The Shepherd s Voice 6751 Avalon Dr. SE Caledonia, MI 49316 Telephone 616-822-9988 Email Address pastor@goodshepherdpres.com Website - GoodShepherdPres.com May 2017 Volume II Issue 5 CO N SE C R A TIO N SU N D A Y The day has finally arrived! We will consecrate our church family to the work and service of God Almighty on Sunday, May 7th at our 10:00am worship service. What a celebration as we thank and praise God for His mercies in opening the door necessary for the establishment of our church! It is fitting we give this church to Him and ask that He, the Good Shepherd that He is, would lead us. Our service will feature a few special guests and a lot of friends. Preaching for us will be Rev. Dr. John Terech; Executive Director of Operations for ECO. John is a former Wall Street executive and New York native. He graduated from Boston University with a degree in Business Administration and is an Associate Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation, and a Commissioned Lay Pastor in ECO. Having been in ministry for the last ten years in Palm City, Florida, John also attended Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary and is currently completing his degree at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando. He is married to Patty Terech and they have three children, John III, Joseph, and Lindsay. Bringing the Charge for us will be Rev. Jul Medenblik, President of Calvin Theological Seminary. To conclude the celebration there will be a catered luncheon for all in attendance immediately following the service. For more information contact Pastor Mike Baynai (616) 822-9988. (RevMCB@hotmail.com) SU R V E Y TO C H U R C H M E M B E R S In an effort to be a better church, the Good Shepherd leadership team would like you to give us some feedback. You should have received a survey via email on Monday, April 24. Please help us out by completing the survey. (If you did not receive the email, please email me (Peter Johnson) at pjohnson@acton.org for a copy either in paper form or via email.) For those without email, print copies are available on the table. Complete one of the surveys and return it to me. Your opinions really do matter to us and the results of this survey will help focus our work in the next year. The more detail you can give especially in the text boxes the better we will be able to address your concerns. I will keep your feedback anonymous so please feel free to be as critical as you would like. Feedback truly is a gift! Thank you in advance for your thoughts.
M IN U TE W ITH M IK E Dearest Beloved Children of God, Spring time greetings to you and yours. Praying that as you watch the trees and flowers blossom and grow, that God is watching us do the same in our love, desire and understanding of Him. This month is the third part of a five-part series regarding what we in ECO call the Five Important Shifts for Our Future Development. In March, we considered the need to shift from a clergy-centered denomination to a church community led and served by an unleashed laity. Last month we considered shifting from a people who seek safety and preservation to a community willing to take risks for the growth of the kingdom of God. This month consider with me shift number three: From homogeneous leadership prepared for Christendom to preparing all of God's people for a post-christian culture. Dana Allin, Synod Executive for ECO writes: There are two challenges encompassed in this shift that need to be considered. First, we need to live into our value of Egalitarian Ministry. As stated in our values, this includes focusing on nurturing women for ministry as well as younger leaders, and raising up a diversity of leaders from a variety of ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. Secondly, we need to shift the types of ministry we are preparing leaders to be a part of. Most people realize the Christendom model of ministry is rapidly fading away, if not entirely gone. Yet, we do not fully embrace the type of preparation necessary for leaders to serve in new contexts. In my own words, what Dana is saying is that we need to pay attention to the changing time and culture unfolding all around us. To think that we can continue to prepare leaders to do the same kind of ministry that worked when we were young and formative is not only unrealistic, but also irresponsible. It will take cutting edge techniques and understanding to make disciples for Christ in this 21 st century. The good news is that we have the people and the know-how! I hope we would all be prayerful that Good Shepherd Church and ECO would be asking God to give us leaders for today and for the future, and then help us to train them up and send them out to build God's kingdom. Always to the praise and glory of His name. Bless you and thanks for the privilege I have to be your friend and pastor, Mike M E N S SO F TB A L L Good Shepherd s Softball second season begins this month on the 10 th. The team will play a 10-week schedule and a three-game tournament. They play on Wednesday nights at the CRC Recreation Center (corner of 36th Street and Schaffer). Game times are randomly selected and will be at either 6:30pm, 7:30pm, or 8:30pm. For exact times consult the CRC Rec. Center website. The team could really use a few more players. If interested please contact Pastor Mike at (616) 822-9988 or RevMCB@hotmail.com.
