Good Shepherd

Lutheran Church

4000 Clayton Road

Concord, CA 94521

925-682-8410

gsconcord.com

Regular Worship Schedule:

8:30 a.m. Traditional

11:00 a.m. Contemporary

Volume 10 • Issue 12 A monthly newsletter of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church December 2014

Shepherd’s Voice

December

Points of Interest

2 Sunday School Coming

3 Council President Message

5 Synod Event for Everyone

6 Council Meeting Notes

9 Friends Feeding Friends

December Newsletter articles

due December 22

A Message from Pastor Jeremy Serrano

“Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.”

(Luke 1:38)

HAPPY NEW YEAR! We are used to hearing these words as the clock

strikes 12:00 a.m. on January 1, but for Christians the New Year begins

with Advent in December. One might think that the Christian New Year

would begin with Christ’s birth—that’s what I used to think. But, the New

Year actually begins with a time of reflection on Jesus’ coming.

Advent, from the Latin, means “coming.” During the Christian Season of

Advent we are pointed in the direction of the coming of Jesus. In fact, we

are directed toward three comings, not just one.

The first coming we wait for is Christmas morning and the remembrance

of God taking human form and entering into Creation. This is what most

people think about when Advent is brought up—the coming of baby Jesus.

This coming marks a pivotal point in salvation history. God is no longer

content to be separated from God’s people. Instead God has joined

himself to creation by becoming human.

The second coming we reflect on is more than Jesus’ earthly birth. Advent

directs us toward those ways in which God comes to us now. God is

always whispering words of love, hope, and forgiveness to us. God comes

to us in written Word (Scripture), the preached Word (sermon), the

physical Word (Eucharist), and the embedded Word (community of

believers). During Advent we are called to reflect on our own lives and

how Jesus is made known to us here and now.

Lastly, Advent points us to the Second Coming of Christ. This is the

coming of which we confess every week in the Apostles Creed, “We believe that he [Jesus] will come again to judge the living and the dead.”

This coming is the fulfillment of all things and when all of Creation will be

made whole.

Continued on Page 2

December 2014

Continued from Page 1

In all three of these comings we wait for the Lord, as a baby, in our hearts, and for the future Kingdom.

Mary was told that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and she would birth a son—Jesus. Her response

was one of acceptance, faithfulness, and willingness to be used as God’s instrument to the rest of the world.

Friends, as we wait for the coming of Jesus may our response be the same response Mary gave to the Angel,

“Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”

Peace,

SUNDAY SCHOOL IS COMING

Martin Luther wrote the small catechism because he believed that parents are called to be the primary

teachers in the faith formation of their children. Parents are called to read scripture with their children, pray

with and for them, and bring them to the Sunday liturgy to hear God’s Word and partake of the Body &

Blood of Jesus. Sometimes, this can seem overwhelming and parents need a little bit of help. Sunday School

can be a great addition to all those ways in which you as a caregiver are intentionally providing for the faith

formation of your children.

Sunday School will begin in January, but before it can we are going to need a little help.

First, we are going to need to gather a list of children who are interested in Sunday School.

Second, we are going to need to gather the names of the volunteers who are willing to help.

Lastly, we will need to get a room ready for our children. This will involve some paint, some posters, and

some time together working.

Right now the plan is to begin Sunday School on January 11. It will be in-between the services following the

first service and ending at 10:40am.

Youth Group

Middle & High School

Games, Food, Fun, Bible Study!

Wednesday, January 28 2014 6:45-8:00PM

Adult Sunday School

January 11, 2014

9:40-10:40PM

Do you have an idea on what you would like to Study in scripture? Let the Pastor know.

November has been a terrific month to say the least. We welcomed Jeremy as our new pastor and I hope

you have had a chance to meet him. I believe a few of our members took Pastor’s invitation to meet with him

on one of the several recent Fridays at Starbucks in the Dana Plaza Shopping Center.

I could not believe the number of folks who turned out for the Thanksgiving Dinner on Sunday, November

23. The food was delicious! Any chance I could get the recipe for the sweet potatoes?.

Thank you to all of the people who helped prepare the food and set up Fellowship Hall. Many hands make

light work. I counted at least 15 members and friends in the kitchen washing dishes! It was great seeing some

of our teenagers pitching in with clean up and also the adults including “The Rev.”

