News From Good Shepherd's Lay Leadership

 It is July and summer is upon us.  We are also half way through our church year.  Let’s look back on these last six months.  God has richly blessed us.  Let me try to list all the things we have been blessed with:

• Faith based upon God’s word and the Good News.
• A wonderful clergy team.
• An outstanding Music Program.
• A functioning and active Church Council.
• A new Office Manager.
• Great working Committees.
• An active Youth Program with a new Youth Commander, Jeremy Gomez.
• Confirmation of four of our youth.
• Several baptisms. 
• Received several individuals and families as new members.
• WELCA with strong new leadership.
• Circles and the Men’s Group.
• A new designed Church web site.
• Many Church social events like our Annual Picnic.
• A Sunday School Program led by dedicated Sunday school teachers.
• Stewardship Giving that is almost at goal.
• Two successful mission outreach trips:  Jamaica and El Salvador.
• Rwanda Sister Parish.
• Our many benevolences.
• Our many food drives.
• Our outreach to Dorothy’s Place, I-Help, Women Alive.
• Our Strength for Service Program
• A strong Call Committee.
• A host of volunteers to insure God’s work is done:  Altar Guild, ushers, tellers, communion assistants, lecturers, greeters, acolytes, singers, musicians, committee members, Council members, people maintaining the grounds, sound technicians, drama participants.
• Everyone who comes to church and participates in our programs.
• Our dedicated employees.

It is an amazing with God’s help what we have accomplished.  It just goes to show you what faith can do when we believe and put our faith in the Lord.  We continue to have an untapped and unlimited potential of volunteers and talents.  Thank you all for contributing.

I am sure all of our great programs will continue in the second six months.  We are looking forward to a great vacation bible school under the direction of Alyssa Hurdle and all the volunteers that will make this VBS successful.  We will have great youth programs planned with the help of Jeremy Gomez, Youth Commander.  The Call Committee will start its work looking at our next opportunity in serving the Lord.

This is our story and it is a great story of what we have done with God’s help.  Please continue to pray for our congregation.  I ask God’s blessing on each of you.

Don’t forget just because it’s summer is not time to take a vacation from church.  Please continue to pray and study the Word.

             Gary Wolfe

 “Practical Stewardship”

This is the second of three articles this summer on personal finance.  The topic for June was “living within your means” and the August article will focus on “saving for the future”.  This month we tackle the problem of “climbing out of debt”.

Did you know that, according to the Federal Reserve, Americans hold 2.5 trillion dollars in outstanding non-mortgage consumer debt, nearly double the amount from ten years ago?  That equates to $8,300 of debt for every man, woman, and child.  The perverse thing about such debt is the high cost of interest and fees to service that debt.  The typical American spends 1 of every 7 dollars of his or her after-tax income for debt service.  That’s money gone that does not buy any goods and does not reduce debt principle, but simply allows the debtor to “tread water”.  This is no way to get ahead.

It is appropriate to think about the reduction and elimination of debt before considering the accumulation of savings (other than a small emergency fund).  Both of these important goals have the same solution:  living below your means.  That is, spending less than you earn and applying the difference to debt reduction or savings.  But it is generally more beneficial to first reduce debt, because the cost of carrying debt is usually greater (sometimes much greater) than the benefit of having savings.  For example, credit card companies often charge 12 to 18 percent or more for consumer debt carried from month to month, whereas you would be lucky to find a bank savings account paying more than 2 or 3 percent annual interest.

If you are a typical American and have accumulated loans (not counting a mortgage) of several thousand dollars, don’t despair.  As long as you have a source of income, you can work your way out of debt.  Here are a few practical suggestions for reducing your debt load and eventually becoming debt free:

1.  If you’re in a hole, first stop digging.  Make whatever economic and life style adjustments are necessary to live within your means.  Pay at least the minimum amounts due on each loan and line of credit, and avoid late fees by paying on time.

2.  Develop a debt reduction plan.  Compare the interest rates on each of your loans, and apply any available funds to paying down the most expensive loan.  When that loan is completely paid off, begin accelerated payments on the next most expensive loan.

3.  Don’t spend your “economic stimulus” rebate on anything not absolutely essential.  Instead, use this windfall to pay down your debt to a more manageable level.

4.  If the suggestions above are simply not working and you find yourself sinking deeper into debt each month, seek professional advice.  Debt consolidation and refinancing may be possible.  And though bankruptcy laws have been tightened up in recent years, this may still be a viable option of last resort.