N O R M A V A N D E N B R O E K Below is a note sent to Jim Miller from Norma VandenBroek, and she graciously has allowed Shepherd s Voice to share it. Thank you so much for reviewing Holy Week. When you are confined, sometimes it is easy to forget what this means. Do you suppose Jesus knew, as he entered the town, how much he was going to suffer? When, how, where? If he did know, how brave he was to continue! Could you and I do it? As we grow older, those questions are always on our minds. Each day Jesus is with us to give us support regardless of the mystery of the future. Jesus had God's support all through His life, and shares with each of us His support, and love. So, enjoy each day and read the Bible for the information you may need. It is a week to remember and on Easter Day much joy to the faithful. SE SSIO N N E W S The direct mail program is now completed. With each mailing, several hits on the website were observed. Pastor Mike, Peter, and Jim will meet to discuss and plan other advertising efforts. An ECO banner for the church was revisited. Several options currently available for use from ECO were reviewed. Diane volunteered to create one unique to GSPC. There is increasing interest in participating in the Flourishing Churches program developed by ECO. Currently Anne and Shauna are reviewing the program. Others also will be reviewing it in order to make recommendations before making a final decision at a future Session meeting. D A T E S Jolly Beans Group: May 11 and 25 at Dana Bilyea s Bob Brooks Group: May 8 and 22 at Samaritas, the Terraces: 2000 32 nd St. SE at 7:00 PM. New members are welcome. For more information, contact Bob at 940-5258. 4 th NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER 7 th Consecration Sunday 10 th 1 st Softball game 14 th MOTHER S DAY 14 th Meeting of the Congregation 14 th Worship: ECO Core Value 7, Center-focused Spirituality 14 th Baynai s Home Group 4:30pm 17 th Session meeting 17 th Softball game 21 st Worship: ECO Core Value 8, Leadership Velocity 24 th Softball game 28 th Worship: ECO Core Value 9, Kingdom Vitality 29 th MEMORIAL DAY 31 st Softball game
M ISSIO N : G R A C E S TA B L E Your Mission Team is honored to contribute financially to the work of local ministries on behalf of our church for the purpose of helping build and support God s Kingdom. Grace s Table is one such ministry. Founded by Lisa Anderson in 2014, Grace s Table, Offers a place of safety, stability and love in the midst of the uncertainty and insecurity many teen moms face a resting place, an anchor, and a firm foundation for teen mothers and their kiddos. The idea behind Grace s Table is simple: Every Friday evening, Lisa opens her own home to a dozen girls and their infants and toddlers. They gather around Lisa s huge kitchen table a gift from Pioneer Construction to pray, eat, and talk. Meals bring a variety of people together, but we all sit at equal levels Around the Table in our time together during which we welcome Jesus to be a part. These meals nourish the body and as we share life together, we nourish the soul. After dinner and clean-up, the children go to play rooms while their mothers, Lisa, and volunteers talk, pray, problem-solve, and share. This interaction gives these girls the opportunity to build healthy relationships with adults who can mentor them and show them the love of Jesus on their journey to find hope. The evening concludes, and mothers are given diapers, formula, and a bus pass home. Lisa goes onto state, In Isaiah 1:17 we are told, Learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. These mothers are today's widows with no husbands or men stepping up to the plate, these infants are the fatherless that we are called to defend. She invites those that love children to invest in the lives of the ones that are part of the Grace s Table family. It does not matter if volunteers are single, married, teen, or seasoned citizens. If you can read a story, play a game, snuggle a baby, or if you have a desire to pour yourself into the lives of teen mothers, you are welcome at the table. To contact Lisa phone 340-4309 or email lisa@aroundgracestable.com. The ministry is located at 835 Richmond St. NW Grand Rapids. In addition to financial support, they are also in need of meals for the Friday night gatherings roughly 35 people: moms, children, and helpers). There are two ways to provide meals: bring one or pay for one that will be sent to Grace s Table. Go to: Take them a meal (http://www.takethemameal.com/meals.php?t=afzk6508) and choose your option. (source: http://gracestable.com/) The King will reply, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. (Matthews 25:40). As reported in an earlier issue of Shepherd s Voice, the Mission team has a monthly budget of $500. The following ministries/programs received support during the January-March budget period: Wedgewood Home ($440) to support rehab for girls taken from the sex trade; Prayer Shawl Ministry ($200) for yarn; Ronald McDonald House ($560) to support one family for a week; and Grace s Table ($300) to support single teen girls with babies.
