Shepherd s Voice. September 2018 GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH FROM THE PASTOR S STUDY. The monthly parish newsletter of SOME SEPTEMBER HAPPENINGS

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1 September 2018 Shepherd s Voice The monthly parish newsletter of GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH WHAT WE BELIEVE We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, visible and invisible. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen. FROM THE PASTOR S STUDY SOME SEPTEMBER HAPPENINGS Summer is just flying by and as we approach September, before we know it, Fall will be upon us. September will prove to be a busy month for us at Good Shepherd Church and I thought I d use my column this month to update you on a few things that will be happening in our congregation. On Sunday, September 9, at our 10:00 AM service, we ll hold our annual Rally Day! At this service, our Sunday School Students will be promoted to their new classes and we ll commission our Sunday school teachers for another GREAT year of Christian education at Good Shepherd Church. In keeping with our tradition, our third graders will be presented with their very own Bibles on Rally Day. This year, we have two third graders, Skyler Hartley and Sydney Mondello, who will be presented with Bibles as a gift from their church family. At our Rally Day celebration, we ll also install and commission our new Youth Director, Mrs. Kelly Frilot. Kelly and her family have been active worshippers at Good Shepherd for several years and we are blessed to be bringing her on staff to work with our junior high and high school youth. Kelly is also on the faculty of St. Matthew the Apostle School in River Ridge. Kelly brings a fresh energy and excitement to our youth and has big plans for programming. This will all get kicked off on Saturday evening, September 15 with pizza and a movie at church. The scheduled start time is 5:30 PM and parents will be hearing more about this date from Kelly as we get closer. The youth will also be helping put together a Trunk or Treat at church on the Sunday evening before Halloween and in a few weeks, will be announcing a very special youth mission project for the month of October. Continued on page 2

2 FROM THE PASTOR S STUDY continued from page 1 Last, but certainly not least, the 10:00 AM service on September 9 will feature the music of our choir who will be returning from their summer break. We will also formally install and commission Mrs. Rinda Coleman as our new Music Director at this service. Later in September, Good Shepherd Church will be holding our annual Black and Gold party. On Sunday, September 23, we re asking all members to wear their Good Shepherd Loves Our Saints t- shirts to church. After the 10:00 AM service, we ll go next door to the fellowship hall for our Black and Gold party. Please bring a potluck dish to share as we watch our New Orleans Saints take on those Dirty Birds from Atlanta. If you need a shirt, please see Renee Graf and she ll hook you up! As in previous years, we ll be raffling off one of the large screen TVs that we watch game on that day. Raffle tickets are now available and we ask that each family take a few dozen tickets to sell to family, neighbors, co-workers, and friends. Each chance is only $5 and because all gifts, including the Grand Prize large screen TV have been generously donated, all sales profits from the $5 tickets will directly benefit the Good Shepherd Church general fund. I want to extend my personal thanks and appreciation to Sandy and Carmel Graci, and Graci Real Estate and Appraisal, LLC, for generously providing Good Shepherd Church with the large screen TV that will be raffled off at the Black and Gold party. And if you think September is busy, wait until you hear about all that s happening in October! To keep up with everything that s happening at church, make sure you subscribe to our weekly enews that comes to your box every Thursday morning, and check out our website ( and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube! Until next month, let your light shine! Until next month, let your light shine! The Reverend Randall M. Graf, Pastor SERVICES SCHEDULE FOR SEPTEMBER 2018 Sunday, September 8:30AM & 10:00 AM Sunday morning Holy Eucharist Thursday, September 6 Midweek Service of Holy Eucharist Saturday, September 11:00 AM Monthly Service of Intercessory Prayer Sunday, September 10:00 AM Rally Day Thursday, September 6:35 PM Midweek Service of Holy Eucharist Sunday, September 8:30 AM & 10:00 AM Sunday morning Worship Service Thursday, September 20 Midweek Service of Holy Eucharist Sunday, September 10:00 AM Sunday morning Worship Service (Black & Gold Sunday) Thursday, August 6:35 PM Midweek Service of Holy Eucharist Sunday, September 10:00 AM Sunday morning Worship Service (5th Sunday Celebration!) 2

