PASTOR S MESSSAGE OUR MISSION:

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1 April 2018 OUR MISSION: To share the Good News of God s grace through worshiping, teaching, and reaching out to all in need of God s love. In this issue: Pastor Steve's Note Senior Shepherd News Spring Fling Birthdays/Prayers Health News Easter Picture Page Thank You! Deacon Installation April Worship Assistants FebruaryFinancials Plarn Invitation Help Wanted April Calendar PASTOR S MESSSAGE Even if allergies are full blown right now, I still love the spring; new life, green grass, buds on trees, and flowers in bloom. Oh, the wonderful things that Mother Nature does this time of year! Speaking of wonderful things: What about the wonderful things Good Shepherd does? Sunday morning worship, Christian education, supporting each other in prayer - just to name a few. and what about the many additional wonderful things Good Shepherd is a part of because we have partners in ministry. We belong to the West Milton Council of Churches, Lutheran Saints In Ministry, The Southern Ohio Synod, and the Evangelical Lutheran church in America. Things like the F.I.S.H. food pantry, joint worship services, the Amazing Grace day camp, and Augusta Victoria hospital in Jerusalem - again, just to name a few. We are part of all these wonderful ministries because we have partners in ministry. We do many wonderful things by ourselves but in addition we do many more wonderful things because we have partners in ministry. Thanks be to God! Blessings, Pastor Steve

2 SENIOR SHEPHERD S NEWS Senior Shepherds Mr. Cummings' portrayal of Mark Twain was both entertaining and educational. Next Meeting: Spring Fling! April 24, 1 p.m. The Senior Shepherds are inviting the community seniors to our 2018 Spring Fling to be held April 24 beginning at 1 p.m. The Milton Union High School Center Stage Show Choir will be the featured entertainment at 1 p.m. Desserts will be enjoyed following the performance. If you can bring a dessert and have not already volunteered, please inform Marsha Fischbach. The event will end with Bingo! Mark your calendar and tell your friends! Delicious refreshments were provided by Susan Landis. Thank You, Susan! March 2018 Meeting Highlights The Senior Shepherds and friends were honored by a visit from a famous guest at the March 27 meeting. Introduced by Betty Lou Johansen and dressed in his immaculate white suit, Mark Twain (aka David Cummings) entertained the group with the story of his life including his travel adventures, his marriage and children and his writings. His most famous books were Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Many of his writings were unpublished at the time of his death and are being published now. LWR Lenten Project A total of 480 Personal Care Kits have been donated from Good Shepherd which includes 81 kits packed on Thursday, March 15, and blessed at the worship service March 18. This was the sixth year for this project which helps meet the needs of many, many people.. Thank You to everyone who helps with this project!

3 Senior Citizens of Union Township JOIN US FOR OUR TUES. APRIL 24 1:00 p.m. Featuring Entertainment by: CENTER STAGE (M-U High School Show Choir) Followed by: A Dessert Bar and Bingo Where: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church 1209 S. Miami St. West Milton, OH Phone: Hosted by: The Senior Shepherds

4 If your birthday or anniversary is not listed, please send the information to Kathryn at the church office. APRIL BIRTHDAYS 2 Gloria Shellhammer 18 Toby Theis 6 Rose Ely 19 Kristine Dick 9 Tom Frye 23 Rob Williams 11 Anna Vagedes 24 Matt Grile 14 Matt Barker 15 Bob Mason APRIL ANNIVERSARIES 16 Brian & Breanna Ely 23 Jeff & Jodi Barth REMEMBER IN PRAYER Susan Baker Complications of diabetes Judy Gardner Health issues Mary Dillon Various health issues Rich Donohoo COPD Pr. Dick Faust Cancer Allen Rogers Various health issues Ron Smith Cancer Al Conn Various health issues Donna Plunkett Cancer Ron Smith Cancer Milo Strozensky Recovering from knee surgery Contact Betty Lou Johansen at or jlbljohan@aol.com or Ann Siler at or rsiler@woh.rr.com for prayer requests.

5 The Gift of Life Living and End of Life Organ Donation Donation and Transplantation FAQs 2018 April is National Donate Life Month (NDLM). What is it? A month to celebrate those who have received transplants, to recognize those who continue to wait, to honor donors and donor families, and to thank registered donors for giving hope. Who can be a donor? People of all ages and medical histories should consider themselves potential deceased donors. Your medical condition at the time of death will determine what organs and tissue can be donated. Living donors should be in good overall physical and mental health and older than 18 years of age. Some medical conditions could prevent an individual from being a living donor. Transplant programs complete a full patient evaluation to protect both living donor and recipient health and safety. Does registering as a donor change my patient care? Doctors work hard to save every patient s life, but sometimes there is a complete and irreversible loss of brain function. The patient is declared clinically and legally dead. Only then is donation an option. Does my religion support organ, eye and tissue donation? All major religions support donation as a final act of compassion and generosity. Is there a cost to be an organ, eye and tissue donor? There is no cost to the donor s family or estate for donation. The donor family pays only for medical expenses before death and costs associated with funeral arrangements. Does my social and/or financial status play any part in whether or not I will receive an organ if I ever need one? No. A national system matches available organs from the donor with people on the waiting list based on blood type, body size, how sick they are, donor distance, tissue type and time on the list. Race, income, gender, celebrity and social status are never considered. Why should I register my decision to be a donor? Transplantation is one of the most remarkable success stories in the history of medicine. It offers patients a new chance at healthy, productive and normal lives, and returns them to their families, friends and communities. The vast majority of Americans support donation as an opportunity to give life and health to others. Unfortunately, many people overlook the important step of registering as a donor. Donors are often people who die suddenly and unexpectedly. Their families are then faced with making the decision at a time of shock and grief. Registering relieves your family of this burden and serves as a gift to them, as well as to the grateful recipients of your donation. continued on next page

