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The Shepherd’s Crook The Church of the Good Shepherd

Pitman, NJ The Rev. Dr. David L. Snyder – Interim Rector November/December 2015

“We Love Our Church”

All Hallow’s Eve...a Festival of Beggars!!

Have you ever heard the allegation that Halloween is a pagan rite dating back to some pre-Christian festival among the Celtic Druids, and if you allow your children to dress up and go Trick or Treating, they will be worshiping the devil and pagan gods? Actually, these allegations reflect the fact the most people (even church people) are unfamiliar with the very Christian origins of Halloween.

It is certainly true that Halloween (like the celebration of Christmas) has it’s roots in pre-Christian, pagan culture. Halloween began to evolve as early as AD 270 from the Celt’s culture in Ireland who practiced a special costume party event the night before their annual feast of “Samhain,” which had a twofold purpose. The feast was not only a memorial to commemorate their deceased relatives but also a thanksgiving to close the end of the summer season of light and to prepare diligently for entering into the darkness of the long winter season. Superstition has it that the "eve" before the feast was a time to ward off any evil spirits which they believed were cast out from the spirit world and showed up on planet earth to attack and disrupt the feast. So, the evening prior to the feast became an annual costume event to try, through their disguised appearances, to TRICK the evil spirits into thinking they were not humans. Christian missionaries who journeyed from Europe and arrived in the land of the Celt’s, became eager for all the people to become Christians and to denounce their pagan gods and practices such as superstitiously appeasing and casting out of evil spirits. The Christian monks decided that “Baptizing” the traditional Celtic feast would be an effective way to share the Gospel of Christ and dispel and forever lay to rest the Celt’s superstition about ghosts and evil spirits. A Christianized version of Samhain would also provide an annual opportunity for the monks to proclaim the truth that the Christ, their Creator and Savior, defeated Satan, death, and evil at the cross and through Him alone, evil demons were powerless and would flee!

The reason that the modern celebration of Halloween falls on the last day of October is because the Feast of All Saints, or "All Hallows," falls on November 1. Many scholars agree that the commemoration of saints on November 1 first originated in Ireland, spread from there to England, and then to the continent of Europe with the rise of Christianity. The feast in honor of all the saints in heaven used to be celebrated on May 13, but Pope Gregory III (d. 741) moved the All Saints Day celebration to November 1st... the day in which All Saints Chapel in St. Peter’s at Rome was dedicated and consecrated. Later, in the 840s, Pope Gregory IV sent out an official letter of notification urging that Halloween be observed in harmony with All Saints Day throughout the world. The day before was the feast’s evening vigil, "All Hallows Even," or "Hallowe’en."!! In 998, St. Odilo, the abbot of the powerful monastery of Cluny in southern France, added a celebration on November 2. This was a day of prayer for the souls of all the faithful departed. This feast, called All Souls Day, spread from France to the rest of Europe.

I like to think of Halloween as a FESTIVAL OF BEGGARS...little children, dressed in all sorts of outlandish costumes roam the streets in the heavy darkness of a cold October night. Excitement and fear blend together on this magical night. The children cautiously approach the house on the corner, shopping bag in hand, knocking on the doors of strangers, hoping against hope that the people inside will let them in and provide them with a treat. It is a reminder of the way we all will, one day, approach the Throne of Grace...dressed in borrowed “Robes of Righteousness” and trusting in the goodness and mercy of the God of the Gospel to open the doors of heaven and invite us to come inside and enjoy the extravagant generosity and the hospitality of God’s amazing grace! Have a happy and safe All Hallows” Eve (and don’t forget to stop by the church from 6:00 until 8:00pm on Saturday, October 31st for the Halloween Open House)!!

Faithfully, (my six year old grandson, Jacob in his

Fr.Dave Snyder+ Halloween costume – a friendly gorilla this year!)

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Bible Study Schedule

The Tuesday evening Bible Study meets on Tuesday evenings @ 7:00pm. We will be continuing our study of the Parables of Jesus. Here is the upcoming schedule:

Date Parable Text

Nov. 3rd No Bible Study

Nov. 10thrd Rich Man and Lazarus

Luke 16:9-31

Nov. 17thth Rich Fool Luke 12:13-21

Nov. 24thth Great Banquet Luke 14:15-24

Dec. 1st Parable of the Two Builders

Luke 6:46-49

Dec. 8th Unjust Steward Luke 16:1-8

Dec. 15th Compassionate Employer

Matthew 20:1-16

Dec. 22nd (No Bible Study)

Dec. 29th (No Bible Study)

Inquirer’s Group

Inquiring minds want to know!! No matter how old we are,

there is still much to learn about our faith. The Inquirer's

group will meet on Sundays, November 1 and December 6

after the 10 a.m. service in the Conference Room. We are

using a program entitled "Saving Jesus" and our topics will be

"The World Jesus Was Born Into" on November 1 and "The

Birth of Jesus: The Incarnation" on December 6. Please feel

free to join us! For more information contact Mel Caron at

478-234-3698.

