The Shepherd`s Voice

The Shepherd’s Voice
Through the Holy Spirit, we are called by God to live Christ’s love
as we touch all those in our lives, our church, and our communities.
Lutheran Social Services coming to Fairfield County!
January 2011
“Neighbor to Neighbor” Program begins this month
Inside:
Vesper Service
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Rev Deckinger Update
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Dear sisters and brothers in Christ:
Prayer List
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I have some exciting news for you. After several months of hard
work by many people of the Lutheran churches in Fairfield and New
Haven Counties, and after an exhaustive feasibility study conducted by
duBay Horton Associates of Bridgeport, Lutheran Social Services is
coming into our area. They will be housed at the office complex building of Joseph’s Coat of Many Colors Lutheran Church in Bridgeport, the
former St. Paul’s on Noble Avenue.
Covenant to Care Thanks
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Community Supper
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Food Pantry
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Angel Tree Thanks
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Happy New Year
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Quilting
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Sunday School News
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Women’s Bible Study
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Annual Meeting
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Council Highlights
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Weather Alert
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Altar Flowers
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Happy Birthday
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Treasurer’s Report
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Church Directory
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Sound Tigers
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Souper Bowl
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Thank you
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Tutors
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“But wanting to justify himself, the lawyer asked Jesus, „And who is my
neighbor?”
(Luke 1:29)
The first LSS program to be up and running will be an eldercare
program, “Neighbor to Neighbor.” Most of us are already involved in
some aspect of eldercare: either we have an elderly parent, are aging
ourselves, or are caregivers to an elderly friend or relative, the challenges of old age are faced by most of us on a daily basis.
The “Neighbor to Neighbor” Program is a faith based program
which will assist both the elderly and their caregivers by disseminating
information regarding senior care in all the individual towns in the
Greater Bridgeport area. The coordinator of the program will also recruit volunteers from the participating congregations to assist seniors in
the region who are facing various needs.
On Wednesday, January 12 the Rev. Bob Schipul of Lutheran Social Services will be here at Good Shepherd to explain
the program in detail to our congregation, and request our active
participation and support of the program. Pastor Schipul is an old friend
of our congregation, and many of you remember him when he ministered at the Lutheran Home in Southbury. To date the following Lutheran churches have pledged support of time, talents, and treasures in
support of this program: Salem Lutheran, Bridgeport; Our Savior’s,
Fairfield; Trinity Lutheran, Milford; Holy Cross (Missouri Synod), Trumbull; Grace, Stratford; St. Peter’s, (Missouri Synod), Norwalk; and St.
Paul’s, (Missouri Synod), Westport.
(Continued on page 2)
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Please plan on attending the meeting on January 12. It will be at the start of our monthly council
meeting. It is my personal hope, that there will be so many people at the meeting that we will have to move
into the church proper.
You will remember that in response to the question from the lawyer, “Who is my neighbor?,” Jesus
told the parable of the Good Samaritan. The lesson is obvious from the parable that “our neighbor” is any
suffering stranger whom we may encounter. We are called to assist those in need with Christian caring and
love. The many elderly among us and their caregivers are “our neighbors.” And as the Good Samaritan was
the one who showed “neighborly” mercy to the suffering stranger, so Jesus tells us, “Go and do likewise.”
I hope to see many of you on January 12th. It is important not only for the mission of our congregation, but the entire Lutheran community of the Greater Bridgeport area.
In Christ’s service,
Rev. Bryan A. Leone
“O Come, let us adore Him!”
Thursday Evening, January 6 join us for a Vesper Service, A Service of Light, on this feast
day of the Epiphany to officially end the Christmas season and begin the Epiphany season. Following the service at 7:00 PM, there will be a “flaming” dessert.
Dear Good Shepherd Lutheran Church,
It is a voice from the past calling to update you about the changes taking place in my life and ministry.
After 13 1/2 years in Vandergrift, PA at my first call, I will be starting a new phrase in my life of serving
God. On January 16th I will be starting a new call at Mt. Zion Lutheran Church in Donegal, PA. Donegal is a
small community right on the PA Turnpike and the congregation is over 250 years old. If you are traveling
through PA on the Turnpike and you need a break feel free to stop in. Donegal is also close to Falling Waters (Frank Lloyd Wrights house), Seven Springs Ski resort, and within easy distance of Ft Ligonier and
other early American history sights.
