Verbal Announcements
All Saints Day
1 Nov 2026
Reformation
25 Oct 2026
21th Sunday After Pentecost
18 Oct 2026
20th Sunday After Pentecost
11 Oct 2026
19th Sunday After Pentecost
4 Oct 2026
18th Sunday After Pentecost
27 Sep 2026
17th Sunday After Pentecost
20 Sep 2026
16th Sunday After Pentecost
13 Sep 2026
15th Sunday After Pentecost
6 Sep 2026
14th Sunday After Pentecost
30 Aug 2026
13th Sunday After Pentecost
23 Aug 2026
12th Sunday After Pentecost
16 Aug 2026
11th Sunday After Pentecost
9 Aug 2026
10th Sunday After Pentecost
2 Aug 2026
9th Sunday After Pentecost
26 Jul 2026
8th Sunday after Pentecost
19 Jul 2026
7th Sunday after Pentecost
12 Jul 2026
6th Sunday after Pentecost
5 Jul 2026
5th Sunday after Pentecost
28 Jun 2026
4th Sunday after Pentecost
21 Jun 2026
3rd Sunday After Pentecost
14 Jun 2026
2nd Sunday after Pentecost
7 Jun 2026
Trinity Sunday
31 May 2026
Pentecost
24 May 2026
As We Gather
We hear today the extremely encouraging words from the apostle Paul concerning our everlasting life. Paul tells us, “We will always be with the Lord.” What comforting words! What encouraging words! You have the assurance that when Jesus returns, you will spend everlasting life in His gracious presence.
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
Faith is what makes a person wise. Here, Christ is talking about holding a faith that is continually sustained by the Holy Spirit and thus able to endure. Our actions flow from our beliefs. What do your actions in the realm of stewardship say about what you believe?
Lutherans For Life
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
Legacy Giving
Our Legacy Giving account is designed to build a lasting financial resource for the future ministry of Good Shepherd. Gifts are invested with the goal of preserving and growing principal while generating supplemental income to support ministry for years to come. For a limited time, a generous donor will match contributions to Legacy Giving dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000—doubling the impact of your gift and helping build a lasting legacy for future ministry.
Youth Group
Nurturing discipleship by building a community focused on the Word of God with food, studies, service, games, crafts, and cultural commentary. For more information contact Family Life Minister Curtis
Hand Bells
We are ringing again! Bell ringers are rehearsing for future Worship Services. The purposes of Music in worship is to give thanks to God and to rejoice/respond in what God has done. Our song joins with the song of every saint from every age, the new song of Christ’s holy people, declaring: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”
Jennifer Klemme
Benevolence
Thanksgiving Dinner Food Drive
We are collecting canned goods and non-perishable food items for families that we are adopting for Thanksgiving by providing them a Thanksgiving Day meal in celebration of the gifts God has given us.
Items we are collecting:
• Canned Vegetables (Corn, Green Beans, Yams)
• Mashed potatoes
• Gravy (packets, jar, canned)
• Stuffing (boxed, bag)
• Cranberry Sauce
• Turkeys.
We are expecting to also have items from the Crop Drop (Potatoes, Corn, Peppers, etc.) to supplement what we are providing families.
If you don’t want to shop, we will monetary contributions and shop for you..
Jean
Choir
We are called to raise our voices in praise to God! Now is a great time to join the Good Shepherd Choir. Whether you're an experienced singer or simply enjoy making a joyful noise, we'd love to have you. Martin Luther would want you in the choir. He really would! Join us for our weekly rehearsals as we prepare music to lead our congregation in worship.
For more information contact Jennifer Klemme.
American Heritage Girls Troop 1517
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).
Car Show
Mark your calendar for Cruising with the King Car Show returning to Good Shepherd! Following our first show this past April, we’re looking forward to another opportunity to welcome car enthusiasts, families, and neighbors from throughout the community. Come check out the cars, enjoy the fellowship, and help us extend a warm welcome to our guests.
For more information contact Pastor Klemme.
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.
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.
Thanksgiving Eve Worship
We Praise God for Sustaining Life in and through His Word
The nation resounds with thanksgiving for the earth’s bountiful harvest, crops of wheat and grains, all beneath the canopy of God’s almighty care. But “man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:1-10). The Church is the vessel through which the Word of God penetrates the world with its Law and Gospel. It is this divine Word that proclaims Jesus as the sole source of life, health and wholeness. It is Jesus who heals lepers with His Word: “Go show yourselves to the priests” (Luke 17:11-19). Of the 10 cleansed, only one expresses thanksgiving back to Jesus. But true gratitude proceeds from a heart sustained by faith. Jesus bids this one Samaritan to “rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” So also, we are sent from the Worship Service, bolstered in our faith by baptismal and Eucharist blessing to be thankful in circumstances of plenty and hunger, abundance and need (Philippians 4:6-20).
