Verbal Announcements
19th Pentecost
19 Oct 2025
18th Pentecost
12 Oct 2025
17th Pentecost
5 Oct 2025
16th Pentecost
28 Sep 2025
15th Pentecost
21 Sep 2025
14th Pentecost
14 Sep 2025
13th Pentecost
7 Sep 2025
12th Pentecost
31 Aug 2025
11th Pentecost
24 Aug 2025
10th Pentecost
17 Aug 2025
9th Pentecost
10 Aug 2025
8th Pentecost
3 Aug 2025
7th Pentecost
27 Jul 2025
6th Pentecost
23 Jul 2025
5th Pentecost
13 Jul 2025
4th Pentecost
6 Jul 2025
3rd Pentecost
29 Jun 2025
2nd Pentecost
22 Jun 2025
Trinity
15 Jun 2025
Pentecost
8 Jun 2025
7th Easter
1 Jun 2025
6th Easter
25 May 2025
5th Easter
18 May 2025
4th Easter
11 May 2025
3rd Easter
4 May 2025
2nd Easter
27 Apr 2025
Easter
20 Apr 2025
Palm Sunday
13 Apr 2025
5th Sunday of Lent
6 Apr 2025
4th Sunday of Lent
30 Mar 2025
As We Gather
“Let the children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:16). Take these words of Jesus to heart! No matter your age, no matter your life’s journey, when you trust in the Lord Jesus as your King and Savior, our Father in heaven sees you as His precious child! “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God” (1John 3:1). Come unto Jesus this day, dear children of God! Draw close at His gracious invitation. Be comforted by the assurance of His pardon. Listen to the voice of His living and active Word. Be filled with His presence at the feast He has prepared. Enjoy all the benefits of being a child of God! The Kingdom belongs to you!
Holy Communion
The Lord’s Supper is celebrated today with the confession that we receive the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, in, with and under (a way of saying that Christ is fully present in) the bread and wine. Christ's presence gives us the assurance that our sins are forgiven and to nourish our faith. This is a solemn celebration, “For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves” (1Corinthians 11:29). The Lord’s Supper is meant for our good, not to our judgment. But, before presenting yourself ask these questions:
1. Am I sorry for my sins and need forgiveness?
2. Did Christ die and rise to forgive my sins?
3. Am I receiving the very body and blood of Christ Jesus?
If your answers are yes, you are welcome. If you are not a member of a LCMS church, or have further questions about The Lord’s Supper, please speak with the pastor.
Stewardship
2Timothy 4:6 – “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.”
As St. Paul nears the end of his life, he continues to view it as something to be spent in sacrifice toward God – just as he had told the Romans (12:1) to be “living sacrifices.” And why does St. Paul do this? Because he knows that His Lord has already won for him the crown of life. Jesus’ sacrifice that purchased our salvation leads us to imitate His sacrifice in our living for Him.
Lutherans For Life
“We may think our prayers are small in relation to the magnitude of the problem of abortion. Not so! … Educate yourself, your children, and the people you know about Lutherans For Life … Support leaders who embrace these words, ‘All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.’ … We have the most hopeful message the world has ever heard. You know it. God does big things with small stuff. How can we be so sure? Shiphrah and Puah, Jochebed, Miriam, and Moses … and especially Jesus.” Rev. Dr. Reed Lessing, Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota – A Life Quote from Lutherans For Life • lutheransforlife.org
Benevolence
Benevolence fund exists to aid those seeking temporary, but immediate financial help. Please consider contributing toward our benevolence fund. The fund needs contributors to support this ministry. Please consider contributing to our benevolence fund. (Online to donate: https://www.shalimar.church/human-care)
Poinsettias
Help to provide poinsettias for the Sanctuary in celebration of Christmas by donating $10 for a poinsettia. We can receive you gift through an envelope in the offering plate or online at shalimar.church/give.
The poinsettias association with Christmas began in 16th-century Mexico, where legend tells of a girl who was too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus' birthday. So she gathered green foliage and place them in front of the church altar where red blossoms miraculously sprouted from the greenery. The plant was introduced to the United States by the first US Ambassador to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, in the 1820's.
The star-shaped leaf pattern is said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, and the red color represents the blood sacrifice of Jesus's crucifixion.
Poinsettias can be picked up after the last Christmas Eve worship service.
For more information contact Jean Greive
Christmas Tree Decorating
We need your help. The Altar Guild is beautifying the sanctuary for Advent to include setting up and decorating the Christmas trees with handmade Chrismons.
For more information contact Jean.
Chrismons (Christ monograms) are ornaments based on symbols of Christ including monograms of Jesus' name in Greek. The Chrismons Tree originated at Ascension Lutheran Church in Danville, VA in 1957.
