Welcome!
Welcome to Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church! We are located at 4600 S. Poplar St., Casper, WY 82601. Our phone number is (307) 235-3536. Our fax number is (307) 472-2192, and our office e-mail is shephills@vcn.com. Services are held each Sunday at 10 a.m.
Click Here For Full Calendar
Confirmation
The process of preparing for confirmation started February 24. Please pray for the young people who are preparing each Wednesday evening for the next six weeks to make a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ.
Lord’s Day Worship in Lent
The book of Psalms, the Psalter, is one of the most widely-read and loved books of the Bible, filled with gifts of wisdom and authenticity. The psalms meet us where we are and lead us forward, where we need to be, making them a wonderful companion and guide for a journey of faith in the season of Lent. The texts, then for sermons, will be Psalm 63 on March 7 and Psalm 32 on March 14. March 21 is a Pathfinder Sunday and the ordination and installation of elders and deacons. March 28, Palm/Passion Sunday, is the annual service with St. Stephens Episcopal Church. This year, the service is at Shepherd. We will celebrate the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.
— Lynn
Pathfinders/First Footsteps Book Drive
From February 23rd through March 23rd Pathfinders and First Footsteps will be collecting and accepting donations of new or gently used books for needy children in Casper and on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The recipients we will target are the Self Help Center, Seton House, Central Wyoming Rescue Mission, North Casper School, and WMC Pediatric Floor. Pathfinders did this same outreach project last year and it was very successful and gratefully appreciated by the recipients.
Just in time for Easter, these books will be wrapped by P.F. kids and presented to children whose needs are brought to the attention of the church members. Please contact Tina K. or Liz B. if you have any questions or want to recommend a child or organization as a recipient.
Donations will be accepted each Tuesday evening from 5-7 pm and each Sunday morning from 11-11:30 am. A table designated for donations will be set up in the fellowship hall.
Lenten Soup Suppers
The Lenten soup suppers and study began Monday, February 22, at 6 p.m. and continue through Monday March 22. The topic of study is the Lord’s Prayer. Newcomers are always welcomed. Please join us.
Photo Opportunities
50th Anniversary Church Directory
In keeping with the 50th Anniversary plans this year, we will be updating the church directory. We hope to have as many families as possible in this issue. Our picture taking days/times will be:
- Tuesday, May 18, 1:00—7:30 P.M.
- Wednesday, May 19, 1:00—7:30 P.M.
- Thursday, May 20, 1:00—7:30 P.M.
We will begin scheduling photo appointments for our new directory on Sunday, April 18, and continue through the next four Sundays (April 25, May 2, 9, & 16). Each appointment includes looking at the pictures electronically. Early signup gets the best choice of date and time. Online signup will be possible at certain times, but check beforehand with Mary Kalbfleisch or Lois Feth to avoid double booking for the same time slot. Cannot come on any of those days? There are options; check with Mary K. or Lois F.
Photos will be taken at no cost to you. You will receive a free directory and an 8X10 photo of your choice, and the option to purchase more. If you already have a photo you wish to have in the directory, it must be digital and submitted online. Hard copies taken by another company cannot be used, due to copyright laws. We will be looking for volunteers to help with appointment signups, hosting on the photo days, posting appointments on the computer, and phoning church members to encourage participation. If you feel you can help in any of these areas, please contact Mary K. or Lois F. The company producing our directory, LifeTouch, has a program for feeding the needy in our community. If you bring a non-perishable item to your sitting, you will receive a $5 gift certificate to use toward any pictures you may purchase.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary K. and Lois F.,
Congregational Life Committee
Lenten/Easter Worship
As we look ahead into this Lenten season and month…March 14th is the change to Daylight Savings Time. Don’t forget to spring forward as 9:00 becomes 10:00!
On March 21st, we will have the Installation of Elders and Deacons during the worship service. Also, we will celebrate a Pathfinder Sunday on this day. Palm Sunday is on March 28th. The
Shepherd’s Bells will be providing music and we will have communion by intinction. This is our joint service with St. Stephens so plan to join us for worship and a finger food potluck after the service.
As we continue through Holy Week, April 1st, is Maundy Thursday. We will celebrate this time of quiet reflection by having a Taize service that evening. Communion will be served at the table.
