Good Shepherd United Methodist Church 1570 Mason Dearborn, MI 48124

phone: 313-278-4350

email: gshepherdumc@att.net

website: www.dearborngsumc.org

Pastor

Rev. Dr. Douglas E. Ralston

Church Office Hours

Mon – Thurs – 2 pm - 5 pm

Sunday Schedule

9:30 am: Sunday School: Tweens (4th – 8th grades)

Youth Encounter (9th – 12th grades)

(September – May)

Willing Disciples (adults)

10:30 am: worship service; 10:45 am: Sunday School for

Age 3 years-3rd grade

11:45 am fellowship time

Wednesday

Small group 5:30 in the lounge 7-8 pm Choir Practice (September – May)

Thursday

LOGOS Program 4:30-7:30 pm for grades 2-12 (Oct – March)

Friday

Spaghetti Dinner on the first Friday of the month,

October-May, from 5-7 pm.

United Methodist Men

Dinner meeting the first Monday of the month at 6 pm in Leon’s.

The Fold Good Shepherd United Methodist Church

Serving God and the Dearborn Area since 1859

April 2015 What is Christian Community?

We call ourselves a “community” here at Good Shepherd UMC. But what we need to ask is, “What is community?” And more to the point, “What is Christian community?” The late M. Scott Peck, founder of The Foundation for Community Encouragement, wrote, “community is a state of being together in which people, instead of hiding behind their defenses, learn to lower them, in which instead of attempting to obliterate their differences, people are not only to accept them but rejoice in them.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer defined Christian community succinctly when he wrote, “Christian community means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. There is no Christian community that is more than this and none that is less than this.” Bonhoeffer also made it clear that there is a special obligation to those who are not as strong as we are. “Every Christian community must know that not only did the weak need the strong, but also that the strong cannot exist without the weak. The elimination of the weak is the death of the community.” A community is a safe place that includes members who share values, a common orientation, a willingness to move forward by consensus and that is inclusive, realistic, healing, contemplative, and within it is found a spirit of peace. Henri Nouwen wrote, “that we are a community not because we like each other or have a common task or project, but because we are called together by God. God, not psychological similarities or social circumstances, is our bond.” The Christian community acknowledges that the community is bound together by God rather than the efforts of its members alone and that at the center of everything the community is and does is Jesus Christ. Christian community is a gift from God that we choose to participate in or choose to ignore. We have made a beginning and, though challenging, we are blessed to continue to live into the exciting work of Christian community building to usher in the Kingdom of God in our time and in this place.

Pastor Doug

Micah Betts Debi Black John Bobo Tom Boyd Bonnie Estes Dawn Dapprich Ferrara Ben Fewell William & Violet Friend Erin Nancy Fry Fraser and family Percilla Gabany Eric Greenwell Mary-Kate & Glennda Greenwell Dorothy Grovesteen Shirley & Henry Hall Carolyn & Randy Halloway Jessica Hanks Cheryl Kramm Lexys Lamp & family Doug & Lynn Lebeck Kathy Lebeck Kathleen LeBlanc Elmer Leigh Aron & Danielle Lewis and family Jillian LoSchaivo Dennis Ludwig Marilyn & Jack MacTavish Gary Maddox Bob & Peggy Manchester Allie & Nole McCullough Michael Mercurio Samantha Mihalik & family Aaron Miles & family Amanda Milton Samantha Myers & family Sally Rausch Jack & Ann Schaub Evelyn Schmult Tim Shaw Julie Shively Annie Smith Beverly Smith & family Jonathon Staley Colleen Stewart George & Karen Stoops Bruce Temperley Pat Trent The Turbett family Linda Wall Maurice & family Shriti For Those Who Grieve The family of Shirley Carter OUR MILITARY & THEIR FAMILIES M/Sgt. Jason Boyle Ryan Brennan, USAir Force, & family Spc. John Glasco & family Eliot Hanks, USM Sean Levigne, US Army – Fort Hood Brandyn Waterman, US Marines

OUR HOME BOUND

Judy Barker

Anne Creek

Shirley DeRosia

Helen Hickey

Mary Catherine Luoma

Francis (Skip) Peck

Fred Rausch

Robert Signoretti

REV. DR. ROBERT SELBERG We received notification of the death of Pastor Robert Selberg on March 20, 2015. The Memorial Service will be held at 1:00.p.m. Sunday, April 12, 2015 at Plymouth: First UMC, located at 45201 N. Territorial Road; Plymouth, MI 48170. 734-453-5280.