6 In 2016, more than 33,600 transplants brought renewed life to patients and their families and communities (from 9,900 deceased and 5,900 living donors). More than 116,000 men, women and children await lifesaving organ transplants. About 58% of patients awaiting lifesaving transplants are minorities. Another person is added to the nation s organ transplant waiting list every 10 minutes. Sadly, 8,000 people die each year (22 people each day almost one person each hour) because the organs they need are not donated in time. 80% of patients on the waiting list are waiting for a kidney. The average waiting time for a kidney from a deceased donor is 3 to 5 years. A kidney from a living donor offers patients an alternative to years of dialysis and time on the national transplant waiting list (the living donor s remaining kidney will enlarge, doing the work of two healthy kidneys). 12% of patients waiting are in need of a liver. Living donation of part of the liver can help these patients (the remaining portion of the donor liver will regenerate and regain full function). Nearly one-third of all deceased donors are age 50 or older; more than 7% are age 65 or older. Each year, there are approximately 30,000 tissue donors and more than 1.75 million tissue transplants; the surgical need for donated tissue is steadily rising. A single tissue donor can help more than 75 people. 48,000 patients have their sight restored through corneal transplants each year. More than 138 million people, approximately 56% of the U.S. adult population, are registered organ, eye and tissue donors.* * Living donation is not included in a donor registration. Data from the Donate Life America Quarterly Donor Designation Report and the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) as of January 1, To register your decision to be a donor, please visit RegisterMe.org. ***For more information about organ, eye, tissue and living donation, please visit DonateLife.net. Be sure to share you decision to become a donor with your family and friends, your primary health care provider and your pastors. Beth Ewing, RN, MSN, CNM, WHNP-BC

7 EASTER MORNING

8 Dear Good Shepherd Family, Thank you so much for your love and support these past few weeks. Mom loved each and everyone of you! and her church! Special thanks to Alicia and Sharon for the beautiful music and to the ladies who provided a fantastic lunch wow! Pastor Steve-thanks for your guidance and thoughtful service. The church looked radiant! So beautiful and full of light Mom would have been pleased. Love, Mary Ellen Valentino and Allen Stitz We want to thank all of you for your kindness and keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. Jose & Lynne Lopez You are invited to attend the Commissioning Service For Nancy Trimble Sunday, April 15, :00 pm At Abiding Christ Lutheran Church Bishop Suzanne Dillahunt will be installing Nancy Trimble as a Deacon of the Lutheran Saints in Ministry. Reception to follow in Meister Hall.

9 SERVING IN APRIL ACOLYTE LECTOR ALTAR GUILD 1 Kendall Leffew 2 Toby Theis Debbie Bredeson 8 Carter Tinnerman 8 Toby Theis 15 Rosalyn Welhener 15 Jeff Barth 22 Dawson Tinnerman 22 Jeff Barth 29 Kendall Leffew 29 Jeff Barth USHER CAPTAIN FLOWERS SOUND 1 Brian Ely 1 Steve & Lori Gellatly Rusty Baker 8 Jarrett Grile 8 Brian & Breanna Ely 15 Dave Vagedes 15 David Hayes 22 George Franks 22 Gary & Kathryn Grisso 29 George Franks 29 Jeff & Jodi Barth GREETERS NURSERY 1 Shirley Fourman 1 Barbara Cecil 8 Judy Gardner 8 Jodi Barth 15 Amy & Matt Grile 15 Jodi Barth 22 Kathryn Grisso 22 Lori Gellatly 29 George & Judi Franks 29 Lori Gellatly ASSISTING MINISTER Ric Warner COMMUNION ASSISTANT Les Barker ACOLYTES FOR MAY 6 Carter Tinnerman 13 Rosalyn Welhener 20 Dawson Tinnerman 27 Kendall Leffew If you cannot serve on an appointed day, it is your responsibility to find someone to serve in your place.

10 1209 South Miami Street West Milton, OH Phone: (937) Website: FEBRUARY FINANCIALS Pledge Status Over 4 $817 Short 7 ($960) Even Total Pledges Bank Balance 1/31/2018 $38, February Income 13, February Expense (16,783.41) Bank Balance 2/28/2018 $36, Less Designated Funds (11,155.63) Funds available for current expense $24, Thrivent Mortgage Balance $101, Edward Jones Money Market $ 16, FEBRUARY ATTENDANCE Feb 4 54 Feb Feb Feb Feb Feb We are in need of someone who is willing and able to fill in when Kathryn, our church secretary, is unable to fulfill her duties due to illness or unavailability. Mostly the duties will be producing the weekly Sunday service bulletin. Familiarity with Publisher software a plus but Kathryn can train her stand-in. If you are able to help out on an as-needed basis please contact Pastor Steve or Ric Warner. SCHEDULE FOR APRIL Sunday 9:30 am Sunday School 10:30 am Holy Communion Third Monday 11:30 am Ladies Bible Study Fourth Tuesday 2:00 pm Senior Ministry Meeting Wednesday 6:00pm Plarn Group 7030 pm Chancel Choir Thursday 7:00 pm LSIM Bible Study HOW TO BECOME A PLANER Each Wednesday evening at 6:00 pm a group of women meet to turn plastic bags into sleeping mats for the homeless. This is an outreach mission of Good Shepherd that is also a time of fellowship. Please come and join the fun no special skills required! CHURCH STAFF Rev. Steve Gellatly Pastor Pastor s Home Phone Cell Phone: Ric Warner Church Council President Kathryn Grisso Office Administrator, Newsletter Editor Marsha Fischbach Music Director Betty Lou Johansen Pianist May Messenger deadline is April 23, 2018