A sign-up sheet will be available in the fellowship hall for those who would like to donate an Easter lily in honor of or in memory of a loved one, and we ask that they bring the lilies to the church the week before Easter.
Easter Sunday service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on April 4, and we ask everyone to bring their favorite Easter bread to share after the service.
I would like to take this moment to thank all those who have signed up to assist during our worship time together. What a joy it has been to have volunteers sign up ahead of time… some of you who are trying it out for the first time! Also, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to serve as an Elder on the Worship Committee for these past three years. We are truly blessed with a congregation of doers who are involved and willing to help out wherever they are needed.
Respectfully submitted,
Gail S., Worship Committee
News from the Child Development Center
The theme for the next 6 weeks is “I’m Thankful Each Day for Jesus’ Love.” We will continue building our school for “Pennies for Pencils” through the first part of March. We will also have a visit from the Audubon center (for those of you who do not where the center is, it is just up the road at the start of Garden Creek Road & is a wonderful place to take walks.) The kids will be sending mail through our “post office” and then will be working with the “soil” in our greenhouse later in the month. I think we will all be ready for a bit of color by then. Registration has begun for the 2010/2011 school year. Open enrollment starts February 22nd and will continue until classes are full. If you are interested in enrolling your child or know of someone who would like to check out our program, please give us a call at 234-8522. We still have one opening in our Pre-K program (5 by Dec. 31). We do have limited scholarships now available if you know of a child who would love to be a part of our program but whose family may have trouble affording a private school.
Sharing LOGOS Ministry
Laramie UPC LOGOS planners will be at Shepherd on March 3rd. They plan to kick-off their program this fall and are coming to join us to experience our program in action and will be here early to help with set-up for the evening and to ask questions. If you are currently on staff or have ever been part of the LOGOS staff at Shepherd, please join us at 4:00 and then stay for the evening to help them with questions they have about LOGOS at Shepherd. This is a chance to help another church with their endeavor to have a program for their church We know it is an essential part of who we are at Shepherd, a ministry for the congregation, not just our youth. I know there are so many congregation members from the start until now that have valuable insight to share. Please plan to join us.
Haiti Relief
Members of this congregation have donated $1,464.50 for relief in Haiti following the worst earthquake to strike the country in at least 200 years. The Session contributed another $1,000 in your name.
According to the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) website, the immediate One Great Hour of Sharing and general designated funds are being used to help with basic humanitarian relief in providing temporary shelter, food and health assistance. Funds are also being used to provide water and sanitation engineers, and equipment to construct water purification systems. Resources for building latrines are also being provided, as the sanitation situation is critical. PDA will be supporting communities in the long struggle to rebuild from this disaster.
More than $510,000 has been sent to help with relief. For more information, especially about the challenges the situation in Haiti poses to humanitarian aid efforts, go to www. pcusa.org/pda.
One Great Hour of Sharing
The chance to join with others to make a difference in the world is upon us. The theme of this year’s One Great Hour of Sharing offering comes from John 21:16-27:
Jesus said “Do you love me?…Feed my sheep.” For more than 50 years, Presbyterians have joined with Christians throughout the nation in supporting One Great Hour of Sharing, responding to Christ’s love for all people by joyfully sharing that love with people in need. The refugee and the stranger have found food and safe shelter; those stunned by the aftermath of disasters have found relief and help rebuilding; and communities seeking to help people start new lives and strengthen both families and their community have found partners in development through our gifts which support these ministries.
The Presbyterian Hunger Program receives 36 percent of undesignated gifts, while Self-Development of People and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance each receives 32 percent. The goal for this year is $15,000,000.
Recognizing that the hope we have in Christ is lived out in our hope for one another, we respond with gifts that help our sisters and brothers around the world find the hope for a brighter future. If you would like to donate, please make your check payable to Shepherd with ‘One Great Hour of Sharing’ in the memo portion. Donations will be dedicated on Easter Sunday.
Respectfully,
Heidi W. & Liz B.
