300 UNION AVENUE, SOMERVILLE, NJ 08876 Main Phone: 908.685.1660
A member of the NJ Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA)
Serving Others

GOOD SHEPHERD MEMBER VOLUNTEERS PARTICIPATE IN MANY AREAS:
FOR OUR NEIGHBORS -
* We maintain a playground available to those living in the vicinity of our church.
* Our building is available for community groups such as Alcoholics' Anonymous, Overeaters' Anonymous,
Scouting, etc.
WE FINANCIALLY SUPPORT -
* Blanket Drive
* Somerset Chaplaincy Council serving Somerset County Jail
* Chaplaincy to the Elderly serving local nursing home residents
* Samaritan Homeless Interim Program (S.H.I.P.) which provides emergency help
* Franklin House serving homeless families
* Middle Earth serving youth
* Lutheran Social Ministries of News Jersey
* Matching Gifts
WHERE DO THE CHILDREN’S SCS OFFERINGS GO?
Students (from Beginners through 8th grade) bring in offerings during the year. In the past few years these offerings have averaged $ 3,000 - $4,000.
Below is a list of the beneficiaries for the 2001-2002 school year:
* Food Bank - $500 + food donations
* Navajo Mission School – Rock Point, AZ – Sponsor 3rd grade - $800
* Help purchase a new fire truck in New York City - $500
* Watermark Band – support VBS week - about $800
Then if the offerings allow:
* SILOAH ( farm community in Germany) - $500 for new tents for summer youth outreach
* GSLC Media Center - $500 for new books and CD’s
OUR WORSHIP SERVICE IS SUPPORTED BY MANY VOLUNTEERS
* Greeters, Ushers, and Welcome Team are ready to assist you.
* Adults and children enhance the service through music, drama, and dance offerings
* Acolytes, Worship Assistants, Communion Assistancts, Readers and members offering Bread and Wine
actively participate in our worship.
* A Worship Planning Team helps plan a meaningful experience.
* The Altar Guild prepares the sanctuary , members bake bread for communion, and a team helps print and
collate the worship bulletin.
* Young children are cared for by our professional staff, assisted by volunteers
* Counting Teams acknowledge communion participation to maintain church records and deposit
contributions.
* Flower Deliverers bring a welcome gift to those unable to attend and a cassette tape of the service is also
provided to our homebound members.
Do you know how many volunteers serve during our Sunday morning worship services? Up to 50 people participate in various areas from preparing the church for worship, helping the service run smoothly, to delivering the altar flowers after the last service. We thank everyone who currently volunteers.
Here are a few areas where we need more volunteers.
* Altar Guild, especially 11AM – groups of 3 work together to prepare & clean up the church & Communion
elements
* Welcome team – greets our visitors & shares information about Good Shepherd
* Nursery – watches over our youngest saints while parents are in worship
* Refreshments, especially 11AM – serve those goodies we all like after services
Please consider these opportunities to serve.
WE SUPPORT OUR CHURCH FAMILY IN MANY WAYS
* Baby Sitters
* Empty Nesters
* Craft People
BLOOD DRIVE - GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE!
A Blood Drive is held periodically at Good Shepherd for members and area residents to give the gift of life for others.
STOP HUNGER - C.R.O.P. WALK
The 5 mile CROP walk is an interfaith, community event sponsored by Church World Service. The walkers raise money to help stop hunger here in our community and around the world, through self- help development initiatives.
Good Shepherd is also a rest stop for the walkers.
FOOD BANK
The Food Bank is a great way to help others, and a wonderful chance for the family to serve together! It only takes a few hours on a Saturday morning. Look on the kiosk for the sign up sheet and sign up. Each week that GSLC is committed we need two volunteers to review the clients and their status (Interview) and two for bagging food. If you are hesitant to sign up, please be assured that tasks are relatively easy and we give you guidance. Just give me a call and we can work it out.
We need your involvement. More importantly, the people who rely on the Food Bank need your help! Please sign up! Thanks, Dave Slavin
Good Shepherd has committed to provide cans of tuna fish for the Food Bank. Our goal is to give 175 cans per month!
