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 Women
Ministries News
(Connecting women in
relationships
that make a difference).
By:
Jan Lender
Mission Statement:
The mission of Women Ministries is to advance God’s kingdom
through ministries that equip women to grow, serve and reach out
with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Vision Statement:
The vision of Women Ministries is to connect women in
transformational relationships and to unite them in Christ to impact
our world.
The Good Shepherd Women Ministry Team meets on a regular basis to plan and manage
the various aspects of women's ministry at Good Shepherd. It
is important to note that we call on dozens of volunteers throughout
the year. It is very exciting to see the women of Good
Shepherd respond to Christ's call on their lives as they exercise
their unique gifts in serving others. Additional members are
always welcome!
The purpose of Women
Ministries at Church of the Good Shepherd is to:
- Encourage
all women to grow in a transformational relationship with Jesus
Christ through group prayer, Bible Studies and retreats.
- Equip
all women to discern their individual calling in the life of the
church and encourage them to participate fully in God's kingdom
work.
- Connect
women by providing fellowship events that welcome and unite
women while embracing the diversity within the church and
community.
- Share
information regarding the Women Ministries denominational and
conference projects with the congregation and encourage them to
financially support the church budget, which provides for these
projects.
Opportunities for joining a Bible Study,
supporting the church through service (meal ministry, serving teams or
bandage rolling), getting to know
other women in the church a little better and making new friends are
available to you.
However you wish to become involved, we hope that there is something for you!
Winter Wonderland Christmas Banquet
What a wonderful night we had at Church of the Good
Shepherd, although we thought we were in a fancy snazzy hotel in the
city. A dinner with candlelight, great food, and wonderful music
just set the scene for the Christmas Season.
Thank you . . . Thank you . . . Thank you to all
who made this happen:
Decorations:
Vision and Coordinator, Jan Coleman
Food:
Mrs. Gourmet Catering
Servers’ Captain:
Cameron Parker-Ross
Servers:
Refer to photo below.
Servers from left: Tyler Monnette, Ashley Estep,
Haily Slavik, Danielle Slavik, Tiffany Gravitt and Cameron
Parker-Ross.
Master of Ceremonies:
Virginia Veldhouse
Music Leader:
Martha Skoien
Accompanist:
Miki Kobayashi
Men’s Quintet:
Keith Bielema, Bob Edman, Dave Green, Lonnie Veldhouse
and John Wilson
Guitar and Song:
Dave Dewar and Jake Bradley
Duet:
Sarah Lender and Carl Hawkins
LUCIA SUNDAY
Thank you . . . Thank you . . . thank you all!
It takes a lot of work and a lot of willing people to
make this special day happen. It takes three of our serving teams
just to set up, serve the food and clean up. This year, thanks go
to Serving Teams B, C and D.
Thanks to: Ed Johnson and Ted Bostrom for the
homemade potato sausage; Sharon Peck for publicity; Renae Bradley
for photography; and to Star Girls and Star Boys Coordinator, Jan
Coleman.
In addition, our thanks to those who provided meal
items and monetary gifts and any other help you may have provided.
FUTURE EVENTS
January:
“Meeting in a Bag”
February: “Covenant
Women Sunday”
March:
“Spring Celebration 2012
March 16th – 17th
Fox Valley District Women
Hillcrest Covenant Church of DeKalb
KEEPING THE COMMUNITY
WARM
Women Ministries is doing their part to keep our
community warm. Over the past year, we collected sets of outer wear
clothing consisting of hats, gloves and scarves (purchased and
homemade). Our original intent was to take them all to the Annual
Ladies Luncheon at MorningStar Mission, giving each guest a nice
Christmas gift to take home. Well, on December 14th the
delivery was made, but not just to one place – but three! The
luncheon was unexpectedly cancelled, so we made the decision to
deliver 30 sets to the women living at the Battered Women’s
Shelter at Guardian Angel Home, 15 sets were given to the
ladies who participate in our ESL program, and many, many hats,
gloves and scarves were delivered to Morning Star Mission for their
drop-in guests. So, because of the generosity of many in our
church, several groups in our community will enjoy the warmth of
some nice outerwear and prayerfully, realize the warmth of
friendship and the love of Christ throughout the winter.
Thank you
to all who knitted, crocheted, sewed and purchased these beautiful
items. If you have an idea for a future Women Ministry community
project, please let Jan Lender know.
Bandage
Rolling – Rip & Roll
Under the leadership of Nancy Jonasen and Pauline
Swanson “Rip ‘n’ Roll” meets the 2nd Tuesday of each
month.
Thank you to all who participate in this ministry of
providing bandages for people of the Congo. This is a great way to
serve the Lord.
Join us for a short devotion, tasty treats, and
fellowship in this important mission work at 10:00 am on
January 10th.
A donation of white or colored
sheets
is always appreciated. This is also a great way
to serve the Lord.
