CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSITE: www.sactownchurch.com I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : President s 2 Note From the 3 Deacons Featured 3 Events S H E P H E R D S S T A F F * J U L Y 2 0 1 4 Pastor Todd s Thoughts I m a little frustrated. Nothing serious, just bugged about something, and I thought I would get it out so I can move on. Here is the backstory. Official Church Acts 3 I listen to the radio for both distraction and entertainment. I love the medium of radio. Graduates 4, Library 6 Military List 6 Book Review 6 Bible Study 6 IKON Youth 7 Group Women s 8 Ministry Announcing 8 Night of Impact News 9 Contact Info 11 New Members 12 There was a time when I had a radio ministry over the largest AM and FM station in Western Maryland. I listen to NPR regularly, visit sports radio often, listen to the oldies, try to listen to today s hits, and dip between the contemporary Christian station and the Catholic station. I listen to conventional talk radio until they start talking politics and then I switch channels. I switch channels often. But there is one morning show that I listen to regularly because it is both entertaining and informative. But it frustrates me sometimes and here is why. The two hosts are men who have happy lives, good jobs, are prosperous, and are strong family men in good marriages. They regularly reference the fact that they both grew up in church attending families and credit their religious background and instruction for teaching them many things that have contributed to their success. Cool right? Not cool. It is not cool because neither of them has anything to do with a local congregation and they did not raise their own kids in the church. They took what they wanted from the church, used it to build the lives they wanted, and then kissed off the Christian Church by giving nothing back to the institution that gave them so much. Maybe I am not just frustrated. I might be angry. But really dear ones, we know that the most precious possession for time and eternity is a saving faith in Jesus and a life of purposeful discipleship. That is what the Church is for; bringing people into these realities. But the fact is that when someone is raised with an observant religious background they are taught many things that enhance happiness and success. Many people my age were given this gift in their childhood, benefited from it, and have given nothing back to the church whatsoever. It is just so frustrating. Continued on page 2 The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd * 1615 Morse Ave Sacramento, CA 95864 * (916)483-0451
P A G E 2 President s Note I ve heard of Christmas in July, but what I really need is Thanksgiving in July! We have a lot to be thankful for and some exciting things to share: New Hires the process of filling our two open staff positions is well underway. We have received a very good response to both positions. Initial contacts have been made and we are now narrowing our focus on those applicants most qualified to continue the next phase of interviews. Please continue to pray for the Holy Spirit s guidance and blessing in this process. Gretchen Eischen Council President Financial Audit The Trustees engaged an external auditor to review our financial accounting and records. This external audit was completed the first week of June. The result was outstanding. The Auditor was complimentary of our staff and financial procedures and commented, Overall, this is a very good and thriving organization. This is the first external audit in the entire history of Good Shepherd! We have been blessed over these many years with members and staff who have diligently watched over the integrity of our financial recordkeeping and the results of those efforts could be clearly seen in the Auditor s report. Of course, no audit would be complete without a few suggestions here & there which the Trustees will address. Any questions concerning the Audit can be addressed to one of the Trustees or Council Members. Helping Hands I d like to draw your attention to a fantastic resource we have within our congregation for church members who could use a little help here and there when you may not be able to fend for yourself. It s Helping Hands. We have a group of men and women who are ready, willing & able to help out. I ve had personal experience using Helping Hands a couple of years back when I had a broken ankle and could not drive. One of the team members gave me a ride to a doctor appointment. Here are some areas where Helping Hands can be of service. If you have a need, all you need to do is call the Church Office and they will put you in touch with a Helping Hands team member. Minor Handy Hands projects that a shut in might need help with like mowing the lawn, fixing a leaky faucet, etc. Meal Assistance Transportation to Doctor Appointments Running Errands Respite Care (gives a rest break to the Caretaker) Blessings to all! Pastor Todd s Message continued Now of course, I realize that if you are reading these words, this does not apply to you. So let me close with this: to all those who took the benefits of a Christian upbringing to build happy lives while giving nothing back- I am a sinner and in no place to judge anyone. But please, you are needed in this cause. The one to whom much is given, much will be required.