3 THE ALTAR GUILD OF GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH Article and photo by D. J. Estopinal You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Matthew 23:19 Have you ever wondered how the Altar in our sanctuary stays so beautiful? How the fresh flowers appear Sunday after Sunday on the Altar? How everything there stays clean and arranged neatly? How the colored vestments on the altar gets changed and updated? You should thank ALL of the Altar Guild members. Members of the Altar Guild are servants of God, servants of God s people and servants of the liturgy. Altar Guild members do not view their work as toil or labor. They do not ask for any recognition or compensation. They consider their duties to be a joy that they receive in serving the Lord. Altar Guild members are servants of God s people as well as servants of God. One of the responsibility of Altar Guild members is reliability. The reliability of preforming their same duties, week after week, without being reminded. The Altar Guild is responsible for preparing everything on the Altar located in the sanctuary. They prepare the communion, change the altar vestments, polish the vessels that are on the Altar, remove wax from the Altar linens and the candle sticks, pick up and arrange the Altar flowers for each Sunday Church service. They press the Altar vestments and conduct many more chores. They consider the work that they do never to be a burden but is always a privilege. The Altar Guild also purchases and arranges, on and around the Altar, the Easter Lilies for Easter and the Poinsettias for Christmas. Altar Guild members in the above photograph are, from left to right; Renee Graf, Clif Frilot, Dottie Frilot, Pam Peters, Sharon Wetzel (President), Susan Schaff, Madison Graf and Stan McDonald. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Altar Guild, contact Mrs. Sharon Wetzel. 3

4 MUSICAL NOTES FROM RINDA We all have hymns that mean something special to us. My favorite hymn is not in our hymnal, and I didn't grow up with it, but it speaks to me in a very special way. My life flows on in endless song, above earth's lamentation. I hear the real, though far off hymn that hails a new creation, No storm can shake my inmost calm while to that Rock I'm clinging. Since love is Lord of heav'n and earth, how can I keep from singing? Since singing has been such an important part of my relationship to God, this accurately expresses how I feel. Each verse addresses the areas of life that are, though difficult, imminently manageable because of the presence of song from God in our lives. For the fifth Sunday in September, we are going to have a top ten favorite hymns service. Please fill out the form and they will be compiled for the reveal. I'm looking forward to learning about our congregation through their favorites! Rinda Coleman, Music Director YOUTH SUNDAY IN PICTURES Photos by D.J. Estopinal Good Shepherd Church held her annual Youth Sunday on August 12, The service included participation by our youngest members in almost all parts of worship. Pictures here include Rev. Graf offering a blessing overs students and bookbags, and two of our youth providing musical worship. 4

5 BLACK AND GOLD SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 23, 2018 Now that we moved into one of the four seasons Football Season! And with that we will have our traditional Black and Gold Sunday. We will gather in the fellowship hall for a pot luck luncheon of tailgate food to watch the game between the Saints and the Atlanta Falcons on September 23. The game starts at noon. At half time we will auction off one of the televisions we will watch the game on. Our own Sandy Graci s business, Graci Real Estate and Appraisal Services, has donated a Sharp 50 Smart Roku 1080p HDTV along with five $25 gift certificates to Carrabba s, Outback, I-HOP, Bath and Body Shop, and Wal-Mart. The raffle tickets are on sale now till the drawing for $5 each. Please not only buy some for yourself but take some to sell to your friends, and relatives. The prizes are given to help us raise funds to meet our budget. I have printed 200 tickets which is our goal to sell so please take some to sell. Mel Aucoin WOMEN S GUILD BAKE SALE SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 The Good Shepherd Women s Guild will be offering a Bake Sale before and after Sunday services on Sunday, September 9 th in the Fellowship Hall. Please support our ladies fundraising efforts by purchasing some of their sweet-to-eat-treats! The monthly Women s Guild meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 11 at 1!:00 AM. Please note this different time as members will be traveling to St. Joseph s Home to visit Ms. Joann Von Hoven and play bingo with residents. WEEKLY BIBLE STUDY AT GSC A reminder that Bible study is held every Sunday morning at 9:00 AM in the conference room. The current study is focused on the Book of Genesis. Interested participants may enter into the class on any given Sunday. All are welcome! 5

