The Church of the Good Shepherd

eShepherd's Staff
New & Noteworthy

November 1, 2013

Rector's Reflections

The New Testament concept of "saint" is anything but a super-human. They are the ones who witness to and live out their faith in Jesus Christ. Rarely are they seen and held up to the public. They claim little credit. No monuments stand for them, but a cross. As the hymn says, "They are just folk like you and me - and I mean to be one too!" Come celebrate All Saints this Sunday! Blessings, Larry

Daylight Savings Time

We "fall back" this weekend. Don't forget to set those clocks back for an extra hour of sleep this Sunday!

What to Expect This Sunday

Join Us for All Saints Sunday!

Nave Services: 7:45, 9:15, 11:15am, Blessing of the Pledges at all three services

10:40a.m. Parish Hall Community Breakfast for Everyone

4-6pm Sunday School meets as PEP (Parish Education Program)

Special Children's Chapel Note: Remember that children go directly to the Education RM to learn about baptism. They will rejoin the service for the baptism. They rejoin parents at the Peace.

Please prayerfully consider and return your pledge cards for the ingathering and blessing this Sunday, November 3rd.

Save these dates!

Tonight! All Souls Choral Evensong at 7:30 PM

Sun, 11/3 COGS Worship Service at NVTC 2-3 pm

Sun, 11/10 9:15 service, Celebration of the New Ministry of Randi Hicks Rowe

Sun, 11/17 9:15am Parish Hall Interactive Service

Sat, 11/23 5-7pm Parish Thanks-Giving Dinner

Mon, 11/25 All Day Thanksgiving Basket Drive

Thurs, 11/28 Thanksgiving Day Service, 10:30am

Stewardship Thought of the Week

God's gift to us is our life in Jesus Christ. What we do with our life is our gift for the love of God and neighbor.

Ministry Opportunities

How about helping with the Parish Breakfast on November 3rd? We still have slots to fill. Contact the rector at l.packard@verizon.net

Send in the name(s) of the dearly departed from your life to be read at the All Souls Service on Monday, 11/4 at 7:30pm. Email names to officemanager@good-shepherd.net

Community Events

All Souls Choral Evensong Tonight!

The All Souls Choral Evensong will be held tonight at 7:30 p.m. This beautiful service features the Senior Choir in music by John Sanders, E.F.R. Woolley, and Geraint Lewis. The Rev. Peter R. Gustin will officiate. Names of the departed will be read at the conclusion of the brief service. Please plan to attend this moving service as a way to honor those who are no longer with us. A reception will follow the choral evensong in the Narthex.

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The Breakfast Chef's Sunday

Join us this Sunday, Nov. 3rd for Pancakes (sugar free syrup offered), Sausage, fruit, coffee & juice. Thanks in advance for donations to help offset costs!

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Join Us for Tea!

Not So High Tea will be held Thursday, November 7 in the Shepherd's Nook, 3-5 p.m. Take this time to enjoy an afternoon of light - or maybe not - conversation while enjoying tea and biscuits.

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Exciting Church Service at NVTC on-tap this Sunday.

This Sunday, November 3, COGS is providing a worship service at Northern Virginia Training Center. The service starts at 2:00 PM and lasts about an hour. We are encouraged to arrive about 10 minutes early to help escort the residents from their day rooms. This month is special because the theme is Thanksgiving and we have a special music group performing for the service.

The NVTC residents are very special people and the service is always joyful. Also, the group has grown in the past couple of months, so we might need to move into a bigger room, but there is always room for you. Come and join the prayers and music!

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Silent Auction to Benefit Facets

Join us on Saturday, November 16, 2013 for a fun evening to benefit Facets' work to open doors for people in need living in our community. This dinner party and silent auction will be held from 7:00 - 9:00 P.M. at the Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center, 3740 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA 22030. Join us a a group from COGS to have a great dinner fellowship and the opportunity to support Facets. Contact Richard Holcombe at Jrholc49@cox.net if you are planing to go so we can reserve a COGS table.

To purchase your tickets use this link to the Facets web site.

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On Tuesday, November 12th at The Church of the Good Shepherd, the Garden Club of Fairfax is presenting a workshop on learning how to plant a small flower bed as a cutting garden for a season full of gorgeous cut flowers. Seeds, tools and supplies for gardening and flower arranging will be available for purchase. Cost for the workshop is $15.00 which includes lunch. Informational flyers, RSVP details and the supplies catalogs are available in the office.

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"The Sound of Music" will be the Good Shepherd Players' 35th annual spring production, March 14-23, 2014! Please come and audition tomorrow, Sat. Nov. 2nd from 12 - 3PM. Callbacks will be Sun Nov 3 from 2-4PM. Please use this link to secure an audition slot.

Adults and anyone auditioning for the Rolf or Leisl teenager roles should be prepared to sing a song, preferably from the musical, which shows their range and personality. Children will be asked to sing a short song of their choosing. Auditioners will also do cold readings from the script. If you have any questions about the process, please contact Nancy Lavallee at scoutnp@gmail.com or check our website.

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Time to Order Christmas Trees, Wreaths, and Roping!

Halloween is over so let the holiday season begin! As in the past the Outreach Committee is selling freshly cut trees, wreaths and roping for Christmas. Please consider buying your tree and greenery from the Outreach Committee. All proceeds benefit the Compassion Fund of Outreach and allow us to reach that many more needy people in our community, nation and world.