By January 21st Marsha, Katrina, Robert, John, and myself have to have the house packed and ready for
the movers. Katrina is sad to be leaving her 5th grade class in Vandergrift, but is now starting to look
ahead to the new class she will be in. John and Robert, the twins, want to know if they will be in the
same 3rd grade class room when we move. (We are already working on them being in separate
rooms.) Marsha will commute for a while to her church in Arnold PA which is less than an hour away.
I pray that all is well at Good Shepherd. In the past few weeks I have been thinking about the time I spent
there, and after going through old files from my internship I thought I should send an update.
God's blessings
Pastor Keith Deckinger
This is the day the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it!
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Prayer concerns come in a variety of ways and have a variety of needs. There are current immediate
needs as well as long term needs. Our newsletter prayer list contains both needs.
The Prayer Requests for Family & Friends Notebook is on the counter in the narthex. If you would like
to add a loved one to the list, simply write the name in the book. If you would like a prayer card sent to your
loved one, please include the full name and address. Prayers will be said each Sunday for one, two or
three months as requested in the book. Prayer requests may also be made by email or phone and will be
included in the notebook by the church office. Should a loved one need prayers for longer than three
months, simply add their name to the list again.
Members: Steve Krajcik, Ethan Dikmen, Sue Hough, Kathy Goulet, Martha Hoffman, Bob Wesche, Ed
Mackey, Charlie Hoffman, Kyle Immel, Jill Schmidt, Bret Jackson, Alma Anderson, Sharon Duda, Eric Dreher, Helen Steinnagel, Linda Pleva and Sarah Mora.
Family & Friends of Members: Donna, mother-in-law of Linda Pleva; Cyril, friend of Sam Barate; Rita,
friend of Janet Szulga; Deanna, friend of Janet Szulga; Jeff and Laura, son-in-law and daughter of Bill and
Marie Fisher; Linda, sister-in-law of Vic Johnson; Karen, sister of Deborah Finney; Lois, niece of Joan &
Ray Doherty; Rick, nephew of Ken & Nina Furnes; Norma, friend of Joan Doherty; Paul and Valerie,
friends of the Begleys; Gladys Hlavaty, Mike Beno’s aunt; Bill Leone, cancer reoccurrence; Anne, friend of
Sam Barate & Ellie Noll; Pina’s mother, friend of Linda Pleva; Marc, brother of Cindy Carlson; Jackie,
friend of Jane Fieberts; Pat, friend of Howie & Eileen Holleran; Sharon, friend of Ingrid Kessler; Bill, father
of Bill McDonough; Helen, aunt of Shannon Atkinson; Kim, relative of Howie & Eileen Holleran; Gil, friend
of Janet Szulga; Diana, mother of Gordon Cleland; Daoud, friend of the Leones; Renate, friend of Kay
Leone; Monique, friend of the Leones; Marilyn, friend of Trudi Black; Christina, relative of Miriam Kursawe;
Paul, nephew of Bob and Joanne Carlson, foot amputation; Rob, friend of Donna Duessel; Nell, Barbara
Abraham’s aunt; Gary, friend of Vic Noll; Jeanette, friend of Vic and Ellie Noll; Nick, friend of Janet Szulga;
Linda, friend of Arlene Juliano; Ellyn, friend of Arlene Juliano; Greg, father of Lisa Lilly; Glenn, son of Dianne Riccio; Charles, father of Debra Convertito; Bill, father of Bill Uhde; Dorothy, friend of Arlene Juliano;
Evelyn, friend of Miriam Kursawe; Florence, sister of Ed Mackey; Jim, uncle of Jessica Thom; Bonnie,
mother of Jessica Thom; Laurie, friend of Ingrid Kessler; Anne, friend of Miriam Kursawe; Bob & Sue,
friends of the Smiths; Grace, mother of Maury Heim; Frank, relative of Ellie Noll & Sam Barate; Alex,
nephew of Ken & Debra Convertito; Maureen, friend of Eileen Remlin; Carl, cousin of Arlene Juliano; Virginia, aunt of Janet Szulga; Gale, relative of Jane Fieberts; Renee, friend of Miriam Kursawe; B.T., father
of Karen Jackson; Chris, brother of our Covenant to Care Social Worker, Karen, sister of Debra Finney;
Mildred, mother of Lynn Heim; Patrick, nephew of Cindy & Tim Carlson; Carl, co-worker of Marsha Beno;
Frank, neighbor of the Jacksons; Brittany, granddaughter of Nancy Johnson; Ron, brother of Larry Black;
Dick, a friend of Larry Black’s; Joey, friend of Eric Dreher; Rosa, Council of Churches; Karen, cousin of
Audrey and Ken Heim; Margaret, friend of Cindy &Tim Carlson’s; Mary, friend of Trudi Black; Larry,
brother of Veronica Serrano; Matt, friend of Vic & Ellie Noll.