JULY 2014 Deacons are here to help! P A G E 3 We have a new Sunday Prayer Ministry. You will find us available after the services to fulfill your needs for specific prayer or to provide anointing and healing prayers. Currently we are available the fourth Sunday of each month after the 7:45 and 11:00 services. Starting August 31 we will be available at all three services. As always, you can contact us personally with any spiritual concerns. In July our contacts are Lucy Stewart at lstewart@surewest.net or 488-2637, and Jeff Seatris at jswmr100@aol.com or 359-0485. We look forward to seeing and hearing from you. The Deacons Official Church Acts: Baptisms: June 15, 2014 Amanda Johnson Travis Johnson Jonah Roger Sejin Chung Weddings: Jasmine Beil and Blake Shumway - June 7, 2014 Christine Godshall and Stacy Jones - June 21,2014 Featured Events Every Week Every Sunday This Month Monday through Friday Camp impact Thursday Friday Men s Breakfast/Bible Study (Fireside Room) at 6:10 a.m. Prayer Fellowship (Welcome Room in back on Sanctuary) at 9:00 a.m. FROGS (Fireside Room) at 10:00 a.m. 7:45 a.m. Come As You Are Service (Fireside Room) 8:30 a.m. Traditional Service (Sanctuary) 11:00 a.m. Contemporary Service (Sanctuary) 9:45 a.m. Faith Meets Life (Preschool Room) 9:50 a.m. Bible Study (Fireside Room) 9:50 a.m. Children s Ministry (Sanctuary) Sundays 6/29-7/20 Ephesians Bible study Education Hour at 9:50-10:45 in the Fireside Room. 7/5/14: Men s Fellowship Breakfast (Fireside Room) at 7:30 a.m. 7/26/14: Praise and Worship Concert at 7:00 p.m.in the Sanctuary.
P A G E 4 Katie Baughman Branson High School in Ross, CA attend Claremont Scripps Riana Elrod (daughter of Rosemary and Kevin Hart) graduated from Arizona State University with a BA degree in History. Her plans are to continue working for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Phoenix and is pondering entering Graduate School Gabe D Geesey Lake City High School, Coeur d'alene, ID Attending California Lutheran University in the Fall Congratulations 2014 Graduates Solveig E Geesey St. Mary's College of California, Moraga, CA BS in Accounting Living in Sacramento and taking the CPA exam this coming year. Kelly Leann Hillman Granddaughter of Barbara Grandin. Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo Degree in Construction Management Dean s List Connor McGill Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Master of Science, Fire Protection Engineering Job with AON as a Fire Protection Engineer
P A G E 5 Amelia Rae Parks, (daughter of Ray and Janean Parks) Graduated from University of Texas at Austin May 2014 with a Master of Science Degree in Information Studies. She is looking for a job in Library Technologies, such as Archivist, Preservationist, or Librarian Kyle McGill Johns Hopkins University Bachelor of Science, Materials Engineering with a minor in Computer Science Pursuing a job Trent William Seal graduating with honors and is attending college in California - pursuing a degree in the medical field Congratulations 2014 Graduates Kelly Leann Hillman Dan Taron, graduate with MBA from Tuck School of Business, will go to Granddaughter of Barbara Grandin. work for Triangle Petroleum in Denver, Colorado. Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo Degree in Construction Management Devon Welshons (granddaughter of Jim Dean s & List Linda Lichtenberg) Graduated from Bethlehem High School in Bardstown, KY Will be attending Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY Nursing program Michael Yanos will be attending UC Davis in the fall
JULY 2014 P A G E 6 Attention Library Users We are missing many books! Pease check your personal library and your children's book shelves at home for any books that may belong to the church library. We also have the DVD case for Faith Lessons on the Life and Ministry of the Messiah by Ray Vanderlaan that was returned without the disc. If you see a disc without a case, please check to see if it could be the missing piece. Book Review of Jesus and Paul: Places They Knew The book, Jesus and Paul : Places They Knew by F. F. Bruce recently caught my attention for two reasons: the recent trip to Israel taken by members of this congregation and the study of Acts by several members of this congregation over the past year. Those who have traveled, are interested in Biblical history and