As We Gather
Long before Jesus’ death and resurrection, God made clear to His people that death would not have the last word. As Ezekiel was inspired to write of the dry bones of death having life breathed into them, it would foreshadow the future for God’s people through the One who conquered death and grave once for all. In a world of death and decay, we are sustained in our journey now until the resurrection of all flesh through Jesus Christ, our life-giving Lord and Savior.
Holy Communion
The Lord’s Supper is celebrated today with the confession that we receive the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, in, with and under (a way of saying that Christ is fully present in) the bread and wine. Christ's presence gives us the assurance that our sins are forgiven and to nourish our faith. This is a solemn celebration, “For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves” (1Corinthians 11:29). The Lord’s Supper is meant for our good, not to our judgment. But, before presenting yourself ask these questions:
1. Am I sorry for my sins and need forgiveness?
2. Did Christ die and rise to forgive my sins?
3. Am I receiving the very body and blood of Christ Jesus?
If your answers are yes, you are welcome. If you are not a member of a LCMS church, or have further questions about The Lord’s Supper, please speak with the pastor.
Stewardship
Romans 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
This is the joy of the Gospel. There is no condemnation for us before the throne of God, because in His love He has provided salvation for us in Christ. We have been set free. We are His children once again, and coheirs with Christ of all the blessings of heaven. If this does not make us thankful, nothing will.
Lutherans For Life
“Only God could call death a nap. Only God could do something about Jairus’s daughter. Only God can give you life after death. Soon, soon you will personally witness the Son of God’s unlimited power over death as He forces graves all over the world to yield the bodies in them.” Pastor Mark Jeske, Time of Grace – A Life Quote from Lutherans For Life • www.lutheransforlife.org
Altar Flowers
The Altar Flower Chart is posted on the bulletin board in the Narthex by the drinking fountains. Check chart for donation opportunities and availability.
Children Sunday School
This week in Sunday School, we learn about Jesus teaching the Pharisee Nicodemus under the cover of night. Since the fall into sin, all are born spiritually blind, sinful, and unclean. We are like Nicodemus and cannot see our sin or understand who Jesus truly is for us. As children of God, born of water and the Spirit, we can see our sinfulness and the salvation that is ours in Jesus Christ. Discuss with your children, "How did Baptism change you? What does Baptism do?"
Kenwood Elementary Donates
Kenwood School is currently in need of donations of pants and shorts for students who may require a change of clothes during the school day. Gently used items are welcome, including sweatpants, leggings, jeans, pajama bottoms, athletic shorts, and similar styles. Elastic waistbands are especially helpful, and well worn pants are perfectly acceptable. Needed sizes range from children’s sizes 5 through 14, as well as adult size Small. For more information contact Rachel.Bollinger@okaloosaschools.com.
Youth Group
Lent Meals
The Youth Board is sponsoring meals prior to Wednesday services during the Lenten Season. Dinner is served from 5:30 until 6:15 PM. Tasty desserts provided by the Board of Fellowship.
Passion Movies
Over the years Hollywood has made a number of films about the life of Jesus; King of Kings (1961), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), Jesus of Nazareth (1977), The Robe (1953), The Passion of the Christ (2004), and Son of God (2014). Each film brings a different perspective to the biblical story. Fridays in Lent @ 6:30 PM we are watching one of these films to evaluate their depiction of Jesus with the Jesus of Scripture.
Easter Egg Hunt
The Tradition of Easter Eggs: Second-century Christian missionaries encountered people in the North with pagan celebrations and evangelized to them using the symbols familiar to that culture. Christianity changed the pagan symbolism of the egg (nature’s rebirth) and linked it to the empty tomb – to Christ’s Resurrection and His victory over death. Lore that has developed around the decoration of Easter Eggs includes a tale about the mother of Jesus at the foot of the cross and Mary Magdalen’s visit to Jesus's tomb. Mary is said to have given eggs to the soldiers at the cross so that they would be less cruel. Her tears fell upon the eggs, spotting them with dots of brilliant color.
Another tale explains that when Mary Magdalen went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus, she had with her a basket of eggs. Upon arriving at the tomb she discovered the eggs had taken on a rainbow of colors.