Trees will be on sale THIS SUNDAY, Nov. 3 and the following Sundays in November while supplies last. Pre-Sales only. We will not be selling on the lot. Ask a fellow parishioner who has bought a tree from us about the high quality. People have been delighted. Hope to see you at our sales table!

For questions, contact Gail Calabrese at gailcalabrese@verizon.net or 703-425-0961

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Shop the Shepherd Christmas Showcase will be accepting vendors until December 1st. Small businesses & crafters welcome! We're up to 22! The showcase will be held on Saturday, 7 DEC from 10am - 3pm Cost: $50 + donation of one item for church raffle. To inquire or register, contact Jan Wilcox at jhwilcox@aol.com or visit the church website. Profits benefit Good Shepherd. Please help get the word out!

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Diocesan Prevention of Adult Sexual Misconduct, Abbreviated Course

Good Shepherd will offer the Prevention of Adult Sexual Misconduct, Abbreviated Training, which includes Prevention of Elder Abuse on Saturday, November 9 from 10:30 a.m - 12:30 p.m.

You are required to take this course if you are a

Licensed catechist who teaches adults
Licensed Eucharistic Visitor who take communion to homes, hospitals, and other facilities
Volunteer who teaches adults at times other than Sunday morning (e.g., ESOL teachers)
Vestry member or Warden
Member of a group that performs outside the church or conducts activities in nursing homes, NVTC, or other facilities with adults

Certification is valid for ten years, and this class may be used as a renewal course for the full Prevention of Adult Misconduct certificate. Kathy Moore has been certified by the Diocese to conduct the training. Please register for the class by contacting Kathy at kmooreslp@yahoo.com. The course is open to anyone interested in learning how to prevent adult sexual abuse and/or elder abuse.

Be a Green Shepherd!

Working in the yard this fall? Be a good steward of the environment and pull up any English ivy. This invasive plant climbs trees and eventually kills them by blocking the sun from the leaves. In some counties ivy is not sold, so invasive it has become. An alternative to ivy is native pachysandra (Alleghany Spurge), which is a dense, slow-spreading groundcover which tolerates shady locations.

Visit

Good Shepherd on the web at

good-shepherd.net

Church of the

Good Shepherd

9350 Braddock Rd.

Burke VA 22015

703-323-5400

Youth News

The next PEP is coming up quickly on Sunday, November 3rd from 4 pm -6 pm. Please join us on November 3rd when we explore the lesson of "The Man in the Tree," Luke 19:1-10. We will have an ice cream social and fun activities that will get us to stay still. PEP meets the first Sunday of the month from October through April and is open to all Sunday School families. Please mark your calendars!

Youth Reminders for November

Nov 3- Board Game Night 6:30-8pm

Nov 10- Quiz Bowl, Parents vs. Kids 6:30-8pm

Nov 17- There wil be no youth meeting. Instead we will be having a J2A meeting about the J2AC classes upcoming pilgrimage. All J2AC students that plan on participating in pilgrimage should attend at 6:30pm.

Nov 24- Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt for Canned Goods. 2-4pm

Nov 25- Both SYF, JYF and J2A are encouraged to come after school on this day to help organize and distribute baskets.

Please e-mail Brian Walsh or call 703-850-5386 with any questions.

Follow the Rector's
Daily Reflections at stoneshout.blogspot.com

Be the prayers of the people

Healing: Marlene Farmer, Carol Mitchell, Robert Vitell, Carol Sweetser

For the soul of: Nancy Vitell, cousin of Karen Kemp; Hope Adolph, aunt of Brian Appich.

For the birthdays of: Packy Daniels, Melissa

Packard, Bob Kroehler, Bill Bell.

For the anniversary of: Larry and Melissa Packard.

For all on our prayer list linked here, we offer these prayers.

Thank you many times over!

"Stir us up to good works"

For Dave Cooper's ministry as Treasurer and Charlie Biele's dedication to the Finance Committee,

For Gail Calabrese speaking on behalf of stewardship ministry.

For Melissa Talbot's leadership as Chair of the PreSchool Board,

For Brian Appich's volunteer service in our office.

For those who attended and worked behind the scenes for a very successful second season opening of NOW!

For all those who donated books, helped sort books and/or worked the day of the Used Book Sale.

Help us recognize others for their good works! Email your suggestions to the Rector.

Did You Know?

The Carol and Cherub Choirs celebrated Halloween on Monday with costumes and an organ crawl. Miss Carleen demonstrated the organ and each chorister had the opportunity to play as well!

Randi Hicks Rowe, Formation Minister, has prepared a new opportunity for our Children's Chapel participants for this Sunday?

Deadline for 2014 Budget Submissions is November 4!

The Library sponsored Used Book Sale netted $1,651.20. Nine hundred dollars will be transfer

red to Outreach to be used for its educational programs in Haiti, Honduras and the Philippines. The library seeks to serve by finding ways to instill faith and ministry through learning God's Word.

"Send us out to do the work you have given us to do."

Our Parish Mission and Vision

The Church of the Good Shepherd is a Christ-centered community sharing God's love. We strive to Strengthen Faith, Build Community, Serve Others.