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Monthly Newsletter for November, 2026 Newsletter Highlights This Month (click on a link to view)
Please Note: Our newsletters are for members only with no public access through the GSLC web site. Please bookmark this page or keep the newsletter notice email to return to this
November Stewardship Sermon Series Money is a big deal. Money may not buy you love, but it sure can buy a lot of other things. Money is mentioned in countless songs. Major lyric repositories like Lyrics.com index over one million lyrics Our Money Matters themes are: November 8 “Earning Addiction or Giving Conviction” (2 Corinthians 8:1-9) November 15 “Hey, Big Spender!” (2 Corinthians 9:1-7) November 22 “Sowing and Harvesting” (2 Corinthians 9:8-15)
Advent Sunday/Christmas Eve Sermon Series: "The Everlasting Light" This year's Sunday morning Advent/Christmas Eve theme, "The Everlasting Light", is based on Isaiah 60 and employs Philips Brooks' cherished hymn, "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem." Let's orient ourselves with Isaiah 60, then we'll circle back to Brooks' masterpiece. Isaiah famously promises that "all flesh will see the glory of the LORD" (Isaiah 40:5) and in chapter 60 this glory explodes with radiant color. Divine glory rises upon Zion, who is addressed as a woman throughout chapter 60. She is quite the lady to behold! Isaiah's glorious poetry envisions the birth of Jesus which is inaugurated by the appearance of God's glory for all people (Luke 2:9-10). More glory is on the way. Those baptized into Christ change "from glory to glory" (2 Corinthians 3:18), while the consummation of Isaiah 60 is Christ's Second Coming when the holy city of Jerusalem will shine with divine splendor (Revelation 21:10-11, 23). What about Philips Brook's hymn, "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem"? How does that go along with Isaiah 60? The year was 1868. Philips Brooks had a problem. In a little over a week, he had to come up with a Sunday School Christmas program at the church he was pastoring in Philadelphia. Brooks had visited Bethlehem the previous year where he traveled on horseback between Jerusalem and Bethlehem on-of all evenings-Christmas Eve. Just as the sun was setting, Brooks saw Palestinian shepherds with their sheep. He gazed upon the sleepy village. The next day he worshiped the Christ Child in the town's Church of the Nativity, built in 326 AD by the Roman Emperor Constantine. These fresh memories inspired Brooks to write a poem for his church's Christmas program. He then gave it to his organist, Lewis Redner, and asked The hymn, "O Little Town of Bethlehem," was printed on a leaflet that December and then appeared in The Sunday School hymnal in 1871. It soon became an American favorite. Brooks' masterpiece beautifully describes Bethlehem on a December night. The hymn moves back and forth from a description of Christmas to the meaning of Christmas. It ends with the prayer, "O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Immanuel." Connect Isaiah 60 to "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and what happens? A wonderful weaving together of biblical hope and Christian hymnody! Here is our lineup of sermons: November 29: "A Street Called Light" (Isaiah 60:1-3) December 6: "A Street Called Beautiful" (Isaiah 60:4-9) December 13: "A Street Called Impossible" (Isaiah 60:15-18) December 20: "A Street Called Forever" (Isaiah 60:19-22) Christmas Eve: "O Little Town of Bethlehem" (Micah 5:2-4) This Advent season, everything points to Philipps Brooks' Christmas acclamation: "Yet in thy dark streets shineth; the everlasting light. The hopes and fears of all the years; are met in thee tonight." Pastor Keith Sunday Morning Bible Class
Our Bible Study class meets after the Sunday worship service (11-Noon). –Pastor Keith
This Month in Our Prayers For Successful Medical Care and Healing For Our Members:
For Friends and Family Members:
· Leonard Z.—(Ruth Jessop’s brother)—now recovering at home