These stories are not biblical but are useful examples of how Christians in the past took advantage of secular symbols to share the Gospel with the world around them. The prize found in today’s Easter Eggs can be an opening to describe the prize won for us through Christ’s work.
Wednesdays in Lent
Lent Meals Wednesdays @ 5:30 PM
Lent Worship Wednesdays @ 6:30 PM
Palm Sunday, 29 March @ 8:00 & 10:45 AM
Maundy Thursday, 2 April @ 6:30 PM
Good Friday, 3 April @ 6:30 PM
Easter Sunday, 5 April
Worship
@ 8:00 AM & 10:45 AM - Sanctuary
Puppet Show
@ 9:30 AM – Fellowship Hall
Pancake Breakfast
@ 7:00 – 11:00 AM – Fellowship Hall
Easter Marionettes Puppets
Join us in upholding our long-running tradition of sharing the Easter story through captivating marionette performances on Resurrection Sunday. The quality of our show shines through the dedication invested in our rehearsals. We're seeking enthusiastic youth and adults to operate the puppets. Your participation will make all the difference!
Curtis.
Palm Sunday Palm Harvest
Harvesting Palms for Palm Sunday on the Saturday before Palm Sunday. We select the palms from those found out on the church's trail. Along with cutting the palms, we also wash and prepare the palms for use in the worship service.
Easter Lilies
We are adorning our sanctuary for Easter with Easter Lilies. For those who wish to purchase an Easter Lily to help beautify our sanctuary, the cost is $10 per plant. Place your cash/check in an envelope and write LILIES on the envelope along with your name and envelope number, and place in the offering plate. You may take your plant home after the late service on Easter Sunday, or the following Sunday.
Easter Marionettes
This Easter, we are retelling Mark’s account of the resurrection using string puppets. Each of the Gospel writers highlights different details in their testimony about Jesus. In Gospel of Mark, there is a strong emphasis on rejection, suffering, and the cross. The disciples are portrayed as confused, afraid, and slow to understand. Even so, the focus remains on Christ Jesus and on what God has accomplished for us through him.
Legacy Deo
Only 10% of Americans have a valid estate plan by the time they reach age 55. Creating one, in the form of a will or living trust, is an important step toward ensuring a strong financial future. Legacy Deo, our trusted partner, works with attorneys and can help Good Shepherd families with the charitable aspects of their estate plan. They have tools that help you prepare for that first meeting with your attorney. Give them a call at 1-800-880-3733 or visit www.legacydeo to learn how they can help with the process of creating your estate plan.
Mite Boxes
Mite Boxes. Based on the Biblical account of the widow's mite (Luke 21:1-4), the Mite Box is intended for regular contributions of "mites" - offerings above and beyond the support given to congregations. Mite Box contributions amount to millions of dollars that fund district and national mission grants and implement the LWML ministry. The first Sunday of the month is when we receive your collected mites in the LWML Mite Box
Smokes and Jokes, a Christian Fellowship
Enjoy an evening of conversation and light refreshments as we relax together, share stories, and encourage one another in faith and friendship. Feel free to bring a snack or a joke to share, and come ready for a warm, casual time among friends. If you’d like to join, please contact Pastor Klemme directly for date, time, and location.
Easter Sunday 5 April
Worship @ 8:00 AM & 10:45 AM - Sanctuary
Puppet Show @ 9:30 AM – Fellowship Hall
Pancake Breakfast @ 7:00 – 11:00 AM – Fellowship Hall
Board Of Outreach Meeting
Philemon 4-6. The Board of Outreach has a two fold mission: To Communicate the Gospel of Christ through the members of our congregation and in the endeavor to identify the congregation with the Gospel in the local community. Meets with Pastor Klemme in the Cafe.
Properties Board Meeting
For the maintenance and repair of the congregation’s facilities; to enable the congregation and its members to carry out our Christ centered ministries. Meets in the Library. For more information contact Jeff Adams
Board of Elders Meeting
Meeting with the Called Ministers and the Board of Elders to discuss, plan, and implement strategies to carry out corporate worship, and addressing the spiritual health of the congregation.
For more information contact Joe Staton
American Heritage Girls Troop 1517
Building women of integrity through service to God, family, community and country.
American Heritage Girls is a Christ-centered scouting ministry for girls ages 5-18. AHG offers badge programs, service projects, girl leadership opportunities, and outdoor experiences to its members.
