Dear Faithful Offspring of Good Shepherd:

O ur life

is not

defined

or limited by cul-

ture, history, logic

or even death.

O ur life

springs

forth

from the cross!

destruction from which bursts forth the promise of the resurrection, which is our Easter song.

Lent is a time for us to re-member that we are indeed God’s offspring. Our life is not defined or limited by cul-ture, history, logic or even death. Our life springs forth from the cross! Lent is a time for us to get back to basics to feed our faith and to burst into service once again so that others can also experi-ence abundant and everlast-ing life in Christ.

Feed your soul this Lent every Wednesday. Join members of the Good Shep-herd faith family in the gym-nasium for a soup & bread supper beginning at 6:15pm. At 7:30 we will gather for a meditative and refreshing worship experience in the sanctuary. Share this time of renewal with a friend or a neighbor—it is one of the greatest gifts you can give them this year!

Bursting forth in Christ,

Pastor Eric Olaf Olsen

Lent is a time for getting back to our roots in a quite literal sense. To il-lustrate what this time of reflection and preparation that we call “Lent” is all about, let us take a short etymological journey. The word etymology comes from the root etymon which means “true sense”. Lent is an abbreviated form of Lenten which was derived from the Olde English word lencten which means “spring” (the season). The word spring has three common usages- two as nouns and one as a verb. The verb “spring” is derived from the word springan meaning to leap or burst forth. The noun spring in one sense there-fore describes the season in which vegetation such as flowers and leaves burst forth from the ground and in another sense indicates the burst-ing forth of water from the ground. Both nouns point to strong signs of life. Can we embrace Lent as springtime for the soul?

In what seems to be an ironic twist, we begin our spiritual springtime jour-ney on the day Pope Greg-ory the Great deemed

G O O D S H E P H E R D L U T H E R A N C H U R C H & S C H O O L

M A R C H 2 0 1 1

A M E S S A G E F R O M

P A S T O R E R I C

“Ash Wednesday” in 1297. On this first day of spring, ashes, an ancient symbol of grief and repentance are imposed on foreheads of the faithful while the words “remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return” are ech-oed. If we add to this the common understanding that ashes are also remi-niscent of the mortal re-mains of a person follow-ing the ancient custom of cremation- it appears at first glance that Ash Wednesday marks the springing forth of death- not life. But it is here in the midst of death where our etymological quest ends and where our theo-logical journey begins.

Our faith is all about the sure and certain hope of the resurrection. It is about being redeemed and brought back from the grave. Our faith is about God’s death defy-ing—or rather conquer-ing—logic which frees us to have life and have it abundantly. This is why the ashes that are im-posed upon our foreheads are in the sign of the cross. The cross, an an-cient symbol of death and

Future projects

under consideration

include

further insulation of

Good Shepherd’s

roofs/attics & walls

as well as

improved, efficient

lighting.

ENERGY MANAGEMENT REPORT:ENERGY MANAGEMENT REPORT:ENERGY MANAGEMENT REPORT:ENERGY MANAGEMENT REPORT:

Status for Calendar Year 2010Status for Calendar Year 2010Status for Calendar Year 2010Status for Calendar Year 2010

The Good Shepherd energy management program is poised for future progress following the last synod convention. Prospects are being evaluated on how to follow the synod energy resolution that our delegates voted to approve. This resolves to reduce synod energy consumption by 25 to 40 percent from the 2010 level by 2020. The approach is to try to save 5 percent per year. Much has been accomplished already by Good Shepherd. By the end of 2010, we

have decreased our total energy consumption by ⅓. That is about half of what can be accomplished now. A further similar savings potential is planned, which will meet the synod energy savings goal. Cumulative utility cost savings of $92,000 since 2004 gives us a leg up to tackle the next steps in the coming years. Among future projects being considered are improved efficient lighting in the church and school plus the further insulation of walls and roof/attics. At present we have 40 percent of these walls and roofs/attics insulated, a major improvement from our 5 percent initial starting point. Our plan is to insulate the remaining 60 percent.

