From the Pastors Desk

Odds & Ends

From the Pastors Desk - November 24, 2024

Introducing…Dr. Maira Liliestedt!!! Maira responded to our ad on the church sign requesting a part time organist. She originally left a message at the church wondering if we would accept a pianist instead. Maira has quite a list of accomplishments including a doctorate of Musical Arts in Piano, Emeritus Professor of Music at the University of Mount Union, and she is the founder, owner, instructor, and pianist at her Keys to Artistry Piano Studio. Maira will be joining us on the Sundays that I preach since we celebrate an abbreviated communion service on those days, and she needs to be at her own church to play piano, St.John’s Anglican in Cairo, with a service starting at 10:30am. Her first day with us will be December 8th. Please give her a typical Good Shepherd warm welcome! But if she rushes out after the service, don’t be shocked, she has another church to gift with her talents!

“A Gift for Christmas” Christmas Bazaar- We are quickly approaching our first ever Christmas Bazaar. Please plan to help or attend if you can. I know there are spots to be filled in the 12:30-3pm time slot. Anyone who can help set up tables on December 5th and 6th would be greatly appreciated as well. Any and all help is welcomed! I would like to thank Lester for his organization of the Christmas Bazaar and I would like to thank all the folks who wrapped and decorated and organized all the gifts. Thanks so much to all of you! We could not offer this bazaar to the community without all of your help! Hope to see you on December 7th!

Christmas Time is here! Can’t believe that we are staring down the Christmas season yet again! I know it comes every year, but for some reason it feels like it came in double or triple time this year. I pray that the season brings you all joy and happiness. Hopefully, it will be a wonderful time with family and friends that brings many warm and special memories. I pray you have safe travels and a very merry Christmas and a very happy New Year.

Thank you all for helping to make 2024 another successful year for Good Shepherd! Cheers to an equally good or even better 2025!!

Faithfully,

Lei Fahrner

Past Articles

Notes from the Choir Loft - 11/24/24
Welcome Dr. Maira Liliestedt!!! 

From the Pastors Desk - 11/03/24
Thanks Be To God for ALL of You!!

From the Pastors Desk - 09/30/24
Serving Others

From the Pastors Desk - 09/01/24
A Busy Month!

From the Pastors Desk - 08/11/24
Where Did Everyone Go?

From the Pastors Desk - 07/10/24
Small Can Be Mighty!

From the Pastors Desk - 06/09/24
Dandelions!

From the Pastors Desk - 05/05/24
Keep It Short!

From the Pastors Desk - 04/07/24
When “Thank You” Seems Insignificant

Notes from the Choir Loft - 02/29/24
Searching for an Organist/Choir Director

From the Pastors Desk - 02/29/24
Always Living in the Future

Notes from the Choir Loft - 01/07/24
Thank You!

From the Pastors Desk - 01/07/24
“We are doing the best we can!”

Notes from the Choir Loft - 11/26/23
Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve Worship

From the Pastors Desk - 11/26/23
A Toast to Ed!

Notes from the Choir Loft - 10/31/23
All Saints Sunday, November 5th & Christ the King Sunday, November 26th

From the Pastors Desk - 10/31/23
November Already!!!???

From the Pastors Desk - 10/31/23
November Already!!!???

Notes from the Choir Loft - 10/01/23
Reformation Sunday, October 29th Combined service with Zion United Church of Christ

From the Pastors Desk - 10/01/23
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God!

From the Pastors Desk - 08/31/23
God’s Amazing Creation

From the Pastors Desk - 07/26/23
Oh, for a Thousand Thanks to Give!

Notes from the Choir Loft - 06/27/23
Lutheridge Bound…

From the Pastors Desk - 06/27/23
Fifth Sunday Combined Worship

Notes from the Choir Loft - 06/02/23
Trinity Sunday

From the Pastors Desk - 06/02/23
Happy Father’s Day!

Notes from the Choir Loft - 04/30/23
Organ Concert and Space Dedication

From the Pastors Desk - 04/30/23
Random Thank Yous!

Notes from the Choir Loft - 04/03/23
Holy Week Schedule

From the Pastors Desk - 04/03/23
Worship Opportunities with Zion

From the Pastors Desk - 02/25/23
The Future of the Church

Notes from the Choir Loft - 02/01/23
Ash Wednesday and Additional Lenten Worship and Bible Study…

From the Pastors Desk - 02/01/23
Care and Concern Committee

Notes from the Choir Loft - 01/01/23
January Sundays and Inclement Weather

From the Pastors Desk - 01/01/23
An Interview!

From the Pastors Desk - 11/28/22
Working Together

Notes from the Choir Loft - 10/31/22
November/December Upcoming Events

From the Pastors Desk - 10/31/22
Thanksgiving!