6 RALLY DAY 2018 On Sunday, September 9, 2018, Good Shepherd Church will hold our annual Rally Day! You won t want to miss this service. Our children will be promoted to their new Sunday School classes; our Sunday School teachers and Christian Education Board will be commissioned; and we ll even commission Mrs. Kelly Frilot as our new Youth Director. Our Youth Director will work with our junior high and high school youth, planning mission projects, offering Bible studies, participating in fundraisers, and putting together fun activities. The Youth Director position is able to be started thanks to a very generous donation from the LeGuluche family in memory of Mrs. June LeGuluche who served for decades as a Sunday School teacher and superintendent for Good Shepherd Church. We are extremely thankful for the generosity and thoughtfulness of the LeGuluche family! The September 9 service will also feature the start of new choir season as our adult choir returns to action under the direction of our new music director, Ms. Rinda Coleman, who will also be commissioned at this service. Please mark your calendars and make sure to join us for worship on the 9 th! DENOMINATIONAL TASKFORCE On Saturday morning, August 25, members of Good Shepherd Church gathered in the Conference room to begin the tasks of prayer and study about the future affiliation of our local church within the larger Body of Christ. Members of this taskforce include Margaret Aucoin, Mel Aucoin, Dottie Frilot, Sharon Hensley, Shawn Hotard, Don Peters, Carla Scallon, and Reverend Randall Graf. The taskforce had a good first meeting discussing various issues of church polity and theology, and have decided to conduct some self-study before returning as a group for further discussion on Saturday, September 8 at 10:30 AM. Please remember to pray for these leaders who have agreed to dedicate their time, effort, and energy to studying and praying about the future of our local church and her place in the Universal Christian Church. 6

7 GSC MEN S CLUB As was announced at a recent church service, the Men s Club plans to begin a raffle on Sunday, September 30, One hundred percent of the proceeds from this raffle will go to the purchase and construction of our new church sign. In this first raffle, we are planning on having four (4) prizes in this raffle. The prizes will be a bushel basket full of various hard liquor, a bushel basket full of various nice wines, a $ gift card to a nice restaurant and a $50.00 gift card to Wal-Mart. The price of each raffle ticket will be $2.00 each. In our coming raffle, there will be four (4) winners picked. Each winner will be able to pick what they want from the available remaining prizes listed above. All of the hard booze has already been donated for this raffle. However, we are still in need of the donation of twelve (12) NICE bottles of wine, along with a $ restaurant gift card and a $50.00 Wal-Mart gift card. If you wish to make a cash donation in order for the Men s Club to purchase one or more of the above prizes or if you purchase and donate one of the above prizes for the raffle, please see D. J. Estopinal. The Men s Club would very much appreciate any and all donations. Remember, ALL money from the sales of these raffle tickets will go 100 % to our new church sign project. A reminder to all the men of Good Shepherd Church, our next Men s Club meeting will be on Monday, September 10 at 6:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall, Classroom No. 1. We will be enjoying Mo s Pizza for dinner thanks to Clif Frilot. Please plan to join us! God Bless! D.J. Estopninal, President GSC Men s Club The GSC Men s Club recently placed this sign in the narthex of the church to chart the progress of their fundraising for the new Good Shepherd Church sign. 7

8 JASPER the CHURCHMOUSE says The other day, I snuck out the front door of the church and something seemed odd and out of place. I just could not put my paw on it. I just knew something was different but I did not know what. I wonder if you ve noticed anything different in the parking lot? Curious as a church mouse, I kept looking for several minutes and I came to realize that the handicapped parking spot indicators, which are painted on the black top of the parking lot, appeared to be freshly painted bright blue and white. I looked around the parking lot a little more and noticed that some of the yellow lines, which indicate the individual parking spots, were freshly painted bright yellow. It appeared that someone or some company had put a fresh coat of paint on the parking spot line indicators on the black top of the parking lot. It was clear to me, whoever was restriping the parking lot spots was doing an excellent job! Since I m usually in the Conference Room during church council meetings, (you d be surprise how many crumbs those folks drop on the floor!), I would have known if money had been approved for a company to restripe the parking lot. But to my knowledge, no money had been approved by the church council for that project. One Tuesday afternoon, a meeting was ending between Council Member DJ Estopnial and Rev. Graf, and as The Rev walked Mr. D.J. to his truck, I overheard him mention to the pastor Hey, this parking lot is looking different! Rev. Graf informed him that on a recent Sunday, as he was leaving the church after conducting the Sunday morning church service, he had observed Mr. Mel Aucoin, in his work clothes, painting the stripes on the parking lot in the heat. Of course, who else but Mr. Mel would take on such a huge project by himself, without asking for assistance. Without notifying anyone, Mr. Mel purchased, with his own money, all of the tools and paint needed to restripe the parking lot. Job well done Mel! The parking lot looks great!.with Love of the Best Kind, I am Jasper Good Shepherd Church 5122 West Esplanade Ave Metairie, LA The Rev. Dr. Randall M. Graf, Pastor Sunday Services 10:00 AM every Sunday 8:30 AM 1 st & 3 rd Sundays Midweek Services 6:35 PM Thursdays Intercessory Prayer 11:00 AM 2 nd Saturday of the month 8