—Odd Sangesland

Page 2

NEWS FROM THE PROPERTY TEAMNEWS FROM THE PROPERTY TEAMNEWS FROM THE PROPERTY TEAMNEWS FROM THE PROPERTY TEAM

Our property Team is on a constant

quest to keep our church, school and par-

sonage in the best shape possible. Al-

though you may not always see dramatic

changes on the outside, we are always

working to keep the buildings and

grounds humming.

The buildings are really beginning to

show their age, so we are in the process of

beginning upgrades. Cost is always a fac-

tor and we cannot do all the projects

needed all at once. Some of our recent pro-

jects include the installation of the new

benches, donated by Al Ehl, and the new

energy-efficient gas heating unit installed

at the school. This unit heats the gym, the

school hallways, the library, and room 7.

What you also may not know is that this

unit also heats both the east and west cot-

tages.

Initially, we had some issues with the

new unit, but through some diligent ef-

forts, another new unit was installed and

now is operating great. T h e

school added a very successful tod-

dler program to its curriculum;

however, this also meant some

changes were needed to done in the

school. The program is hosted in

room 7 of the school— the only

classroom without bathroom facili-

ties—so a new bathroom is cur-

rently in the works for this room.

Progress has been delayed due to

the snow. The program also re-

quired that we add a second means

of egress to the room, so a new exit

door was added to the south wall of

the classroom with exit ramp in-

cluded.

We are also working with Paul

Hinsch and the energy team to up-

date the energy efficiency of all

buildings. We have just completed

testing of different LED lighting for

the school, church, and parsonage

and will be receiving all new LED

lights for all buildings.

To give you an example of the

savings , the school has over 300

40-watt fluorescent lights. This

amounts to over 12,500 watts of

energy. With the new LED lights

we will be cutting the energy draw

down to about 2,500 watts without

losing any lighting lumens. Now

that’s savings!

Coming in the spring, we are

looking to redesign the landscape

in the front of the church. We

want to more lighting in the front,

new shrubs, and change the overall

look to one that is more inviting.

The property team has many

irons in the fire and we will keep

you updated as to our progress!

God Bless,

Wayne Ludewig

WORSHIP & MUSIC TEAM:WORSHIP & MUSIC TEAM:WORSHIP & MUSIC TEAM:WORSHIP & MUSIC TEAM:

Stations of the Cross at Good ShepherdStations of the Cross at Good ShepherdStations of the Cross at Good ShepherdStations of the Cross at Good Shepherd

Page 3

prayers, readings, a hymn and reflec-tions shared at each place.

For example, the first Station of the Cross is “Jesus Prays in the Garden of Olives.” At this station we read in part from Luke 22,

When Jesus reached the place, he said to the disciples ‘Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.’ Then Jesus withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.’…

In the past a worshipper then shares with us a personal reflection prepared in advance. Following the of singing a verse or a hymn, perhaps “Jesus, Remember Me When You Come into Your Kingdom,” we speak a prayer; then after a moment of silence, we move to station two, “Jesus is Betrayed by Judas” and we repeat the pattern.

For the past few years on Good Friday, mem-bers and friends of Good Shepherd have been observing “The Stations of the Cross,” also known as the “Via Dolorosa” which means "way of sorrows." Ar-ranged around the in-side walls of the

church, beautiful tapestries from Belgium represent fourteen scenes from the Passion of Christ, each corresponding to a particular incident. We have an additional tapestry depicting the resurrection of Jesus, which will be hung in church at Easter.

The object of the "Stations" is to help the faithful to make in spirit a pilgrimage to the chief scenes of Christ’s suffering and death. Last year, with the guidance of Pastor Louf-man, who involved worshippers sharing their reflections, this service has become a more meaningful Holy Week devotion. Worship-pers move from station to station with

Some see the Way of the Cross as a mini pilgrimage to the holy places in Jerusalem, which actually may be the reason for the original idea of this devotion. In the early centuries of the Christian church, many worshippers who could not travel to the Holy Land had the opportunity to partici-pate in this traditional service in their home congregation. In a sense, we also have the opportunity to take up our cross and follow Jesus.

The "Stations" will be hung in church for the season of Lent. While in church, take some time to look at and reflect upon the 14 stations.

Perhaps you may want to learn more about them.

- Erika Jurik

FELLOWSHIP IN A SNAP!FELLOWSHIP IN A SNAP!FELLOWSHIP IN A SNAP!FELLOWSHIP IN A SNAP!