Jeremy will be ordained on Saturday, December 13 and installed as our pastor on January 4, 2015. Please

mark your calendars now. We will have one worship service on January 4 at 11:00 a.m. I believe Emilie is planning a special menu for the reception to follow the installation.

Thank you to everyone who has turned in their Time, Talent and Treasure information. Our Finance

Committee is in the process of fine tuning the 2015 Budget. If you have not returned your information please

do so ASAP.

Our Nominating Committee is still looking for two additional members for our Church Council. Think about

it and give it some prayerful thought. Give one of us a call or see us at church. Your Nominating Committee

is our Executive Committee.

I am sure we will have some exciting and new opportunities for worship this month during this Advent

Season. There is excitement and anticipation in the air! Bring a friend to church this month.

Peace be with you.

Herb

A Message from our Council President

Page 3

Good Shepherd Lutheran

Christmas Eve Worship Times

7:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.

December 2014

GOOD SHEPHERD INCOME STATEMENT

ACTUAL BUDGET DIFFERENCE

INCOME:

Pledges $114,951 $115,462 ($511)

Unpledged 19,610 24,097 (4,487)

Other (Tower, Rent, etc.) 98,873 99,771 (898)

TOTAL INCOME 233,434 239,330 (5,896)

LESS TOTAL EXPENSES (202,015)

(241,514) (39,499)

NET INCOME $ 31,419 $ (2,184) $(33,603)

AS OF OCTOBER 31 , 2014

THE BOYS IN THE BOAT – Good Shepherd’s Book Club January Pick

For our January pick, our book club has chosen The Boys in the Boat, a remarkable true story about

American-bred courage and commitment.

According to the Amazon.com’s review, Daniel James Brown’s The Boys in the Boat is the kind of nonfiction

book that reads like a novel. Centered around the life of Joe Rantz—a farm boy from the Pacific Northwest

who was literally abandoned as a child—and set during the Great Depression, The Boys in the Boat is a

character-driven story with a natural crescendo that will have you racing to the finish.

Join us on January 6 at 7:30 pm in the Fireside Room for a lively discussion of this best-selling book.

Questions? Contact Donna Albrecht at donna-at-albrechts.com

RUTH CIRCLE BIBLE STUDY

Join us in the kitchen at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, December 11. We will be filling tins

with cookies and treats and delivering to homebound members of GSLC the same day.

Our Bible study will resume in January. We hope you can join us in the new year as

we continue to study transitions and transformations in the Bible! We meet the

second Thursday of each month at 10:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall for coffee and then

move to the Fireside Room for our study time.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT.

Stewardship Reminder

It is not too late to turn in your 2015 Pledge & Time and Talent cards.

You can drop your envelope in the mail, place in the offering or drop off in the office.

Thank you to everyone who has and will participate in this year’s Stewardship program.

Page 5

Page 6 December 2014

December

Birthdays

Elizabeth Kich 04

Richard Koehler 05

Kathy Price 05

Carter Munson-Ring 06

Wilma Seppala 08

Lori Randolph 08

Aimee Olmedo 08

Monica Berg 13

Madelyn Setchell 14

Lilah Roza 17

Carin Olson 18

Bob Ripley 19

Karl Bohling 22

Dylan Magic 23

Evelyne Kingwell 24

Judy Haier 25

Allison Buchholz 31

Rosemary Fassl 31

Timothy Harless 31

November 2014 - Council Meeting Notes

MINUTES OF COUNCIL MEETING NOVEMBER 11, 2014

Members present: Herb Yonge, Mark Deniston, Jon Moss, Nils Anderson,

Emilie Patton, Vicki Smiglewski, Leone McCullough, Donna Albrecht, and

Drew Cremisio.

Members Absent: Greg Buchholz and Pr. Jeremy Serrano.

Guests: Heidi Moss and Laura Mott.

