CGS Announcements Archive

Church of the Good Shepherd

BLOOD DRIVE

This summer's drive is dedicated to A. D. Sawyer

Sunday, July 18th *  7:30AM - 12:15PM  *  Shepherd's Hall

 Summer traditions come in all stripes.  Independence Day fireworks, beach trips, cookouts...and the summer blood drive in Shepherd's Hall!  Well, maybe you didn't know that it's a tradition at Good Shepherd, but for the last 5 years Good Shepherd has hosted a Red Cross mobile blood drive the second Sunday after July 4th.  Our parishioners and those who have joined us from across the downtown Raleigh community have donated over 400 pints of blood at our drives.  In fact, 90 percent of the blood donations in North Carolina come from mobile drives just like ours.   This summer's drive is dedicated to a big supporter of our blood drives, A.D. Sawyer.  A.D. was a lifelong and regular blood donor until he was diagnosed with diabetes.  I recently found that most diabetics may now donate as long as their condition is controlled.  When I told A.D. he was ecstatic and was looking forward to donating at this summer's drive.  Unfortunately, A.D. unexpectedly passed away last month.  I know that if he were here he'd be encouraging everyone to donate if they were able, and he would be calling me asking what he could do to help.  I'll miss him very much. We will be taking appointments for times ranging from 7:30 AM to 12:15 PM. To schedule an appointment go to http://www.membersforlife.org/cbsr/schedule/ click on 'search by sponsor code' & enter 12952.  You can also contact me, Larry Seiger, at 805-5111 for more information. I'll be in church this Sunday to take appointments and answer any questions you may have.   

Donors automatically entered into drawing to win a free $1000 gift card!

Our Amazing Grace Supper Club will meet on Saturday, July 17, at 6:30pm at the home of Van and Gigi Giersch! They'll provide meat, so please bring a side dish or dessert to share, and as usual, BYOB. Remember to RSVP to Van and Gigi!

Contact: Wren Blessing, (wren.blessing@cgs-raleigh.org), Director of Youth Ministry

    See flyer with complete details on the EYC Harvest of Hope Mission Weekend!

• WHO:  EYC students and their friends (grades 6-12) and adult leaders. Siblings age 10 and up are welcome to come with a parent.
• WHAT: Harvest of Hope Mission Weekend
• WHEN:  Departing CGS on Friday, August 13 at 3:30pm. Returning to CGS on Sunday, August 15 at 5:00pm (Note: Wren will head directly from SC to Stanley Hauerwas' talk for youth, 'Why do We Believe in the Church?', at Church of the Holy Family in Chapel Hill. Wren invites any interested youth to join her. They will return to CGS at 8:30pm.
• WHERE: We will stay at Bethel Christian Camp in Gaston, SC
• WHY: To have fun, and to grow in love for God and the world through service and worship.
• HOW:  Sign up with Wren Blessing and give her a $25 deposit by July 1. (There may be room after 7/1, but spots at Harvest of Hope are limited and only available to the first groups who sign up.)
• COST:  The cost for each person attending is $90. EYC students can participate in fundraising activities to offset the cost of their trip.  ** Scholarships are available -- See Wren for details **

On Wednesday July 14th, interested EYC students are invited to join us as we travel to Oxford, NC, to see a production of Tim Tyson's book, Blood Done Sign My Name.  We'll meet at CGS at 5:15pm and will eat dinner together before driving to Oxford to meet and watch the play with youth from all around the diocese.  We plan to return to CGS by 9pm (we'll be in touch with parents by cell phone).  In Oxford, we will be seeing a dramatic rendition of the book put on by Mike Wiley (not the film, as I had previously thought), so drama fans should plan on coming.  We also need at least one additional adult driver.  I have reserved eight spots for our group -- consider joining in a thought-provoking and fun evening.  [Parents, please be aware that the central subject matter of the play is about the Klan's murder of an African American man.  I have not seen the play, and am not sure exactly what ages it best suits.  I had previously said that it is probably best for 8th grade and up, but if younger students are interested in attending, I'm happy for them to come so long as parents are supportive. Feel free to accompany your child if you'd like to be able to discuss with him/her the difficult questions raised by the play.]

