The Shepherd’s Voice ■ July 2020

TheShepherd’s

Voice

July 2020In This IssueJuly 2020

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• Call is a Journey

• Look for the Scars

• Sharing a (your) Story

• ABC

• Youth Happenings

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Rev. Craig SchweitzerSenior Pastor

Call is a Journey On Wednesday, June 17, 2020, I had the privilege of preaching at the Ordination Worship for Rev. Gail Hagerty. It was one of the great honors of my time in church leadership. For many decades, the church has been blessed by Gail’s ministry. I believe the church will continue to be blessed as she now enters a new call in church leadership as Pastor.

The title of my sermon was “Call is a Journey.” It is a central facet of my own theology and understanding about living out our faith as God’s children. My own call as God’s child when I was 13 was different than it was when I was in my 20’s which is different than my call is today as a 50-year old pastor. Each call along my faith journey was a blessing – not only to me, but also to God’s children around me.

Pastor Gail has experienced call as a journey in her life too. Whether it was as a volunteer leader at Christus Rex on the campus of the University of North Dakota or years of service as an adult confirmation small group leader; serving as an attorney and legal advocate or nearly four decades as a district judge. You may not know this, but Gail was the first teacher of GSLC’s Little Angels ministry to three-year olds and their parents. Little Angels continues to be a blessing to hundreds of families each year.

My preaching professor in seminary, the Rev. Dr. Michael Rogness, helped me develop my theology around call a lot. In one of his books, he wrote, “God created humankind to live in the world, and God calls us to fit into society in many ways

for the good of the human family and world. Every role we have in life is part of being a Christian. Your whole life is lived with God. You serve and follow God in all your vocations.” [Lord, Help My Unbelief: Experiencing God through Faith, pg. 136-137]

Pastor Gail began a new call as “pastor” on June 17, 2020. A new call that is simply an extension of a beautiful and holy life-long journey of faith. Congratulations and continued blessings along the journey Pastor Gail!

What is your call? How is God working through you and calling you? Do you even believe that you have been called to do what you do and why you do it? Because I do. I believe that God is calling you as parents, siblings, teachers, lawyers, janitors, sales professionals, managers, citizens, etc. etc. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, that list is endless!

Be blessed in your call brothers and sisters in Christ. May God’s good creation be blessed as you live out the call God has placed upon you!

Mission Statement“Good Shepherd Lutheran Church’s mission is to share the Shepherd’s love with all of God’s Children.”

Core ValuesCalled by our Savior Jesus the Christ, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church is a Lutheran congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) that is ...• a welcoming and accepting community

where all people are welcome to receive God’s love, mercy and salvation. (Romans15:17, Galatians 3:28, Mark 9:37)

• a worshiping community of God’s children that invites all to join us in worship that involves a variety of musical, liturgical and artistic expressions. (Psalm 100:1-2, Hebrews 12:28-29, Acts 2:1-4)

• founded in adult and youth ministry education; we build on that foundation by working to facilitate the faith formation of parishioners and community members across generations and support one another in our faith journeys. (Matthew 5:3-11, Matthew 28:19-20, John 13:34-35)

• committed to serve others by living the word daily in action and deed; offering our church facilities as a gathering place for member and non-member alike; and giving of our time, talent and financial resources to support local, domestic and global ministry and mission. (Matthew 25:35-40, Mark 10:45, Luke 10:25-37)

Areas of Ministry FociEngaging the Faithful

Forming FaithHolistic Stewardship

Outreach to Community

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The Shepherd’s Voice ■ July 2020 Engaging the Faithful 3

Council President ReflectionOrdination Worship During a Global Pandemic

Hello to our wonderful congregation. I am your Council President Sam Arndorfer and it’s an absolute blessing to be a member of this Church. As I look back over the past three months, I think about how many decisions needed to be made in a very short timeframe. As part of the leadership team, one decision we never had to address was how do we continue fulfilling our mission due to decreased giving, that is because each one of you have been able to continue your stewardship giving of time, talent, and treasure. Because of your generous gifts, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church was able to keep all staff fully employed throughout the pandemic. We were able to continue our benevolence giving, and were able to provide our normal programs albeit in a new digital format. I am so proud of the members and staff of Good Shepherd for being so willing to adapt. This truly is “God’s Work, Our Hands”.