The troop meets on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month.
The AHG Oath: “I promise to love God, cherish my family, honor my country, and serve in my community.
For more information contact Adrienne Cook.
Council Meeting
Let us do everything with love. The Church Council is a gathering of elected advisers who serve and guide the ministries of the congregation toward our given mission. (Matthew 28:19-20). We meet in the library.
Benevolence
Your life is significant and important to God who made you and redeem you in Jesus Christ. He also put you here on this earth in the here and now for a purpose. He has given you an important job - to be a channel through which His love flows out to others. Please consider contributing to our benevolence fund. (Online to donate: https://www.shalimar.church/human-care)
Concert Series
The first in the 2026 concert series "Sheep May Safely Graze" featuring classical music groups. A community event to reach out and draw people in. For more information contact David Ott
Sharing and Caring
A ministry supported by our congregation through donations of non-perishable food items, placed in the collection basket in the inner Narthex. Sharing and Caring serves individuals and families in need by providing food, clothing, and emergency assistance. It brings hope, encouragement, and practical support to those experiencing hardship or crisis.
Car Show
The Board of Outreach is excited to announce an upcoming Car Show and invites you to help make it a success. This event will bring our community together, connect with new families and neighbors, and create meaningful outreach opportunities. We are forming a volunteer team to plan and carry out the event, with roles in organizing, hospitality, marketing, registration, and logistics. Contact Pastor Eric or Jennifer.
Commemoration of Patrick, Missionary to Ireland
The Church honor's saints for showing us how living out faith can be done.
Patrick is one of the best-known of the missionary saints. Born to a Christian family in Britain around the year 389, he was captured as a teenager by raiders, taken to Ireland, and forced to serve as a herdsman. After six years he escaped and found his way to a monastery community in France. Ordained a bishop in 432, he made his way back to Ireland, where he spent the rest of his long life spreading the Gospel and organizing Christian communities. He strongly defended the doctrine of the Holy Trinity in a time when it was not popular to do so. His literary legacy includes his autobiography, Confessio, and several prayers and hymns still used in the church today. Patrick died around the year 466.
Source: LCMS Calendar of Commemorations.
Festival of St. Joseph, Guardian of Jesus
The Church honor's saints for showing us how living out faith can be done.
It was King David’s idea to build a permanent house for the ark of the covenant and the Lord’s name (2Samuel 7:5-7). The temple he planned was built by King Solomon, but it was never really David or Solomon who housed and protected God. “The Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house” (2Samuel 7:11). St. Joseph was not Jesus’ true father, since the child “conceived in [Mary] is from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:20). The Church commemorates him instead as the “guardian of Jesus.” Heeding the word of God’s angels, protecting the unborn Christ, sparing the infant Jesus from Herod’s wrath, seeing Him “out of Egypt” again (Matthew 2:13-23), and bringing Him up “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4), Joseph is an example for all Christian fathers and guardians. But as with David “housing” the Lord who made a house for him, Joseph was never really the guardian. Christ was. His name is “Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). The “offspring” promised to Abraham and renewed in the promises to David is the One “who gives life to the dead” (Romans 4:16-18). He is David’s King, Abraham’s Lord, Joseph’s Guardian and our Savior.
Annunciation of our Lord
Incarnate by the Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary and Made Man
“It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). But “nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). He opens ears to hear and wombs to conceive. “Let it be to me according to your word,” says St. Mary (Luke 1:38). The Most High who once dwelt in the tabernacle comes to overshadow Mary, who believes the angel’s “annunciation” (Luke 1:35). “The virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). In Jesus Christ, God is with us — even from the moment of His conception. This miracle, that Mary should become the mother of God, will be a sign against the proud in Israel; it is the fulfillment of the prophecies of Isaiah and David. “I delight to do your will, O my God,” says Christ (Psalms 40:8). From Mary’s flesh, the Most High has prepared a body for His Son (Hebrews 10:5), a body to be offered “once for all” as the sacrifice that alone takes away sins and gives a righteousness apart from the Law (Hebrews 10:10). Through His conception, life and death, we have been sanctified. God favors us in this child. And like the blessed Virgin Mary, blessed “are those who hear the word of God and keep it” (Luke 11:28).