Please keep his wife, Linda, and her daughter, Mallory in your prayers. Condolences may be sent to Mrs. Linda Selberg, 640 S. Lafayette, Dearborn, MI 48124.

(Rev. Selberg served as interim pastor here at Good Shepherd during the first half of 2000.)

ARTICLES FOR THE MAY FOLD NEWSLETTER

ARE DUE IN THE OFFICE BY APRIL 15TH!

BE SURE TO SIGN UP AT THE

OPPORTUNITY CENTER TO HOST REFRESHMENT TIME!

Greetings to the congregation of Good Shepherd UMC!

On behalf of the children of Blessings in a Backpack – Dearborn, we wish to thank you for your generous support of our project! Because $80 feeds a child for every weekend of the school year, your gift of $1400.00 will go a long way to help fight hunger in Dearborn.

Sincerely,

Blessings in a Backpack – Dearborn

~~~~~~~

Dear Women of the Good Shepherd Prayer Shawl Ministry:

On behalf of the families of the Wayne-Westland Community School District, I want to express our sincere

appreciation for your donation of winter hats for students in need. The families and students in our district will greatly benefit from your generous donation.

Thank you for your support of Wayne-Westland Community Schools.

Sincerely,

Amanda Dybus, LLMSW, Program Coordinator

~~~~~~~

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your support in December for the ministries of Red Bird Mission and Red Bird Clinic. Your Donation of $1633.50 on 12/9/14 for UM Advance Red Bird Mission is making a difference in the lives of thousands in the Red Bird River Valley. Here are a few highlights for the beginning of 2015:

Red Bird Christian School students recently attended Go For It, a leadership conference, and will attend Kentucky United Nations Assembly later in the spring. To help sponsor these opportunities, donations can be made online through Razoo.com by searching for Leadership Development, Red Bird Mission.

Families are signing up for the Grow Appalachia program that offers the benefit of learning new gardening skills and knowledge from a community of growers as well as providing needed tools and supplies.

Work Camp staff finished the prioritization of projects and will soon be welcoming the first groups.

2015 dates are still available for hosting an Appalachian Craft Fair in your church. Your community can help our community economically by purchasing beautiful handmade mountain crafts. Call toll free 1-800-898-2709 for your church to request information.

Thank you for all the material gifts and prayers you send our way that sustain our ministry in the name of Jesus Christ.