Pastoral Emergencies

If a Pastoral Emergency should come up for you, hospitalization, death in the family, please call the Church Office 856-589-8209 or Father Dave 609-444-6706

Church History Display

Please make sure that you look at the glass case in the

Parrish hall which houses our rotating Church History Exhibit. It

is a fun way for us all to get to know each other and our church

family’s shared history! If you have anything that you would like

to share such as: vintage Bibles, Books of Common Prayer, Bible

Markers, Sunday School curriculum or VBS curriculum, hymnals,

pictures, etc, please let me know. I am endeavoring to rotate

these exhibits every 3 or 4 months. Your items will be returned

to you in good shape!

Thanks so much!

Ellie Dunn

609-868-7104

Pitman Council of Churches

Thanksgiving Service:

The Pitman Council of Churches is once again sponsoring a

community Thanksgiving service on Tuesday, November 24th at

7:00pm at the Mary Mother of Mercy parish in Pitman. Stay tuned

for additional information about the service in the weeks to

come.

A New Partnership with Mannino’s Cucina Italiana

Vito Mannino (owner of Mannino’s Cucina Italiana) has agreed to begin a partnership with the Church of the Good Shepherd. A donation will be made to the church of 10% of the luncheon or dinner bill for every member who dines at the restaurant (located at 126 South Broadway - between the bakery and the Police station). Please notify your server that you are a member of the Church of the Good Shepherd before placing your order. The restaurant is open Monday thru Thursday and Sunday from 11:00AM until 9:00PM and Friday and Saturday from 11:00AM until 10:00PM. Reservations are recommended on Friday and Saturday evenings. The food is excellent!! Your support of this partnership will be greatly appreciated!!

SERVICES

Saturdays

5:30 PM – Holy Eucharist

Sundays

10:00 AM – Holy Eucharist

DEADLINE

The deadline for the January/February 2016 Crook will be on December 15, 2015. Please e-mail all articles to goodshepherdpitman@gmail.com.

Maryanne Charlton Parish Administrator

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CHURCH MINISTRY LEADERS

These are some of their names and numbers, if you have any questions.

Senior Warden George Funk - 856/232-0941

Junior Warden Art Dilworth - 856/881-6595

Treasurer Lee Braidwood - 856/228-0737

Assist. Treasurer George Funk - 856/232-0941

Brotherhood of St. Andrew Wayne Szalma - 856/582-7225

Women at the Well Cindy Taglienti - 856/227-1566

Altar Guild Shelly Harris - 856/589-8160

Newcomers Sue Dixon – 856/589-4877

Youth Group Maria Szalma - 856/582-7225

VESTRY LIAISONS, 2015

Personnel – Sue Dixon

Property & Security – Wayne Szalma

Endowment Planning – Rich Harrington

Discernment – Deb Prieto

Columbarium – Deb Prieto

Newcomers/Greeters – Sue Dixon

Adult Christian Education – Ellie Dunn

Internal Ministries – Cindy Taglienti

Outreach – Patti Fortney

Sunday School – Connie Parent

Brotherhood of St. Andrew – Wayne Szalma

Youth Activities – Chelsea Richmond

Family Promise – Sue Dixon

Prayer Ministry – Cindy Taglienti

Stewardship Committee – Sue Dixon, Rich

Harrington, Connie Parent

Worship & Liturgy Committee -- Deb Prieto

Senior Warden – George Funk Junior Warden – Art Dilworth Treasurer – Lee Braidwood Clerk of the Vestry – Chuck Lezenby

OUTREACH

It is now time to consider the cold and how difficult it is not to have shoes or a warm coat this time of year! Many men in Camden face this each winter. It is VERY difficult to obtain men’s shoes and clothes for donations. We have found an Episcopalian distribution channel in Camden and they are always looking for men’s clothing and shoes. If you have something that you wish to donate, in good condition, we would be glad to deliver them for you. Please place your items in manageable size bags on our front porch and we will make sure that they get to men who can use them. We are located at: 223 Highland Terrace, Pitman, NJ.

