Good Shepherd Update Thursday June 24th, 2010

Dear Good Shepherd,

Good morning. We had a great picnic last Sunday and a pretty good turnout given that it was Father’s Day later in the summer than usual. Doug Osgood put some pictures up on his facebook site and I think I’m going to see if he will let me steal them for the website. If you have facebook, you might friend him if you’d like to see them…speaking of facebook. Good Shepherd has a facebook site as well that I try to keep updated. You can join up here.

This week’s update is largely concerned with Vacation Bible School which is coming up next month. I’m asking that every one of you give your best effort to help us reach as many kids on the south side as possible. There are a number of ways you can help, some of them listed below. Anne says that about 4 people have signed up to pray for the kids and leaders that week but we need more people to make this commitment. Prayer should be going on before, during and after VBS—asking God to bring kids to faith in his Son.

Volunteers needed to pass out VBS material: Vacation Bible School starts on July 12th. We hope to get as many kids on the south-side signed up as possible. The program is a great one that I am very excited about. It is designed to help children come to put their faith in Jesus Christ. There are so many kids in our neighborhood and many of them already like playing on and around Good Shepherd. I pray that this program will help us begin to make some inroads here with the gospel. But we need your help. The most important thing you can do right now (aside from signing up to volunteer that week) is step forward to walk door to door with information and registration forms. Door to door, person to person contact is so important in building relationships with people. We’re going to start going door to door about two Saturday’s prior to the start of VBS, Saturday the 3rd of July and we’ll continue all the way to Saturday the 10th of July.  The two Saturdays will be the biggest pushes. These kinds of things are why we are here. They are why the church exists…to bring lost people to the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ. Having ourselves been lost and found by the Lord, everyone should be willing to help with this and I look forward to your full joyful support and participation.

Volunteers needed to make VBS materials: We need some volunteers to help make materials for Vacation Bible School after the 10:30am service on Sunday July 11th. There will be a sign up sheet for this downstairs.

VBS Training For those who have already volunteered to serve during VBS, training is this Saturday from 11am to 1pm here at the church. Please be sure to be here.

Good Shepherd needs Three Leaders: Good Shepherd is in the beginning stages of a transition from a “pastoral” sized church to a “program” sized church. You can read about the difference here (please do, it is a very very helpful article), but basically, a pastoral sized church is one that is small enough for the pastor to be at the center of everything. He is the one who takes a primary role in administration, planning all events, greeting all newcomers, organizing all outreach and evangelism efforts, leading all bible studies, doing all pastoral visits…everything essentially centers on him. But when a church grows to about 150 active participants, the pastor can no longer fill all of those roles effectively and it becomes necessary for people in the congregation, lay leaders, to take ownership of many of the ministries of the church—this is called a program sized church. The transition from pastoral to program sized begins at about the time the church reaches 100 to 120 active participants. Good Shepherd has grown to that point. For that reason, if you haven’t noticed, many other leaders have stepped forward to teach bible studies, for example. We’ve had to hire a secretary to do administration, a youth minister for the youth, and a choir director for our music program.

Often what happens during the transition period is that people are so used to being a pastoral sized church that they do not step forward to lead when leadership is desperately needed and so ministries falter and the church becomes far less effective and the growth stops.

I don’t mean that people stop volunteering. People at Good Shepherd especially always volunteer to help out when needed. But a program sized church doesn’t just need volunteers, it needs leaders, people who envision ministries, plan for them and organize programs. Pastoral sized churches wait for the pastor to do all of that and then jump on board. In a program sized church, leaders with vision step forward and seek to create ministries to support and further the God given mission of the church to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

Good Shepherd is presently in dire need of visionary lay leaders in three areas: 1. Evangelism, 2. Social Outreach 3. Hospitality/integration.

We have no real evangelism committee or program at the moment and most of our efforts are randomly tied to the various events that we do. The outreach committee is full of people who are way overstretched which means that no one can take full leadership and, it also means, that our efforts are disorganized and somewhat random. We have a great hospitality program when it comes to greeting people at the door, making them feel welcome and following up during the week…but when people actually start coming to Good Shepherd, we don’t have a plan for or way of integrating people into the congregation.

I’m not asking for volunteers. These are not things you just volunteer for and I need to be very discerning about who fills these roles. I am asking you to pray that God will raise up workers for the harvest. Pray that God will call people to serve in these ways. If, in fact, you sense that God is calling you to any of these roles, please come and talk to me and we’ll pray and talk about it.

