First Sunday 'LunchBunch'- a (mostly) regular event more
GSUMC no longer collects clothing
Kindly consider to take your clothing donations elsewhere or have a charity pick up at your home.
GSUMC still collects Food Donations
We still collect to deliver to Shepherd's Table. Especially needed are BULK items of coffee, sugar, tea, rice or pasta, dried beans, ultra-large cans of fruit or vegetables. Small sizes are less useful. Y'know, actually just about any kind of bulk 'staple' food item from Costco or Sam's Club, etc., would be welcome! Also appreciated are homemade desserts, fresh fruits, bulk potatoes, butter and margarine. Contact Leilani and/or Pat McConnell at 301-445-1241 if you wish to donate fresh food items.
If you a are not on the group list, you aren't getting church emails and timely notices. If you WERE on the list but no longer get emails, it's possible your e-address got bounced for inactivity. You may have to rejoin. Send me an email asking to be (re)invited.
Desperately Seeking -- YOU!
Certified Food Handlers -- GSUMC needs one of you to become a certified food handler (per Montgomery County permitting) so that we can offer food prepared in our kitchen. We will pay your funds. In order for us to provide prepared foods (everything from hot dogs on parking lot-sales days to Church pot lucks) we MUST have a certified person on site to meet county criteria. Contact the church office if you can help us out here.
Nursery Coordinator -- We need someone to schedule nursery workers during worship every Sunday. Victor Cole did this very faithfully for a number of years but is now stepping down. Please consider to serve your Church in this capacity. See or call Pastor Joye.
GSUMC Partners with Spanish Congregation
Beginning Feb. 1, 2010, GSUMC began a new partnership with the Seventh-Day Adventist Church of Takoma Park's (SDATP) Spanish-Outreach congregation, which is approximately 50 members strong, from the Latino community. For the past few years, GSUMC has sought to diversify our missions approach as a means to increase congregation and increase revenue. Whereas, a Spanish sign board and Spanish bibles (distributed at our parking lot sales) made for interesting conversation, they didn't increase attendance. Now, following intensive negotiations regarding "shared space" operations, including to consider issues of parking, security, building use, kitchen use, disagreements, office and meeting space, insurance, and cultures, GSUMC will partner with SDATP. SDATP will mostly operate on Saturdays from 7am - Noon, 3-4 pm, and 6-9 pm, plus 9 hours parceled on Wed's and Fri evenings. Both sides have agreed to accommodate special events for the other, including weddings, yard sales, revivals, and holiday services. The Trustees and Pastor Joye were advised by a UMC outside expert on shared facilities; i.e., lessons learned and applied. The Church has signed a 5-year contract. How may this affect us? Expect a few initial snags and a "getting used to each other" period. Some schedules may change. Spanish speaking elements may be incorporated into some of the building signs and rooms. Please practice Christian virtues of patience and good will. This is our first FT venture into sharing our facility and we want to make it successful for both parties. For questions or further info. contact Pat McConnell at 301-445-1241. A reception was held Saturday, February 20, 2010 to welcome our new sister congregation. 'Bienvenidos!'
The Church Council solved a prior year's problem by using money from our endowment fund to meet our obligations. But now, the endowment fund is nearly depleted and we can no longer depend on that source to pay this year's, and future, apportionments.
One of the things we count on is for each of us to keep our promises -- in the form of annual pledges. In turn, we seek the Church for our spiritual needs as well as for our communnity work throughout God's world. I believe that if each one of us takes seriously our commitment to the work and ministry of GSUMC we will have resources to carry out that work.
So, as we move through 2012 and beyond, please keep our Church and it's ministry in prayer. Please keep our promises to pledge regularly and support that ministry. Thank you. -- Paster Joye
Gift-Giving Now Available Online!
Church members, you can now make secure payments and tithes online!
Q's? First-timers . . .
can click on this link and then click on the link under the green heading Website Payment where you can read "how to" and find FAQ's. (You do NOT need to input a User ID and Password. Those boxes are for administrative purposes only)
Ready to pay online?
'ROCK' 2012 -- was the Bal-Wash Conference annual gathering of UM youth and youth leaders held on Jan 20, 21 and 22, 2012 in Ocean City MD. 21 members of GSUMC Youth and chaperones attended and has an inspirationally-good time!!
2011 Holiday Shop at Broad Acres ES -- Once again GSUMC participated in this 'shop' where children selected gifts for their parents. (examples of gifts -- earrings, necklaces, bracelets, watches, new candles, picture frames, hats, gloves, pins, jewelry, lotions, plates, mugs, tools for dads, etc.) .
Coat Drive -- Well done, Good Shepherd! 107 coats total: 67-children and 40-adults. Coats were dontated to Broad Acres ES children and parents needing warm coats for the 2011-12 season.
Did you make your New Years' Resolutions? We Did!
2012 Goals for Good Shepherd
* To Strengthen our Christian Education Program by
-- Revitilizing our Children's Programs
-- Developing our Youth Program
-- Developing a Young Adult Bible study program
-- Growing our Adult Education program
* To increase our Ministry with those outside the Church so that all worshippers are actively
involved in outreach ministries by developing
-- At least one new on-going mission/service opportunity
-- At least four new short-term mission/service opportunities
-- At least two new mission/service opportunities that involve hands-on ministry
* Being a Church that makes, grows, and nurtures disciples of Christ so that lives are transformed
Adult Bible Study for Lent
'24 Hours That Changed the World'-- is a Lenten study for adults focusing on the last 24 hours of Jesus' life. The study utilizes a text book, a book of 40 devotional readings, and 7 DVD presentations by the text's author, John Adam Hamilton.Study will begin on Feb 12. Participants should read Mark: Chapters 14 and 15 prior to the first session. The class will meet in the Parlor at 9 am on Feb 12, 19, and 26, and March 4, 11, 18, and 25. The study will give participants an opportunity to clarify thier understanding of the purpose of Christ's suffering and death and to reflect on how it relates to each individual's call to become a disciple of Christ.
Hey!
Did You
Hear This ?
ASH Wednesday -- Feb 22 -- 7:30 pm
Service of Ashes; Service of Holy Communion; Service of Commitment
Ash Wednesday emphasizes a dual encounter; we confront our own mortality and confront the reality of our sin before God within the community of faith. In the ritual thatmarks the beginning of Lent, Christians come to the alter to have ashes placed on their foreheads -- an ancient sign of mourning -- before receiving the Holy Supper (Communion).
Tap Water is fine!
Bottled water marketers have persuaded many of us to think that only bottled water is safe, when in reality, our tap water is entirely fine , clean, and safe! When possible, let us serve pitchers of water instead of paying for bottles, and equally important, creating solid waste of the petroleum-based bottles. It is overall less wasteful, and much less costly to simply fill up at the tap. (Next, we'll tackle sodas!!)
The Church Council solved a prior year's problem by using money from our endowment fund to meet our obligations. But now, the endowment fund is nearly depleted and we can no longer depend on that source to pay this year's, and future, apportionments.