Thanks so much! Carl and Ellie Dunn

The Food Pantry

The Food Pantry always needs tuna, canned fruit and vegetables, macaroni & cheese, peanut butter, jelly and juice. They are also in need of volunteers to help with the Food Pantry on Tuesday evenings to give out food. They are open on even dated Tuesdays each month from 6pm – 7pm.

St. Andrew’s Day Luncheon

The Brotherhood of Saint Andrew is pleased to invite everyone to a celebratory Luncheon following the Sunday 10:00AM service on Sunday, November 22, 2015. Lunch is on us to thank everyone for their support over the last year.

We hope you can join us!

HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT PUTTING OUR

BELOVED PARISH, GOOD SHEPHERD

IN YOUR WILL?

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Minnie Ms. DeStefano Kelly Julie Landwher Florence Jane E. Terry Johnson Ashley Kari Mike Lahey Donna Barton Bill Dilworth Aaliyah Seely McFadden family Seely family Art Dilworth Walter Hickman Amy Elfreth family Don Snyder Clint Lorance Anna Lorance Carole Melissa Benson Bill Brower Dawn Cameron Isabella Steve Alice George Farley Henry Kim Evans & twins Traz Gloria Rubino

Church of the Good Shepherd

Prayers of the People

Prayers for the Church and Clergy

For all Churches in the Diocese of NJ & Ecuador Katherine Jefferts Schori, the Presiding Bishop William “Chip” Stokes, Our Bishop The Rev. Dr. David Snyder, Interim Rector Sister Cass, AF Charles Nakash – Missionary in the Dominican Republic

Prayers for the Nation

Barack Obama, Our President Chris Christie, Our Governor

“For all those who serve and protect us at home”

Prayers for the Sick and in Need

Gordon Ellis II Ruth DeLoreto Barbara Leonardis Heather Alice Swan Antonette Gorman Sandy Mary Jane Merille Ulisny Radd Dilworth Frank Meralinda Stevis Lenny Jim Doris Faith John & Pat Wisniewski Mickey Conover Vincent Jackson Jeremy Williams & family Tod Porter Terri Tara Chase Michael Freda Kristy Waldron Ryan Bubnoski Daniel Moore Regina Sandra Louie Michelle F. Janet L. Jim

Audrey Joe DeMarco Bill Beard Anna Andrew Buck

Prayers for all Military Personnel

* We pray for our enemies and for those with whom we are at war. *

“Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils, which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

MORNING PRAYER

Morning Prayer is on Tuesday &

Wednesday mornings at 9 AM with

Father David Snyder

Peter Larrabee Brian Almondrod Raymond Harris, III Steven Sanders Matt Spangler Lynn Spangler Scott Thomas Glen Tim Dan Hurlbut Zak Bartelt Alex Driscoll Brian Randazzo Buzz Parish Charlie Hiemeril John A. Lukacs Joe Sheridan Hal Wagner Matt Rebecca Jon S. Lehr Keith Tucker Dave McElwain Hugh Robinson Andrew Olsson

Joshua Albright Zachary Guise Scott McPherson Andrew Ten Eyck Matthew Cushinotto Theresa Cushinotto Mike Grzybowski Ted Mike McHugh Tom Devore Bonnie Weis Kane Lawlor Drew Naphy Rhen Brinkerhoff Brian Opel Jonathan Dickson Matt Michael Marta Marcos Bryan Jensen Allistair Edinger Andrew Charles

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Prayers for the Parish Families

For November/December

Haynes families, Higgins family, Hills family, Hudock family, Jackson family, Johnson family, Jones families, Jordan family and Kaltwasser family

From the Parish Register

Baptisms

September 27, 2015 Aubrey Lisa Esfahani

Infant daughter of Michael & Suzanne Esfahani

October 11, 2015 Abigail Clair Foster

Infant daughter of Charles & Elizabeth Foster

October 25, 2015 Amita Nevaeh Smith

Infant daughter of Brian & Megan Smith

“sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked as Christ’s own, forever.” BCP p. 308

OUR PRAY-ERS MINISTRY

Each Sunday during Communion time, our team of Pray-ers offer prayers with our parishioners. We have now expanded this meaningful ministry to our Saturday evening, Holy Eucharist at 5:30pm. After you receive Holy Communion, if you want/need additional prayers, there will be a team of Pray-ers by the Lady Altar who will be willing to offer prayers for you. These prayers can be offered in Joy for a Blessing you have received, or it can be to help ease a burden which lies on your heart. Please take advantage of this wonderful ministry of our parish.

Pray-er Ministry

Anyone interested in being a Pray-er Minister at the Saturday night or Sunday services please contact Cindy Taglienti @ 227-1566 or cindytaglienti@comcast.net.