Special Prayers for Armed Forces Personnel: Glenn Riccio, George Carris, Damon Dykes, Bob Morschauser, Megan Dobbins, Phillip Baliestrieri and Guy Davis.
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Psalm 147 vs. 3
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COVENANT TO CARE CHRISTMAS THANKS
Especially in such a difficult economy, it is so gratifying that we had 100% participation in
providing Christmas gifts to our Covenant to Care kids. Many thanks for your generosity
and caring, and special thanks for the additional donations of toys and stuffed animals and
for those who always step in to help complete the Christmas gift list at the eleventh hour.
May God bless each of you with peace, good health, and prosperity in 2011.
—Jane Fieberts, Covenant to Care Liaison
Community Supper - February 2, 2011
at Golden Hill Methodist Church, Golden Hill Street,
Bridgeport
Cooks and set up crew needed between 2:30 -3:00 P.M. There is a serving
crew, therefore only cooks are needed from Good Shepherd. If you haven't already signed up and would like to help, please put your name on the list in
the narthex. We can discuss car pooling if you want to. Servers are responsible for cleaning up, so when we are finished with the meal preparation, we are
free to leave. Any questions, please speak to Peg Wesche or anyone who has
attended a supper before. Thank you!
Shepherd’s Pantry
We need:
vegetable oil
chili
beef stew
Spam
salad dressings
The Social Ministry and Community Outreach Committee invites you to contribute items to the Shepherd’s
Pantry located in the narthex. The items are delivered to the Monroe Food Pantry once a month. The
Pantry also accepts Big Y coins (gold and silver) which can be put in the basket that has been placed on
the Shepherd’s Pantry shelves in the narthex. If you have any questions, please speak with Diane Hensel.
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The Angel Tree
Once again your response to the Salvation Army's Angel Tree Program was overwhelming. Thank you for your kindness and generosity in filling the angel tags and
helping the needy family as well. What a blessing to be a part of such a caring, generous community!!
With deepest gratitude,
Trudi & Larry Black, Salvation Army Angel Tree Liaisons
Are you making New Year's resolutions? Are you willing to give one or
two hours a month to help others? Would you like to get more involved
in activities at church? Joining a committee to utilize your time and talents may be the answer for you. Committees meet once a month.
Please check the church calendar for the date of the next committee
meeting and join in the fun! Here is a list of the committees at Good
Shepherd and the chairperson or contact name:
Altar Guild - Miriam Kursawe
Christian Education - Erin Schwarz, Heather Cayer
Shepherding (Evangelism) - open
Finance - Ken Furnes
Property - Bill McDonough
Social Outreach - Diane Hensel
Stewardship - Debra Convertito, Ken Convertito
Worship and Music - Larry Black
Youth - Matthew Johnson, Dakota McDonough
Check out the Annual Report to see what they have done in the past
year and come be a part of a rewarding, fun experience.
Quilting Group News
Join us on Wednesday, January 19, 2011 from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. Feel free to
come and go as you need. We can use help ironing, folding, sewing and more. If you
have questions, please speak with Ellie Noll.
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In December the Sunday School worked hard to learn, rehearse and present our Annual Christmas Program "He’s Real I Say." written by Heather Cayer. See the pictures below! We also presented it to the
Lutheran Home in Southbury. In the New Year, we will spend most of January continuing with our Augsburg Fortress Spark lessons.
Women’s Bible Study
Please join the Women's Bible Study on Wednesday, January 26th
to view the next video in the Bad Girls series.
Beginning at 7 PM we will see what author Liz Curtis Higgs'
thoughts are on the "Really Bad Girls of the Bible" which include
women such as the Medium of En Dor, Jael, The Adulteress,
Athaliah, Bathsheba, Herodias, Tamar the Widow and The Bleeding Woman.
On February 23rd we will then continue our individual discussions
from both the Bad Girl and Really Bad Girl series.
If you are not able to commit to the monthly schedule of the
Woman's Bible Study, please consider coming to the January session. I'm sure that you will find it very interesting and entertaining
and it might just convince you that this study is worth juggling your
busy schedule around.