From the Pastors Desk - 10/02/22
Future Possibilities

From the Pastors Desk - 09/02/22
Thanks Plus More

Notes from the Choir Loft - 07/31/22
Upcoming Events…

From the Pastors Desk - 07/31/22
Odds & Ends

Notes from the Choir Loft - 06/30/22
This month I will be attending Music Week at Lutheridge

From the Pastors Desk - 06/30/22
Dream Big!

Notes from the Choir Loft - 06/30/22
This month I will be attending Music Week at Lutheridge

From the Pastors Desk - 06/30/22
Dream Big!

From the Pastors Desk - 05/29/22
Waiting!

From the Pastors Desk - 05/04/22
Thankful for Others

From the Pastors Desk - 04/10/22
The Sure and Certain Hope of Easter

Notes from the Choir Loft - 02/27/22
The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or lobby area

From the Pastors Desk - 02/27/22
Spring IS Coming…Really!

Notes from the Choir Loft - 01/30/22
Look Up

From the Pastors Desk - 01/30/22
Chilly Musings

Notes from the Choir Loft - 01/07/22
The 12 days of Christmas begin on Christmas Day, December 25, and last through January 6, also known as Three Kings’ Day or Epiphany.

From the Pastors Desk - 01/07/22
Let’s Get Back to Normal Living Again… Maybe????

From the Pastors Desk - 12/19/21
Christmas Time… Again, Already??!!

From the Pastors Desk - 11/07/21
Always Living in the Future

Notes from the Choir Loft - 11/06/21
november Voice 2021

Notes from the Choir Loft - 03/31/21
The Easter season starts out with dwelling on the resurrection appearances,

Notes from the Choir Loft - 03/31/21
The Easter season starts out with dwelling on the resurrection appearances, and then moves back in the gospels to Jesus’ farewell speeches while simultaneously moving forward in the book of Acts as th

Notes from the Choir Loft - 03/02/21
The Paschal Triduum (Latin: Triduum Paschale), Holy Triduum (Latin: Triduum     Sacrum), or Easter Triduum, or the Three Days,

Notes from the Choir Loft - 01/31/21
The year of Mark can be confusing for anyone looking for a sequential narrative.

Notes from the Choir Loft - 01/03/21
What is it that makes for a good story? A novel that grabs and keeps our attention gradually reveals that which is not known

Notes from the Choir Loft - 11/01/20
November is generally a month that we give thanks for family, friends, life, food and health, just to name a few.

From the Pastors Desk - 11/01/20
Are you familiar with the term Minnesota Nice?

Notes from the Choir Loft - 10/01/20
Music in church has taken on a different tone since the pandemic started.

From the Pastors Desk - 10/01/20
The Northeastern Ohio Synod held its Synod Assembly online

Notes from the Choir Loft - 09/05/20
As the Sanctuary Worship Team looks at the guidelines we will use in October for sanctuary worship, I thought I would share a little about our musical options for the fall and winter.

From the Pastors Desk - 09/05/20
A global pandemic. Civil unrest. A society divided. A church struggling to find its place.

Notes from the Choir Loft - 08/01/20
What Do We Do This Fall?

From the Pastors Desk - 08/01/20
Do you watch the TV show Jeopardy? 

From the Pastors Desk - 07/04/20
At Good Shepherd we are fortunate to have a large parking lot

From the Pastors Desk - 07/04/20
At Good Shepherd we are fortunate to have a large parking lot

Notes from the Choir Loft - 06/06/20
On Singing Together1

From the Pastors Desk - 06/06/20
One of my favorite church holidays is Pentecost

Notes from the Choir Loft - 06/06/20
On Singing Together

From the Pastors Desk - 06/06/20
One of my favorite church holid

Notes from the Choir Loft - 05/01/20
Coming Festival Days

From the Pastors Desk - 05/01/20
Many years ago, when I was in the Metro DC synod

From the Pastors Desk - 04/03/20
As I type this article (I decided not to use the one I’ve been working

Notes from the Choir Loft - 03/03/20
Organ Dedication and Concert Sunday, May 3rd at 4pm Dexter Kennedy, Organist

From the Pastors Desk - 03/03/20
When I was in the 3rd and 4th grade our across

Notes from the Choir Loft - 01/30/20
Organ Dedication

From the Pastors Desk - 01/30/20
During the season of Epiphany the

From the Pastors Desk - 01/03/20
I remember the first time I was allowed to stay up to welcome the New Year. Some of the details are a bit fuzzy, but I do remember the night.

Notes from the Choir Loft - 12/06/19
Music Fund

From the Pastors Desk - 12/06/19
New Stewardship Projects

From the Pastors Desk - 11/14/19
Stewardship

Notes from the Choir Loft - 11/14/19
Organist Notes

Notes from the Choir Loft - 10/07/19
New Hymns, New Organ

From the Pastors Desk - 10/07/19
Found faithful in little, with much, with all

Notes from the Choir Loft - 09/29/19
How Singing impacts your well-being

From the Pastors Desk - 09/10/19
Introducing Junior Church