A Tribute to Good Shepherd
A little over two weeks ago, Good Shepherd made the final bubble payment on the mortgage of our property. The Reverend Ifeoluwa Ojetayo, of Holy Trinity Anglican in Syracuse, NY wrote a lovely piece on his experience at Good Shepherd. Matt asked that I include it here for any that may not have seen it.
I started attending the now Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd, on the corner of Conklin Ave. and Livingston St, just over a year before the loss of the “old” building.
My journey to Anglicanism was crystallized on that last Sunday, in that building, as I saw regular saints make the real and painful decision to forego “goods and kindred” (an old building, but all the more loved because of generations of memories, joys and sorrows, baptisms, weddings, and funerals, witnessed within its walls). I saw stoic, proud men shed tears as they removed plaques bearing loved ones’ names from the walls of the building and left that once-sacred space. I saw many real tears of sadness that Sunday. I felt like I should cry with them, but I didn’t have the history they had with the place ( I had only been attending for a year). But I bore witness to their mourning and grief.
I also bore witness to their love for Jesus and their courage to obediently follow Christ. I saw a congregation who had counted the cost of discipleship, men and women who thought Jesus was far more precious than a beloved building or a precious endowment.
I saw something else. I saw the faithfulness of the Lord. I saw God’s provision in small and big ways. The provision of a new building through the kindness of God’s people. I saw growth both numerically and spiritually. I saw confidence in the Lord grow with every costly step of faith they made. I saw a pastor and his church with renewed confidence in the means of grace the Lord has given to his church. I saw in the people a confidence in the word of God preached and a desire to be shaped by it.
Their courage was contagious. Their courage gave me the boldness to answer the call to ministry that I had been ignoring for about 5 years. And they allowed me to discern that call in their midst as a bible study teacher and a youth minister. They saw me married and become a father. They sent me off to seminary and bore witness to my ordination. I carry the lessons I learned among them with me. I love these saints, and I’m overjoyed that tomorrow, after paying off the mortgage, the “new” church building will be consecrated.
Some of the saints who journeyed through this travail have now gone on to glory. But how providential that this is done on All Saints’ Sunday! It is as it should be that you should join your voices with theirs in heaven in the praise of God for all his wondrous work among you.
The saints at the Church of the Holy Trinity, Syracuse, join you in rejoicing. May the gospel of Jesus Christ continue to go forth in power from 360 Conklin Ave as you continue to trust and follow him.
Did we in our own strength confide
Our striving would be losing
We’re not the right Man on our side
The Man of God’s own choosing
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He!
Operation Christmas Child
If you’ve taken an Operation Christmas Child shoebox, please make sure to return it this Sunday.
St. Nicholas Fair Announcement
This year the St. Nicholas Fair will be on December 14th from 10am-3pm. We are raising funds for Sarah Day to combat the devastation her community is experiencing from flooding in Thailand. Join us for a winter marketplace full of goods made by our church family, a service auction, live music and entertainment throughout the day, maybe even some visits from St. Nicholas himself! We’ll be serving delicious food at our St. Nick café along with some baked goods and specialty drinks. Contact Angel Groves or Anna Dreher if you’re willing to make items, offer your skills at the service auction, or volunteer with food, music, or setup/tear down. We appreciate your generosity every year – both in your physical donations and in your giving on the day of. Thank you!
Potluck Schedule
The first Sunday of most months is a potluck or cooking competition. Bring a dish to pass, or just come and have lunch after the 10:30! If you’re a person that enjoys competition, or judging other people (heh) please see Steph or Claudia to sign up as a judge for cooking competitions.
| Cookie & Pie Bakeoff | December 1, 2024 |
*Please keep in mind that dates, times, and themes are subject to change.
Pastries on the Portico
For the summer, Coffee Hour is on the porch facing Saratoga Ave. Stay after the 10:30 to catch up with old friends and make some new ones. If you like to bake, there’s a sign up by the coffee urns.
Good Shepherd’s Women’s Group (The Mary & Martha Guild, formerly the EAW)
Open to all women (and girls) of any age. Meetings are usually on the 3rd Saturday of the month from 11 to 1. Contact Jenn Fowler for more information.
Summer and Autumn Dates
December 22 1:30-4pm Christmas Tea @ the Manwaring home.
Sunday Worship and Holy Eucharist
The 8am service This service includes readings from the Bible, a sermon, offering, confession, and communion. There is no music during this service. The 8am service is not currently being live-streamed.
The 10:30am service This is a full traditional Anglican Holy Eucharist service, including readings from the Bible, music, a sermon, confession, and communion. This service is available for livestream on our Facebook page. You can download a PDF copy of this week’s service bulletin here.
This Sunday’s lectionary readings are: Daniel 12:1-13, Psalm 16, Acts 24:1-21, Mark 13:14-23
Next Sunday’s lectionary readings will be: Daniel 7:9-14, Psalm 93, Acts 24:22-27, John 18:33-37
You’ll also notice that there are links in the offertory section to take you out to two different means of giving electronically. You can give online through Breeze or you can text a donation through Breeze at 607-882-6551. Good Shepherd also has a PayPal account. As always, thank you for your great generosity and kind support.