Recognitions: Herb recognized the Call Committee for all the work they did

that led to our calling Pastor Jeremy, John Mott and Betty Jacobson for

attending the Synod meeting, Vicki Smiglewski and Laura Mott for

assembling the Stewardship packets, Susan Metzger and Jean Kaul for

outreach to get people to attend Pr. Jeremy’s first service, and Pamela Dietz

for making cakes for Dn. Rowena’s farewell and to welcome Pastor Jeremy.

Correspondence: We received a thank you note from the Women of the

ELCA Sierra Pacific Synod for using our facilities on October 11. They made

a donation of $150 to Good Shepherd.

Pr. Jeremy signed the letter accepting his Call. He declined medical coverage

as he is covered by his wife’s policy. The congregation saved approximately

$4,000 per year because of that. He requested and received annual

payments of $5,000 each to Social Security offset and his pension fund in lieu

of his medical coverage. He signed a document that states should he no

longer have that coverage and elect to go to the ELCA plan, both those

contributions will end.

Our congregation will be sending Nils Anderson and possibly one other

person to witness Pr. Jeremy’s ordination in San Diego.

There will be a new church directory. Pictures will be taken on November

23 and a date to be determined in December by Joe Carlson with a goal of

having it ready for distribution at the Annual Meeting in January. There is now an exit checklist for groups using our facilities. Members and

non-members who use the facilities are required to complete the list.

Fellowship: Our congregational Thanksgiving meal will be at 5:00 p.m. on

November 23. The schedule calls for preparation to be done in the kitchen

on November 22 at 1:00 p.m. and set-up will be on the 23rd at 2:00 p.m.

There will not be a smorgasbord this year.

Christian Education: Beginning in January, there will be an Adult Education

period supervised by Pr. Jeremy and Sunday School led by his wife.

Council Meeting Notes continued on next page

Page 7

December

Anniversaries

Ron and Mary Figueroa

December 15, 1967

Adam and Sarah Mollwitz

December 31, 1996

Council Meeting Notes continued from Page 6

Social Ministry: Socks and candy are being collected.

Herb announced that Pastor and his family will rent Pioneer House on

the upper level of the campus beginning in March, 2015.

Respectfully Submitted,

Donna Albrecht

Council Secretary

(A complete copy of the October Minutes is posted in the Narthex.)

WHAT BEGINS ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 13?

It’s the Rev’s Winter Read!

Beginning each week on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. Rev

will be leading a new reading group. Our first book will be:

Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor.

We will meet in the Fellowship Hall beginning at 10:30 a.m.

to discuss this book that we will be reading as a group.

An elegant writer with the common touch, Taylor is always a wonderful guide to the

spiritual world, and this book is no exception. Here she encourages us to turn out the

lights and embrace the spiritual darkness, for it is in the dark, she maintains, that one

can truly see. – Booklist

CHRISTMAS LEISURE LUNCH IS TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9

Please join us for our Christmas Leisure Lunch on Tuesday, December 9th from noon - 1:30. We will have a

holiday meal complete with Christmas cake. We'll be a joyous bunch as we sing some favorite Christmas

Carols of the old standard variety! Our last gathering of the year is going to be special and made even more

special with you there. Any questions? Need a ride? Just want to call and chat? Please call us, Bob and

Susan Ripley, at 925-827-9787; we would be so happy to hear from you!

Pastor Jeremy will be installed at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church on Sunday, January 4, at 11:00 a.m., immediately followed by a luncheon in Fellowship Hall. Save the date!

December 2014

CARE BEARS

Following a Good Shepherd tradition, we will help some needy folks

have a little more joy this holiday season. Please check out the small

Christmas tree in the Narthex. It’s decorated with bears describing

special wishes along with a little background information on the

recipient. As you are able, choose a bear from the tree, purchase the

gift, wrap it, attach the bear to the present and deliver it to church.

Our Friends Feeding Friends group will sort and deliver these gifts just

prior to Christmas. If you have any questions, please contact

Dana Deniston at 768-9087 or Linda Rodemsky at 864-9266.

Or email us at: friendsfeedingfriends@yahoo.com

Note: Gifts must be received by December 17. Thank you!