N A TIO N A L D A Y O F P R A Y E R TH U R SD A Y, M A Y 4 Pastor Mike and a number of other people will gather in front of Kentwood City Hall at 12noon for a brief time of informal prayer. At 7:00pm there will be a public gathering at Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids for a time of outdoor worship and prayer hosted by the Grand Awakening. Executive Director, Randy Hekman states, We invite every follower of Christ in greater Grand Rapids to join us in this united effort to humbly seek God's blessing on our city. The event will last one hour. IN T E R N SH IP The last few meetings the Session has been discussing the possibility of submitting an application for a Calvin Seminary intern. Estimated cost to GSPC is $4,000 for two semesters. A motion was passed to proceed. Pastor Mike with assistance from Donna Baynai will submit an application. N A G L E IN STITU TE Nagle Institute has been sending seminarians from Africa to study at Calvin. As announced at the service on the 23 rd, the latest, Josephine, has finished, but another will be coming. GSPC, particularly Henry and Rachel, has garnered impressive reports from the Institute. Rachel and Henry have volunteered to be the welcoming team for future students. L E A R N IN G TE A M The Learning Team is continuing to look for nursery workers and Sunday School teachers. Bolu will be doing an internship with a local company this summer. April 30 was her last day, but we still have Jared with Veyola as a sub. The third Sunday (May 21) is the Learning team meeting. That same day the children will be going to the devotional at Vista Springs with Pastor Mike. Jim Miller indicated he would like to teach an adult education class he learned about at Presbytery. He will review it with Mike before approval.
TR E A SU R E R S R E P O R T $ 32,864 Balance on Hand 3/31/2017 (less following committed funds) - 10,000 Building Fund - 190 Deacon s Fund - 380 Joyful Noise Commitment $ 22,294 Uncommitted Funds Available Note: Uncommitted funds one month ago were $27,564. P R E SB YTERY R E P O R T Pastor Mike, Jim Miller, and Henry Gachini represented Good Shepherd at the Presbytery meeting in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Laura was there as a speaker. Great Lakes Presbytery East (OH & MI) and Great Lakes Presbytery West (IN, IL, WI), were joined together by Skype to prepare for the upcoming split of the Presbytery into two sections. Ohio and Michigan remain in the Great Lakes Presbytery. Indiana, Illinois, & Wisconsin will be part of a new Presbytery. An overture was essentially approved to adopt the five confessions/creeds recommended, with a few suggestions. A vote was taken and approved to recommend a new confession be considered. The next meeting will be October 20 21 in Logansport, IN. This will be the final meeting before the Presbytery split takes place. P R A YE R SH A W L M IN ISTR Y On Sunday, April 30, there was a dedication and blessing on the prayer shawls. As of this writing there are eleven on hand and bagged with hopes of having two more by the time of the dedication. Six of those on hand have been donated by a friend of Diane Solomon. They will be delivered next week to Arbor Circle which harbors homeless children, ages 10-16 years of age. They have been advised that scarves and headbands are also very welcome. They report they can always use more hands and prayer warriors. D E V O TIO N A L S 7 th Samaritas (The Terraces) 3:30pm 14 th Samaritas (The Lodge) 2:15pm 21 st Vista Springs 2:45pm 28 th American House 3pm B IR TH D A Y S Shirley Stretch May 12 A N N IV E R SA R IE S Ron and Marsha Hammer May 8