Thank you, for those of you that donated directly to the Audio/Video equipment fund. We were able to meet our goal by the end of the week. That is truly an amazing work of God. Due to the additional equipment the staff has been able to continue providing high quality videos reaching thousands of people each week. If you haven’t been on the YouTube Channel, please check it out. It truly is wonderful. Thanks to Nicole and Ashley for always bringing a smile to my face when the kids watch church school.

I want to express my gratitude to all the staff of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. I know that our staff has put in more hours in the past three months than anybody at home has recognized. By focusing on our Mission of “Sharing the Shepherds love with all of God’s Children,” the staff was able to move a large congregation from a physical campus to a virtual electronic campus in a matter of days. Absolutely amazing! Please thank them when you get to see them again.

I would also like to let you know that the Council has recently been meeting and discussing our return to “normal” services. Covid 19 will change how we congregate and worship forever. One item that will continue in the future is our online campus. I know that it has helped me to connect each week. I will continue to use it even once we can meet again. Do you ever have that one sermon you need to hear again? Lucky for you on our YouTube channel you can find it and take 10 minutes to hear it again and again if needed. As we move forward, we all need to remember that this virus affects the vulnerable. It is our duty to make sure we do anything we can to protect and keep people safe. With that, we continue to monitor and plan for in-person services held at the church. But until it is safe, we have many ways to worship and be disciples of God.

I leave you with one of my favorite verses that I read daily: Philippians 4:6-7 – Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Sam ArndorferChurch Coucil - President

Good Shepherd Lutheran ChurchOutreach to Community4

Look for the Scars By Brian Hiortdahl Reprint information was granted by Living Lutheran magazine for this article as it first appeared in the May 2020 issue of Living Lutheran

Where is God in this crisis? Is this punishment? Why does God allow this to happen?Seventy-five summers ago, locked in his prison cell, German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer lamented: “They mock me, these lonely questions of mine.” Such potent questions resist easy answers, so I distrust anyone who tries to give any. There is wiser company among those who ask them: Bonhoeffer, long-suffering Job, wailing Rachel, the psalmist(https://www.livinglutheran.org/2020/05/a-season-of-lament/), Christ on the cross: My God, my God,why have you forsaken me? (Mark 15:34). Martin Luther wrote about his painful experience of “Deus Absconditus,” the hidden God whose absence he sometimes felt acutely. God’s presence and purpose are often shrouded in impenetrable mystery. Indeed, it’s our certainty that gets us into theological trouble. If we are certain that God is all good and powerful, what can we credibly say when tragedy strikes? This conundrumis so common it has a name: theodicy. No human mind has satisfactorily resolved it. Even if we had an airtight answer, would that comfort a grieving family or help a heroic front-line health care worker?

But theodicy does serve us well by exposing the limitations of our assumptions about God. Like anyone, God has the right to defy our definitions. God won’t be a tidy, consistent micromanager of cosmic happiness just because we expect it (or dream of being that ourselves). Nor is God a punitive judge, though that can be a seductive line of thought. Paul explained to the Romans that the punishment for sin is enduring its natural consequences, not serving some divine sentence. Reality isn’t as clear-cut as we might wish. God is wiser, more powerful and more loving than we are, but that can be awfully difficult for us to trust when God seems hidden and terrible headlines are so visible.

Where, then, should we look for God? Luther points us to the cross. In the weak, suffering, dying Jesus, we see the heart of God most clearly.

God is with usOn her deathbed as a young adult, Julian of Norwich saw a vision of Jesus in agony on the cross and was overwhelmed with joy. She grasped as never before the depth of God’s love for her in its profound solidarity with her suffering—or it grasped her. God enters, shares and transforms our questions and death rather than magically removing them.

The Shepherd’s Voice ■ July 2020 Holistic Stewardship 5

Perhaps this is why, in the Gospel we read each Sunday after Easter, the disciples don’t realize Jesus is speaking to them until they see and touch his wounded hands and side. Transformed by resurrection, Jesus remains hidden until they recognize the evidence of his suffering. Their reports are empty words for Thomas until he, too, sees the scars. Only then does he know who this is: “MyLord and my God!” (John 20:19-29).