Thursday Night Bible Study: There will be Thursday night bible study tonight after the Shepherd’s Bowl at 6:30pm. We are still in John 8. All are invited.

Women’s Bible Study (from Carmen) Women’s Bible Study: We’re continuing our study of the book of Isaiah. The New Testament says that Isaiah “saw the glory of Christ, and spoke of Him” (John 12:41).  Indeed!!

Men’s Breakfast and Bible Study: The Men’s Bible Study meets at 6:30am every Friday morning for breakfast and discussion. We’ve just finished 1st and 2nd Samuel and are preparing to dive into the book of Revelation. We’ll have a discussion and overview of the entire book this friday. Chris Jones is cooking…

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. Presently this study is led by Chris Vail. It meets every Tuesday morning at 9:00am in the parish hall. A basic but comprehensive verse by verse study of the scriptures. Presently 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: Meets every Tuesday evening beginning at 6:30pm. The First Light bible study 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 exegeisis. Ife Ojetayo leads the group which is currently working its through Ephesians. All are welcome.

Prayer Shawls:The Good Shepherd Knitting group will meet on Saturday, June 26.

Team Romans: is up this week. Chris Jones is captain

Acolyte Practice: There will be acolyte practice THIS Sunday June 27th after the 10:30am service. This is the first practice in about two months and we’re getting rusty, so I am asking that all acolytes be present.

Pantry NeedsThe church food pantry is running very low which is great in one sense…people are using it…but since it has become a real source of help for those in need we need do our best to make it a reliable source. Kay Seaman has provided a list of things that are most needed:

Rice
Jam
Tuna
Soups
Hot or Cold cereal
Powdered Milk
Canned fruit or vegetables
Applesauce
Butter

This is not an exhaustive list but it is a good place to start. Staples are always helpful: breads, pasta, rice, flour etc…

Why did Jesus Have to Die? Very good stuff from John MacArthur speaking at the Ligonier Conference…all of the talks from the conference are presently being uploaded to the conference website here.

A Note about Giving: Thanks be to God that in May, through your generosity, we completely erased the $13,000.00 disparity between our budgeted and actual income. That means that at the mid-year point, we are exactly where we thought we would be. I am writing you to encourage you to continue giving with the same spirit of generosity. This is the first year for a number of years that the budget as passed includes a true tithe…money going to support the mission and ministry of the Church beyond our walls. I think, so far, we’ve discovered that it is impossible to out-give God. As we spend in accordance with his purposes and priorities, he provides. I am, again, so thankful to God for your generosity this year and look forward to the second half of the year confident that we will continue to grow in Christ and that God will add to our numbers.

Photos from the Summer Festival 2010: You can see them all here

New Bibles: We’ve placed our order for new English Standard Version bibles. You can read about the ESV here. And here is an online version.

Sermon: This Sunday’s sermon at the picnic was not recorded on video but I will have the text up for the website by tomorrow.

This Sunday’s sermon: This Sunday we’ll return to Luke 7:36-50 for part 2 of our discussion of the woman who Anointed Jesus’ feet in Nain. Here is the text

[36] One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. [37] And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, [38] and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. [39] Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” [40] And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”
[41] “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. [42] When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” [43] Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” [44] Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. [45] You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. [46] You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. [47] Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” [48] And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” [49] Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” [50] And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
(Luke 7:36-50 ESV)

And in case you missed it, here is part 1:

Christian Education: The 39 Articles...This Sunday we’ll return to our look at the 39 Articles with a discussion of article 3 which affirms the doctrine of Christ’s descent to Hades…but there is a great deal of controversy about that teaching, so there is much to discuss. I plan to get all the way through Article 5 and I’ll do my best to get there but, as usual, no promises. Here are Articles 3-5

Article III:Of the going down of Christ into Hell:As Christ died for us, and was buried, so also is it to be believed that He went down into Hell.

Article IV: Of the Resurrection of Christ: Christ did truly rise again from death, and took again His body, with flesh, bones, and all things appertaining to the perfection of man’s nature, wherefore He ascended into heaven, and there sitteth until He return to judge all men at the last day.

Article V: Of the Holy Ghost: The Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty, and glory with the Father and the Son, very and eternal God.

Well, that seems to be it for this week. I’ll see you Sunday.

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