FOOD BASKETS
I was hungry and you fed me. Matthew 25:35
Contributions of food and/or money prepare a week's supply of food and necessities to a minimum of 15 families within the church and the community at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.
Volunteers sort and/ or deliver food.
Food Basket Coordinators ~ Buck & Rosely LaFever
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
This opportunity is supported by our Men's group, Lutheran Men in Mission.
INTERFATIH HOSPITALITY NETWORK
Interfaith Hospitality Network is a consortium of local churches that house homeless families. As a Host Congregation, we house a maximum of 14 IHN guests one week every 2 months.
We are staffing IHN (homeless ministry) here at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Luther Hall. We need evening & AM hosts, cooks, et-up and break down help. Especially needed are overnight hosts!! Contact Bill Jonat for more information.
REFUGEE FAMILY RESETTLEMENT
We have provided help in recent years to families from Vietnam and Bosnia. More recently we helped victims of Hurricane Floyd.
ANNUAL BLANKET DRIVE
HAVE A HEART AND BLANKET THE WORLD WITH LOVE
Our Annual Blanket Drive, sponsored by Church World Service, has become Tools of Hope and Blankets – providing tools such as a hoe, shovel, rake, wheelbarrow, wrench, bolt, piping, fishing nets and blankets.
The blankets are still only $5.00 and your $5.00 gift will also purchase the tools which will bring changes and hope to millions who struggle against poverty & hunger and help them to help themselves.
Thanks to you, 603 blankets (or the equivalent tools of hope) were donated to Church World Service for distribution to areas where war and drought have uprooted millions.
SOMERSET COUNTY JAIL CHAPLAINCY
This service provides both social and spiritual services to inmates & their families. The social services are funded for the most part by the United Way of Somerset County. Spiritual services are the responsibility of individuals and local churches. Good Shepherd includes the Chaplaincy in its spending plan.
The Chaplaincy is asking for our prayers and additional financial support to enable them to continue to expand ministering to the spiritual needs of the inmates and their families. The 2 full time and 2 part time chaplains provide Bible study, worship services, and spiritual counseling.
See Linda Walker for further information and if you would like to further support this ministry.
THRIVENT FINANCIAL FOR LUTHERANS
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a Fortune 500 financial services membership organization helping nearly 3 million members achieve financial security and give back to their congregations and communities. Through Thrivent Financial’s Care in Communities program®, Good Shepherd has accessed over $27,000 in grants in the past three years to expand & enhance their social ministry outreach programs. Additional information about Thrivent Financial can be found at https://www.thrivent.com/.
STOCK DONATIONS
If you are planning to make a donation of stock for the 2006 tax year, please allow at least three weeks before the end of the year for the paper work to clear. Under 1999 tax law changes, the deduction to the individual is only available after the stock transfer has been completed, not at the time of the transfer.
Guidelines for stock contributions are available in the church office. Ed Gould, Treasurer, will process the transactions.
CRAFTEERS
Crafteers meet on Wednesdays at 9:30 AM to make gifts, banners & other decorations, as well as needlework gifts for members' Baptism, First Communion, and Wedding
FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL - We need helpers to cut out, glue and/or sew 4th grade Bible covers. We’ll supply the blue denim fabric and the pattern and show you what to do, Once made, the 4th grade SCS class will personalize these Bible covers with fabric paints, which will be used to hold the Good News Bibles that they received this year. If you are able to help in any way, please let Denise Humphrey know.
EMPTY NESTERS?
Do you love children?
Are you an empty nester?
Do you watch children full time in your home?
If so, you might be able to help a member family that needs child care – before school, to meet a bus, or after the school day, before either parent gets home, or perhaps for a full day.
Our church periodically gets calls for such a service. Members are more comfortable trusting their children to other members. We’re looking to keep a list to be able to give names when we do get calls.
If you might be willing to help out when the need arises call Linda Walker at 908-685-1660