Where is God in this crisis? Look for the scars. God stands in line for a ventilator, struggling to breathe. God works behind a makeshift face mask, exposed to death while fighting to save a life. God waits at home from a painful distance, caring for restless children and lifting heavy questions to a silent sky. God takes abuse while restocking toilet paper for less than a living wage. God walks alone, delivering critical supplies. God sleeps on the street, sheltered in place beneath a bridge until the cops come and once again “the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Luke 9:58). Immanuel. God is with us.

Paul has something to add, reminding the church: “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27). Now we are the ones sent, broken, scarred and risen to bring hope to the world (https://www.livinglutheran.org/2020/04/my-take-the-church-is-not-closed/).

In 251, a plague ravaged northern Africa. “The question for [Bishop] Cyprian was not why the plague had broken out but how Christians should respond to it,” wrote Alan Kreider in The Patient Ferment of the Church (Baker Academic, 2016). Cyprian’s answer was to imitate God by patiently showing mercy to everyone, even nonbelievers. The world learns who God is by watching us.

Our scars might not be physical. They might be punctures in the heart from an eloquent silence shared with someone who has just buried a beloved they can no longer see, a “life hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). They might be the wounds of lonely questions and unanswered prayers. They might be open gashes of exhaustion. Love reaches in multiple directions and cuts indifferent ways.

Where is God in this crisis? Where do you see love? Look for the scars.

Monday at 12:10 in the Sanctuary

Good Shepherd Lutheran ChurchForming Faith

Sharing a (your) Story

Rev. Julie AndersonAssociate Pastor of Congregational Life

& Pastoral Care

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In preparation for the Faithful Innovation Summit I read a book called RECONCILING ALL THINGS: A CHRISTIAN VISION FOR JUSTICE, PEACE AND HEALING by Emmanuel Katongole and Chris Rice. It was a wonderful book to read considering how our world is calling for justice, peace and healing. One of the points was the power of story.

“The stories of Scripture point to reconciliation as a costly journey of transformation and hope that includes (but goes far deeper than) firefighting – a quiet revolution that takes shape over time and burst forth through signs of hope in local places.” (page 45)

We are reminded that the Bible is the story of a people chosen by God to show the world God’s story. Like a good story it invites us to participate and experience the challenges of living a Godly life. Even though a story has a beginning, middle and end it is a part of the larger story. Humanity has a tendency to think of the end as resolution when it is a point in the story inviting us to continue the story. God’s story invites us to live with justice, peace and healing as the end result.

Jesus used stories called parables to invite people into examining their own lives. So often the parable begins by making us think that it is about other people and what they need to learn. However, when the story gets into us it soon becomes apparent that we are also being challenged to examine our own lives and our understandings. The Holy Spirit uses the story told with the breath of another to give new life to each of us by planting the seeds of hope in us.

Jesus invites us to share our stories with one another. Each story we tell to another extends an invitation to learn from one another. As we share our experiences and understandings, we then learn more about ourselves and others. The stories we share are gifts of the spirit, for they are meant to lead to new life where they are planted.

Reconciliation is the story lessons of the journey we are all traveling. It is the process to make right things in the world through witnessing what others have told us. It is the transformation we experience in ourselves through the life stories of others as we see with their eyes the brokenness and beauty of God’s wonderful creation. When another’s story breaks into our lives it opens our heart as an invitation of God into the new creation where we are in an open, honest relationship with God, ourselves and each other. We love each other for the unique creations of God that we are, as the light of truth enters freely into the brokenness.

Our stories are tested and refined as we tell them. Our stories may change little but their meaning is deepened and broadened when joined to others’ stories. When we broaden the scope of who and how our lives interact we are able to mend brokenness, for we can now see more clearly. Over the last several years, people whose stories have been repressed due to denial that events happened or that it is everyone’s concern have been able to tell their stories of pain caused by the actions of others. When one person is not heard the whole truth is not available to all of us. When we are connected through Jesus we are vulnerable and forgiving of each other for the truth has set us free to be healed, live in peace and experience justice, that right relationship with God and each other. You are invited to tell your story to others and listen to the stories of others with a heart open to share pain with hope for God’s new creation to be revealed to a hurting world.

