prepares the way for group life in a church, whether that church has a membership of 75 or 750 or 7500. After all, isn’t a major goal of small groups to give people connection points so they don’t feel so alone and isolated in this broken world in which we live? Small-group life allows for a refocusing of relationships, drawing people into greater spiritual intimacy with one another and with God as they seek to know him, love him and serve him.

So maybe you’ve been thinking about starting a small-group ministry in your smaller church, but what you’re hearing is:

Why do we need small groups? We’ve all known each other for years.

Small groups? That’s for those mega-churches that want t create a small-church feel. We’ve already got that here.

Who are you going to put me with? Brenda talks too much. Sarah argues too much. Rebecca preaches too much, and Jeannie cries too much. I don’t need that in my life.

We’ve gotten along fine without small groups so far. Why should we bother?

The bottom line is that, as the body of Christ, we should bother because “sin demands to have us by ourselves because when we’re alone, it has power over us,” quoting Greg Bowman. When we’re alone, we’re vulnerable and open to the temptation to walk (or run sprinting in the other direction) away from God…more

Painted Trim: In an effort to lighten the darkness of the parish hall, the formerly dark brown trim has been painted white around the windows and doors which adds some much needed brightness. Thank you to Chris Vail for a great job.

Budget update: August has been a slow month in finances which is expected in late summer but still not fun. In particular we are lagging behind in Capital Campaign contributions. It’s been my prayer that God would grant us the necessary resources to completely pay off our mortgage by the time it is refinanced. That means we need about $300,000.00 in the next four years. God is great. He owns all of the resources that exist on earth. It’s just a matter of his determining to send some of those our way. That’s my prayer. Being free of our mortgage would mean that we’d be able to do so much more in the community and in our own congregation to proclaim the gospel, raise up disciples, and help those in need.  If you have already pledged to the Capital Campaign, please pray that God will provide what is needed to pay of the mortgage. If have not pledged to the Capital Campaign fund, please prayerfully consider doing so.

Acolytes: The next practice is Sunday September 26th, after the 10:30am service. Please be sure to be there.

Mission Sunday is coming up: Good Shepherd has celebrated Mission Sunday every year on the Sunday after Labor Day for the last 5 years. Before that Mission Sunday was called “Ingathering Sunday” which is when people came back to church after taking a summer off. But since we no longer take summers off we’ve changed the name of the day to reflect the fact that the fall is a great time to initiate new missions and celebrate ongoing ones. This coming mission Sunday we’ll focus on the new mission groups that will be launched on the week of October 3rd and we’ll look at some of the things God has done through the various missions and churches we’ve funded this year.

Thursday Night Bible Study: We’ll move into chapter 12 tonight. This bible study starts at 6:30pm and meets downstairs in the parish hall.

Men’s Breakfast and Bible Study: The Men’s Bible Study meets at 6:30am every Friday morning for breakfast and discussion. We’re in chapter 3 of Revelations and will look at the church in Laodicea this Friday. Chris Jones is cooking.

Women’s Bible Study: Women’s bible study will be meeting this Saturday at 10am in the parish hall and continue working through Isaiah.

Tuesday Morning Bible Study. This is Good Shepherd’s first Bible study. It began 8 years ago and all the other Bible studies grew out of it. This study is led by Chris Vail. It meets every Tuesday morning at 9:00am in the parish hall. Currently this group is working through Acts in an effort to piece together Paul’s missionary journeys before turning to his Letter to the Romans. Ultimately, this group will work through all of the New Testament epistles and letters. All are welcome!

First Light Bible Study: This group meets every Tuesday evening at 6:30pm and is designed for intermediate and advanced students of Scripture. The group takes the time necessary to delve as deeply as possible into the text, learning the art and science of biblical exegesis. Ife Ojetayo leads the group which is currently working its through Acts. All are welcome.

The Last Things: The men’s bible study is in the very beginning stages of a study of Revelation and already we’re running into some of the most difficult and unresolved questions of the Christian faith—how to interpret the prophesies relating to the return of Christ, the rapture, the tribulation, the final judgment and the millennium. For a great discussion and an informative, friendly debate between very solid pastors and scholars who take different positions on these questions, the 2 hour roundtable discussion below is without equal:

How Can God Allow Suffering?: This short video (about 4 minutes) by Dr. DA Carson gives a well thought out biblical answer to that question

How can God allow suffering and evil in the world? from A Passion for Life on Vimeo.

Team Philippians: is up this week. Lee Bronson is captain. His number is in the directory if you need it.

Sunday School (Catechesis) Work Day: (from Anne): Good Shepherd’s Sunday School program for children aged 3 to 9 is called Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS). CGS is a hand’s on tactile way of introducing young children to Jesus, the Bible and some of elements of worship. This past Sunday SO Many of you stayed to help me make many of the materials we need for the program. THANK YOU! I’m so delighted with how much progress was made and the beautiful work that you all did. THIS Sunday, August 29, I will have everything set out again after the 10:30 service for those of you who wanted to finish your project. Later in the year, after I’ve been able to organize and set up the rooms for the start of the Sunday School year, I will probably have another work day. In the meantime, Thank You so much to everyone who stayed. I hope many of you will take the time to stop and see what beautiful things the children will be working with this year.

Church telephone number (final notice): Just a reminder that at the end of the year, the 773-4810 number will no longer be in service. The primary church number is 723-8032 and will be the exclusive number after December of this year.

Betty Cancielleri: About a month ago Betty, a long time member of Good Shepherd, fell and broke her hip. She has been in and out of the hospital since that time and is presently recuperating in Good Shepherd Fairview home. Betty is turning 85 this Sunday and there will be a party for her at Good Shepherd Fairview beginning at 1pm and lasting until 3pm. The party is open to any who wish to stop by.

Last Sunday’s sermon, Last week’s sermon: “When God says ‘No’” was the fourth sermon in a series on prayer based on Luke 11:1-13. You may read the text of the sermon here and watch it below. The entire series is available here.

This Sunday’s Sermon: This Sunday we’ll finish the series with a look at the final three petitions of the Lord’s prayer in Luke 11:3-4

[3] Give us each day our daily bread, [4] and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.  And lead us not into temptation.”  (Luke 11:2-4 ESV)

Christian Education: The Thirty Nine Articles:  Last week we started to discuss the doctrine of Justification as articulated in Article 11 of the 39 Articles. This Sunday we’ll continue that discussion with a look at the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25 which some believe teaches that works play an important role in our justification. What role, if any, do works play in our salvation? We’ll discuss that question and more this Sunday. Below are articles 11 and 12:

XI. Of the Justification of Man.
We are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith, and not for our own works or deservings. Wherefore, that we are justified by Faith only, is a most wholesome Doctrine, and very full of comfort, as more largely is expressed in the Homily of Justification.

XII. Of Good Works.
Albeit that Good Works, which are the fruits of Faith, and follow after Justification, cannot put away our sins, and endure the severity of God’s judgment; yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, and do spring out necessarily of a true and lively Faith insomuch that by them a lively Faith may be as evidently known as a tree discerned by the fruit.

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