Grace and Peace, O. Taylor Collins Executive Director

~~~~~~~ March 11, 2015

1570 Mason St Dearborn MI 48124

Dear Good Shepherd UMC,

Your Impact-100 gift of $ 1,724.40 to Imagine No Malaria supports the United Methodist Church's commitment to eliminate malaria as a major source of death and suffering in Africa by 2015. Your support serves as an example of how we are living Christ’s call to heal the sick and help those in need.

Imagine No Malaria includes continued bed net distributions, community education programs with medical outreach training, radio communications programs reaching remote areas with vital information, and programs that strengthen clinics and hospitals to better diagnose and treat malaria.

Thank you for your generosity. Please continue to pray for our work and those we serve.

The Journey Continues...

Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton Chair, UMC Global Health Initiative

MUSIC NOTES Hand Bells will meet after church 12:00 to 1:00 PM on April 12th & 26th.

Chancel choir will meet on Wednesdays, April 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, & 29th from 7 PM to 8:30 PM.

The Itty Bitties Choir, our youngest children, will meet each Saturday morning, March 4th, 11th, 18th, & 25th at 10 AM for only 15 minutes.

Across the generations, we have constructed

Christian learning in a fun and safe

environment.

LOGOS Season 14:

Project successfully completed.

Our toolbox for Building God’s Kingdom

contains:

Bible – our blueprint for life and God’s love

Prayer – talking with God and listening for his ring tone

Love – modeling God’s love as revealed through Jesus

Relationships – connecting through love with others and with God

Talents – using all we’ve been given and our abilities to honor God

Service – living our faith through service to others

A special thanks to all for giving

of your time, talent, and treasure

to build relationships for God’s

Kingdom...May God bless

you….Jan

Construction Crew 2014-2015:

Adam Cairo Al Costantino

Alice Maciag Anita Polzin

Bruce Coburn Carla Schneider

Carolyn Costantino Del Lebeck

Devon Jenkins Diane Atkins

Donna Eberhart Fauna Navarre

Fred Michaelson Gayle Mihalik

Georgia Grovesteen Janet Post

Irene Addison Jan Poush

Sandie Post John Mihalik

Kathy Lewis Marti Tamaroglio

Mercedes Ruiz Mike Rinkel

Pastor Doug Ralston Pam Post

Paula Turbett Rose Belzyt

Scott Williams

Our Youth Kingdom Builders…..Under

Construction…..God isn’t finished

with (any of) us yet!

Aubree Belzyt Bethany Barnett

Brad Durkee Josh Costantino

Katelyn Schooley Kendra Durkee

Kyle Belzyt Lilly Lawson

Ryan Schooley Sarah Walker

PRAISE GOD ON EASTER by joining the "Joy Rides" team for cookie delivery. We need people to donate homemade cookies and to distribute them. Deliveries are easy and quick. Sign-up at the

Opportunity Center in the Fellowship Hall.

CONFERENCE COVENANT OFFERING – 4/26 Each year, Good Shepherd partners with churches

throughout Michigan to support the Haiti Hot Lunch

program and Bishop Judith Craig Children’s Village

in Liberia. An offering will be taken during worship

on April 26 to support these ministries.

Haiti Hot Lunch Program

This program

provides daily, hot,

nutritious meals for

over 22,000 children

at Methodist schools

throughout Haiti. For

many children this may be their only hot meal of the

day. The meals are cooked on-site, typically over

charcoal fires, and provide the energy to promote

learning throughout the day.

Bishop Judith Craig Children’s Village

Located near Monrovia,

Liberia, this institution

provides a safe and

nurturing haven for children

who have been orphaned

by war, abandonment,

death of parents due to

HIV/AIDS, or extreme economic difficulties. This year

our offering will support both the food program at the

Village as well as funds to restore and upgrade the

facilities. After many years of use in the moist tropical

heat, the village is in need of significant repair.

Our offering will be delivered to Annual Conference

in mid-May so any funds supporting these

ministries should be in the church office by May 3rd.

The bulletin board at the Opportunity Center has

more details and photos of the ministries supported

by this offering.

THANK YOU! Thanks so much for helping with our collections!

Bottle caps were used to create yard art and a mural. Look for these displayed around Good Shepherd soon!

Newspapers were delivered to the Dearborn Animal Shelter to keep kennels clean.

However… we are no longer collecting for either of these projects.

Please find another way to recycle these items. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Taking it to the Streets

Who is it for?

Our neighbors What will it look like?

2, 4 or 6 walkers per prayer group Walk within a 1 mile of GSUMC When walking, we will:

o pray o build relationships within our GS

neighborhood o identify community needs o allow God’s Spirit to work

When will we walk? Saturdays in April at 10 am (WEATHER PERMITTING), except April 4th

or Pick a friend & walk any day or time of your own choosing.

We will meet in the church parking lot for mission prayer and pair-off for partners and the day’s route.

Wear your GS t-shirt, if you have one.

Sign up at the Opportunity Center