ALL SOULS’ DAY

We will be remembering those special

people who were a part of our lives and now

live with the Lord, on Monday, November 2nd

at 7pm. As usual we will be reading the

names of the Faithful Departed during the

Service that evening.

Prayer Shawl/

Caring Hands Ministry

Every so often we get a request for a Prayer Shawl to be given to someone in need. Sometimes it is during an illness, sometimes during grieving periods after the loss of a loved one. The Shawls are crochet or knitted by the women in this ministry. Every other Tuesday morning you will find our Caring Hands Group knitting/crocheting the shawls in our Conference room. They are made with prayer for those who will receive them. I can’t begin to tell you of the peace and comfort these shawls have brought to so many people. They need not be members of our parish. Need is spread everywhere. If you know of a need, just ask Pat Braidwood.

Holly Fair

Holly Fair is fast approaching...mark your calendars for Saturday, December 5th! This is a wonderful annual celebration of fellowship, fantastic homemade food, crafters, kids’ activities, bargains and so much more! It is a great event to bring the whole family and enjoy the day. Volunteer signup sheets are in the Parish Hall and we need your help! We are starting to collect items for the “Dollar Store”, "More Than a Dollar Store" and the "Christmas Store", so if you have any gently used items that fall into these categories... please consider donating them! You can drop them off in the Middle School classroom downstairs on the back tables. If you have any questions, please call Jenniffer and Rich Harrington at 856-383-0823.

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What’s Happening In November

Oct . 31 & Nov. 1 – ALL SAINTS DAY Saturday, 5:30 PM Holy Eucharist 6 – 8 PM Halloween Open House in Courtyard Sunday, 10 AM Holy Eucharist 10 AM Sunday School Children’s Choir Practice 11:30 AM Inquirers’ Group Christmas Pageant Sign-ups

Nov. 2 – 7 PM All Souls Day Service

All Tuesdays & Wednesdays 9 AM Morning Prayer

Nov. 3 – No Bible Study

Nov. 4 – 7 PM Brotherhood of St. Andrew

All Thursdays 6:30 PM Bell Choir 7:15 PM Choir Practice

Nov. 7 & 8 – PENTECOST 24 Saturday, 5:30 PM Holy Eucharist Sunday, 9 AM Parish Breakfast 10 AM Holy Eucharist 10 AM Sunday School Children’s Choir Practice Pageant Practice 11:30 AM Vestry Meeting

Nov. 9 – 7 PM Women at the Well - ECW

All Tuesdays – 7 PM Bible Study

Nov. 10 – 9:30 AM Caring Hands

Nov. 14 & 15 – PENTECOST 25 Saturday, 9 AM Fall Clean-up Day – rain date 11/21 9 AM Altar Guild Clean-up Day 5:30 PM Holy Eucharist Sunday, 10 AM Holy Eucharist 10 AM Sunday School Children’s Choir Practice Pageant Practice 2 PM Woodbury Dist. ECW Mtg. @ TBA

Nov. 18 – 6:30 – 8 PM Good Shepherd Quilters

Nov. 21 & 22 – PENTECOST 17 Saturday, 9 AM Altar Guild Meeting 5:30 PM Holy Eucharist Sunday, 10 AM Holy Eucharist 10 AM Sunday School Children’s Choir Practice

Pageant Practice 11:30 AM Page Turners 11:30 Jr. Youth Group St. Andrew’s Day Luncheon

Nov. 24 – 9:30 AM Caring Hands 7 PM Community Thanksgiving Service @ Mary Mother of Mercy Parish in Pitman

Nov. 26 - Thanksgiving

Nov. 28 & 29 – ADVENT 1 Saturday, 5:30 PM Holy Eucharist Sunday, 10 AM Holy Eucharist No Sunday School Children’s Choir Practice Pageant Practice

November Birthdays

01 – Barbara Ann Elliott

05 – Gene Elliott

05 – Kristine Powell

08 – Christine Smith

08 – Ella Muriel McNally

09 – Layla Shull

10 – Vito Chimenti

10 – Katherine Kaltwasser

11 – Greta Daczkowski

12 – Michael Ayers

13 – Len Clark

13 – William Clark

17 – Gina Poitras

18 – Gail Morton

19 – Marin Clark

19 – Maria Szalma

19 – Corrine Sobolewski

20 – Robert Chimenti

21 – Thomas Nicolle

21 – Joe Taglienti

22 – Alicia Fortney

28 - Abigail Smith

29 – Len Carita

29 – Alexander Manganello

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What’s Happening In December