Catching Up…
Last Sunday’s Sermon Last Sunday, Matt preached on Acts 23:25-35. You can listen to “He Was Being Accused About Questions of Their Law” here.
You can catch up on older sermons here.
Adult Christian Education Last week’s Christian Education class can be listened to or viewed here.
The Cranmer Fellows Podcast (CFP) explores pastoral ministry and theology from an Anglican perspective. CFP is a project that Jon and Matt have undertaken in order to 1) encapsulate the pastoral training Matt has given men over the years into an accessible resource and 2) serve as a door to, we pray, a future program to train more people for ministry. Though geared toward the pastor, ministry leader, and pastor-in-training, what Jon and Matt talk about is applicable to all Christians.
Here is a link where you can listen to previous episodes. https://anchor.fm/thecranmerfellowspodcast.
You can subscribe to CFP on all major platforms.
Ongoing Ministries
Intercessor Ministry On Sunday at both the 8 and the 10:30, you may notice a person standing at the side altar rail as you come forward to receive Communion. That person is part of the Prayer Ministry, people trained to pray for any anxieties or troubles you may have. If you would like prayer for any reason, please feel free to stop as you pass.
Audio-Video Team Are you a technologically capable person who would like to serve the church with your gifts? Good Shepherd is adding a volunteer team to run sound and the livestream for the 10:30 Sunday service. If this is a ministry that interests you, please reach out to Micah.
Morning Prayer meets online by Zoom at 7am Monday through Friday. The liturgy and readings are available at www.dailyoffice2019.com. Join the parish email list and look for a weekly email invitation in your inbox.
Tuesday Morning Bible Study meets at 9:05 am in the Parish Hall to walk through the bible, verse by verse. It meets in person and is available online by livestream. They are currently in II Samuel.
Home Groups meet weekly around the Binghamton area. They study the readings for the Sunday coming up, pray, and build relationships. Check in with Jonathan or Joe Kovac to get connected.
Shepherd’s Bowl Community Dinner Good Shepherd offers a free nutritious meal to the people of Good Shepherd and the wider community on Thursday evenings from 5:30-6:30. If you are able, this is a great time to get to know others and enjoy a delicious meal.
Thursday Evening Bible Study meets directly after Shepherd’s Bowl in the sacristy and will be studying James. They meet at 6pm. Everyone is welcome. Please see Jon Groves or Warren Musselman for more information.
Friday Morning Men’s Bible Study meets at 6:30 am for breakfast, study, and prayer. If you are interested, please email or text Matt or Jonathan, or contact the church office. This class is currently in the Book of Daniel.
Women’s Bible Study meets at 4:30pm on Friday afternoons in the Parish Hall. They are currently studying the book of Luke. Text Anne for a zoom link if you can’t make it in person.
Good Shepherd Youth Group meets Sundays at 6pm in the choir loft. This is an engaging context for kids to grow in:
1) Knowledge of scripture and doctrine
2) Faithfulness to Christ
3) Service to others
Good Shepherd Food Pantry Having a bit of a hard time making ends meet? The Good Shepherd Food Pantry is for church members stocked by food provided by the congregation. If you could use some help, please feel free to pop into the food pantry (just off the kitchen). We also have a small basket in the freezer that might have a few items as well.
Everyone’s generous donations are appreciated! Even a can or two can help. If you are in need, please feel free to make use of the pantry. If you’d like more information, please see Jenn Fowler.
Food Pantry current needs are: peanut Butter, Canned Chicken & Tuna, Spaghetti Sauce, Parmesan Cheese, Corn and Baked Beans.
| Daily Lectionary, Year II 60 Day Psalter Cycle | |
| Monday November 18 | Psalm 49 Isa 31 Luke 3:23-end |
| Tuesday November 19 | Psalm 51 Isa 32 Luke 4:1-30 |
| Wednesday November 20 | Psalm 55 Isa 33 Luke 4:31-end |
| Thursday November 21 | Psalm 58, 60 Isa 34 Luke 5:1-16 |
| Friday November 22 | Psalm 63, 64 Isa 35 Luke 5:17-end |
| Saturday November 23 | Psalm 65, 67 Isa 36 Luke 6:1-19 |
| Sunday November 24 | Psalm 68:19-36 Isa 37 Luke 6:20-38 |
| The Staff of Church of the Good Shepherd | The Vestry of the Good Shepherd |
| Rector: Matthew Kennedy Assistant Rector: Jonathan Groves Assisting: Anne Kennedy Director of Operations: Micah Lovell Director of Music: Michael Berman Admin. Assistant to Matt Kennedy: Stephanie Warner Director of Children’s Ministry: Anna Dreher Janitor: Mike Roseboom | Senior Warden: Tom Dinnel Junior Warden: Scott Pineau Treasurer: Christopher Emmons Mary Restino Kariah Manwaring Christopher Jones Bill Lane Sarah Dreher |
Have an item for the Update or Announcements?
send an email to gs.binghamton@gmail.com by Monday evening.
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