Our 2021 stewardship campaign is off to a great start! We’ve rolled out a special page at www.goodshepherdlife.org/stewardship to be your one-stop source for helpful information, videos and links about the campaign. Check it out!
We are pleased to announce the following services to make your Holy Week and Easter a profound and moving experience this year:
Please note that due to a recent surge in COVID-19 cases in our county, we have revised this plan since it was first posted.
The Shepherd’s Staff is the newsletter of The Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. We publish two different editions of the newsletter – an online version that comes in your email, and a printed edition that is mailed out. We understand this might be a little confusing, so let us lay out the details:
All of the content in The Shepherd’s Staff is available on our website – just choose “The Latest” or “Calendar” from our menu.
If you’d like to change how you receive The Shepherd’s Staff, just let the office staff know.
Our neighbors at East Suburban Unitarian Universalist Church are in the early stages of exploring the opportunity to create a solar power co-op for Monroeville area homeowners. Similar projects have been implemented elsewhere in southwestern Pennsylvania. By working together, homeowners have decreased expenses and streamlined the process of going green.
There are no commitments or obligations – this is a chance to talk and learn more.
If you’d like to be a part of the conversation, please let Pastor Bob know so he can connect you with ESUUC.
“Because of God’s Great Mercy” is the title of our stewardship emphasis this year. The scriptural basis of this focus on our stewardship of all that God has entrusted into our care is I Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness and into his marvelous light.”
We begin by proclaiming all that God has done for us, hence the title “Because of God’s Great Mercy.” God has made us God’s own people. We will also consider how generous giving is an important part of every Christian’s life, and how our combined generosity can make even greater things possible through our congregation.
During our stewardship program, we will think together about how our giving to the Good Shepherd is an important part of our Christian faith. We will also focus on how our congregation uses our offerings to do God’s work within the Good Shepherd’s walls, in our community, and around the world.
“Because of God’s Great Mercy” will ask you to do two things. First, you will be asked to think thoughtfully and pray about the ways that you contribute to the Good Shepherd. Second, you will be asked to commit to giving consistently. You might consider using an automatic funds transfer program through your bank or set up a recurring payment through PayPal.
As you make your gift, please know that confidentiality is of the utmost importance. The only people who will be aware of your financial contributions are you and the Financial Secretary, Steve Smith.
“Because of God’s Great Mercy” will use mail, e-mail, and time in worship to share information with you. Please watch for material during this important time in our congregation’s life.
If you have any questions about our stewardship program, please feel free to contact the church office. They’ll put you in touch with Laura Mauser OR Liz Smith. For questions concerning your past giving to the congregation they’ll connect you with Steve Smith.
Although many Pennsylvanians are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccination, it’s not always easy to find an available dose and register to receive it. We’ve compiled these resources to help you toward being COVID-free.
Council member Matt O’Donnell is offering his assistance to anyone who doesn’t have the technology or skills to use the various online registration systems. Reach out to the church office and we’ll connect you with him.
And if you’d like to also offer your services, please let us know.
As of this writing there is still a significant shortage of the vaccines compared to the demand for them among eligible Pennsylvanians. We hope that will lessen soon. In the meanwhile, here are the tips we’re hearing for locating vaccination:
The most successful route is for seniors 65 and older. Several vaccination clinics have been held in Monroeville for people in this age range. You can read Bob Rossetti’s experience at one of the first ones here. If you qualify, this is one of the easiest ways to get your vaccination.
One of the best tools to help you find doses is social media. If you’re on Facebook, be sure to join the Getting Pittsburgh Vaccinated group and check regularly for tips about clinics other locations where doses of the vaccine are currently available.
Two of the three approved vaccines require very specific handling, and once the doses are ready for patients, they have a very short shelf life. For providers, a canceled appointment can mean a wasted vaccination dose.
Dr. B – the standby list for leftover doses – helps to connect spare vaccinations with arms that are looking for them. Registration is quick and free, and the site follows HIPAA guidelines regarding the data you provide.
If a provider finds itself with spare doses, it notifies Dr. B. The site then identifies nearby eligible people from its waitlist. If that’s you, you’ll receive an invitation to reserve the dose. You’ll need to move quickly and be able to travel to the provider, so you’ll want to consider transportation beforehand.