geography or have studied Paul's Missionary trips will appreciate this well researched work. This is a beautifully presented pictorial history of twenty places where Jesus and Paul lived and preached the Word of God. The first half of the book are the places Jesus knew; the second half, the places Paul knew. The book published in the early 1980's is not a recent publication, but that does not distract from the solid history and the fantastic photography offered. The author refers to scripture verses throughout the narrative portions with photographs on every page. The experience of reading this history is enhanced by referring to the frequent scriptures noted. Please continue to pray for our military as many are returning home after a long war: Ryan Baker Peter Charbonneau Joshua Cole Matthew Cournoyer Joshua Green Daniel Harrison Michael Harrison Zachary Jensen Cody Johnstone Kevin Kirkbride Joel McMillan Matthew Sirko Eamon Turnbull Nathan Wallace A few highlights about the author (1910-1990): born in Scotland, the oldest of seven children, a member of the Open Brethren Church, wrote over 40 books, and was a distinguished scholar on the life and ministry of Paul. He describes his growing up years as times of plain living and high thinking. (Quote taken from In Retrospect: Remembrance of Things Past) Submitted by Phyllis Martin
P A G E 7 Ephesians, more than any other book in the Bible, defines the nature of the body of Christ in order to equip a maturing church and fulfill God's plans and purposes. Bible Study of Book of Ephesians A four-week overview of the Book of Ephesians Education Hour: Sundays June 29 July 20 9:50-10:45 a.m. in the Fireside Room. Missed a Sunday? Not to worry - everyone in the church family is encouraged to attend as your summer schedule allows. Please make submissions to Shepherd s Staff by the 15th of the month to shepherdsstaff@sactownchurch.com. Summer with IKON@ Good Shepherd Wednesday Nights Youth Group on the water: 5-7 pm every Wednesday night. Come hang out and enjoy games, food, swimming, and friends. High School Summer Camp July 10-13 Santa Cruz, Ca Junior High Summer Camp August 1-3 Lake Tahoe, Ca For more details see ikonstudents.com
JULY 2014 P A G E 8 Women s Ministry Sunday School Teachers Needed For Summer We need Sunday School teachers for Preschool (all weeks), Grades 2-3 (every other week), and grades 4, 5, and 6 this summer. The summer is a great time to try out teaching Sunday School if you are not sure you want to do it all year. Please email Catheen@sactownchurch.com. Rebecca Circle is not meeting in July and August. Meetings will resume again on the 2 nd Monday in September. We will continue studying the DVD God Heard Their Cry. (F) 4 Fun and fellowship for females. All women mark your calendars for Saturday, August 16 at 9:30 a.m.. The group will not meet in July. Questions? Contact Jerilyn Marr 484.6490 or Karen Kelly 646.4063 Faith Circle will be on hiatus for the summer. Check back for the return of this Bible Study and fellowship in September. Live Worship Concert Good Shepherd Sanctuary Saturday, July 26, at 7:00 p.m. Please call the church office for more information (916) 483-0451. Please join us for a live worship concert featuring our 11:00 a.m. Worship Team. This will be a spirit-filled evening of worship and praise music that will be recorded live. Come and be apart of this inspiring ministry.
P A G E 9 impact NEWS Summer Camp impact: 2014 6 weeks: June 30 th August 7 th Mon Thurs: 9am 1pm Volunteers are still needed in these areas: 1. Old Testament Thursdays (10-10:30am in the Fellowship Hall); Share the story of: David & Goliath, Esther, Daniel & the Lions Den, Noah s Ark, Joseph & the Coat of Many Colors, and Moses & the 10 Commandments. You pick the Thursday. You can choose your own resources/materials OR we have access to a lot of really great kid s books in the church library. 2. Help prepare a lunch (show-up @ 11am in the kitchen; lunch served @ 11:30am) To get involved, contact Amy Smith, impact Director, at amy@sactownchurch.com or (916) 213-1586 for more details. Girls of Grace Headed to Mt. Cross Thank you Good Shepherd for your donations! With your generosity, ten girls from Arden Manor were blessed with this awesome opportunity to travel outside of Sacramento and participate in a week long Christian Camp experience. Lives changed!
