9 AM FORUM • 10 AM WORSHIP • 11:30 AM SUNDAY SCHOOL

Enjoy Sunday Morning Worship at 10 am in Good Shepherd’s beautiful sanctuary. A play area next to the worship are will be available for the youngest among us. A staffed nursery is also available in Room 114. A recording of the sermon will be posted on Sunday afternoon here on the website home page and on Facebook and YouTube. The pre-worship Forum and Children/Youth Activity Time begins at 9 am, Hospitality & Fellowship coffee & treats immediately following worship, and Sunday School (Pre-8th) begins at 11:30 am in Room 114.

Sunday Morning Forums: On Sunday mornings at 9 am, we will have a number of forum presentations on various topics as well as special informational gatherings for the Good Shepherd community.

Sunday School and Adult Classes: On Sunday mornings immediately following worship and hospitality, the Education Hour will have educational opportunities for all ages including an Adult Education Class, and Sunday School sessions for different age groups:

• Better Ways to Read the Bible is an adult education class that will be focused on the book Better Ways to Read the Bible: Transforming a Weapon of Harm into a Tool of Healing, by Zach Lambert. The chapters are: We All Have Lenses, Some Are Better Than Others; Lenses That Inflict Harm: Literalism, Apocalypse, Moralism, Hierarchy; Lenses That Promote Healing: Jesus, Context, Flourishing, Fruitfulness. We’ll meet during the education hour following Sunday morning worship through November 16. You can miss a class but you won’t want to!

• Sunday School will meet every Sunday after worship and will include snacks, a Bible story, opportunities for wonder and curiosity, movement, activities, and connection. We are looking forward to a year full of learning, curiosity, wonder, and delight as we dig into God’s stories and discover more about who God is—together!

Advent 2025 at Good Shepherd: The Sounds of Hope and Longing

This Advent, we will explore different styles of music each Sunday morning. We are calling this exploration “The Sounds of Hope and Longing.” Here is the overview of our liturgical plan:

NOVEMBER 30 – American Gospel and Global Folk Music. Worship will utilize music from the American Gospel tradition, music in the accessible, folk-inspired style of composer Marty Haugen, and folk tunes from around the world.

DECEMBER 7 – Global Reflective Music. This service will use music from various countries that invites us to take a step back and reflect amid the chaos and uncertainty of our world today.

DECEMBER 14 – Classic Chorales. Our focus turns to more traditional chorales in this service. Chorales are organ-driven tunes, usually Germanic in origin, and relatively easy to sing in four parts.

DECEMBER 21 – Contemplative Chant and Song. This service will feature music based on plainsong chant tunes (often ancient music composed as one unaccompanied line of melody, without a metrical rhythm) and more modern chants (repetitive songs) like those in the Taizé tradition.

Sunday, November 30

• 9 am Forum – Reassessing Our Understanding of Israel, Toward Revising U.S. Israeli Policy. We will explore together what we are learning about the genocide of Palestinians and our U.S. role. Led by guest presenters from Westminster Presbyterian in Olympia: Joanne DuFour, a social studies teacher, and James Manista.

• 10 am Worship – First Sunday of Advent, The Sounds of Hope and Longing: American Gospel and Global Folk Music, Holy Communion, Pastor Carol Tomer preaching.

• 11:30 am – Sunday School (preschool - 8th grade), Confirmation Class

• 11:30 am – Better Ways to Read the Bible — This adult class will be focused on Better Ways to Read the Bible: Transforming a Weapon of Harm into a Tool of Healing, by Zach Lambert. This week’s discussion will focus on chapter 8: The Context Lens.

Sunday, December 7

• 9 am Forum – Questioning and Human Nature. Historically within the Christian tradition, questioning has often been understood as a deficiency of faith. This forum will explore the question: What if questioning is understood not as a lack of faith, but rather that which moves humanity closer to God. Specifically, we will address human nature, the role of questioning, and what it means to live into one’s full humanity. Led by Dr. Lynn Hofstad, the Program Coordinator at Queen Anne Lutheran. Prior to her arrival at Queen Anne Lutheran, she taught in higher education for over a decade at Seattle University and Pacific Lutheran University. She holds a Ph.D. in Systematic and Philosophical Theology from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. Her scholarly interests focus on feminist theology, eco-theology, the doctrine of the atonement, and Lutheran theology.

• 10 am Worship – Second Sunday of Advent, The Sounds of Hope and Longing: Global Reflective Music, Blessing of the Communion Ministers to the Homebound, Rev. Robert Hofstad preaching (former pastor of Good Shepherd and former bishop of our synod).

• 11:30 am – Sunday School (preschool - 8th grade), Confirmation Class

• 11:30 am – Better Ways to Read the Bible — This adult class will be focused on Better Ways to Read the Bible: Transforming a Weapon of Harm into a Tool of Healing, by Zach Lambert. This week’s discussion will focus on chapter 9: The Flourishing Lens.

Sunday, December 14

• 9 am Forum – Meeting Bishop Keith. Led by Southwestern Washington Synod Bishop Keith Marshall.

• 10 am Worship – Third Sunday of Advent, The Sounds of Hope and Longing: Classic Chorales, Southwestern Washington Synod Bishop Keith Marshall preaching.

• 11:30 am – Sunday School (preschool - 8th grade), Confirmation Class

• 11:30 am – Better Ways to Read the Bible — This adult class will be focused on Better Ways to Read the Bible: Transforming a Weapon of Harm into a Tool of Healing, by Zach Lambert. This week’s discussion will focus on chapter 10: The Fruitfulness Lens and the conclusion.

Sunday, December 21

• 9 am Forum – Meet Our New Bridge Pastor, Rev. Dr. Laurie Jungling.

• 10 am Worship – Fourth Sunday of Advent, The Sounds of Hope and Longing: Contemplative Chant and Song, Baptism of Nora Dryer, Rev. Dr. Laurie Jungling preaching.

• 11:30 am – Christmas Pop-Up Pageant. All ages are invited to an Intergenerational Christmas & Pop-up Pageant following worship and fellowship time! The celebration will begin around noon when we will hold the annual Good Shepherd Pop-Up Pageant. This will be an unrehearsed “pop-up” presentation with participation open to everyone of all ages. We hope to have all generations well-represented for a joyous and festive celebration!

Wednesday, December 24 - CHRISTMAS EVE

• 5:00 pm – A Festival Intergenerational Worship Service. Worship service for all ages with Holy Communion, individual candles, and Silent Night. Featuring music by the Good Shepherd Choir and two trumpets. Pastor Carol Tomer preaching. The prelude will begin approximately 4:50 pm

• 8:00 pm – A Contemplative Worship Service. Worship includes Holy Communion, individual candles, and Silent Night. Featuring music by string musicians. Pastor Carol Tomer preaching. The prelude will begin approximately 7:50 pm. All are invited to come forward to light candles in the sand cross at the front of the sanctuary during this prelude time.

• Following Both Worship Services – Room at the Inn: Share in the Feast of Christmas. All are welcome to a time for fellowship and sweet & savory appetizers immediately following both worship services.

No worship service on Christmas morning, Thursday, December 25

Sunday, December 28

• No 9 am Forum

• 10 am Worship – A Christmas Service of Word and Song, "You-Pick-'Em" Hymn Sing, Rev. Dr. Laurie Jungling preaching.

Sunday, January 4

• 9 am Forum – Good Shepherd Town Hall Forum

• 10 am Worship – Epiphany of Our Lord, Holy Communion, Blessing of the Communion Ministers to the Homebound, Pastor Carol Tomer preaching.

• 11:30 am – Sunday School (preschool - 8th grade), Confirmation Class