We’re not going to lie – although it’s great news that the vaccines are being made available at the national pharmacy chains, it’s really hard to snag an appointment to get one. The pharmacies’ online registration systems make it difficult to determine what locations currently have available doses.
Your best bet is to use Vaxx Maxx, an online tool that will show you all the available appointments in your state for either Rite Aid or Walgreens. It’s updated every few minutes.
You’ll still need to go to each pharmacy’s online registration tool to nab the appointment:
Competition is fierce, and there’s a good chance that appointments listed on Vaxx Maxx will be gone just minutes after they appear. It’s also likely that if you find an appointment someone else will be registering for it at the same time as you are – don’t be surprised to get to the end of the process and be told that your appointment was claimed by someone else. Perseverance is the key.
We’ve also been told that Rite Aid tends to dump new appointments to its registration system at midnight – this is both when you’ll have the greatest chance of finding available times, and also when there are the most people trying to claim those times.
The local grocery chain has been sponsoring vaccination drives at Heinz Field, as well as having appointments in-store. Their registration system has a waiting list to access it, and you’re not guaranteed an appointment once you get in, but it’s another option..
Another option is to check with CVS.
Smaller, local pharmacies are often overlooked in the quest for vaccination doses. People using the internet to search will often overlook these providers, since each one has its own procedures and registration systems. You might find that they have doses available. Local pharmacies may also offer a simple waiting list to their eligible customers – something that’s not available at the bigger chains.
If this all sounds chaotic and like a lot of effort, you’re not wrong. But the good news is that all three vaccines are being manufactured at quantity now. Each week more doses hit the market. In the next few months it’s likely that all of the vaccine hustle is a distant memory, and anyone who wants the shot will be able to easily get it.
In the meanwhile, continue to practice social distancing, wearing face coverings and playing it safe when it comes to trips out into the world. We’re in the home stretch now – keep hanging in there, and let us know if you’ve got any great tips for getting the vaccine!
Help us to keep you in the loop – check in with the church office to verify your current contact information. We’d like to know:
You can reach us at 412-372-2934 or by filling out the form below:
Lost track of the ways to worship at The Good Shepherd this spring? Here’s a quick rundown:
As of late February, we aren’t yet holding services in person. (Visit our COVID-19 Information Center at goodshepherdlife.org/covid for the current status.)
We’re offering a joint Zoom service with Emmanuel Lutheran Church of Eastmont each Wednesday in Lent. Use the instructions above to join by phone or using the Zoom app. (You can watch the video on YouTube if you prefer, but you won’t be able to participate in the discussion and fellowship time that way.)
COVID-19 cases are still higher now than they were at the peak of last summer’s initial outbreak – but they are trending in the right direction. We are hopeful that if the trends continue it might be possible to hold some form of in-person services during Holy Week and Easter, but it is too early to tell.
Based on the extremely positive feedback we’ve received about our Christmas Eve service, we’re confident that we’ll be able to make these important services powerful and meaningful no matter whether they’re in-person, online only or available both ways.
Keep an eye on our website for news. We’ll also use mailings, phone notifications and email to keep you in the loop.
Our nationally-recognized devotional program Daily Prayer is available on YouTube and your favorite podcasting app. Join us each day for 10-15 minutes of scripture, prayer and encouragement in the midst of a chaotic world.
The Thrivent Member Network is pleased to introduce our OnDemand Series. Throughout the year, the Thrivent Member Network will provide a variety of online events for you to enjoy at your convenience.
Click here to view the first of Thrivent Member Network’s OnDemand Series featuring inspiring conversations with Misty Copeland, Dr. Mae Jemison and Chris Gardner. These on OnDemand Interviews are available through Sunday, February 28.
No products will be sold at these events, and you don’t need to be a Thrivent member to participate – share this invitation with anyone you think would enjoy the programs!
Our SWPA Synod Hunger Elimination and Advocacy Team is challenging you during Lent this year to think more about how we are taking care of “the least of these” by specifically focusing on the problem of hunger, how we contribute to it, and how we help to fight it.
This is a Lenten discipline to take up which includes elements of the traditional Lenten disciplines: fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. Use these forty days to walk more closely with Jesus as we walk with our hungry neighbors.