Dec. 1 – 4 - Holly Fair Set-up

All Tuesdays – 7 PM Bible Study

All Tuesdays & Wednesdays - 9 AM Morning Prayer

Dec. 2 – 7 PM Brotherhood of St. Andrew

All Thursdays - 6:30 PM Bell Choir 7:15 PM Choir Practice

Dec. 5 & 6 – ADVENT 2 Saturday, 9 AM – 4 PM Holly Fair 5:30 PM Holy Eucharist Sunday, - 10 AM Holy Eucharist 10 AM Sunday School - Fellowship Children’s Choir Practice Pageant Practice 11:30 AM Vestry Meeting 11:30 AM – Inquirers’ Group

Dec. 8 – 9:30 AM Caring Hands

Dec. 12 & 13 – ADVENT 3 Saturday, 10 AM Dress Rehearsal 5:30 PM Holy Eucharist Sunday, 10 AM Holy Eucharist 10 AM Sunday School Children’s Choir Practice Luncheon 12:30 PM Christmas Pageant

Dec. 14 – 7 PM Women at the Well – ECW

Dec. 19 & 20 – ADVENT 4 Saturday, 10 AM Confirmation Rehearsal 5:30 PM Holy Eucharist Sunday, 10 AM Holy Eucharist Bishop Stokes Visitation/Confirmation No Sunday School Children’s Choir Practice

Dec. 22 – No Bible Study

Dec. 24 – CHRISTMAS EVE 7 PM & 10 PM Holy Eucharist

Dec. 25 – CHRISTMAS 10 AM Holy Eucharist

Dec. 26 & 27 – CHRISTMAS 1 Saturday, 5:30 PM Holy Eucharist Sunday, 10 AM Holy Eucharist No Sunday School

Children’s Choir Practice 11:30 AM Jr. Youth Group

Dec. 29 – No Bible Study

December Birthdays

02 – Janice Engstrom

02 – Bob Morton

03 – Kira Brinkerhoff

04 – Krissy Lundahl

04 – Bryan Smith

05 – Sean Hills

05 – Jacob McHugh

07 – Harvey Corbett

08 – Brian Opel

09 – Lyric Chimenti

10 – Morgan Masciangelo

12 – Kristin Braidwood

14 – Liz Grantham

14 – Jennifer Harrington

14 – Shelly Harris

14 – Lisa Perini

14 – Allison Vadino

16 – Lori DeVore

18 – Gabriel Handley

19 – Allison Higgins

19 – Jessica Higgins

20 - Dennis Richardson

22 – Brian Startare

25 - Jesus Christ

27 - Lauren Bradley

27 – Jackie McFadden

28 – Robert Perini

29 – Louise Clark

30 – Lauren Southwick

31 – Ryan Braidwood

31 – Amy DeVore

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Page Turners’ Book Group

Nov. 22: ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doer Dec: NO MEETING. Jan. 17: PEACE LIKE A RIVER by Lief Enger Feb. 21: SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME by Ron Hall March 20: INSIDE THE O'BRIANS by Lisa Genova April 17: WE ARE WATER by Wally Lamb May 22: WHEN THINGS FALL APART by Pema Chodron June 19: A SPOOL OF BLUE THREAD by Ann Tyler July 17: PIGS IN HEAVEN by Barbara Kingsolver August 21: THESE IN MY WORDS by Nancy E Turner

The Page Turners meet once a month, immediately following the 10am Holy Eucharist, in the Conference Room. Please come and join us for some very interesting discussion and sharing.

Please come and join us for interesting exchange of ideas.

CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE

December 24th - Christmas Eve

7pm – Our Family Eucharist celebrating the

Birth of our Lord, Jesus

10pm – Festival Eucharist with special music

December 25th - Christmas Day

10am – Holy Eucharist with Carols

December 26 & 27 – 1st Sunday after

Christmas Day

Saturday, 5:30pm – Holy Eucharist

Sunday, 10am – Holy Eucharist

No Sunday School

January 1st – The Holy Name of Jesus

10am – Holy Eucharist

Mark Your Calendar Now!!!

The 2015 Christmas Pageant is coming!!!

It is possible we will have a new rector – Let’s make an impression with participation!!!

All preschool and school age children are invited to participate!

November 1 - Pageant sign ups Children sign up Roles are assigned based on age and interest Parents sign up “Pageant Parents” help with in-classroom practices “Non-Parents” sign up “Pageant Friends” work with the children dur- ing “in-Church” rehearsals, dress rehearsals and pageant so parents and grandparents can enjoy the show!!