JULY 2014 P A G E 10 Youth Women s Job Training Ministry Continues impact is still making progress with 12 community youth (9 boys & 3 girls who are 14-18 years of age) on new skills that we believe can help them obtain their first job. Here s an updated look at what these kids are committed to: May - Customer Service Training (Completed) June - Basic Money Skills (Completed), Food Handling (9 out of 12 kids Completed) July Product and equipment training; fieldtrip to local coffee house August Offer a practice run of serving coffee drinks to real customers September- Open our Coffee Cart to provide hands-on work experience for our community youth (official date to be determined) Neighborhood youth and impact staff complete an on-line Food Handling Course and passed with flying colors. This taught good practices around food plus the certification looks great on a resume! Outreach Events: Help Needed Join the impact Ministry Team and help with one or more upcoming outreach events like: impact Sunday (August), Music in the Park (September), Trunk-or-Treat (October) and/or a New Christmas Event. Interested? Please contact Amy Smith, impact Outreach Director, at (916) 213-1586 or amy@sactownchurch.com impact staff and Jacob Guinn (pictured) and Jonathan Ellyson (not pictured) provide basic money skills training to neighborhood youth. Shaverick (pictured) practices the counting up method.
The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd 1615 Morse Avenue Sacramento, CA 95864 Contact Us Suzanne D. Ferris Receptionist, ext. 100 suzanne@sactownchurch.com Karen R. Ellyson Office Manager, (direct # (916) 488-8651) or ext. 108 karen@sactownchurch.com Cathy Johnson Bookkeeper and Financial Secretary, ext. 114 cathy@sactownchurch.com Sandy Oakes Preschool Director 483-0466 Cathleen Demant Director of Children s Ministry and Communications 834-0663 cathleen@sactownchurch.com David Robinson Chancel Choir Director 273-0261 david@sactownchurch.com Jeff Schulz Worship Leader for 11:00 am Service, 200-5849 jeff@sactownchurch.com Tammy Sigl Worship Coordinator & Director of Hand Bells, ext.112 tammy@sactownchurch.com Amy Smith impact Director 213-1586 or ext. 103 amy@sactownchurch.com Drew Wademan Director of Student Ministries, ext. 102 drew@sactownchurch.com www.ikonstudents.com Rev. Todd R. Wallace Senior Pastor, ext. 101 pastor@sactownchurch.com Connie Van Berkel Interim Lay Minister, ext. 104 connie@sactownchurch.com www.sactownchurch.com 1615 Morse Avenue Sacramento, CA 95864 916-483-0451 Fax: 916-484-5433
P A G E 1 1 Carrie Bensen I've worked as a Medical Sonographer for the last 41 years...love watching His handy work in pro gress scanning babies! Spending time with my family, music, photography, and art are what I love along with watching my little nephew and 3 year old Godson grow. Christine (Chris) Bensen I am married and have two beautiful daughters, Lindsay and Danielle. Two years ago I retired after 34 years of State Service and am loving life! Danielle Monroy I have been married for a year a half and I am hoping to start a teaching career in the fall. I love to bake, take my dog to the dog park, and read. April Davis I'm very excited to be a part of Good Shepherd and I look forward to serving and making friends with everyone. Joshua (Josh) Stander God has called to me Good Shepherd. I can t wait to see how I can help serve, and how God will use this church to lead my growth. Jeff Gillen I was born and raised in Oregon, the 2 nd of 3 boys, play competitive tennis, and my favorite book of the Bible is Ecclesiastes. For employment, I run a small business providing low-voltage systems and equipment, i.e. data, voice, audio, visual & surveillance. I refuse to sit in a pew and not be involved in the Lord s work with so many ministry opportunities, it will be EASY to fit in at Good Shepherd. Arvind (Arv) and Jennifer (Jenn) Rao Ilsa and Meribel Arv and Jenn Rao are transferring from Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in New York City. We love to snow ski, cook, and travel with our four year old twins, Ilsa and Meribel. We are excited to join the Good Shepherd family. Toni Shaul I have lived most of my life in Sacramento. I have one son, (who I live with) plus two beautiful grandkids, and one the way. Jeff and Mallory Shulz We are excited to be apart of the growing community here at Good Shepherd! When I am not directing or teaching music, I love writing my own. I feel very blessed to be a part of the music ministry team at this church. Mallory is a pre-school director who loves to read whatever she can get her hands on. We live in Orangevale with our mini dachshund Napoleon.