The Shepherd’s Voice ■ July 2020 Engaging the Faithful

July 5Zechariah 9:9-12Psalm 145:8-14Romans 7:15-25aMatthew 11:16-19, 25-30July 12Isaiah 55:10-13 Psalm 65:[1-8] 9-13Romans 8:1-11 Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 July 19Isaiah 44:6-8 Psalm 86:11-17Romans 8:12-25 Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 July 261 Kings 3:5-12Psalm 119:129-136Romans 8:26-39Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

JulyReadings

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Welcome to ABC - Adult Bible & Catechism! Join the 135 people participating on Facebook group.

ABC is a Summer 2020 offering of faith formation for Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. We will explore Luther’s Catechism and Holy Scripture in order to better understand how we live out our faith through a Lutheran Christian lens.

Pastor Julie, Pastor Bob, and Pastor Craig will all be involved in leading this series. Each Monday morning, a new lecture (it will be short) will be posted to the group. Throughout the week, it is our hope that we will be able to engage in conversation and questions that will help all of us grow in relationship with each other and relationship with our God through Jesus.Insights from Comments:

• I appreciate that Luther used so much common sense in the articles. In this way I feel like I’m not getting caught up in the tasks I need to do to be saved, but focus on my relationship with Jesus and my faith because I am saved.

• I really enjoy hearing / reading about different chapters and verses of the Bible. Really helps me think more positive.

• We listened today. Very interesting to hear about all the versions of the Bible, the start of the world, and both stories of creation.

Weclome New Members Trever and Jennifer Herman

Check out daily devotions from 40 pastors and deacons of the Western North Dakota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. https://www.facebook.com/prairiefaithdevos

Good Shepherd Lutheran ChurchForming Faith8

I Can Only Imagine is a memoir written by Bart Millard of MercyMe along with Robert Noland. I Can Only Imagine is the true story that inspired the hit song and major motion picture of the same name. The Good Shepherd Lutheran Church library has both the book and the DVD. You can check out whichever you would prefer or check them both out and see the differences between them.

Both the book and the DVD tell the story of how Bart’s life influenced the writing of the song I Can Only Imagine. They both provide a heart-wrenching history of what Bart endured as the child at the hands of his abusive father and how the father’s life was eventually transformed as he became a follower of Jesus.

Bart explains at the beginning of the book how the movie can only tell a certain amount of the story in the allotted time, thus the book provides many more details and expands on different aspects of the story. It was very interesting for me to both watch the DVD and read the book. Bart Millard’s memoir is well worth reading. It points to God in the midst of abuse, fear, loneliness, pride, abandonment, anger, grief… basically every emotion and wherever you’re at in life. There is a lot to be learned from this true story of forgiveness and grace.

by Julie Fornshell

Library news Check it Out

Did you know that Vacation Bible School has been around since the 1880’s? So much has changed since then, but the mission has remained the same, loving children and sharing the gospel!

This year our kids need a faith-filled experience to remind them that Jesus is with us and can guide us through difficult times. We understand that parents are overwhelmed, kids miss connection, and parents and kids miss the sense of community that comes from VBS! That is why we bring you ONLINE VBS! Join us August 3 – 7 for Rocky Railway VBS and a week full of fun and adventure for all ages.

Rocky Railway will remind us that:JESUS’ POWER HELPS US DO HARD THINGS.JESUS’ POWER GIVES US HOPE.JESUS’ POWER HELPS US BE BOLD.JESUS’ POWER LETS US LIVE FOREVER.JESUS’ POWER HELPS US BE GOOD FRIENDS.TRUST JESUS!How do you join in on the fun? Simple! 1. *Sign up – registration forms can be found on our GSLC website. 2. *Pick up your AT HOME ROCKY RAILWAYS ADVENTURE PACK- pick up will be Sunday, August 2.

In your ADVENTURE PACK you will find day by day instructions, bible story, imagination station, bible buddies, family connection, fun snack recipes and so much more! 3. * Pick your own adventure!! Enjoy VBS with your family on your own time and at your own pace OR tune in to GSLC YouTube or Facebook every day for bible story and fun adventures OR pick and choose what days to tune in and do the rest on your own.