November 8 & 15 & 22 (Sundays) In classroom practices following service (lasts about 15 mins)

November 29 & December 6 (Sundays) (lasts about 45 mins) In church practices following service

Saturday December 12 at 10 AM (lasts 1+ hour) Dress rehearsal

December 13 (Sunday) Pageant begins at 12:30 (after service and lunch served in parish hall)

Fall Clean-up Day

We need your help with our

Annual Fall Clean-up Day

on November 14th at 9AM

(Rain Date: November 21st)

Please bring gloves, leaf blowers &

rakes if you have them.

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12TH ANNUAL STOCKINGS FOR SOLDIERS

Please Help Send Some Holiday Cheer

to Our Troops.

Shelly Harris has put a large collection box in the back of the

church. This will run until November 15th.

Our brave Troops in Afghanistan would love to receive

stockings for the holidays.

Our project sent over 10,000 last year. We want to continue to

let them know we are thinking of them while they are away

from home and their families. We need your help to fill them up

with Holiday Cheer and Goodies that remind them of home.

Our goal for 2015 is to send over 10,000 individual

Stockings and we need the following items for each

personalized package:

Suggested Donation Items (Bolded items are most in demand)

Small Candy - Mini-candy bars (send your favorite)

Christmas/Halloween candy

•Granola/Fruit/Breakfast Bars

•Cookies/Nuts/Pretzels/Trail Mix - Less than 12 oz size

•Flavored drink mixes (Single Packets)

Lemonade, teas, hot cocoa, coffee

•Chewing gum

•Toothbrushes

•Socks (Black, Brown, White Crew Socks)

•ChapStick & Lip balms

•Razors (individual or packs)

•Fruit roll-ups/gushers/Cracker Jacks

•Slim Jims/Beef Jerky

•Ramen Noodle Soup - Single packs preferred

•Hand/Foot Warmers

•Small Individually Packages Meals

Tuna/Lasagna/Beefaroni/Fruit.

Smaller package (8 oz or less) preferred

•Tooth paste, foot powder, sun block

•Baby Wipes-Unscented

•Pocket games & puzzles

•Crossword, Sudoku

Notes: Smaller, individual sized packaging is preferred to fit into

individually packed stockings. We accept all sized packages/containers as

donations, larger items are sent to units for snacking.

No soap products please, they spoil other items in shipping if mixed in with other donations!!!

•Holiday Greeting Cards!!! - Send a Personal Holiday

Messages of Support & Friendship (Include return address or

email, you might hear back from the soldier)

•$$$ Financial Donations to Help with the Costs $$$ (Help cover postage and shipping costs - $2.00/donated bag of Goodies

suggested)

501.c.3 Tax ID # 27-0604668

Mailing Address: 1911 Foulk Road, Wilmington, DE 19810

See www.StockingsForSoldiers.org or E-mail Judy Travis at

Jamt1@aol.com for more info.

“Sending Stockings Filled With Joy To Our Soldiers In Harm’s Way.”

Christmas Poinsettias & Greens

The beauty of the Church of the Good Shepherd at Christmas is made possible through the participation of many parishioners. While no specific amount is required for a memorial or thank offering, generous gifts will permit us to put flowers on the altar on Sundays during the year when there are no memorials. Please use this form to indicate your wishes as to how your memorial/thank offering is to be listed and return it to the parish office or put it in the offering plate as soon as possible. We would like to be able to prepare the insert in advance. The absolute deadline for inclusion of the names in the Christmas bulletin is Monday, December 14th.

____________________________________

2015 Christmas Poinsettias & Greens

In Memory of _________________________

In Memory of _________________________

In Memory of _________________________

In Memory of _________________________

In Memory of _________________________

In Memory of _________________________

In Thanksgiving for _____________________

In Thanksgiving for _____________________

In Thanksgiving for _____________________

Enclosed is a check made out to The Church

of the Good Shepherd and noted “Flower

Fund” for $___________________.

Given by (Your Name) ___________________

________________________________________

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Nominations for the Annual Meeting Elections

According to the By-Laws of the Parish of the Good Shepherd, the Nominating Committee is to be made up of the out-going members of the Vestry.

After deliberation and the contacting of possible candidates, the Committee will draw up an initial list of persons in the parish who are willing and qualified to serve; and to have their names put forth to be elected as members of Good Shepherd’s Vestry.

The Canon Law of the Episcopal Church requires that the election be open to all who are qualified. Qualifications are as follows:

1) They must be a Communicant of the Church of the Good Shepherd in good standing.

2) They must attend Church Worship regularly and faithfully.

3) They must regularly give to the financial support of the Church.

4) They must be committed to the Doctrine, Discipline and Worship of the Episcopal Church.