Morning Glories – Women’s Bible Study
 It’s
never too late to join Morning Glories in this ten-week
study lead by Nancy Jonasen.
We have been focusing on the book
of Esther. Once finished, we will select the focus of our next
challenge in God’s Word! This Bible Study meets every Tuesday
morning at 9:30 a.m. (except the second Tuesday of each month) for
coffee. Bible Study begins promptly at 9:45 and concludes at
11:00
am. Bring your Bible and join in on some great discussions!
Our Bible Study group will reconvene on January 17th.
Join us!
Childcare is available upon request.
Women
Ministries Leadership Team:
Jan
Coleman, Marie La Salvia-Gravitt, Clara Johnson, Sally Johnson,
Jan Lender, Martha Skoien and Virginia Veldhouse.
The Women Ministries Leadership Team would like to wish everyone in
our church a healthy and Happy New Year!
Would you like to help us plan our all church
Christmas dinner for adults, sponsored by Women Ministries,
and/or our women’s spring luncheon?
Maybe you would like to co-ordinate a special
mission project for Women Ministries?
Would you like to develop a small-group Bible study
for women?
Let us know! Or better yet, consider joining the
Leadership Team and become a part of the planning process!
We encourage you to discover your gifts and step up
boldly to serve the Lord at Church of the Good Shepherd.
In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians (chapter 12,
verses 4 and 5): “There are different kinds of gifts, but the
same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same
Lord.” We encourage you to discover your gifts and step up
boldly to serve Christ at Good Shepherd!
Please call me (Jan Lender, at 815
723-2128) if you have any questions or concerns
about women’s ministry at Good Shepherd.
We are encouraging anyone who would
like to be part of this team to come to one of our meetings, or talk
to one of the current members: Jan Coleman, Marie
LaSalvia-Gravitt, Clara
Johnson, Martha Skoien, Virginia Veldhouse, Sally
Johnson and Jan Lender.
Your input is important to us.
Donations Cabinet
Have you seen the new
donations cabinet in the Fellowship Hall? In an effort
to "declutter" the church, Women Ministries purchased this cabinet
to house all of the mission donations. All Morningstar Mission
donations can be placed in the large upper portion. Eyeglasses
and used hearing aids for the Lions Club go in the top drawer.
Campbell's labels and Box Tops for Education go in the middle drawer
and ink cartridges and greeting cards for Betty Clower go in the
bottom drawer. Mmmmm...a place for everything and everything
in its place! Our moms will love this!
Funeral
Luncheons
(Jan Coleman and Jan Lender)
Last year, Jan Lender
and I developed a plan for the funeral luncheon ministry that
assists a family in planning a meal for their family and friends
during a difficult time. Instead of relying on a potluck lunch, we
came up with a way to make sure that our families die not have to be
concerned about the quantity and selection of food for this
important meal.
The four options are:
(1) A meal in the
church fellowship hall with food provided by the family and their
friends and served by women Ministries.
(2) A meal in the
church fellowship hall with food and service provided by Women
Ministries (the family is given a menu to select from at a cost of
$5.00 - $6.00 per person).
(3) A catered meal
in the church fellowship hall. (A list of local catering services
is provided to the family, $10.00 - $20.00 per person).
(4) A meal at a
local restaurant. (A list of local restaurants with private rooms
is provided to the family, $10.00 - $20.00 per person).
When the family meets
with the pastor they will be given a binder with this information.
It is our hope and prayer that this plan makes it easier for the
families, while allowing us the privilege of serving them.
Bake Sale Fundraiser
(Easter). Proceeds are used for Women Ministries
activities, denominational projects and retreat scholarships.
Women Ministries
Annual Spring Salad Luncheon (May)
Apple a Day Meal Ministry (Marie
LaSalvia-Gravitt).
A need has been recognized within our church family to formally
organize a meal ministry that provides short-term meals for those
who are sick, could use some encouragement or find themselves in an emergency.
Providing a meal to someone in need is a wonderful way to say you
care, I'm here for you, and most importantly, Christ loves you.
Marie has a sign-up sheet on the Women Ministry table in the Narthex
for all of our concerned ladies to provide a meal to those who are
going through a difficult time. If you see a need to bless
someone with a few meals, please let Marie know so she can make the
arrangements.
Greeting Card Ministry (Nancy Jonasen).
Do you know someone who is hurting or discouraged? We would
love to send her a greeting to lift her spirits while sharing God's
love for her and our concern.
Serving Teams (Martha Skoien). There are
four teams of about 20 women each that take turns serving at church
dinners and special events. Participating on a team is a
wonderful way for you to serve alongside others while supporting our
congregation.
Women Ministries Missions: "Beds and
Dressers" & "Breaking the Chains"
Miscellaneous Service Projects
Triennial Conference
Miscellaneous Women's Conferences
(Moody, Willowcreek)
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