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Our monthly newsletter “The Scroll” informs the GSLC community of its current activities and upcoming events.
The weekly Shoutout is an e-mail sent every Thursday afternoon providing a reminder and details of the events and opportunities of the coming week.
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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, ELCA
SAVE AMERICA ACT: The SAVE America Act has passed in the House and awaits action in the Senate. Baseless voter fraud claims have ignited support for the SAVE America Act and related legislation, with a call to election integrity masking legislation that would make voting and voter registration more difficult. This would impact millions of American citizens ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. ELCA advocacy staff added to other voices nationwide to reject the restrictive legislation leading to reduced House support for the bill compared to 2025. Through the ELCA Action Center over 5,700 messages from the “Reject Voting Barriers and Oppose the SAVE Act | SAVE America Act” Action Alert were sent to members of Congress.
Why It Matters in the ELCA:
The SAVE America Act, if enacted, would add additional burdens on voters to provide eligibility – which non-partisan experts say would not make any noticeable change to election security. The adjustments would disproportionately impact rural, low-income and marginalized communities and members of Tribal Nations by making it harder to both prove eligibility and register to vote.
The ELCA strongly affirms voter participation as an exercise in citizenship and resists efforts to restrict access – especially for low-income communities which are often left out of the election process. The ELCA social message “Government and Civic Engagement in the United States: Discipleship in a Democracy” urges rejection of “antidemocratic exclusion” efforts to restrict voting, including “requiring voters to show identification without issuing identification to all eligible voters,” purging voter rolls, and more.
What’s Next:
The ELCA will continue urging Congress to reject voting barriers and oppose legislation similar to the SAVE Act. The ELCA federal policy team will collaborate with ELCA Racial Justice and Ministries of Diverse Cultures and Communities colleagues to support and resource their ministries and partners. The “Reject Voting Barriers and Oppose the SAVE Act | SAVE America Act” Action Alert is still live. #champaignurbana #SavoyIL #elca See less
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, ELCA
Every week in worship, in tons of our social media posts, on our signs outside, we declare that all are welcome. But so do lots of churches. Is it a tagline? Or is it the truth?
In reality, humans are not very good at being universally welcoming. Tribalism, prejudice, fear, insularity, envy, habit… all of these things stop us from offering the wide welcome we want to. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, Chapter 7, has his own way of explaining it. He says, in effect, I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise.
I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway.
The answer, thank God, for Paul – and for us - is Jesus Christ.
When we say all are welcome – what we mean is that Jesus welcomes everyone. Everyone – without regard for skin color, language, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, neuro-diversity, income. Everyone – sinners and saints, folks who do good and folks who don’t do good as often as we’d like and folks who struggle to find the good at all.
Our welcome may not be perfect, but Jesus’ is. Our welcome may not always be as wide as we want it to be, because our own stuff gets in the way – but Jesus’ welcome is. Which means I, with my own prejudices and faults and blind spots, am welcome here. And you are welcome, too. Just as you are. And that’s not a tagline. It’s the truth. Thanks be to God.
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, ELCA
We are collecting school supplies for Lutheran World Relief! Please bring them to the office by August 2nd.
School supplies needed for each kit:
- 4 wide-lined or college-lined approx. 8 x 10.5 inch spiral notebooks, 70 page count (no loose leaf paper)
- 5 black or blue ballpoint ink pens (no gel pens)
- 1 box of 16 or 24 regular crayons
- 1 pair of child-safe blunt scissors
- 1 2.5 inch eraser
- 1 pencil sharpener
- 1 plastic or wooden 12 in. long ruler marked in inches and centimeters
- 5 unsharpened #2 plain wooden pencils with erasers
#champaignurbana #SavoyIL #elca
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, ELCA
This Sunday at GSLC - join us for worship at 9 AM in the sanctuary or via our livestream. Every Sunday, we gather around Word and Sacrament and proclaim a God who meets people not in strength, but in weakness, not in triumph but on a cross. You won't find charismatic personalities, choreographed emotional experiences or promises of success, but you will find a simple welcome for you just as you are. #elca #champaignurbana #SavoyIL
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, ELCA
BREATHE summer worship begins this Sunday, June 28th - on the front lawn at Good Shepherd at 7 PM. Come for prayer and scripture, and for quiet time with God and others. Bring a lawn chair (and a friend?). All are welcome. #elca #champaignurbana #SavoyIL
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, ELCA
Faithful God, we give thanks for famous saints like Onesimos Nesib. May we follow his example of faith and service. God of grace, hear our prayer. Onesimos Nesib was a native Oromo scholar who converted to Lutheran Christianity and translated the Christian Bible into Oromo. His parents named him Hika as a baby, meaning "Translator"; he took the name "Onesimus", after the Biblical character, upon converting to Christianity. #champaignurbana #SavoyIL #elca
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, ELCA
Our congregation enjoyed indoor "Lawn Games and Lemonade" yesterday to celebrate Father's Day! The chance of rain kept us indoors, but fun and laughter filled the Fellowship Hall! #champaignurbana #SavoyIL #elca
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, ELCA
Happy Father's Day! Today we pray: "Empowering God, strengthen us to live out our diverse callings. We pray especially for fathers and father figures, that they show your compassion and care. We pray for all for whom this day is difficult or painful. God of grace, hear our prayer." #champaignurbana #SavoyIL #elca
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, ELCA
Happy first day of summer! We are having Summer Sunday Evening Worship – “Breathe: prayer, scripture, and quiet time with God”
We gather once a month outside on the front lawn for relaxed, informal worship centered around scripture and prayer.
Upcoming dates: June 28, July 26, August 30, and September 27
#champaignurbana #SavoyIL #elca
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, ELCA
A Prayer for Juneteenth
"May we receive the voices of giftedness and wisdom from people across every hue and lived experience. Let us not grow weary in doing what is right. May those with privilege and power use it to break open systems and institutions, that all may share equally and equitably in the goodness and in prosperity."
- from a prayer written by Faithful Voices for Racial Justice
#elca #champaignurbana #SavoyIL