Contact: Wren Blessing, wren.blessing@cgs-raleigh.org or 831-2014

EVERYONE is invited to participate in this ministry! Join us for food, fellowship and fun on the 4^th Sundays of the summer when we dine on the grounds of our adopted migrant camp.  If you can lend a hand organizing donations, setting up the meal tables, helping with Spanish translation during the camp visits, or volunteering in any other capacity, please contact Margaret Park.

Migrant Ministry Events Schedule -- Potluck suppers take place on the fourth Sundays of the growing season. Leaving from the church at 5:00pm, we arrive at the camp at 5:30pm and stay for about two hours.

July 25 - Camp Visit

August 22 - Camp Visit

September 19 - Episcopal Farmworker Fall Festival in Newton Grove

September 26 - Camp Visit

October 17 - Farmworkers attend 10:15 service followed by lunch at local restaurant

Monetary donations are greatly appreciated!  These funds are used to purchase pillows, work gloves, fans, medicines and other essentials.  Checks (written to Church of the Good Shepherd and clearly specified for MIGRANT OUTREACH FUND) should be mailed to: Church of the Good Shepherd, MIGRANT OUTREACH MINISTRY, 121 Hillsborough St., Raleigh, NC 27603.  Donations to the migrant ministry that are placed in the Sunday offering should be in a separate envelope clearly marked for MIGRANT OUTREACH FUND.

If you would like to know more, please add your email address to our list of participants to receive invitations to special events and occasional updates about the Migrant Farmworker Ministry. Click on "update my profile" at the very bottom of your next CGS e-newsletter, check the Migrant Ministry box and be sure to save your update.

Contact: Margaret Park, Migrant Ministry coordinator, mpark@pobox.com, 787-5557

GPS@CGS SUMMER SEMESTER!

"GOD AND GREEN":

A BIBLE STUDY ON CHRISTIAN CARE FOR THE CREATION

SUNDAYS, 9:15-10:15 AM IN ROOM 404, 3^rd Fl, Duncan-Giersch Parish Life Center (Battle Bible Class Room)

Presenter and Facilitator: Bill Bennett

The BP oil rig disaster and the resulting environmental damage in the Gulf of Mexico has pointed to the fragile balance between our economic needs and our ecology. There are all kinds of political opinions arising from this, but what if anything gives Christians the tools we need to make sense of this and respond faithfully? Using THE GREEN BIBLE, a recently published edition of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, we will explore Bible passages which speak to a call to care for creation which is a significant part of the Bible's message. No less than Billy Graham has said: "To drive to extinction something (God) has created is wrong. He has a purpose for everything... We Christians have a responsibility to take the lead in caring for the earth." For more on THE GREEN BIBLE, see: http://greenletterbible.com/index.php

(You will not need a copy of THE GREEN BIBLE to participate in this Bible study. Any edition of the Bible can be used. Copies of the NRSV are available in the classroom.)

7/11: Theme 4: "Creation Care as Justice" - Caring for creation is an act of social justice. Because humanity is part of creation, and because we are designed for interdependence with the whole of creation, caring for creation means caring for humanity. Caring for humanity, in turn, demands protecting and restoring creation. Scriptures explored: Micah 6:1-8; Isaiah 58:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:14-21; Luke 10:25-37; Matthew 25:31-46

7/18: Theme 5: "The Full Impact of Sin" - Creation is harmed by human sin. Because our sin disconnects us from God, it distorts our relationship with God's creation as well. The result is a world out of sync with itself. Scriptures explored: Genesis 3:14-19; Hosea 4:1-3; Ezekiel 34:17-22; Numbers 35:33-34; Romans 8:18-25

7/25 Theme 6: "The New Earth" - The earth and everything in it is included in God's plan of redemption. Creation does not pass away, but is restored and renewed as part of the new heaven and the new earth of God's kingdom.

For scriptural passages on the creation with illustrations, see: http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Christianity/2009/03/Green-Bible-Passages.aspx

Sixteen of us have just returned from a great weekend of service and rafting, June 18-20.  Over the past few days, we have explored how the body of Christ feeds the world by learning and serving at Shepherd's Table, at a church-sponsored community garden called Anathoth, and at a Christian community farm.  We give thanks for a weekend full of learning, growing friendships and perfect weather. 