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ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
The Annual Meeting of the Congregation was held on December 5, 2010. Copies of the Annual Report
are in the narthex if you were unable to attend the meeting and would like a copy. The Annual Report contains reports from The Pastor, The Church Council President, The Council Secretary, The Financial Secretary, The Treasurer, each committee, a listing of Highlights and a listing of Memorials.
Highlights from your Church Council
December 2010
Ken Furnes reported that the proposed 2011 budget was approved at the Annual Meeting on December 5th. The committee was thanked for their hard work.
Ken Convertito, Mickey Pelella and Rachel Lilly were thanked for their participation on the Council.
The new members will be Bob Carlson, Donna Duessel, Charlie Simon. Matthew Johnson will become an
adult member and Dakota McDonough will be the Youth Representative.
Reverend Bob Schipul will speak to our Council and any interested members of the congregation on
January 12th about the Neighbor to Neighbor program. This has to do with the Lutheran Social Services that
will be coming to our area.
Inclement Weather Notice
In the event of inclement weather cancellation notices are
posted:
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On the church website at www.gslc-ct.org/news
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On WICC radio 600 AM
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On WTNH Channel 8 news
Altar Flowers
If you would like to donate flowers, please sign up on the flower chart in the hallway and
be sure to include the dedication you would like to appear in the bulletin with your offering. A donation of $40 is requested. In addition, please indicate if you would like to take
one or two arrangements after the services or if you would prefer to have one or two arrangements taken to a shut-in. To help balance the budget, flowers will be on the altar
only on Sundays when a donation is received.
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Charlie Hoffman
1-Feb
Heidi Gendron
16-Feb
Connor Flaherty
2-Feb
Ray Goulet
16-Feb
Hannah Lee
2-Feb
Justin Behn
18-Feb
Kevin Behn
3-Feb
Alex Buck
18-Feb
Bill Mc Donough
5-Feb
Jewelianna Crawford
18-Feb
Norman Lilly
6-Feb
Amanda Gorman
18-Feb
Dakota Mc Donough
7-Feb
Tristan Mc Donough
19-Feb
Emily Pelella
9-Feb
Julianna Kusinski
20-Feb
Collin Hoffman
9-Feb
Norma Hudson
21-Feb
Brent Dreher
12-Feb
Ingrid Kessler
22-Feb
Sydnie Chin
13-Feb
Fred Aubrey
23-Feb
Ken Furnes
13-Feb
Diane Hensel
24-Feb
Ellie Noll
13-Feb
Ingrid Dikmen
25-Feb
James Crawford
14-Feb
Craig Kessler
27-Feb
Nancy Johnson
15-Feb
The current month’s birthday listing is posted on the bulletin board outside of Pastor Leone’s office. If your birthday is not listed, please contact the church office and the files will be updated. We
do not want to miss anyone’s birthday.
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Updated church directories will be available in February. Please notify the church office of any changes in address and/or telephone number. You may call the church office at 203-268-7596 or e-mail the update to
goodshepherdlutheran@snet.net.
Sound Tigers Game
On Saturday, February 5, 2011 the Youth Group will be going to a Sound Tigers
Game. This game is "Family and Faith" night and also in conjunction with Souper
Bowl of Caring. Local churches will be performing throughout the night, and they are
collecting canned goods; all in all it sounds like a fun night! Save the date—more
details will be coming...
On Sunday, February 6, 2011, we will join thousands of Christians across denominational lines as we participate once again
in the “Souper Bowl of Caring.” Remember to bring a “buck”
and a canned good for the Monroe Food Pantry to put in your
team’s “souper bowl”. Our youth led by our Confirmation class
are coordinating this event.
Thank you
Special thanks to Ingrid Kessler for the beautiful window decorations in the sanctuary dedicated in loving
memory of her husband, Donald Kessler.
Women’s Literacy Program Seeks Volunteer Tutors!
Mercy Learning Center, located at 637 Park Avenue, Bridgeport, CT, continues to look for volunteers to teach
English as a Second Language (ESL), Reading and Math to women in its tutoring program. Tutors meet with
their students at the Center twice weekly for two hours each session through early June. Over 500 students
participated in our center last year. A one-day training session is provided for all new tutors; teaching experience is not necessary. Upcoming training sessions will take place on Wednesday, January 12, and Thursday,
February 3 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (lunch will be provided). For more information or to register for a training session at the Center, please contact Diane Holmes, Tutor Coordinator at 203-334-6699, or via email at
diane.holmes@snet.net..