From the Pastors Desk

Working Together

From the Pastors Desk - November 28, 2022

On Wednesday, November 9th, five of our council members met with Pastor Eli and Pastor Carl plus three other Zion council members. The reason for the meeting was to hash out exactly what we were both expecting when it comes to working together.

One thing that did come out of our meeting is that Zion’s council seems to be enthusiastic about making a partnership type situation work. Both churches know that bringing two churches together will not happen quickly. One of Zion’s council members likened it to dating. We get together, take our time, and see if we’re a good fit for each other.

We plan to invite each other to our various church’s events. Pot luck dinners were also suggested as a good way to get to know each other, especially since food is something we all have in common. Pastor Eli also suggested that Zion and Good Shepherd could have a combined worship service on the fifth Sunday of a month. In 2023, that would be January 29th, April 30th, July 30th, October 29th and December 31st. We would alternate one service at Zion, the next at Good Shepherd.

This will be an ongoing discussion as we work out the details. Some details may work, others may not, but we are open to all possibilities. If there is something you feel strongly about that we could do together, please let me know. As I see it, we are staring at a blank canvas, and the picture we paint is up to all of us.

Thank you for all of your hard work and efforts over the past year! Good Shepherd remains an open, active church because of all of you! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and are able to enjoy the warmth of family and friends. Please be safe whether you travel or stay close to home. Regardless, I look forward to sharing Good Shepherd’s adventures with all of you in 2023.

Be safe and be at peace!

Lei Fahrner

Past Articles

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!

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