Want to share a special recipe? Or is your idea of breakfast bagels with cream cheese or butter? Either way, why not share breakfast at coffee hour? Check your schedule, choose a date—Voila! Fellowship in a snap! Share with a friend and/or family If you’re making a recipe, why not have copies to pass around? Coffee supplies are in the table in the narthex! Any questions, please call Karin Kienle at 631-661-8879.

VOLUNTEERS DON’T VOLUNTEERS DON’T VOLUNTEERS DON’T VOLUNTEERS DON’T NECESSARILY HAVE NECESSARILY HAVE NECESSARILY HAVE NECESSARILY HAVE

THE TIME. . .THE TIME. . .THE TIME. . .THE TIME. . .

THEY JUST HAVE THE THEY JUST HAVE THE THEY JUST HAVE THE THEY JUST HAVE THE HEART.HEART.HEART.HEART.

Do you have a prayer request? Would you like to make a flower dedication? You may now do so online. Go to www.ourshepherdlives.org and you will find “Flower Dedication Request” and “Prayer Request” under the “Contact Us” tab. Select the one you want, follow the directions and click on “submit form”.

If you have not given us your e-mail address or if it has changed, send it to mary-wiegert@optonline.net.

Thank You!

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE:TECHNOLOGY UPDATE:TECHNOLOGY UPDATE:TECHNOLOGY UPDATE:

Prayer Requests & Flower Dedications in a Click!Prayer Requests & Flower Dedications in a Click!Prayer Requests & Flower Dedications in a Click!Prayer Requests & Flower Dedications in a Click!

Prayer Requests

&

Flower Dedications

Can Now be Made

online!

T H O S E W H O A R E

C E L E B R A T I N G

Reverend Marc Herbst was ordained & called to be Pastor at Faith Lutheran), Nurse Mary Feeley celebrated her retire-ment from LuHi, Dorothy Cronin celebrated her 90th birthday, and Kyle Lauren Jansky celebrated birthday #24.

GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH & SCHOOL

99 Central Park Road, Plainview, NY 11803 Phone: 516-349-1966 Fax: 516-349-8438

E-mail: church@ourshepherdlives.org Website: www.ourshepherdlives.org

Ministers: The Members of Good Shepherd Reverend Eric O. Olsen, Pastor

Judy R. Hinsch, A.I.M., School Director Teresa Ratkowski, Director of Choir and Organist

Maureen Cooke, Church Secretary/Newsletter Editor

Page 4

The congregation of Good Shepherd and the family & friends of Gail Harris, The family and friends of the Tavolott family (Terry Miccio), Nick Chiarelli (McGowans), police officer Mark Califano, Pastor William Pea-cock, The Haupt Family, The Hennig Family, and Don Harnum (Paul Hinsch’s friend) on the loss of his wife, Connie.

T H O S E P R E P A R I N G

F O R O R D A I N E D M I N I S T R Y

Roger Griffith

WE PRAY FOR...

Viena Ludwig, Edward Josten (Ruth Strakele’s Friend), Breanna Renee (Melissa Monten’s Friend), Firefighters Max Devane & Sean Carton, Jay Borea (Paul Hinsch’s friend), Ken Dixon (Pastor Eric’s friend), Deb Gebhart (Ruff Family Friend), Paul Panasuk (Lori Ma-son’s friend), Henry Kirschbaum (Lori Tollefsen’s relative), Sven Feret (Gunhild Schabel’s son), Paul Benner, Mary Knotek, Rev-erend Patricia Large (Lori Ma-son’s cousin), Nick Sowinski, Fran Baierlin, John Giannuzzi (Margo Giannuzzi’s son), Diane Lisa (Cathy Vollono’s friend), Janice Ridings and Susan Carraher (Rickmeyer family friends), Fran-cis Lee (Helen Kopf’s son), Annie Schaff (Barbara Valenza’s aunt), Meghan Ortega (Lisa Olsen’s relative), Lynne Carlson (Irma’s daughter-in-law), Ed Lennon (Lori Mason’s relative), Mary Melvin (Virginia Schroeder’s daughter), Sean Walsh (Pastor Eric’s friend), Mary Ellen Moyse (George’s wife), Don Unger, Francine Unger (grandparents of Katalina Paterakis), Fred Ruff, Joyce Tare, Bill and Jean Mason (Jim’s brother and sister-in-law), Jake (Maisch family friend) and his family, Ian Spadaro (Dottie’s grandson), James Fields (Vincent and Dorothy Cronin’s nephew), Richard Karl (Naomi Pfund’s friend), Mary Gessing (Dorothy and Vincent Cronin’s cousin), Rita Cunningham (Cronin family friend), and Chris Cucci (Naomi Pfund’s student).

