from Sunday's Old Testament reading

PASTORS' MESSAGE

Dear partners in ministry,

Holy Week Kits are here! We’re excited to share these little prayerful packages with you and your household in the hopes that they help to bring Holy Week into your home.

What’s in the kit? I’m so glad you asked.

• Green chalk to decorate your driveway with palms and hosannas for Palm Sunday
• Music sheets to fill your Holy Week with sacred song.
• A recipe for focaccia so that we can share the same bread together on Maundy Thursday (gluten-free recipe included too!)
• A Good Friday nature walk to help us attend to signs of our sacred story in nature.
• Seven tealights to light at the beginning of our Good Friday Tenebrae service, so that we can experience those lengthening shadows together
• Two kazoos to usher in the returning “Alleluias!” (You have not lived until you have seen or dramatically performed the “Hallelujah” chorus on kazoo).
• An Easter craft for children
• Pre-addressed Easter cards to send to members of our congregation, as we did for Christmas.

One caveat: we have palms coming too, but they’re not here yet. We’ll put them out as soon as they arrive, and encourage you to take as many as you need for your household.

Our Holy Week schedule is officially posted, and we look forward to celebrating this precious time of the church year with you all.

Walking with you,

Pastor Jeff and Pastor Larson

For more detailed calendar, including events hosted by outside organizations 

IN OTHER NEWS

Transition Team applications due by Monday April 5th

Are you interested in serving on GSLC's Transition Team?  This team will be tasked with leading our congregation through the Congregation Assessment Tool (CAT) survey later this spring.  All congregations in the New England Synod take this survey when they go through a pastoral transition.  For more information and to submit an application, visit this link HERE.

Adult Forum- Sundays at 11:15 am

3/21/21: Baptism and the Early Church

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89435659701?pwd=M2FXemMvanZmcFYyOUNVKzVPaFpjdz09

Or call +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)

Meeting ID: 894 3565 9701 Passcode: 565162

Week 3 is this week and there are 4 more after this . . . JOIN US!

We've been exploring baptism through the ages, beginning by looking at baptism in the New Testament. We will then turn to discussions about baptism in the early church, during the Reformation, and finally how it is practiced and interpreted today. Throughout this series, we hope to answer questions about the origins of this initiation rite and inspire reflection about what baptism means to you. Join us on Sunday as we continue the conversation about baptism in the bible, turning to the book of Acts and Paul’s letters to discover the link between baptism and the Holy Spirit.

Westborough Kindness Week March 21st - 27th

This week is Kindness Week in Westborough!  Our friends at Westborough Connects have organized a number of different activities and events to spread kindness all week long.  The celebration begins with an online talk Sunday March 21st at 1 PM featuring Cody Foss from Ben's Bells Project (www.bensbells.org).  Foss will speak on the importance of intentional kindness and its role in connecting communities.  Pre-registration is required.  In order to register, or to find a list of everything else planned for this week, visit the Westborough Connects website at www.westboroughconnects.org  If nothing else, consider at least one random act of kindness you can do for someone else this week and make it happen!

Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Reading Group

Wednesday, March 24th at 8 pm

Are you interested in learning more about anti-racism? Want to find out what you can do about it? Or are you just trying to figure out why racism has become such a big topic?

We'll be reading and discussing the book: So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo.

Order your book today to be a part of this discussion.

Join the RIC Committee via Zoom as we host a weekly book club starting Wednesdays, via Zoom, from 8:00 to 9:00 pm. 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85870975581?pwd=QlVmc1JmNk0vSjN0K2pVcHUwcVgrZz09

Meeting ID: 858 7097 5581

Passcode: 244545

Dial by your location

        +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)

Meeting ID: 858 7097 5581

Passcode: 244545

Upcoming Events for Children & Families:

Holy Week Fair: Sunday, March 28th

Right after the drive-in Palm Sunday service, we will be gathering for an outdoor Holy Week Fair! This event will be a chance for children and families to learn more about Holy Week by engaging in activity stations about the final days of Jesus' life. Stations will include a special service project of packaging sandwiches to bring to Cathedral in the Night (CITN), a community in Northampton, MA with a mission to serve people experiencing homelessness. You are also invited to bring donations for CITN including new or gently used sleeping bags, blankets, tents, warm clothes, gloves, thermals, coats, shoes, boots, and warm socks. If you can’t make the event but would like to support CITN, you can find a wish list of donations online at this link.

If you’re planning to attend this event, sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/HolyWeekFair 

Easter Egg Hunt: Sunday, April 4 at 10am

Between Easter services, we are hosting a special Easter Egg Hunt for the children of Good Shepherd! Children, ages Pre-K through 6th grade, are invited to join in the hunt for Easter Eggs across the grounds, as well as hear a special message about the meaning of Easter (and enjoy some Easter candy!).

Vacation Bible School Update

SAVE THE DATES - August 2nd - 6th

The Westborough Ecumenical Vacation Bible School will be happening this summer, August 2nd-6th, hosted by First United Methodist Church. While planning has just begun, we are currently operating under the assumption that this year's VBS will be in-person and outdoors. If you have any concerns, ideas, or comments about VBS, please reach out to me by emailing samantha.menapace@goodshepherdcares.org. I will be in touch with more information and the registration form over the next few weeks!

Lent Devotions

Please enjoy this year's Lent Devotions. Thank you all who contributed to creating this wonderful devotional.

Click Here for the 2021 Lent Devotions

PRAYING TOGETHER 

In Our Prayers 

This week. . . 

PJ Mann, Anne Changaris, Arthur Matson, Susan Rovaldi, Phyllis Taxiera, Kathy Allen, Jen Cinelli,  Kenan George, Tarah Sproul, Vila Makkray, Brian Mulvihill, Cathy Dorey, all those affected by addiction, all those affected by mental illness, all military personnel and first responders, for those who have contracted COVID-19.

If you or someone you know would like to be remembered in our prayers, call the church office or email prayercircle@goodshepherdcares.org. Names remain on this list for four weeks. Let us know if you’d like to renew, add, or remove a name.

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Pastors Jeff Goodrich & Victoria Larson
183 W. Main St., Westborough, MA 01581 • (508) 366-7095
office@goodshepherdcares.org • www.goodshepherdcares.org

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