For more information on Rocky Railway Adventure VBS please contact Nicole Fehr at nicole@goodshepherdbismarck.com

Join us for Online VBS

The Shepherd’s Voice ■ July 2020 Outreach to Community 9

The Special Meeting of the Western ND Synod Assembly will be held on Friday, July 17, 2020, with a primary site at the Grand Hotel in Minot and a satellite site at St. John Lutheran Church in Dickinson. Due to restrictions, only voting members and rostered leaders may attend and must register by calling our GSLC church office at 701-255-1001. All others are invited to join the meeting via live stream on the Western North Dakota Facebook page.

The work of the Synod Assembly includes electing people to the Synod Council and Boards, passing a budget, discussing a couple of Resolutions, hearing reports of ministry around the synod, and electing a new Bishop. The bishop, so chosen, will officially begin their term on September 1 of this year. We ask our congregation to hold the synod and its leaders in prayers as we prepare for this great work and time together. Any member of Good Shepherd is welcome to attend as a voting member if they wish to do so, and must register by Friday, July 10. Please call the Good Shepherd office with any questions or if you wish to register to attend. by Lois Schmalz - President of the Western North Dakota Synodical Board

• I pray that the next time a friend grabs me and pulls me in for a hug, I actually take the time to appreciate the gift of their embrace.• I pray that when school resumes and people are dropping kids off, they take the time to thank the staff for the amazing gift that they give to our community.

• I pray that the next time I’m sitting in a crowded restaurant I take the time to look around at the smiling faces, loud voices and thank God for the gift of community.

• I pray that the next time I’m standing in church listening to the voices of praise and worship, that I take a moment to thank God for the gift of congregation.

• I pray that the next time I see a person or situation that needs prayer, I hope I pray as passionately and fervently as I have these past few weeks.

• I pray that when I am at the grocery store that I take a moment to thank God that we are provided with the necessities of life and the amazing people who work so hard to keep us supplied.

• I pray that I never again take for granted the ability to hop in the car and visit a friend, go to the mall, go to a gathering, etc.

So, truth is, I don’t want things to return to the way they once were. I pray that we take the lessons andchallenges of the past few weeks and create a new normal. My goal is to pray more, love harder and truly appreciate the daily abundance of blessings that were so easilyoverlooked just a mere few weeks ago.Be Blessed Today!

I Pray We Don’t Go Back to Normal

Synod Assemble July 17: Preparing for a Bishop’s Election

Good Shepherd Lutheran ChurchOutreach to Community10

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” –Proverbs 3:5-6

We are so sad to have cancelled our Minneapolis and Chicago Mission Trips for this summer. But with this sadness comes a new excitement: Bible Camp! We are lucky in Western North Dakota that our Bible Camps are still able to welcome campers. In the times of Covid, these camps are finding ways for our kids to gather as safely as possible. In trusting our camps safety, and amazing amounts of fun, we are excited to invite our kids to camp with us!

Youth Completing 5th-7th Grade: Sunday-Friday, July 19-24 @ Camp of the Cross ($225)

Come to camp where you will join other campers and staff in fun, creativity, and learning what it means to live a life of faith! The list of activities is never-ending! Join Ashley and/or Nicole for this awesome week together! Christmas in July is also available July 26-31 (without Ashley or Nicole).

Youth Completing 7th-9th Grade: Sunday-Friday, July 26-31: “Nightlife” Camp @ Badlands Ministries, Medora ($200)

This camp is amazing and includes all of the great activities of a regular week at camp except that we will sleep by day and play by night! We’ll learn more about God and each other through high ropes, late-night Bible studies, night hikes, campfires, and glow in the dark games. Join Ashley for the week (if her toddler allows it). You can’t miss it!

We hope you can join us!In the difficult times of Covid, we understand the hesitancy of our kids being in a new environment. North Dakota is experiencing Covid quite differently than the rest of the country, and we need to continue to be careful to keep our numbers low. This is a careful consideration for each family to discern whether camp is right for their kids this summer. Please know: Bible Camp changes lives by showing our kids how God is at play in everything all around us. In the uncertain times that we currently carry, wouldn’t that be an incredible message for our kids to hear?

Please contact Ashley with any questions. We ask families to register through the Bible Camp websites, with GSLC paying $200 of their camp fee. We are happy to offer this campership price to any GSLC families attending camp throughout the summer.

