Saturday and Sunday, October 12 and 13 – Bill Deutsch, president of the board of the Decorah Community Free Clinic at First Lutheran Church, spoke to the congregations about the medical care and healing work of the volunteer health care professionals and staff. The Free Clinic is the recipient of the local outreach portion of Good Shepherd's 25th Anniversary Gift.

Saturday and Sunday, October 19 and 20 – Worshipers will remember Sunday, October 23, www.essaywritingplace.com 1988, as the date of the first worship service in the almost-finished new sanctuary. On that day, the service began in the old sanctuary with the Order for the Disposition of a Sanctuary, thus ending almost 30 years of worship in that space. It was followed by the outdoor procession carrying the altar and its appointments from the old into the new addition and sanctuary.

Photos of the Disposition Rite and procession can be viewed below.

Disposition of old sanctuary in preparation for moving to the new, October 23, 1988

Procession carrying altar leaving old sanctuary.

Congregation processing from the old sanctuary to the new.

Altar and procession entering the new addition.

Pastor Paul Hasvold, 1974-1998.

Saturday and Sunday, October 26 and 27 – Confirmation – the Affirmation of Baptism – for Kalle Solberg will occur at the Sunday service.  We also will remember the first Confirmations in the almost-finished sanctuary, Reformation Sunday, October 30, 1988. Members of the 1988 class are Jane Hover, Rose Knudsvig, Tobin Laursen, Scott Leake, Erich Morris, Jennifer Naslund, and Kerry Wuest.

L – R: Kerry Wuest, Erich Morris, Jennifer Naslund, Jane Hover, Pastor Paul Hasvold, Rose Knudsvig, Tobin Laursen, Scott Leake

As summer begins, the Coffee Committee is having a closeout sale on the remaining dark and milk Divine chocolate bars, with the price reduced to $1.00 per bar. Indulge your chocolate sweet tooth and take advantage of a great price on a great product for a good cause!

In July and August, coffee will only be sold on the second Sunday of each month, July 14 and August 11. We’ll resume our twice a month coffee sales in September. In addition, we’re not planning to order any additional coffee during the summer, to help us reduce our inventory. We’ll be restocking product again in the fall.

Thank you for your continuing support of the policies of Fair Trade and our Fair Trade products! Remember that all our coffees, teas, and hot chocolates are also good cold over ice in the summer!

Wholly Iowa Youth Leadership Discipling Event (WIYLDE) is a ministry and leadership workshop for high school youth of ELCA congregations in here Iowa and is supported by all three ELCA Iowa synods. Dates for WIYLDE 2013 are July 22-27, 2013. Registration for WIYLDE 2013 is now open.

Source: https://www.luther.edu/ministries/congregations/wiylde/

“A Celebration of Gathering: 25th Anniversary of the Expansion of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church’s Building and Mission” will take place on Sunday, November 17, at 9:30 am with a special worship service, brunch and program. When Good Shepherd expanded in 1988, the goal was to provide additional space not only for church programing but also for the use of community groups. Besides the new sanctuary, additional rooms were constructed for church administration, Sunday School classes, and community activities. The old sanctuary was repurposed into a Fellowship Hall with a new kitchen.

Throughout the morning and during the program at the brunch, the artisans and craftspeople who designed and created the unique furnishings for the new sanctuary and narthex area will be recognized. The shepherd’s cross and weavings that hang on the south wall; the pulpit, baptismal font, and altar rail on the chancel; liturgical season paraments; and the wood carving hanging on the narthex wall are gifts of talent and funds that honor members, past and present.

Information about the day and invitations to attend have been sent to the 1988 Confirmation Class, 1988 First Communion Class, the Building Committee, 1988 congregation officers, committee and Council members, and Pastor Thiem Baccam, who as a seminary student from the congregation returned to participate in the Service of Dedication, Sunday, November 20, 1988.

To honor the occasion, Good Shepherd members have selected two agencies to be recipients of funds from the outreach portion of the 25th Anniversary Gift Fund. A local gift will be made to the Decorah Community Free Clinic while a global gift will be donated to Lutheran Immigration and Relief Services. The Gift Fund will also be used to refresh spaces and furnishings within the church building.

Weavings: John Skaare
Baptismal Font and Pulpit: John Kjome
Shepherd’s Cross: Construction and Design by Stanley (Slim) Maroushek, Hung Van Pham, Reg Laursen
Paschal Candle Holder: Harley Refsal
Altar Rail: Design by Orville Running

Tiles designed and installed: John Kjome

Jesus, the Good Shepherd: Nils Kjome

2013: Sanctuary, Sunday School Rooms, and New Entrance

1988: New Sanctuary seen from the west

1958: Original Good Shepherd Church Before Expansion