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 4/03 Margee O’Brien 4/04 George Stoops 4/09 Madison Murdoch 4/09 Scott Turbett 4/13 Paula Turbett 4/19 Aubree Belzyt 4/19 Allen Eberhart 4/23 Lucy Lawson 4/25 Matt Blankenship 4/26 Anna Woods 4/26 Michael Meeks 4/27 Jaryd Stoddard

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! 4/05/2007 Sharon & Doug Ralston

CONVERSATION ON HUMAN SEXUALITY On April 18 from 9:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Good Shepherd UMC will be privileged to host the Detroit Renaissance District’s “Conversation on Human Sexuality.” In the last four decades, no topic has been more vigorously argued than full inclusion of the LGBT community in the life of the United Methodist Church. After all these years, the debate rages on. It is time for a new, more respectful approach. The district’s “Conversation on Human Sexuality” is that different way. The purpose of the conversation is to make connections with those with whom we disagree and begin developing mutual respect. We will share in Holy Communion as an expression of our desire to serve God alongside one another. We will be in community with one another despite our differences. It is hoped that you will want to participate in the conversation and you are also needed to serve during the event. We need people willing to be part of the hospitality team, serve as conversation facilitators, or to help set up and clean up. Please contact Georgia Grovesteen for more information and to volunteer your services. Please plan to join with others in the Detroit Renaissance District for an opportunity to have a safe conversation about human sexuality.

NOTE: APRIL SPAGHETTI DINNER DATE CHANGE

April’s Spaghetti Dinner will be on Friday, April 10th with the usual scheduled prep times.

The April Spaghetti Dinner WILL NOT be on the first Friday of the month since that is Good Friday.

EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 5TH, WORSHIP WITH HOLY

COMMUNION AT 10:30 AM

LOOKING FORWARD IN WORSHIP 4/5 I Am the Resurrection and the Life John 11:17-26 4/12 Without a Doubt John 20:19-31 4/19 The Jesus Breakfast Club John 21:1-19 4/26 The Other John 3:16 1 John 3:16-24

April 5 Annie Smith & Al Costantino April 12 Carla Schneider & Paula Turbett April 19 Donna Eberhart & Dean Lewis April 26 Samm Myers & David Scannell

April 5 Lilly Lawson April 12 Josh Costantino April 19 Aubree Belzyt April 26 Sabrina Perry

April 5 Gary Atkins April 12 Sandie Post April 19 Nancy Murdoch April 26 Dean Lewis

1st Joe & Margee O’Brien & Jim Woods 2nd Dave Johnson & Scott Williams

3rd Jim Woods & Randy Jensen 4th Jim Woods & Sandra Lowe 5th Jim Woods & Randy Jensen

(Substitute: Randy Jensen)

1st Delores Lebeck & Pam Post 2nd Sharon Mangan & Sally Rausch 3rd Georgia Grovesteen & Paula Turbett 4th Donna Eberhart & Anita Polzin 5th Delores Lebeck & Pam Post

April 5 Served during worship April 12 Paula Turbett & Donna Eberhart April 19 Sandie Post & Delores Lebeck April 26 Irene Addison & Thomas Garrant

Nursery Caregivers

1st Carolyn & Emma Costantino 2nd Liz Cairo & Bea Woehlke 3rd Carolyn Costantino & Lori Lawson 4th Paula Turbett & Emma Costantino 5th Carolyn & Emma Costantino

(Substitute: Bea Woehlke)

Openers & Closers 1st Sunday Thomas Garrant 2nd Sunday Alan Costantino 3rd Sunday Bruce Coburn 4th Sunday Scott Williams 5th Sunday Thomas Garrant

SPAGHETTI DINNER Good Shepherd United Methodist Church

1570 Mason at Monroe Dearborn

Friday, April 10th (NOTE DATE CHANGE!)

5:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Dinner includes: spaghetti (choice of meat or vegetarian sauce), salad bar, garlic bread, dessert, and beverage

Adults: $8.00 Children 6 to 12: $3.00 Under 6: free Carry outs available. PLEASE come – and bring a friend!

The Fold

Good Shepherd United Methodist Church 1570 Mason at Monroe Dearborn, MI 48124 Church phone: 313-278-4350 Dated Material – Do Not Hold

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

Choir Practice

7 pm

2 Run for God 6:30 am

Prayer Group 2 pm

3

4 Run for God

7:00 am

Itty Bitties 10 am

5

Easter Breakfast 9 am Sunday School 9:30 am Morning Worship 10:30 am Refreshments 11:45 am Oakwood Worship 1 pm

6 United Methodist

Men’s Dinner at Leon’s

on Michigan Ave. 6 pm

7 Run for God

6:30 am

8

Choir Practice 7 pm

9 Run for God 6:30 am

Veggie Prep 9 am

Prayer Group 2 pm

10

Spaghetti Dinner 5-7 pm

11 Run for God

7:00 am

Itty Bitties 10 am

Prayer Walk 10 am

12

Sunday School 9:30 am Morning Worship 10:30 am Refreshments 11:45 am Oakwood Worship 1 pm Hand Bells 12:00 pm Hubbard Worship 4:30 pm

13

14 Run for God

6:30 am

Visitation Team 6:00 pm

15

Choir Practice

7 pm

May Fold Articles are Due

16 Run for God 6:30 am

Prayer Group 2 pm

17

18 Run for God

7:00 am

Prayer Shawl Ministry 9 am

Conversation on Human Sexuality 9:30-12:30 pm

Itty Bitties 10 am

Prayer Walk 10 am

19

Sunday School 9:30 am Morning Worship 10:30 am Refreshments 11:45 am Oakwood Worship 1 pm

20 Spark! mtg.

6:30 pm

21 Run for God

6:30 am

22

Choir Practice 7 pm

23

Run for God 6:30 am

Prayer Group 2 pm

24

25 Run for God

7:00 am

Itty Bitties 10 am

Prayer Walk 10 am

26 Sunday School 9:30 am Morning Worship 10:30 am Refreshments 11:45 am Hand Bells 12:00 pm Oakwood Worship 1 pm

27 28 Run for God

6:30 am

29

Choir Practice 7 pm

30