VBS Highlights

The Directors of our Children and FUSION ministries shared highlights of how we went Above & Beyond this year with Vacation Bible School:

• A student leader bought Bibles for kids in her group who don’t have them
• 441 kids and 209 leaders
• 289 families registered
• 38 families with no church home
• 74 families from other churches
• The number of fusion kiddos here for VBS!! Danielle – can you give exact numbers?
• Over $2600 for Hesed House raised in 4 days!
• Student leaders sharing how VBS is their favorite week of the whole year!
• Shared our décor set (which took months to create) with another church who has their VBS in July and will then share it with another church – so 3 churches get to use it!!
• Some kids who have never heard before that Jesus died on the cross or who Jesus even is!
• Leaders who thought they were ‘helping’ out realizing that God desired this for them personally as much as for the kids in their groups
• 13 FUSION kiddos with one on one buddies
• 1 FUSION kiddo that only stayed three days because he needed a more self-contained/sensory room that will benefit from our new space!! 
• 17 FUSION kiddos that had special needs and we worked with their small group leaders to give them the support they needed. 
• One FUSION kiddo told his mom he wants to come to church at Good Shepherd because he loves it here and made a lot of friends. 
• Two FUSION kiddos who are best friends didn’t even know they went to the same church—until they ran into each other at VBS
• Another group had a kiddo in a wheelchair with a tray—instead of doing group work on the ground, they brought the work up to his level and used his tray so he could see what was going on (no prompting from me—totally the leaders/kids idea!) 
• MANY FUSION parents left with tears in their eyes bc they saw their kids with special needs having an amazing time, being included with their peers, and learning about God’s purpose for their lives.

Workcamp Highlights

Laura Jean (LJ) Martin shared highlights of how we went Above & Beyond with Workcamp this year!

• 85 lives from Good Shepherd changed due to God's unfailing LOVE!
• students received words from God pertaining to their unique purpose in this world
• students openly praying with one another hungry for God's presence
• a parent/leader's perspective was transformed because of his opportunity to serve at Workcamp with his sons
• leaders being thankful for God taking them OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE and growing spiritually and in character this week
• students standing up for each other and speaking life to one another, to residents and other youth groups
• Red Shirt Director (Jody) commented that Good Shepherd's group set a positive tone at the high school and were great examples at the work sites (great work ethic)
• NO HOSPITAL VISITS! thank you Jesus
• God was glorified in and through 60+ projects (every project was finished by Friday)

Transforming Marriages

One of our goals for Above & Beyond was to develop a Marriage Ministry.  Through the generous support of our congregation we have been able to launch the Married People Ministry.  God is already using this ministry to reach and transform marriages.  Here is one inspiring example.

 

Update May 2017

Click the image below to learn more about how God is using the generosity of Good Shepherd to take us Above & Beyond!

Greeting from Kenya

This is a special greeting from the children of Cheryl's Children's Home in Nairobi, Kenya.  By going Above & Beyond we are literally reaching and transforming lives on the other side of the globe!

Over 1,000,000 Meals

Good Shepherd played a major role in contributing dollars and people towards this years Feed the Need event. More than 800 Good Shepherd members participated in helping to pack over a MILLION MEALS so that 2748 starving children will have food to eat every day for the next year.  Way to go Above & Beyond!

Guatemala Mission

The generosity of our church allows mission teams to go Above & Beyond around the world. Our Guatemala mission team helped to deepen the relationship we have with the community of Pueblo Modelo. Our team brought much needed shoes and water filters. They helped build a pila, which is a place where people can wash clothes with clean water. It also functions as a gathering place where the people of this divided community can come together. While they were there, the Christians in Guatemala washed the feet of our team in a powerful act of love and unity.

Update January 2017

Click the image below to learn more about how God is using the generosity of Good Shepherd to take us Above & Beyond!

Eleven Worship Service

The generosity of our congregation is helping us go Above & Beyond in our worship services.  Hear how we have been taking the eleven service to the next level to reach and transform lives.

Multicultural Worship

We had some guest musicians and singers from Honduras help lead worship at our Saturday 5:05 service. Songs were sung in English and Spanish. The leader of the group is Omar (he’s the guy with the beard in the middle). We first met Omar through a mission trip to Honduras. That’s also how Omar met his future wife who was a member of Good Shepherd. Now they are married and serving as missionaries.  Omar and his band led a workshop with the ELCA to promote unity, justice, and multi-cultural awareness in the larger church.

Married People in Full Swing

One of our Above & Beyond goals was to start a marriage ministry. Our new Married People ministry, with its small group, large group, and date night experiences are helping hundreds of people heal divisions in their marriage while drawing closer to God and their spouse.  To learn more about our marriage ministry and how to get involved, visit our Married People page on the website.  You can also connect with us via our Facebook group.

Haiti Mission

The generosity of Good Shepherd helps missionaries go Above & Beyond.  Dave and Laura Schubert just got back from Haiti, a community that has been torn apart by corruption, poverty, and natural disaster. Through the work of their mission, they were able to take care of dental needs, deliver food, and repair homes and churches. While they were there, Dave had the privilege of being the best man at a wedding of one of his Haitian friends. Isn't it neat how God brings people together?

Update October 2016

Click the image below to learn more about how God is using the generosity of Good Shepherd to take us Above & Beyond!

Impact Story: Community Development Center

Be inspired and share your ideas. It is amazing to see how God is touching and transforming lives through the generosity of Good Shepherd. Below is a story about the impact our giving has had with the kids in Bethlehem Church's Community Development Center. The Above and Beyond Missions Team wants to know about your ideas that could lead to visions ABOVE and BEYOND where we have been! Where can we make an impact? What can we do to make a sustainable difference? Or how can your generosity help transform lives? Tell us where your heart is!

 

Impact of Generosity

This Thank You note captures why we encourage our small groups to go beyond and live generously together.  When we give and serve and love together, it really makes a big impact.  Our college small group recently visited with an assisted living community.  How are you living generously with your small group?

Commitment Weekend

We are celebrating the hundreds of families that united together in making a commitment to God for Above & Beyond! These gifts will help us live into the vision God gave us and achieve the goals God has placed before us. If you have not yet made a commitment, you can do so online today. Click here: ONLINE COMMITMENT.

WHY We Give

This past weekend we celebrated the reasons WHY we give.  In this video, leaders from our congregation tell why they are choosing to give to God for Above & Beyond...

Opportunity

Giving is an opportunity, not an obligation.  John Felton shares his journey of going beyond and his encouragement for others to start the journey.

Calvary

Pastor PJ's new song inspired by the Above & Beyond series and his own personal generosity journey.

Making Commitments

Matt shares why he wants to go beyond financially and how he sees our generosity making a difference locally and around the world.