American Heritage Girls Troop 1517
The American Heritage Girls (AHG) is a Christian Scouting-like organization. The organization has more than 52,000 members with troops or individuals ("trailblazers").The stated youth membership standard is that it is for "All biological girls of any color, race, national origin and socioeconomic status who agree to live according to the standards of the AHG Oath and the AHG Creed". Adult leaders must subscribe to a Trinitarian Christian statement of faith.
For more information contact Adrienne Cook.
Children Sunday School
In Sunday School this week, students will study the account of "Abraham and Isaac." By God's grace, Abraham didn't have to make his sacrifice, but God did. He sacrificed His own Son so that we could have salvation. Discuss, "How do the sacrifices we make compare with the sacrifice God made to save us from sin's punishment?
Marionette Puppets
John Tetzel is selling forgiveness for sin. Students of near by Wittenberg University learn from Martin Luther that forgiveness for sin is not something that can be sold. Forgiveness is Jesus’ gift to us. If we believe in Jesus and are sorry for our sins, then they are forgiven. The students are witnessing the beginnings of the reformation.
Concert Series
4th in the 2025 concert series "Sheep May Safely Graze" featuring classical music groups. A community event to reach out and draw people in. For more information contact David Ott
Council Meeting
Let us do everything with love. The Church Council is a gathering of elected advisers who serve and guide the ministries of the congregation toward our given mission. (Matthew 28:19-20). We meet in the library.
Military Love & Care Bags
As a church community grounded in compassion and service, we have a special opportunity to come together and make a real difference in the lives of local military families who are facing financial hardship. For the month of October, we are requesting baby formula/soap/shampoo/lotion/rash cream for the little ones. All sizes are needed and very much appreciated. Monetary donations are also welcome.
Mite Boxes
Lutheran Women in Mission use the Mite Box to gather loose change throughout the month to support national, district, and local ministries. Lutheran Women all over, raise funds through this voluntary offering. The first Sunday of the month is when we receive your collected mites in the LWML Mite Box.
Pastor And Family Life Minister Appreciation
Clergy Appreciation is highlighted in October, but we encourage you to honor and support our ministerial staff throughout the year. Ministry can often feel isolating and exhausting, leaving pastors and their families wondering if their efforts matter. Let’s take time to affirm and appreciate Pastor Klemme and Family Life Minister Curtis for their faithful service.
Reformation
We are celebrating the Reformation with a congregational picnic, live action drama, Lutheran trivia, pumpkin carving, and fellowship. The first act of our three act play starts at Noon. The conclusion of that first act will signal the start of the picnic.
The Reformation commemorates the rescue of the Gospel (Faith alone, Grace alone, Scripture alone, Christ alone, All Glory to God alone) from a corrupt medieval church. The catalyst for the reformation was the Oct 31, 1517 posting on the door of the Wittenberg Church a disputation protesting clerical abuses and the sale of forgiveness.
Sharing and Caring
A ministry supported by our congregation through donations of non-perishable food items, placed in the collection basket in the inner Narthex. Sharing and Caring serves individuals and families in need by providing food, clothing, and emergency assistance. It brings hope, encouragement, and practical support to those experiencing hardship or crisis.
Smokes and Jokes, a Christian Fellowship
Enjoy an evening of conversation and light refreshments as we relax together, share stories, and encourage one another in faith and friendship. Feel free to bring a snack or a joke to share, and come ready for a warm, casual time among friends. If you’d like to join, please contact Pastor Klemme directly.
Thanksgiving Dinner Food Drive
We are collecting canned goods and non-perishable food items for families that we are adopting for Thanksgiving by providing them a Thanksgiving Day meal in celebration of the gifts God has given us.
Items we are collecting:
• Canned Vegetables (Corn, Green Beans, Yams)
• Mashed potatoes
• Gravy (packets, jar, canned)
• Stuffing (boxed, bag)
• Cranberry Sauce
• Turkeys.
We are expecting to also have items from the Crop Drop (Potatoes, Corn, Peppers, etc.) to supplement what we are providing families.
If you don’t want to shop, we will monetary contributions and shop for you..
Jean
The Way Cafe
An in-person devotion with Pastor Klemme to strengthen your relationship with God through Scripture, song, prayer, fellowship, and biblical insights. Come, be replenished, renewed, and fueled to live a life of faith. You are welcome just as you are. God is here, ready to connect with you in a fresh way. Meets by weekly in the Cafe.
Trunk or Treat – Community Outreach Event
This fall we’re opening our parking lot to the neighborhood for a safe, family-friendly Trunk or Treat. Our decorated car trunks will be filled with candy, games, and smiles—an easy way to welcome families onto our grounds and share God’s love through simple hospitality. It’s a chance to be a safe and joyful presence in our community, to build connections with neighbors, and to invite them to see the church not just as a building, but as a caring place where they belong.
Voters Assembly Meeting
It is that time of year to address our annual budget at a Voter's Meeting. We praise God and thank you for your faithful giving to Good Shepherd’s ministries. The purpose of the budget is to establish spending authority to dedicate resources toward our worship of God and for our proclamation of the Gospel.
