Dear Friends and Members of Shepherd of the Hills,
I want to take a moment to remind you of the exciting activities happening at Shepherd of the Hills. From our worship services and prayer groups to outreach programs and fellowship events, there are so many ways for you to stay involved!
We encourage you to find an area where you feel called to serve or grow. Your involvement not only blesses you but also enriches the lives of others in our congregation.
In His Love and Service,
Pastor Rust
Divine Services: These next two weeks are the last of this season's outdoor services at 8:30. During this season of the church year our gospel texts are focused on the teaching of Jesus and how he prepares his disciples and apostles to be the church moving forward after his ascension. The apostolic faith that we confess is the faith that Jesus imparts to them and to us.
Bible Study: On Sunday morning in we are currently studying the book of James. You can see in James’ writings how he uses the teaching of Jesus and the book of Proverbs to share how we live out our Christian lives. Each segment of the book that we are studying is like a little mini sermon. In October we will begin a short study on the book of Hebrews. Our Bible Study time on Sunday is where we really dive into our discipleship, how the Holy Scriptures call us to follow after Jesus. Come join me as we learn and grow together. On October 6, since the 8:30 service is over for the season, Bible study will begin at 9:00am.
Fire Relief:
LERT Chain Saw Teams: Dan and Valarie Silva are leading the development and implementation of our Lutheran Emergency Response Team. We are specifically focusing on chainsaw teams for those in help removing dead/burned trees from their property when insurance, government aid and personal resources are insufficient to remove so many trees from a property. We need people who want to help run chain saws, work to clear the property after the cutting, help coordinate housing and food, coordinate with property owners, minister to property owners. Contact Dan, Valarie or I for more information on how to help. Use these links to sign up: Basic LERT Training and Basic Chainsaw Training : Our first training and work week is October 11th-15th.
Chainsaw “classroom” training: Fri. Oct. 11th 4-8PM
Chainsaw “hands on” training: Saturday October. 12th all day
LERT basic training: Sunday October 13th 1-4:30PM
Spiritual First Aid Teams: Lutheran Church Charities is planning to be here that weekend as well and to introduce us to their Spiritual First Aid teams accompanied by comfort dog teams. During their time here, we plan to visit our schools, fire stations and police station. These teams specialize in helping people begin the process of dealing with the trauma of the fires and floods we have experienced here this summer.
Fellowship:
Elders’ Gatherings: Due to the fires and floods we postponed our elders’ gatherings this summer to the month of September. Be on the lookout for an invitation to your elders house where we will gather to eat and drink and fellowship with one another. Fellowship is not a nicety, it is a necessity. These times give us a chance to know one another better and therefore we are better equipped to celebrate and serve one another as a family here at Shepherd of the Hills.
Octoberfest/Reformation: Sunday, October 27th at 12:30 we are hosting an Octoberfest/Reformation celebration here at the church. We are inviting our congregation as well as the members and families of our first responder community to join us as we give thanks for their constant vigilance, support and courage. Be on the lookout for sign-up sheet to help provide the food and drinks.