· MaryJane—(friend of Bonnie Moore)—healing & building strength after elevator accident. She is recovering at home now · Lori B.—(Ginny Bryant’s daughter-in-law)—adjusting to Parkinson’s · Sandy—(Val’s sister)—in Hospice care. Prayers for peace · Angela—(Food Distribution nurse)—recovering from a bad fall · Rev. Jim J.—dealing with health issues · Suzanne S.—over 10 years of debilitating health issue · Lyn G.—(friend of Brigitte Shrode)—dealing with health issues · Becky J.—prayers for peace · Patty & Marshall F.—(Food Distribution Volunteers)—significant elderly health issues · Jim—(Edna Koek’s brother)—healing from cancer · Steve M.—(Shawna Hall’s dad)—ongoing health concerns · Linda M.—(Shawna Hall’s mom)—ongoing health concerns · Sondra—(friend of MaryAnn Miller)—diagnosed with cancer · Mark S.—healing from surgery · Jessie—(niece of Edna Koek)—health issues · Craig—(Edna Koek’s nephew)—healing from surgery · Patrick K.—(Edna Koek’s nephew)—healing from surgery For Friends and Family Members:
Additional prayer requests, prayers of thanksgiving, prayers of comfort:
Prayers of thanksgiving in celebration of Bob Sandow’s birthday on Nov 2
Prayers of thanksgiving in celebration of Jeff Sturnick’s 60th birthday on Nov 5 Prayers for Brian Cox as he continues his ministry work in Israel Prayers that God continues to bless our preschool families and staff Continued prayers for Centro Cristiano Vida Nueva, in Oaxaca, Mexico Continued prayers for Pastor and Mrs. Paul Nelson as they continue their work in Indonesia This list is current as of October 29th, 2026. Please see the most recent weekly Sunday Bulletin (on line or in the Narthex) for the latest updates to our prayer list.
Voters' Meeting November 15th Our semi-annual Voters' Meeting will be See the weekly bulletin for more information. All GSLC members are invited to attend!
Thank You for Supporting Good Shepherd Pantry Distribution!
133 families, representing about 360 people, were served in September! Ongoing Needs
Food items that we don’t usually get from the Santa Barbara Food Bank, such as:
Hygiene and household goods, such as:
Note: We do not accept over-the-counter medicines or soft drinks/sodas. Questions? Contact or see Val Eurman (805-705-3311) or Cindy Oliver (805-680-4686) after church on Sundays.
The Craft Auction is Almost Here! Raise Your Paddles! Come join the fun at the most exciting shopping experience you will have this holiday season! Shop for unique holiday gifts, jewelry, baked goods and other wonderful items! For those donating items and baked goods, please drop them off on Saturday, November 7th between 12 - 4 p.m. and please include a starting bid price! See You There!!
We continue our in-person meetings in the Fireside Room for our monthly book club discussions.
The books chosen for our 2026 GSLC “Better Read than Dead” club discussions are below (click on link for the GoodReads summary). Join us in reading along!
November – Ann Theo of Golden by Allen Levi December –Kitty, typically Cookie Walk Day. With a short planning meeting. *** The Christmas Hope by Donna Van Liere Jump in! New folks are welcome anytime to read with us and “meet”. Just order/start reading the “next” book in line and give me, Val Eurman, a call at (805) 705-3311 or email (
Val Elders Fund Donations Needed
 Our Elders Fund needs a helping hand! If you would like to donate, please make your check out to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and put "Elders Fund" in the memo line.Thank you for your consideration!
Bible Readings
Please click HERE for the latest Sunday bulletin, which includes this week's readings.
Church Office Hours Our church office is normally staffed Monday through Thursday from 8:30 am until 12:30 pm.
Altar Flowers Policy If you would like to place Please make out your check to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (GSLC) and write flowers on the memo line. You can mail it to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church or drop it by the church office Mon-Thurs, 8:00 a.m. to noon.
Quilting News & Notes (We will meet on Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. until around 1:00 p.m. in Room 19. Some Saturdays will be reserved for “work days” when we can get together and iron, cut and do some general cleaning of the room or accomplish special projects. We will let you know when those Saturdays will be! For now, Wednesdays only and we hope to see you there!)
Join Adam for a Musical Meditation
Please join Adam (or a guest artist) in our sanctuary as they explore a variety of hymns and other musical prayers performed on a variety of instruments. The meditation is livestreamed on GSLC's Video Page and available afterwards as a video recording until the next live event. Older meditation videos are archived. The direct link to the Livestreamed / Latest Meditation is https://vimeo.com/event/1154783 . The Meditation Archive Showcase to view prior Meditations is at https://vimeo.com/showcase/7841964.