It is also expected that any candidate will have the ability and intention to attend all of the regularly scheduled monthly Vestry meetings and also participate in Parish functions and events.

All nominations should be addressed to any member of the Nominating Committee. December 20, 2015 is the deadline. If no additional names for candidates are received by that date, the initial slate of the Nominating Committee will be presented to the Annual Meeting, uncontested. If you have any questions, please speak to any member of the Committee. The Committee members are: Patti Fortney, Sue Dixon and Ellie Dunn.

Treasurer's Blog - November 2015 Results through September 2015

Total Income:

Here is a breakdown of our total income for nine months of 2015:

Budget Actual

Loose Plate 1,000 1,591 Envelopes 140,000 146,100

Special 5,400 5,175

Other 0 150

Income 146,400 153,016

Total expenses:

Here is a recap of our total expenses for nine months of 2015:

Budget Actual

Expenses 129,548 135,767

Our income through September has caught up to and passed our estimate for the nine months due to the new spring stewardship campaign and for all of you who kept your pledges current. The financial team is appreciative of your support during a process that is attempting to revise our approach to traditional stewardship giving. For those of you who chose to participate in the fall stewardship campaign, thank you for your support. If you haven’t turned in your pledge card for 2016, I encourage you to do so soon as we are now budgeting for 2016 and our new rector that will be joining us. Our expenses are a bit higher than our estimates, but this is mainly due to our asking Fr. Dave to spend more time doing ministry for our parish. We still have a significant surplus working as we had planned. Please look for the special envelopes in the box of your pledge envelopes and include something in them no matter how small or large in addition to your normal contributions. All of those “extras” add up during the course of the year to help us meet our expenses. Thank you for all of your support.

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Update from the Good Shepherd Discernment Committee:

The Discernment Committee kept up the pace in September and accomplished tremendous progress. We sent teams of three committee members out to visit each of the candidates in their home parish setting. The teams discretely observed a Sunday worship service. They also shared a relaxed meal in conversation with the candidates and their families. The teams returned and reported in detail about their experiences to the entire committee. We then gathered and together made the last big steps in our discernment.

At the end of September, the Discernment Committee met with the Vestry to deliver the Presentation of Candidates. These are the candidates that the Discernment Committee, all sixteen of us to a person, would be confident to call as our next rector. For this presentation we pulled together and presented to the Vestry all of our materials about these final candidates: this included the paperwork that we received from Canon Alvarez at the start, transcripts from our interviews, reports from the tour and dinner teams, reports from the traveling teams, references, and our observations and feelings that support our recommendations.

This is a major transition in our journey to welcome a new rector to Good Shepherd. During October, the Vestry will meet and interview these final candidates and get to know them and their families. The Vestry, guided by the Holy Spirit, will complete the discernment process and call the next Rector of Good Shepherd. The Discernment Committee will remain engaged in a consulting role to support the Vestry in whatever way they need.

We are deeply grateful for the prayers and the respect for confidentiality that our entire congregation has provided through this process. It has been wonderful for us. We now wish to modify these two very important requests to include the Vestry: first that you hold the Vestry and these candidates and their families in your prayers, and second that you all continue to be vigilant in supporting both the Vestry and the Discernment Committee with regard to confidentiality. This has been, and will continue to be, very important for the health of our beautiful parish. We, the Discernment Committee, are honored with the trust you all have given us. We feel the Holy Spirit

with us … and we are very excited about the next Rector of Good Shepherd!

Mark Nicolle, Chairman Roger Bake, Aimee Burgin, Pat Braidwood, Len Clark, Becky Goff, Stuart Lynd, Elizabeth Nelson, Deb Prieto, Chelsea Richmond, Tom Rigg, Chris Southwick, Jeff Snodgrass, Wayne Szalma, Diane Wall, Jim Wynkoop

Family Promise of Gloucester County invites you to attend our 8th Annual Taste of South Jersey on November 16th from 5:30-8:30 at Adelphia Restaurant, Deptford NJ. Come and enjoy an evening of fun and fine dining featuring a host of culinary delights prepared by some of the finest chefs in South Jersey.

During this year's event, we will honor the coordinators of our host and support congregations for their hard work and dedication to the mission of Family Promise of Gloucester County. They are the backbone of our organization and have provided countless hours of volunteer time to serve our homeless families. Please join us as we give them the recognition they deserve.

Tickets can be purchased online now for $40.00: http://familypromise.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=709

Tables can be reserved with a minimum of 8 purchased tickets and by contacting Barbara Power - barbara.power10@gmail.com.

Thank you to Larry Liebman, Senior Investment Consultant for Morgan Stanley, and Adelphia Restaurant for sponsoring the event.

