Weekly Announcement 12/07
Senior Christmas Dinner: Please Join Us on Friday, December 12 for a delicious meal, holiday devotion, entertainment and fellowship with friends at the annual Senior Adult Christmas Dinner! Doors open at 11 a.m. The meal will begin at 11:30 a.m. Make reservations at the church office (344-3151 or churchoffice@gslcs.org.) or by checking your name off or adding it to the SIGN UP in the narthex by Monday12/8. Hope you can all join us!
Volunteers Are Needed to help provide a special Christmas celebration for guests at the Senior Adult Christmas Dinner on Friday, December 12. Help will be appreciated with decorating and food preparation on Thursday, December 11 and serving and clean-up on December 12. If you are able to help, please text Pat Hoffmeier (618-305-9622). Thanks!
Advent Meal - This week for Advent Dinner the Good Shepherd Youth Group will be serving their well-like Mexican Chicken with all the fixings! Come support them with proceeds going to the help defray the cost for trips and conferences such as the Higher Things Conference this summer.
Advent Calendars are on the table in the Narthex. Please take one per family.
A Hat and Mitten Tree is in the narthex until December 14. The Board of Congregational Life is collecting warm mittens, scarves and hats that will be distributed to local children through the Collinsville Food Pantry and Riverbend Head Start. There will also be a similar tree in the school entrance. Thank you for being a part of this ministry!
The gift bags for the home bound are ready for the congregation to deliver them. This is such a wonderful way to let the home bound know that they are remembered by their church. Check the list to see who you would like to visit. Names are on the bags. If a bag has no name...you can take it to someone you know that would appreciate being remembered. Thank you from the Life Team
RaiseRight - Charger Bucks: Scrip gift cards will be available between services in the connector hallway on December 7th, 14th, 21st. Earn tuition credit for your family or another family while purchasing gift cards!
Download the app! RaiseRight.com
Christmas at MELHS - The MELHS Music Department invites you to our annual “Christmas at MELHS” concert on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 4 p.m. in Henschen Hall. Enjoy performances from our talented Chorale, Honors Choir, String Ensemble and Concert Band. Plus, join our combined choir for a special rendition of the “Hallelujah Chorus.” If you can’t attend in person, catch the live stream on the MELHS Fine Arts Facebook Page. A dessert reception will follow the performance.
The Southern Illinois District is launching a new outreach initiative in 2025 called, "Come Home for Christmas." The coming months will have many of our family, friends, and neighbors longing to be home for the holidays. This presents us a wonderful opportunity to invite them to join us in worship for Christmas, where they will truly be at home with the Lord Jesus. Stay tuned for more ways you can be a part of this outreach initiative, because all of us have an opportunity to invite a friend, neighbor, or family member to come home to God’s house for Christmas! Lifeway Research recently shared a study of U.S. adults who don’t typically attend church, and found that 56% of them are likely to attend at Christmastime if someone they know invites them! Half of those who don’t attend church were likely to come if someone simply invited them! We know this to be true not just from research, but from the Scriptures because we have a God who seeks out the lost sheep.
Who can you invite to worship with you this Christmas?
Crossroads - Kick off Christmas break with a family movie night on Sunday, 12/21! Crossroads is hosting a viewing of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever in the Fellowship Hall. The movie starts at 6 pm with doors opening at 5:30. Bring a cozy blanket and your favorite movie snack to share! Crossroads will provide popcorn and drinks. Contact Rachel Forden.
Poinsettias - Each Christmas we decorate the church with poinsettias donated by members giving In Memory Of or In Honor Of loved ones. We will list the donations in our Christmas services. You are welcome to take the poinsettia home after our Christmas service or leave it for the rest of the season. If you would like to donate a poinsettia please contacted the church office.
Join us this Advent season at our Midweek Services as we explore the theme, Prepare the Way of the Lord: With Prayer, In Meditation, Through Suffering, inspired by Martin Luther’s insight into the recurring cycle of the Christian life. Luther taught that our faith is strengthened through prayer (especially as we prepare ourselves to study the Word), in reflective meditation (on the Word), and enduring suffering (as the devil tries to steal the Word from us) -steps that prepare your hearts for Christ’s coming.
Wednesdays: December 10 &17 at 4:30 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. Advent Meal at 5:30 p.m
NEW Recurring Online Giving Platform - We are moving to a new online giving platform. We are letting you know now because we want everyone to be fully moved over by January 1, 2026. It is already up and running so you can switch anytime! This new one will allow you to pay with your bank account, credit card or even Apple Pay. You can go to - https://pushpay.com/g/goodshepherdil
Or scan this QR code:
*If you previously gave on a different platform please remember to cancel that one also.
NEW Website and App - As of 11/24/2025 the new website is live at it's old address https://www.goodshepherdcollinsville.org/
Our new app is available for download. Enter the keyword gscollinsville when you get in. Then be sure to click in the upper right hand corner on the profile and make your profile. Then you are all set.
If you have an iPhone use this link,
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/my-church-by-pushpay/id1289838678
If you have an Android use this link.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pushpay.mychurch&pcampaignid=web_share
Or search for My Church by Pushpay.
The Heartland Community Chorus and The Gateway Ringers - Saturday, December 13, 2025, 7PM Sunday, December 14, 2025, 3PM St. Paul Catholic Church 1411 Main Street Highland, Illinois
Tickets may be purchased from a Chorus Member, in person, or online at: www.heartlandcommunitychorus.org
Issues Etc. - KIDS HAVE QUESTIONS SERIES… Will my dead pets be in heaven? Does everyone have a guardian angel? What does God think about suicide? Issues, Etc. is a radio talk show and podcast produced by Lutheran Public Radio in Collinsville, IL and hosted by LCMS Pastor Todd Wilken. You can listen to an ongoing Kids Have Questions series with Pastor Jonathan Conner at issuesetc.org/kidshavequestions.
Usher Team: (5:30) D. Ulkus
(8:00) C. Engeling
(10:30) W. Curtis
Altar Guild: (5:30) Julie Wrigley
(8:00) Charlie & Ruth Herzog
(10:30) Terry, Mark & Hannah Ritter
Greeters: (8:00) Steve & Carol Hyatt
(10:30) Kent & Kathy Splaingard
Flowers- Given by Jim & Mary Kruta in honor of their 50th Wedding Anniversary.
Attendance last weekend was 393. The offering was: General Fund $11,272, Specials $636, Total $11,908.
Prayer List: Pam DeAngelo