Christmas Tree Decorating
We need your help. The Altar Guild is beautifying the sanctuary for Advent to include setting up and decorating the Christmas trees with handmade Chrismons.
For more information contact Ann Lienemann.
Chrismons (Christ monograms) are ornaments based on symbols of Christ including monograms of Jesus' name in Greek. The Chrismons Tree originated at Ascension Lutheran Church in Danville, VA in 1957.
Poinsettias
Help to provide poinsettias for the Sanctuary in celebration of Christmas by donating $10 for a poinsettia. We can receive you gift through an envelope in the offering plate or online at shalimar.church/give.
The poinsettias association with Christmas began in 16th-century Mexico, where legend tells of a girl who was too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus' birthday. So she gathered green foliage and place them in front of the church altar where red blossoms miraculously sprouted from the greenery. The plant was introduced to the United States by the first US Ambassador to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, in the 1820's.
The star-shaped leaf pattern is said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, and the red color represents the blood sacrifice of Jesus's crucifixion.
Poinsettias can be picked up after the last Christmas Eve worship service.
For more information contact Ann Liennermann
Board Of Outreach
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.
Board of Properties
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 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
Cruising with the King Car Club
All men of the congregation are warmly invited to join us, along with men from the community, in Cruising with the King Car Club. Whether you’re a car enthusiast or simply looking for meaningful fellowship, we gather regularly for monthly to build friendships while reaching out to our local neighbors. We already have a strong group of men actively participating. Join our signal group.
Mite Boxes
Voters Assembly Meeting
It is that time of year to address our annual budget at a Voter's Meeting. We praise God and thank you for your faithful giving to Good Shepherd’s ministries. The purpose of the budget is to establish spending authority to dedicate resources toward our worship of God and for our proclamation of the Gospel.
AHG Christmas Party
The American Heritage Girls Christmas Party is a mystery dinner set in the North Pole. We are citizens of town, who, by-the-way, desperately need to hear the good news of the Savior's birth. See Curtis for your character assignment.
Lacey Kringel is once again hosting the annual Kringel’s Block Party in Holly Hills. The RSVP list for this year’s event has you on edge. Hollyberry Town’s rumor mill has been churning with scandals—blackmail, backstabbing, and deception have shaken this once-peaceful community. You’re certain drama is inevitable. With a few personal grudges of your own to settle, you’re eager to see what unfolds.
Congregational Christmas Breakfast
In the Fellowship Hall to celebrate the birth of our Savior by enjoying food and fellowship, (maybe some trivia and other games). Come, be known and encouraged.
Cookie Walk
Christmas Cookies Exchange/Walk is an opportunity to eat and take home delicious cookies made with love and maybe a few made by faceless bakers bought in a chain store. Satisfy your Christmas cookie appetite and help support the youth group.
Angel Tree
An Angel Tree will be set up in the Narthex beginning in Advent. We are supporting the same families from Kenwood Elementary that we did for Thanksgiving. Take an angel (or two) and put your name and phone number next to the angel number on the signup sheet. ALL GIFTS need to be returned, wrapped, and underneath the tree so we can distribute them to the families in time for Christmas. Contact Jean Grieve for more information:
Contact Jean.
Youth Christmas Party
The Youth Christmas Party is a mystery dinner set in the North Pole. We are citizens of town, who, by-the-way, desperately need to hear the good news of the Savior's birth. See Curtis for your character assignment.
Deep within the North Pole, Christmas Village is buzzing with excitement as the annual Christmas Icon award approaches. Rumors favor Icy the Snowman and the Gingerbread Man, but anyone could win! Mrs. Claus has invited everyone to Santa’s Cottage for the grand announcement. With valuable prizes, holiday rivalries, and unexpected surprises, tensions are rising. You’re invited to join the festivities, but beware—not everyone is filled with Christmas cheer this year!
Advent Meals
The youth group is serving meals on Advent Wednesdays before the evening worship service. Dinner is served from 5:30 until 6:15 PM
All Saints’ Day
Saints Are Blessed in the Eternal Presence of Christ
“A great multitude … from all tribes and peoples and languages” cry out, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne” (Revelation 7:9-17). Faith-filled saints from every place and time with unified voices eternally magnify the Lamb of God. As His beloved children, we, too, “shall see him as he is” (1John 3:1-3). Joined with the throng of angels and myriad saints, we shall “serve him day and night in his temple” (Revelation 7:9-17). In our earthly tension vacillating between saint and sinner, faith and doubt, sacred and profane, we earnestly seek Jesus to calm our fears, comfort our spirits and forgive our sins. The Holy Spirit, through faith in Christ, propels us forward, fortifying us in Word and Sacrament, to our eternal home. In the midst of our constant struggle as believers, we need to be blessed. And so we are. The poor in spirit, the meek, the hungry, the thirsty, the merciful, the pure and the persecuted are all blessed, and we will most certainly inherit the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:1-12).