Stewardship & Outreach Committee
Pine Ridge Wish List
A delivery will be made to our sister congregation at Pine Ridge on March 27 and the following are on their Easter wish list:
· Canned vegetables
· Canned meat
· Canned fruit
· Canned soup
· Dried soups
· Furniture
· Canned ham
· Pillows, Sheets
· Cash to buy food for emergencies
· Children’s books
· Blankets, Quilts
· Easter eggs & Coloring kits or dyes
· Bath Soaps
· Toilet Paper
· Kid’s bicycles
· Laundry soap
· Washing Machines
· Disposable diapers (all sizes)
· Computer paper
· Easter baskets & “grass”
· Jelly Beans
· Cash to buy 2-3 days of Propane for the widows and elderly
· Your prayers
Crop Walk
This year’s CROP Walk will be from 10 a.m. to noon on Holy Saturday, April 3. It is the first such walk since 2002. A CROP Hunger Walk is a stand against hunger in our world. Neighbors walking together raise awareness and money for international relief and development, as well as local hunger-fighting. The Board of Deacons and some LOGOS members and staff will be participating. You are invited to participate, also, both in the walk itself and in raising money. Please see Pastor Lynn. While this is a mostly Christian group, it is and has had many participants who are of other faiths or no faith at all. All are welcome. Organizers hope to make the walk a reflection on the “Stations of the Cross,” moving to various social service agencies interspersed with a short reflection on the social justice implications of the passion story and a prayer. CROP Walk is an activity of Church World Services with 75 percent of money going to programs around the world, such as Haiti, that serve the hungry and poverty stricken, while 25 percent stays in the local community. Locally, the money will go to Interfaith.
Pathfinders/First Footsteps “Growing Up With Jesus”
The Pathfinders and First Footsteps team held their first staff meeting on Tuesday evening, November 10th. This meeting provided a chance for the teams to discuss any areas that need special attention as the year progresses, or to learn from each other what was working well. There are 28 staff members and 33 youth participating this year.
The LOGOS youth stepped in to assist with recreation and worship, and served as table parents so the PF/FF team could meet for an hour in the back classroom. Dinner was provided for the staff. One change that we instituted this year was to separate the duties of dinner dean and kitchen coordinator (to mirror what LOGOS does).
Previously, the duties of both positions had fallen under the dinner dean title. That individual was pulled in multiple directions to arrange the kitchen teams as well as oversee the dinner hour and table parents.
With the separation of duties, the family time is running smoother and at a much higher quality of engagement. We invite the congregation to join us any Tuesday night for dinner, and see what an exciting experience the Pathfinders dinners are. Just let us know so we can let our cooking teams know to plan for extras.
Another change we have instituted is the assignment of the mission and outreach projects for PF/FF to the Assistant Director(s) each year. The assistant director(s) will continue to “learn the ropes” during the year they serve, but they will also select the mission and outreach projects for the youth – in partnership with the director – and oversee their execution.
We believe this is a perfect way for the assistant director(s) to become engaged with the youth, and fulfill a goal of our church. We believe this change can improve the effectiveness of the staff development in the PF/FF programs, and engage the youth programs with the work of the Deacons and Stewardship committees on the Session. We already have four exciting mission/outreach activities planned for the kids this year. You will hear more about them in future newsletters and the worship services.
A VERY Big Anniversary!
On November 6, 1960, 114 Charter Members of Shepherd of the Hills, representatives of Presbytery, and guests officially founded our church.
In November of next year, 2010, Shepherd will be 50 years old! Fifty years of worship, learning, fellowship, service and the ups and downs of life together is an achievement.
The Session formed a committee several months ago to begin thinking about our 50th, and they have reported back with a historical timeline and general thoughts about a celebration.
At its April meeting the Session enthusiastically committed to a CELEBRATION of this significant anniversary. We want to celebrate with flair, fun and faith.
Because of the significance of this milestone, the Session decided to start planning early. They directed the Church Officer Nominating Committee to begin the Calling Process to seek out God’s will for our leaders in this celebration. We intend to call one or more members to lead a broad committee to plan and put on the celebration. All Session members committed to work with the committee and its leaders toward a meaningful celebration.
We encourage you to think about what we have to celebrate about our life together and the challenges that invite us to grow into our next 50 years together. Gather your memories of your life at Shepherd. Be prepared to participate and enjoy our celebration next year. You are invited to give any input you have to any Session member and the committee when it is in place.
—The Session
