A Baby Grand Piano For Good Shepherd!

Congregation members Jennifer Self and Brooke Joyce, Music Director, are pleased to donate this lovely, old Estey piano, which has been in their home for the past ten years, to Good Shepherd. Brooke reports that the piano was built in 1918 or 1919, and that Estey pianos were well-built, practical, robust instruments for home use, not necessarily intended for the concert stage. Prior to its place in the Self/Joyce home, it was used in an Eyota, MN, area church. How did the 450 pound piano get to Good Shepherd?  If you were doing church yard clean-up on a recent Thursday afternoon, you would have seen four Luther wrestlers pushing and guiding a dolly with the piano safely strapped to it from its home on Fifth Avenue, down Ohio Street and Iowa Avenue to its new home. The piano, which eventually will be situated on a dolly for ease of movement, is in place in our sanctuary next to the Hook & Hastings organ and is enriching our worship services and the congregation’s love of music.

Four Luther Student Wrestlers have no problem wrangling this piano through the streets of Decorah.

Four Luther Student Wrestlers have no problem wrangling this piano through the streets of Decorah.

A brief meeting takes place in deciding the perfect destination.

A brief meeting takes place in deciding the perfect destination.

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Joyce is tempted in changing his mind, and rolling the piano back to his home.

This Week at Good Shepherd, May 11-17

Tuesday, May 12
2:00 pm – Pastor April at Wellington Place

Wednesday, May 13
7:30 am – Men’s Breakfast in Fellowship Hall
2:00 pm – Miriam Circle; Carrie Solberg, Hostess; Mary Fritz, Bible Study
4:45 pm – Confirmation
8:00 pm – Band Rehearsal

Thursday, May 14
10:00-11:30 am – Bible Study with Pastor April in Fellowship Hall

Saturday, May 16
1:00 pm – Luther College Student-Led Chamber Choir Jubilus Concert in Sanctuary
5:00 pm – Worship Service with Holy Communion

Sunday, May 17
8:45 am – Choir Rehearsal
9:30 am – Worship Service with Holy Communion followed by Fellowship Time
10:45 am – Church Forum: ELCA Series “Claimed, Gathered, Sent”, Part 5 – What Difference Can We Make?  Midge Kjome will moderate this session which Includes a video and discussion of the role the Lutheran Church plays nationally and internationally.

Narthex Redecoration Completed

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The Narthex redecoration project, started as an initiative which was part of the 25th anniversary celebration in November 2013, was completed this past Sunday, May 3.  New furniture was purchased for the space including a sofa, six reception chairs, three lamps, and 4 tables with tile inserts.  A new porcelain whiteboard was installed with a pull-down projection screen. Replacement cream blinds were added. The entire space was painted a golden cream color as part of the major painting project of all the public spaces this past April. In the hallway leading to the offices, new cabinets with communication cubbies were installed to replace the old folding table and usher’s cart.

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This Week at Good Shepherd, May 4-10

Tuesday, May 5
5:00 pm – Mary Circle, Marion Hanson, hostess

Wednesday, May 6
7:30-9:00 am – Men’s Breakfast in Fellowship Hall
4:45 pm – Confirmation Class
7:00 pm – Senior Choir Rehearsal
8:00 pm – Band Rehearsal

Thursday, May 7
10:00-11:30 am – Bible Study with Pastor April in Fellowship Hall
7:00 pm – Communications Audit Presentation in Fellowship Hall

Saturday, May 9
5:00 pm – Worship Service with Holy Communion

Saturday, May 9
4:00 pm – Northern Lights Spring Concert, A Patchwork Quilt of Song Stitched with Love, at Decorah Lutheran Church
Good Shepherd members of the women’s chorale: Donna Bahr, Sharon Drew, Joyce Epperly, Agnes Hjelle, Gail Judisch, and Ann Naslund

Sunday, May 10
8:45 am – Senior Choir Rehearsal
9:30 am – Worship Service with Holy Communion followed by Fellowship Time
10:45 am – Claimed, Gathered, Sent (Part 4) – We Are the Church for the Sake of the World.
If you are interested in Social Justice Ministry and have ideas for projects you might like to help lead, come to this CHURCH FORUM session.
7:00 pm – Luren/Norsemen Mother’s Day Concert at Decorah Lutheran Church
Good Shepherd members of the chorus: Dave Judisch, Director, Gerald Aulwes, Dennis Barnaal, Don Berg, and John Jefferson

 

 

Upgrade of Sound System Completed

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A complete upgrade of the sound system at Good Shepherd has recently been completed, funded with a donation from congregation members Ed and Joyce Epperly. Keith Donlon from Decorah Electric installed conduit, speakers, and volume controls. Benji Nichols, sound engineer, provided the original diagnostics for the sound system and assisted in the design of the new equipment. Jim Fritz, congregation president, helped guide the upgrade and worked with Donlon and Nichols to implement the changes.

The refurbished sound system provides new speakers with volume controls in the nursery and Fellowship Hall. The Fellowship Hall is also provided with a microphone for public address and or amplification of music through a laptop, iPhone, or iPod using a new/separate amplifier system. Broadcasts of Good Shepherd services have now resumed on KWLC. Finally, the pulpit microphone has been updated and adjusted.