Commemoration of Johann von Staupitz, Luther's Father Confessor
The Church honor's saints for showing us how living out faith can be done.
Johann von Staupitz (ca. 1469-1524), vicar-general of the Augustinian Order in Germany and friend of Martin Luther, was born in Saxony. He studied at the universities in Leipzig and Cologne and served on the faculty at Cologne. In 1503 he was called by Frederick the Wise to serve as dean of the theological faculty at the newly founded University of Wittenberg. There he encouraged Luther to attain a doctorate in theology and appointed Luther as his successor to professor of Bible. During Luther's early struggles to understand God's grace, it was Staupitz who counseled Luther to focus on Christ and not on himself.
Source: LCMS Calendar of Commemorations
Commemoration of Johann von Staupitz, Luther's Father Confessor
The Church honor's saints for showing us how living out faith can be done.
Johann von Staupitz (ca. 1469-1524), vicar-general of the Augustinian Order in Germany and friend of Martin Luther, was born in Saxony. He studied at the universities in Leipzig and Cologne and served on the faculty at Cologne. In 1503 he was called by Frederick the Wise to serve as dean of the theological faculty at the newly founded University of Wittenberg. There he encouraged Luther to attain a doctorate in theology and appointed Luther as his successor to professor of Bible. During Luther's early struggles to understand God's grace, it was Staupitz who counseled Luther to focus on Christ and not on himself.
Source: LCMS Calendar of Commemorations
Commemoration of Martin Chemnitz, Pastor and Confessor
The Church honor's saints for showing us how living out faith can be done.
Martin Chemnitz (1522-1586) is regarded after Martin Luther as the most important theologian in the history of the Lutheran Church. Chemnitz combined a penetrating intellect and an almost encyclopedic knowledge of Scripture and the church fathers with a genuine love for the church. When various doctrinal disagreements broke out after Luther's death in 1546, Chemnitz determined to give himself fully to the restoration of unity in the Lutheran Church. He became the leading spirit and principal author of the 1577 Formula of Concord, which settled the doctrinal disputes on the basis of the Scriptures and largely succeeded in restoring unity among Lutherans. Chemnitz also authored the four volume Examination of the Council of Trent (1565-1573), in which he rigorously subjected the teachings of this Roman Catholic Council to the judgment of Scripture and the ancient church fathers. The Examination became the definitive Lutheran answer to the Council of Trent, as well as a thorough exposition of the faith of the Augsburg Confession. A theologian and a churchman, Chemnitz was truly a gift of God to the Church.
Source: LCMS Calendar of Commemorations.
Commemoration of Martin of Tours, Pasto
The Church honor's saints for showing us how living out faith can be done.
Born into a pagan family in what is now Hungary around the year A.D. 316, Martin grew up in Lombardy (Italy). Coming to the Christian faith as a young person, he began a career in the Roman army. But sensing a call to a church vocation, Martin left the military and became a monk, affirming that he was “Christ's soldier.” Eventually, Martin was named bishop of Tours in western Gaul (France). He is remembered for his simple lifestyle and his determination to share the Gospel throughout rural Gaul. Incidentally, on St. Martin's Day in 1483, the one-day-old son of Hans and Margarette Luther was baptized and given the name “Martin” Luther.
Source: LCMS Calendar of Commemorations.
Commemoration of Justinian, Christian Ruler and Confessor of Christ
The Church honor's saints for showing us how living out faith can be done.
Justinian was emperor of the East from A.D. 527 to 565 when the Roman Empire was in decline. With his beautiful and capable wife, Theodora, he restored splendor and majesty to the Byzantine court. During his reign the Empire experienced a renaissance, due in large part to his ambition, intelligence, and strong religious convictions. Justinian also attempted to bring unity to a divided church. He was a champion of orthodox Christianity and sought agreement among the parties in the Christological controversies of the day who were disputing the relation between the divine and human natures in the Person of Christ. The Fifth Ecumenical Council in Constantinople in A.D. 533 was held during his reign and addressed this dispute. Justinian died in his eighties, not accomplishing his desire for an empire that was firmly Christian and orthodox.
Source: LCMS Calendar of Commemorations.