Youth Group
Festival of St. James of Jerusalem, Brother of Jesus and Martyr
The Church honor's saints for showing us how living out faith can be done.
“A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household” (Matthew 13:57). James the Just was once offended at Jesus’ “wisdom and … mighty works” (Matthew 13:54). But he came to faith following His resurrection, when Jesus appeared to him (1Corinthians 15:7). He then became a leader of the Early Church in Jerusalem, present at the council recorded in Acts 15. There James recognized from the prophets that Jesus was the Lord “known from of old” and returned to rebuild David’s fallen tent and restore it, “that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name” (Acts 15:16-18). “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:2-3). Josephus and other historians record that James was martyred by stoning in the 60s A.D. “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12).
Source: LCMS Calendar of Feasts and Festivals.
Commemoration of Dorcas, Lydia, and Phoebe, Faithful Women
The Church honor's saints for showing us how living out faith can be done.
These women were exemplary Christians who demonstrated their faith by their material support of the Church. Dorcas (also known as Tabitha) was well-known and much loved for her acts of charity in the city of Joppa, especially for her making clothes for the poor. When Dorcas died suddenly, the members of her congregation sent to the neighboring city of Lydda for the Apostle Peter, who came and raised her from the dead (Acts 9:36-41). Lydia was a woman of Thyatira, who worked at Philippi selling a famous purple dye that was so much in demand in the ancient world. She was also a “worshiper of God” at the local synagogue. When the Apostle Paul encountered her in prayer among other proselyte women, his preaching of the Word brought Lydia to faith in Christ. She and her friends thus became the nucleus of the Christian community in Philippi (Acts16:13-15, 40). Phoebe was another faithful woman associated with the Apostle Paul. She was a deaconess from Cenchrae (the port of Corinth) whom Paul sent to the church in Rome with his Epistle to the Romans. In it he writes of her support for the work of the early Church (Romans 16:1).
Source: Lutheran Calendar of Saints
Commemoration of Philipp Nicolai, Johann Heermann, and Paul Gerhardt, Hymnwriters
The Church honor's saints for showing us how living out faith can be done.
Philipp Nicolai (1556-1608) was a pastor in Germany during the Great Plague, which took the lives of 1,300 of his parishioners during a sixth-month period. In addition to his heroic pastoral ministry during that time of stress and sorrow, he wrote the texts for “Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying” and “O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright,” known, respectively, as the king and queen of the Lutheran chorales. Johann Heermann (1585-1647), also a German pastor, suffered from poor health as well as from the ravages of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). His hymn texts are noted for their tenderness and depth of feeling. Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676) was another Lutheran pastor who endured the horrors of the Thirty Years' War. By 1668 he lost his pastoral position in Berlin (for refusing to compromise his Lutheran convictions), and endured the death of four of his five children and his wife. He nevertheless managed to write 133 hymns, all of which reflect his firm faith. Along with Martin Luther he is regarded as one of Lutheranism's finest hymn writers.
Source: LCMS Calendar of Commemorations
Festival Of St. Simon And St. Jude, Apostles
The Church honor's saints for showing us how living out faith can be done.
“Speak to them; do not hold back a word” (Jeremiah 26:1-6). The Word is always repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 24:44) — “great mercy” and “a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1Peter 1:3). “If they kept my word,” says Jesus, “they will also keep yours,” but “if the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18-21). In Jeremiah’s day, the people demanded he die, but they did not bring his “innocent blood” on themselves (Jeremiah 26:8-16). When the priests and people gathered around Jesus, they refused to hear (Matthew 27:20-26). Christ’s servants will not be above their master (John 15:20). According to tradition, Simon (the Zealot) and Jude (also known as Thaddaeus) worked to bring the Gospel to Persia, where they were martyred together. But even in this, God’s servants are “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37). “Though … tested by fire” and suffering, we obtain “the outcome of [our] faith, the salvation of [our] souls,” and rejoice (1Peter 1:6-9). For as Jesus told Jude, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23).
Reformation Day
The Son of God Has Set Us Free from Sin and Death by His Grace
“Wisdom is justified by her deeds” (Matthew 11:19), and the true Wisdom of God, Christ Jesus, the incarnate Son, justifies us by His deeds. He prepares His way by the preaching of repentance, but He has suffered the violence of the Law and voluntarily handed Himself over to violent men, that we might eat and drink with Him in His Kingdom and “remain in the house forever” (John 8:35). For He is “a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matthew 11:19), and He has rescued us by His grace from the slavery of sin and death. By the proclamation of His eternal Gospel “to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people” (Revelation 14:6), “the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law” (Romans 3:21), “that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26). And by hearing the Gospel of Christ Jesus, “whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith” (Romans 3:25), “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).