GSLC Youth Summer Trip REMIX: Let’s Go to CAMP

The Shepherd’s Voice ■ July 2020 Engaging the Faithful

June StatsBaptisms:

Rafe Lee JohnsonLincoln James DahlWinston Reid Abler Reagan Jane Bratsch

Funerals/Deaths:

Debra McDermottDr. Herbert Wilson Terry Ruele

Memorials:

In loving memory of Gerald ThompsonJames and Donna LekangDavid and Lori Laschkewitsch

In loving memory of Claudine KnatterudDoris Wolfe

In loving memory of Mary PedersenRev. Robert and JoAnn LynneAl and Jane FrankTimothy and Ann SchuetzleDonna BeckerMargie LeeHuser EGF Corp/Ever Green FarmsNancy and Paul Miller

In loving memory of Lori ErdmannRev. Robert and JoAnn Lynne

In loving memory of Thomas OttoLeonard and Ernie VoegeleMarian Hagerott

In loving memory of Albert ImhoffMark and Cindy Fliginger

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This past May, I received my Master’s Degree in Children, Youth and Family Ministry from Luther Seminary. I enrolled in Luther Seminary’s Distant Learning Program in the fall of 2016, and am beyond thrilled to be finished with this excellent program. I will work to bring all I’ve learned to the youth ministries of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church as I continue to work towards Ordination as a Deacon in the ELCA. As Pastors are ordained in “Word and Sacrament”, Deacons are ordained in “Word and Service”. Although it may shift my work here at Good Shepherd a little bit, my main focus is our youth and continuing to share the love of Jesus with our youth and families.

The encouragement from my family and home church of St. John Lutheran Church in Dickinson was incredibly motivating, along with First Presbyterian Church in Bismarck, where I was serving when I enrolled in Luther Seminary. I am also extremely thankful for great support from WELCA and the Order of the Eastern Star. It has been a busy, busy four years as we welcomed my daughter Signe halfway through my studies. My husband Geoff has been incredibly supportive as my studies have taken time away from our family, including visiting Luther Seminary Campus in Minnesota for weeks at a time!

Luckily, God has steered me through this degree and I have met incredible leaders and friends. I look forward to seeing how this experience continues to shape my ministries and work with our youth. I feel blessed to be sharing these skills with the great people of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and know it can only get better from here! Thank you for all the support and encouragement!

I truly appreciate it,

Ashley Greenwood

CONGRATS, Ashley

Ashley Greenwood Confirmation and Senior High Youth

Ministry Coordinator

Ashley pictured here with daughter Signe, husband Geoff and puppy Boots.

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church12

Rev. Bob CaranicasPastor of Youth and

Family Ministries

A Little RandomnessHey everybody! I hope that your summer is going well. I know that things are tough in the middle of a society that doesn’t quite know what to do with itself, but we are a resilient bunch and we will get through it. Onward.

I just got done doing an introductory video for the canoe trips that we are taking. I like doing things like this because they remind me that we are all on a journey together. We will put the video out there for all to see so watch for that. Anyway, I like to think of us all in this thing, together, working toward a destination that we can’t really see. We move as one family, on a river of life that is full of bends and rocks and branches and things that we can’t imagine. How do we make it? We make it because we are all working together, as one.

We talked as a staff this morning about some things that are facing us. The world is in a tough place for sure. In the midst of all of that, we search for some sort of normal. In a sense, we are searching for wholeness in a world of brokenness. Keeping that in mind, we talked about 1 Corinthians 12. Paul tries here to lead us to see that we are never alone. We are not created to be alone. We are not called to lead a life of solitude. We are not meant to exist apart from one another. Think on that for a while and you can’t help but realize that when one part of God’s creation hurts, we all hurt.

That is a good thing to think about on a canoe trip. That is a good thing to think about when you spend time with family. That is a good thing to think about when you are standing in line at the store. Get my point? As we move forward and try to make sense of our world, as we look down river, may we all remember that we are in this together….with God.

... but the members may have the same care for one ... but the members may have the same care for one another. another. 2626If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; If one member suffers, all suffer together with it;

if one member is honored, all rejoice with it. if one member is honored, all rejoice with it. ~ 1 Corinthians 12 ~ 1 Corinthians 12

The Shepherd’s Voice ■ July 2020 13

by Nicole Fehr, Children & Family Ministry Coordinator

Hi, my name is Hattie Fitterer and I am going to be a senior at Century High School. I noticed a need in the community a few weeks ago and I need your help!