A Note of Thanks from Ione Bantly

How fortunate for the Bantlys to belong to such

a loving supporting church!! We want to thank

Rowena, the home communion team, visitors,

and for cards, during John's illness. Your

caring meant so much to him!

When John died, we were overwhelmed by the

kindness we received, with calls, e-mails,

cards, flowers, and care. Laura and Rowena

putting together his service, Lynne's beautiful

music, the wonderful job Linda Mahloch and

her team did on the food, along with many of

you adding to it, for John's very successful Bon

Voyage reception and to all of you who came to

support our family.

Our grateful thanks, love and blessings to each

of you,

Ione and Family A note of thanks to

Friends Feeding Friends.

Friends Feeding Friends

An outreach ministry that serves the needy in our county

Sarah Jean’s

Dream at age 4 —

“So people who are

really hungry

have food.”

Good Shepherd

Lutheran Church

4000 Clayton Road

Concord, CA 94521

682-8410

Located east of the

Salvation Army

church between

West Street and

Mendocino Avenue

Concord, CA

Loaves & Fishes

catering kitchen: 510 Garcia, Suite H

Pittsburg, CA

Know of someone

who needs help?

Call the Homeless

Hotlines at

800-799-6599 or

800-808-6444.

Call the Bay Area

Rescue Mission at

510-215-4868, or

the Contra Costa

Crisis Center

at 211.

The North

Concord

Shelter:

2047 Arnold

Industrial Way,

Concord, CA

Parallel to

Highway 4

For we are

God’s

workmanship

created in

Christ Jesus

to do good

works, which

God prepared

in advance for

us to do.

Ephesians

2:10

Page 9

589 Grocery/Food bags distributed

690 People helped with food

370 Hot Meals provided

22 People helped with household furnishings

Highlights:

Hosted Ameriprise Financial for their National Day of Service.

Cooked at Good Shepherd, and served lunch at the shelter.

Cooked at GS and served a second lunch at the shelter the

day after the Ameriprise lunch.

Received a generous donation from Toll Bridge Tolers

Distributed Thanksgiving groceries, turkeys and grocery gift

cards

Worked with Tabernacle High school students as they baked

desserts for FFF lunches, and bagged food for distribution.

Provided Pacheco/Martinez Homeless Outreach with shelf

stable food and blankets for distribution to homeless living

outdoors between Antioch and Richmond.

● Furnished families, and seniors, including one who was

recovering from gunshots received in Richmond in a wrong

place wrong time situation.

Next FFF Lunch: December 20, 2014. 9:30 a.m. at Good

Shepherd to prep, 12:00 noon at the shelter (2047 Arnold

Industrial Way, Concord) to serve. All are welcome!!

Items needed this month:

Pyrex or Corning ware

Bake ware

Mixing bowls and salad bowls

Can openers & kitchen tools

Lamps

Toilet paper

New blankets and new socks

Clocks and alarm clocks

TVs, DVD players

Have questions, want to help or know of someone needing help?

Contact Dana (925) 768-9087 or Linda (925) 864-9266 or email

us at: friendsfeedingfriends@yahoo.com or

friendsfeedingfriendsca@gmail.com

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2014 Executive Committee: President: Herb Yonge, Vice President: Leone McCullough, Secretary: Donna Albrecht

Member-at-Large: Vicki Smiglewski 2014 Congregational Council

Donna Albrecht, Nils Anderson, Greg Buchholz, Drew Cremisio, Mark Deniston,

Leone McCullough, Jon Moss, Emilie Patton, Vicki Smiglewski and Herb Yonge

Ministry Staff:

Pastor: Rev. Jeremy Serrano - rev@gsconcord.com

Office Administrator: Laura Mott - lauramott@gsconcord.com

Interim Organist: Lynne Davies

Choir Director: Ondine Young

Contemporary Music Leader: Tom Deans Flegel - tdeans08@gmail.com

Sound/Technology: Jamie Rodemsky - jamier1263@gmail.com

Treasurer: Lynne Davies - finance@gsconcord.com

Financial Secretary: Laura Mott - lauramott@gsconcord.com

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Concord, CA

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church 4000 Clayton Road

Concord, CA 94521