Jesus Sessions We continue with our Jesus Sessions every Tuesday from 3:30 to 6.
The prayer team meets in the Fireside Room. Please call Lizzie to make an appointment if you would like to attend.
Portals of Prayer
Portals of Prayer devotion booklets for October - Dectember, 2026 are now available at the church office. Please call Trisha and reserve a copy or come by the church office during business hours (Mon-Thurs 8:00 am—12:00 pm) to pick one up! They will also be available on the table in the church narthex on Sunday mornings.
Most Recent Reported Offerings as of October 26, 2026 "Month"-End
2026 Mission Offerings (as of 10/26/2026): District $500.00; Local: $5.00; Nelson Family $1300.00; Dental Mission $3230.00; Hispanic Mission Backpacks $2350.00; Ukraine $1130.00; Bible Sticks $950.00 Want to Keep Up With the latest GSLC News? Click HERE
 Our weekly Sunday Bulletin has the latest GSLC news! It's chock full of our prayer list, weekly schedule, basically everything that happens between these newsletters. The bulletin is updated every Sunday morning and is easy to get to - just click above. It will open or download for you.
GSLC's On Line Giving Options - Credit Card? eCheck?
You can also make a special one-time donation (through Square) on Good Shepherd's website. For either donation type go to https://gslcms.org/giving and then click on the appropriate donation button. You can specify whether you are donating to the GSLC budget or the Food Distribution program. If you prefer, you can also mail us your offering or drop it off at the church office. Elders Available by Phone and Email Elders assist with our public worship, oversee the spiritual life of members, and offer spiritual and physical support for our Pastor and congregation. Please contact any Elder to share your needs, concerns, and prayer requests.
Church Phone Extension Numbers Please follow the auto attendant menu prompts or dial an extension directly if no one answers. Also, the preschool can be reached through the main church number as well as their direct number (805-967-6101).
One-Stop Publicity! If your GSLC committee or group is making an announcement or planning an event, you can now send ONE email with the details and it will go to those folks editing the Sunday bulletin, church web site articles, web site calendar and monthly newsletter. The Good Shepherd publicity email address is publicity @ gslcms.org. Please include what the event is, when and where it will be held, who is invited and any other information that will help our readers decide to attend. Also, please include a contact name and phone/email if we (or a reader) want more information. Staff, Board of Directors, and Other Leadership Contacts
You may find the staff contact information either above or on our web site (Staff Contacts) and congregational officer and committee chair contact information here or on the Members Only web page at gslcms.org:
On Line Event Calendar Our latest calendar is on line here. This link will take you to the "public" event calendar unless you use your member login. To see the entire calendar (with church meetings, etc.), please log in with your member ID. No member ID? Click on "Create an account" on the right hand side of the web page to get started. Your account will be approved and then you can browse the member page contents. |
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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and Preschool
380 North Fairview Avenue, Goleta, CA 93117 • 805 967-1416
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containing the word “money”, and thousands more reference cash, wealth,or specific coins without using the exact term. Why is money such a prolific topic? It’s because money matters. And that’s what we’re calling our stewardship sermon series: Money Matters. We’re basing it upon 2 Corinthians 8 & 9, where the Holy Spirit will help us to understand, learn, and develop a new love for what Paul teaches about money and financial generosity.
for a tune as soon as possible. Redner threw something together early on the morning of the Christmas program and handed it to Brooks. Neither man thought much of the carol or the music. Both assumed it was a "one and done." Were they ever wrong!
held on November 15th at 11:00 am in the sanctuary. 
flour,sugar, unsweetened almond milk
Let’s read God’s Word together and see the great things God does for us through His Word! 
flowers on the altar, please call (805) 967-1416, or email (
Adam Phillips, GSLC's Music Director, provides meditative instrumental and vocal music every Wednesday morning at 10:00 am. 
Good Shepherd has offered electronic donation capabilities (through Vanco) for a while. You now have the ability to sign up directly through Good Shepherd's web site to donate on line (through Vanco) once or on a recurring basis.