Many residents in long-term care facilities have little face-to-face contact during COVID-19. To help during this time I started a new project called “Meaningful Mail.” The goal of this project is to bring joy and brighten up residents days during this time of isolation. I have already sent out over 600 letters to long-term care facilities and I would love to be able to send more but I need your help!

Meaningful Mail has an lnstagram and Facebook account with lots of pictures and information on how to sign up and send letters. Also, I have created a google form where people can sign up to write letters and get information on how to send the letters. I have included the link below. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Nicole at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church or myself. It would be so awesome if I could send out more letters, but to do so I need your help in spreading the word.

Thank you so much and have a great summer,Hattie

Google form link:https://forms.gle/apMaSdKZLsoiTamN9

Meaningful Mail

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

June Council Minutes 6-16-2020

Holistic Stewardship

COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENTSam Arndorfer - PresidentAddy HoustonJoel Stugelmeyer Kjersti HintzKellie ErhardtChristian Helgeson COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENTKarl Liepitz Heather LeMoine Royce Schultze

OTHERS ATTENDINGAnnette Bjornstad – Executive Assistant Office ManagerPastor Craig Schweitzer – Senior PastorPastor Bob Caranicas – Pastor of Youth and Family Ministries Pastor Julie Anderson – Associate PastorMelanie Nicklos – Parish Administrator Jason Tomanek – Long Range Planning TeamWendy Berg – Long Range Planning Team

1) The meeting was called to order by President, Sam Arndorfer.

2) Opening prayer was led by Kjersti Hintz.

3) Bible Study andDevotions – Pastor Bob. 4) Approval of Consent Agenda

a) Approval of Minutesb) Monthly Financial Reportc) Human Resources Committee – No Reportd) Finance Committee Report – No Reporte) Endowment Council Report – No Report f ) Holistic Stewardship Committee – No

Reportg) Audit Committee Report – No Reporth) Safety and Security Committee – No Reporti) Staff Report j) Pastor’s Reportk) Thank You Notes

Motion to approve the consent agenda (Stugelmeyer/Helgeson, unanimous).

5) Old Business a) Long-Range Facility Growth/Expansion Plan – Report made by Jason Tomanek and Wendy Berg of the Long Range Planning Committee – Included in the Council packet was the Report and Recommendations by Tim Johnson, Kairos Consultant and the Long-Range Planning Committee. Discussion held. • Tim Johnson and the team identified a series of options for the church regarding the expansion/remodeling process, but because of CoVid-19, we

had to pause this process. • 74% of the congregation members that participated in the March focus groups, feel that Option B (Renovation and Addition) is the most viable option.

• One of the property owners adjacent to the south Good Shepherd parking lot has contacted the Long Range Planning Committee. This property owner is in the process of building a new home and inquired with us to see if the church would be interested in purchasing hers. Discussion held. Motion was made to develop a plan for Good Shepherd to be able to purchase the available house, if possible, through some type of LLC model formed by members of the congregation. In the future, as Good Shepherd is able, the house could then be sold to the congregation as our Long-Range planning process unfolds. (Helgeson/Stugelmeyer, unanimous) Motion was made to develop a Request for Proposals (RFP) for an architect to review Option B in order to begin identifying specific needs, initial drawings/sketches, and estimates of cost. (Helgeson/Houston, unanimous)

6) New Business a) Ashley Greenwood – Internship – Pastor Craig reported that a member of the Good Shepherd staff team, Ashley Greenwood, has graduated from Luther Seminary. The next steps in Ashley’s candidacy journey are to complete a 6-month internship and complete a unit of CPW. Ashley’s internship will be held at Good Shepherd. Pastor Craig and Ashley are working on the internship details. b) CoVid-19 Updates – no new updates. c) CoVid Testing Site – Pastor Craig reported that the parish nurse from First Presbyterian Church in Bismarck contacted him regarding Good Shepherd Lutheran Church being a testing site for Co-Vid-19. Discussion held. d) In-Person Worship in July – included in the Council packet was an email from the Pastoral Team of Good Shepherd to the Church Council with recommendations for worship services in July. Discussion held. • Continue Worship in the Park at Hillside Park, Shelter #2 – Wednesdays at 6:30 pm • Continue The Shepherd’s Table – Mondays at 12:10 pm in the Sanctuary • Continue to offer worship via our digital campus – digital worship will be live at 8:30am on Sunday mornings. • Add two new in-person worship services in the Sanctuary. Council and staff will re- evaluate this plan in mid-July. This would begin on July 4-5. A traditional worship will be offered on Saturdays at 5:00 pm and