On Sunday we rafted and kayaked on the Nolichucky River.  Check out and download photos here! 

On July 14, we have the tremendous privilege of joining author Tim Tyson for a screening of Blood Done Sign My Name (a film based on Tyson's book of the same name), and for a question and answer session afterward.  The film narrates the murder of an African American Vietnam Veteran named Henry Marrow by the Klan in Oxford, NC.  It is probably best-suited for our older EYC-ers (8^th grade and up).  The film is being shown as a part of a diocesan youth program engaging questions of racial reconciliation in North Carolina. 

Check out the following link (http://www.unc.edu/cr/features/books/tyson-blood-done-sign-my-name.html) for an article about central themes of the book and film.  Parents are welcome to join us.  Please let me know immediately if you plan to attend so that I can reserve a spot for you.  (Sign up deadline is this Wednesday, June 30th.)

Contact:  wren.blessing@cgs-raleigh.org or 831-2014

GPS@CGS SUMMER SEMESTER!

"GOD AND GREEN":

A BIBLE STUDY ON CHRISTIAN CARE FOR THE CREATION

SUNDAYS, 9:15-10:15 AM IN ROOM 404, 3^rd Fl, Duncan-Giersch Parish Life Center (Battle Bible Class Room)

Presenter and Facilitator: Bill Bennett

The BP oil rig disaster and the resulting environmental damage in the Gulf of Mexico has pointed to the fragile balance between our economic needs and our ecology. There are all kinds of political opinions arising from this, but what if anything gives Christians the tools we need to make sense of this and respond faithfully? Using THE GREEN BIBLE, a recently published edition of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, we will explore Bible passages which speak to a call to care for creation which is a significant part of the Bible's message. No less than Billy Graham has said: "To drive to extinction something (God) has created is wrong. He has a purpose for everything... We Christians have a responsibility to take the lead in caring for the earth." For more on THE GREEN BIBLE, see: http://greenletterbible.com/index.php

(You will not need a copy of THE GREEN BIBLE to participate in this Bible study. Any edition of the Bible can be used. Copies of the NRSV are available in the classroom.)

7/4: Theme 3: "Connected to Creation" - Humanity is part of all creation. We are meant to live in an interconnected, inter-dependent relationship with God and the whole of creation, acting as stewards of creation. And as we care for the earth, the earth cares for us. Scriptures explored: Genesis 2:4-25; Exodus 23:10-13; Leviticus 26:3-26; Revelation 11:15-19; Psalm 65

7/11: Theme 4: "Creation Care as Justice" - Caring for creation is an act of social justice. Because humanity is part of creation, and because we are designed for interdependence with the whole of creation, caring for creation means caring for humanity. Caring for humanity, in turn, demands protecting and restoring creation. Scriptures explored: Micah 6:1-8; Isaiah 58:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:14-21; Luke 10:25-37; Matthew 25:31-46

7/18: Theme 5: "The Full Impact of Sin" - Creation is harmed by human sin. Because our sin disconnects us from God, it distorts our relationship with God's creation as well. The result is a world out of sync with itself. Scriptures explored: Genesis 3:14-19; Hosea 4:1-3; Ezekiel 34:17-22; Numbers 35:33-34; Romans 8:18-25

7/25 Theme 6: "The New Earth" - The earth and everything in it is included in God's plan of redemption. Creation does not pass away, but is restored and renewed as part of the new heaven and the new earth of God's kingdom.

For scriptural passages on the creation with illustrations, see: http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Christianity/2009/03/Green-Bible-Passages.aspx

We want to recognize and express our great appreciation for the dedication of Becky Campion who has scheduled our wonderful lectors and chalicists for all services with great skill and consideration for many years. We also want to thank Richard Netherby who has agreed to accept this valuable ministry as the next coordinator of lectors and chalicists. We are grateful for both of you.

Our thanks also go to Kathy MacLeod for providing Banana-Berry Bread for our "Lemonade on the Lawn" fellowhip time on Sunday mornings.  This delicious bread is suitable for those with diabeties, and it was exceedingly thoughtful of her to see and fullfill that need with her terrrific baking skills!