Thank you,

Board of Trustees and the TOSJ 2015 Committee

12

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

November 2015

1 All Saints’ Day 10 AM Holy Eucharist

10 AM Sunday School

Children’s Choir Practice

11:30 AM Inquirers’ Group

Pageant Sign-ups

2 All Souls’ Day 7 PM Holy Eucharist

3 No Bible Study

4 7 PM Brotherhood of St. Andrew

5 6:30 PM Bell Choir 7:15 PM Choir Practice

6

7 5:30 PM Holy Eucharist

8 Pentecost 24 9 AM Parish Breakfast

10 AM Holy Eucharist

10 AM Sunday School

Children’s Choir Practice

Pageant Practice

11:30 AM Vestry Meeting

9 7 PM Women at the Well - ECW

10 9 AM Morning Prayer 9:30 AM Caring Hands 7 PM Bible Study

11 9 AM Morning Prayer

12 6:30 PM Bell Choir 7:15 PM Choir Practice

13

14 9 AM Fall Clean-up Day Rain date 11/21 9 AM Altar Guild Fall Clean-up Day 5:30 PM Holy Eucharist

15 Pentecost 25 10 AM Holy Eucharist

10 AM Sunday School

Children’s Choir Practice

Pageant Practice

2 PM Woodbury Dist. ECW Mtg. @ TBA

16

17 9 AM Morning Prayer 7 PM Bible Study

18 9 AM Morning Prayer 6:30 – 8 PM Good Shepherd Quilters

19 6:30 PM Bell Choir 7:15 PM Choir Practice

20

21 9 AM Altar Guild Meeting 5:30 PM Holy Eucharist

22 Last Sunday after Pentecost

10 AM Holy Eucharist

10 AM Sunday School

Children’s Choir Practice

Pageant Practice

11:30 AM Page Turners

11:30 AM Jr. Youth Group

St. Andrew’s Day Luncheon

23

24 9 AM Morning Prayer 9:30 AM Caring Hands 7 PM Bible Study 7 PM Community

Thanksgiving Service @ Mary Mother of Mercy Parish - Pitman

25 9 AM Morning Prayer

26 Thanksgiving Parish Office closed

27

28 5:30 PM Holy Eucharist

29 Advent 1

10 AM Holy Eucharist

No Sunday School

Children’s Choir Practice

Pageant Practice

30

13

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

December 2015

1 9 AM Morning Prayer 7 PM Bible Study Holly Fair Set-up

2 7 PM Brotherhood of St. Andrew

3 6:30 PM Bell Choir 7:15 PM Choir Practice

4

5 9 AM – 4 PM Holly Fair 5:30 PM Holy Eucharist

6 Advent 2 10 AM Holy Eucharist

10 AM Sunday School

Children’s Choir Practice

Pageant Practice

11:30 AM Inquirers’ Group

11:30 AM Vestry Meeting

7

8 9 AM Morning Prayer 9:30 AM Caring Hands 7 PM Bible Study

9 9 AM Morning Prayer

10 6:30 PM Bell Choir 7:15 PM Choir Practice

11

12 Dress Rehearsal 5:30 PM Holy Eucharist

13 Advent 3

10 AM Holy Eucharist

10 AM Sunday School

Children’s Choir Practice

Luncheon

12:30 PM Christmas Pageant

14 7 PM Women at the Well - ECW

15 9 AM Morning Prayer 7 PM Bible Study

Crook Info Due

16 9 AM Morning Prayer

17 6:30 PM Bell Choir 7:15 PM Choir Practice

18

19 10AM Confirmation Rehearsal

5:30 PM Holy Eucharist

20 Advent 4

10 AM Holy Eucharist

Bishop Stokes Visitation/Confirmation No Sunday School

Children’s Choir Practice

21

22 9 AM Morning Prayer No Bible Study

23 9 AM Morning Prayer

24 Christmas Eve

7 & 10PM Holy Eucharist

25 Christmas 10 AM Holy Eucharist

26 5:30 PM Holy Eucharist

27 Christmas 1

10 AM Holy Eucharist

No Sunday School

Children’s Choir Practice

11:30 AM Jr. Youth Group

28

29 9 AM Morning Prayer No Bible Study

30 9 AM Morning Prayer

31 New Year’s Eve

14

The Shepherd’s Crook

Church of The Good Shepherd

Pitman, NJ

November/December 2015

Church of the Good Shepherd 315 Highland Terrace Pitman, NJ 08071

Telephone – 856-589-8209 E-mail – goodshepherdpitman@gmail.com

www.goodshepherdpitman.org