a contemporary worship on Sundays at 10:00 am. There will be no printed bulletin or congregational singing at these worship services. Motion was made to accept the proposed July worship schedule as presented. (Erhardt/ Stugelmeyer, unanimous) 7) Other Business: a) Pastor Bob reported that Ashley will be taking a small group of youth to Medora next week. The canoe trips that Pastor Bob has scheduled are moving forward. Both canoe trips are full. b) Pastor Bob also asked Council about the youth rummage sale. The consensus was to cancel the rummage sale for this year. c) Synod Assembly will be held on Friday, July 17, 2020, in Minot, ND. It will be held at the Grand Hotel. A new Bishop will be elected at this meeting.

8) Questions from the Floor: (5 minutes, Council may respond at a future meeting) 9) Closing Prayer led by Sam Arndorfer

Respectfully submitted, Annette Bjornstad Executive Assistant/Office Manager

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The Shepherd’s Voice ■ July 2020 Holistic Stewardship

YTD Budgeted Contributions: ............................................................................... $ 644,825.00YTD Actual Contributions: ..................................................................................... 548,072.94Difference between Budgeted & Actual: ............................................................. (96,752.06)SBA PPP LOAN Proceeds: ..................................................................................... 150,164.16Difference between Budgeted & Actual with SBA PPP Loan Proceeds: ............ 53,412.10

YTD Budgeted Expenses: ...................................................................................... $ 650,426.84YTD Actual Expenses: ........................................................................................... 585,755.01Difference between Budgeted & Actual: ............................................................. (64,671.83)

YTD Actual Contributions: ..................................................................................... $ 548,072.94YTD Actual Expenses: ........................................................................................... 585,755.01Net without SBA PPP Loan Proceeds: .................................................................. (37,682.07)Net with SBA PPP Loan Proceeds: ....................................................................... 112,482.09 Compared to year to date in 2019: $ (25,817.89)

Thank you for your continued financial support to Good Shepherd that enables us “to share the Shepherd’s love with all of God’s children.”

As of May 31, 2020

Ways to financially support the MissionGive automaticallyThis is the most economical way to give to GSLC and ensure the ministry continues when life gets busy! To get started go to the GSLC App and click on the Give button. Or go to our website, click on Giving, Online Giving and select option one or two. Paper forms are also located in carousels.

Give via TextYou can text 701-205-3394, type in the amount you would like to give, follow the link to register and type repeat to make it a reoccurring or do nothing for a one-time gift.

Give in personTithing and giving an offering are important and we understand that! If you are looking to have the contributions reflected on your financial statements, please have the offering in the envelope with your number on it. Envelope numbers are the only way to track your offering for financial statements.

New in 2020 - Financial statements will be distributed two times a year.

We are pleased to announce that over 665 financial statements were successfully emailed. Having your statements emailed saves the church postage, time and printing over 1,800 copies.

To get your statements via email please send a note to Melanie@goodshepherdbismarck.com or call the office at 701-255-1001.

Financial statements by email

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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPermit No. 419Bismarck, ND

106 Osage AvenueBismarck, ND 58501-2673

Phone: 701-255-1001Fax: 701-255-3644

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTEDWWW.GOODSHEPHERDBISMARCK.COMWWW.GOODSHEPHERDBISMARCK.COM

Safety Precautions for in-person worship include:• Use hand sanitizer as you enter• Masks are optional but recommended• Masks are available in the Narthex• Enter Sanctuary through the Narthex doors

• No bulletins will be handed out• No singing unless wearing a mask• Observe 6 foot social distancing between household groups• Offering baskets will be at the door• Ushers will dismiss you at the end of service