T H O S E W H O A R E G R I E V I N G

T H O S E S E R V I N G

I N T H E M I L I T A R Y

CPT. Paul Rickmeyer, Major Phillip Sounia, MSgt. Richard Miranda, Sgt. Vincent Mezick and Russ Boynton (civilian) in Afghanistan (friend of the Hinsch/ Ressmeyer family). Lt. David Jacobs (nephew of Joyce Tare, cousin of Alec & Madison Tare).

T H O S E I N N E E D

O F H E A L I N G

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

6

Adrian

a Vollon

o &

Robby P

ietrofere 3

Adrian

a Vollon

o &

Robby P

ietrofere 1

Miran

da B

enson

&

Zach

ary Vollon

o

9

(Ash

Wed

nesd

ay)

Miran

da B

enson

&

Mich

ael Haupt

10

Miran

da B

enson

& Eric K

ovel 8

Adrian

a Vollon

o & Eric K

ovel

13

Mich

aela Pietrofere

17

Mich

aela Pietrofere,

Adrian

a & Zach

ary Vollon

o

15

Mich

aela Pietrofere

20

Miran

da B

enson

&

Zach

ary Vollon

o

21

(Holy

Thursd

ay)

Danielle V

ollono &

Mich

ael Haupt

22

Miran

da B

enson

&

Robby P

ietrofere

27

Danielle V

ollono &

Eric K

ovel 22

(Good Fri-

day)

TBA

29

Danielle V

ollono &

Zach

ary Vollon

o

23

(Easter

Vigil)

Adrian

a Vollon

o &

Danielle D

eFilip

pis

24

Danielle V

ollono,

Nicole D

eFilip

pis &

Robby P

ietrofere

Page 6

CONGRATULATIONS

JASON LORCH,

(Philip & Angel’s son)

and to the

Bethpage High School

Swimming Team!

SUNDAY—MARCH 13

The Plainview Old Bethpage Interfaith Clergy Council will be sponsoring a panel discussion for parents & teens entitled Bullying—Reality and Response at the Manetto Hill Jewish Center, 244 Manetto Hill Road at 4:00 p.m.

FOOD OFFERINGS APPEAL Between now and Shrove Tues-day, we would like to encourage everyone to bring a food offering to worship. A basket will be placed on the floor before the al-tar. We invite members of the congregation to place that food in the basket during the prelude. The food collected will be used to supply food pantries which are greatly depleted

EVERY OTHER THURSDAY

Please come to the Shepherd’s table seniors’ bi-weekly luncheon at noon every other Thursday at the Town of Oyster Bay Shepherd Hill Apartments’ community room. Sandwiches, salad & light desert. $3 suggested donation. All are welcome. Dates in March are 3/3, 3/17 & 3/31. Please feel free to-call the office ahead of time to verify.

BEGINNING MARCH 16

Join us each Wednesday evening dur-ing Lent for soup & bread supper in the gym. Soup’s on at 6:15 p.m., but feel free to drop by a little later if that works better. We’ll be here. Worship program will follow at 7:30 .p.m. in the church. This Lent, feed your soul and your body with good things. Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to grow in faith and fellowship. Soup makers and bread bringers are wanted for this event. A sign-up sheet can be found in the narthex. Thank you.

ONGOING MINISTRIES

Every Thursday at 10:30 am & 7:30 pm. Our lectio divina Bible study meets in the church prayer chapel.

Our bereavement group also meets there at 10:30 am & 7:30 pm. on the fourth Monday of each month. This month’s meeting falls on March 28th—mark the date.

Please feel free to attend any or all.

SHROVE TUESDAY—MARCH 8

PANCAKE DINNER!