 Finally, and this is the most important recommendation of all, give your cares to God in prayer.  He knows your situation better than you and understands the burdens you carry.  He loves you and wants to shower you with the good gifts needed to sustain your life.  (See Matthew 6: 25-33.)  Let God be a part of every economic choice you make, and then trust the outcome to Him.

FOR THE MONTH OF  May 2008 

We are falling somewhat behind in our total year-to-date offerings.  Please don’t let your support to Good Shepherd take a vacation this summer.

              CHURCH IN SOCIETY

                          by Jim Carpenter, Chair

                 Our Committee is the outreach committee for service in our congregation and in the community. It is a Ministry of Love. We are always looking for new programs and also for volunteers. If you have any ideas for new programs feel free to come to our committee meetings on the first Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM.  

Some words to live by: James 1:22. Be doers of the word and not hearers only.

Christmas in July.   At the time of this writing our annual summer food drive benefitting the Monterey County Food Bank is still going on until June 29. A report will be given in the August Newsletter. Our thanks at this time to all who donated food items.

Beans, Rice and Tin Can Sunday is coming again on August 31, the 5th Sunday. The program helps the Salvation Army with their meal program. We ask for donations of nonperishable food items.  And we also challenge our youth….You are the Tin Can part. You can help by bringing cans of veggies or fruit and place them in the bins with the other food items.

Dorothy's Place:   We serve at Dorothy's Place on the fourth Sunday each month. Our next service will be on the 27th.  If you feel moved to help, how about coming down and helping set up and serve? You can also help by making sandwiches.  At least one loaf of sandwiches wrapped and replaced in the bag may be placed in the bins located in the Narthex.  We also serve a dessert, so cookies are always welcome.  If you have any questions see Ida Nuttall, Coordinator. 

I-HELP:     We host the I-HELP program on the second Friday each month. We next serve on the 11^th  with our Men's Fellowship Group serving. Thanks to the Rachel Circle for serving on June 13^th and providing a very good dinner.

Women Alive!    This program at Dorothy's Place provides a meal and overnight housing for homeless women.  We are now serving two evenings per month on the 2^nd  and 4^th  Thursdays. Stasia Bevier is the one to contact if you are interesting in helping. Donations for this program may also be given and are truly appreciated.

We also need good used or new warm clothing for I-HELP, Women Alive! and Shelter Outreach Plus.  Bins are available in the Fellowship Hall.

The Women  Alive! is alive and well, but we had to really dig deep into our Limited Special Offering funds for the gap in June between receipt of grant money from Thrivent.

We prefer to use our LSO funds for "special" purchases like the four sleeping mats we were able to purchase (thanks to the donation of labor costs from Ken Lindquist of Howard's Upholstery); or bus 

passes; or the always needed toiletries and new underwear and sox.

If you can help with a donation to fatten up our LSO Women Alive! account we would very much appreciate it. And a huge "Thank you" to all who have already done so!

Dates to Remember in July

2^nd and 4^th Thursdays,  July 10 and July 24. Women Alive!

2^nd Friday, July 13. I-HELP with Men's Fellowship serving.

4^th Sunday, July 27. Dorothy's Place

Down the Road. . .
 August 31   Our next Beans and Rice And Tin Can Sunday scheduled for  August 31^st, the fifth Sunday. We will be collecting nonperishable food items for the Salvation Army.

October 7   Also coming up is our annual World Hunger Relief special offering on October 7^th.

Remember what our Savior said about serving.
Matthew 25: 35, 36,

     " for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me."

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

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      First, a Thank You to God for a beautiful day for our Annual picnic, & for all our new members.  What a joy to have you join our Family in serving the Lord.  We had a real good turnout, about 115.

       Thank you to Alan Smith for getting our grill.  A big thank you to each one that brought appetizers.  Thanks to Cliff Savage for setting up all the tables & chairs, & to those who helped to take them down.  Each helping hand was much appreciated.

       We are planning to start the Group Dinners & maybe a Progressive dinner.  The Group Dinners would involve one family to host & provide a main course, & the others would provide the salad, vegetables, dessert, & one to bring bread.  We would have 6 to 8 in each group.  We will have sign up sheets on the information desk soon.  This is for adults.

       We are having a potluck for the family on Friday, July 4^th, 6 ‘til 9pm.  Families last named A-M will bring a main dish for 12, & N-Z salad or dessert for 12.  We will play bingo , have some music, & you can bring games to play if you wish.    Drinks will be provided…also con-on-the-cob & S’Mores.  

       SEE YOU THERE !!!!