Fun and frolic for the entire family on this final day of indulgence before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Pancakes, sausage, apple sauce, fruit punch, water, coffee, tea & dessert. Music & dancing! Bring the family--$3/adult, $2/child, family total not to exceed $10.

Mark your calendars— Tuesday, March 8, 2011 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

OUR SOCIAL MINISTRY thanks you for your continued support and for remembering that the need for food is not a monthly mission, but an ongoing one. On Monday, February 7th, we delivered 104 lbs of food to the Lutheran Life Center. Your contribution, no matter how big or small, made a pantry shelf less sparse.

UPDATE FOR MARCH 2011

WITH COUNSELING SITES LOCATED IN: NASSAU SUFFOLK MANHATTAN QUEENS WESTCHESTER

Prepared especially for LCC Association Congregations & Schools

LCC is beginning its 3rd year of support groups for Nassau County girls in the 4th

through 12th grades who struggle with low self-esteem and poor body image. A total of ten support group sessions

will be held on Mondays be-ginning Monday, March 21,

2011. Sessions for younger

girls (ages 9 through 13) will be held from 4;30 to 5:30 p.m. and sessions for older girls (ages 14 through 18)

will be held from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. All sessions will be led by LCC children’s counselors at LCC’s Mineola site. Cost is

$5.00 per session. Support group topics during these weeks will include:

> Understanding body im-

age, media influence &

self-perception

> Developing coping skills to

manage your emotions in

healthy ways;

> Recognizing & ending un-

healthy relationships; re-

newing mother-daughter

bond

> Handling peer pressure,

rejection and loss;

> Addressing the need to

please: avoiding over and

under achievement;

> Cyberbullying and how to

avoid being a victim

LCC counselors will ensure that participating girls are

encouraged to share their feelings, learn positive choices and gain peer support

in a safe and caring environ-ment.

Parents of participating girls are invited to meet while their daughters are participating in the

group sessions. The discussion group will be facilitated by one of LCC’s counselors and will provide parents with helpful tips to im-

prove communication with their daughters; ways to recognize signs of self-injurious, harmful or

addictive behaviors; and parental approaches that will make a positive difference in their child’s life. Parent sessions are free.

Registration for girls is re-

quired. Contact LCC for more information or to register.

*This program) is made pos-

sible, in part, through a gen-

erous three-year grant from

the Lutheran Services for

Children Endowment at the

ELCA Foundation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE REV. PETER STEINKE

IS SPEAKER AT ANNUAL LCC MEETING

ON APRIL 7

Lutheran Counseling Center is pleased to announce that The

Rev. Peter Steinke, renowned author and creator of Healthy Congregations, Inc., will be our guest speaker this year at our

annual Corporators’ meeting to be held on Thursday evening, April 7, 2011 from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. Pastor Steinke will speak

on “Creating and Sustaining Healthy Congregations”, a topic he ‘delivers on’ every day! Pastor

Steinke travels to churches in crisis all over the United States and using intervention and train-

ing, brings about congregational and leadership transformation through a family systems ap-

proach. This presentation will give you tips for keeping your congre-gation healthy and for handling church conflict pro-actively.

LCC invites pastors and two rep-resentatives (delegates) of each

Assoication Congregation and/or School to join us. Please let your pastor know if you would like to attend this dinner/annual event.

Delegate forms will be mailed to your church soon; register your church by either returning com-pleted forms, calling LCC at 516-

741-0994 or e-mailing us at Cen-ter@lccny.org. LCC will present a brief annual report and present

candidates for board membership or renewal of terms. Plan now to join us for this exciting evening!

You may reach the Lutheran Counseling Center at 516-741-0994 or 1-800-317-1173 or e-mail us at Center@lccny.org. LCC has seven counseling sites in

and around metropolitan New York. Visit our website at www.lccny.org.

LCC has seven counseling sites over the New York metropolitan and sur-rounding areas.

DOES YOUR DAUGHTER NEED HELP WITH ISSUES OF SELF ESTEEM?

GROUP SESSIONS BEGIN MARCH 21, 2011 IN MINEOLA, NY*

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church & School

99 Central Park Road

Plainview, NY 11803

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Non-Profit Org.

U.S POSTAGE

PAID

Permit # 490

Hicksville, NY 11802

DATED MATERIAL