Food Pantry News

From last August through this March, the Food Pantry provided 417 bags of groceries and fed 1,116 people. Prayers were requested by 333 persons.

The volunteers gave out special bags for Thanksgiving and gift certificates for Christmas.

Leo has provided loaves from bread to hand out during March. We expect more bread for April.

Fund-raising for Shepherd’s Hall A/C Update

We did add a little more funds in our effort to raise enough money to replace the A/C unit in Shepherd’s Hall, So far we have raised $11,945.00 to replace one of the A/C units in Shepherd’s Hall. We are just past the half point to our goal. With your help, we can do this!

Organizational meeting for a GSLC Women’s Group

We would like another meeting on Monday, April 11 at 6:30 pm for anyone who couldn’t come to Friday March 4 meeting. It will be in the meeting room in the Sanctuary for all the ladies in the congregation who would like to get a “Women’s group” together. We will talk about things that we can do at church. It will be about an hour long. Please come and help us organize some activities. Contact Shirley Kaiser or the church office for more information. If you have a suggestion for a more convenient day and/or time, please let us know.

May Newsletter Articles Due

May Newsletter Articles are due no later than Tuesday, April 19. Please email your article to office@titusvillelutherans.org or leave a hard copy on the desk in the front office. Thank you!

Join Us for Easter Breakfast

A delicious Easter Breakfast in Shepherd’s Hall will follow the Easter Sunrise Service. This will be a full breakfast with sausage, eggs, desserts, and more. This will be a wonderful time of food and fellowship. We are looking for people to bring desserts. If you can help with this, please see the signup sheet in the Narthex. If you would like to help volunteer to do set up/clean up, and create table centerpieces or help in the kitchen, please talk to Don or Mary Ann Kalwat ,or Joe or Helen Laberge or contact the church office

Holy Week Worship and Events

April 10: Palm Sunday Procession, Worship with Communion, and reading of the Passion of Our Lord at 9:30 a.m.

April 14: Maundy Thursday worship with Communion at 6:30 p.m.

April 15: Good Friday Tenebrae worship at 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.

April 17: Sunrise Service at 7:30 a.m. behind Shepherd’s Hall
Easter Breakfast following worship
Easter Egg Hunt for children following the breakfast
Traditional Easter Service at 11:30 a.m. in Sanctuary

Please make plans to join us and please–invite your neighbors, friends, and family.


Easter Lily Ordering Time

Easter Lily order forms are now available. Please use the insert in the bulletin and
make sure to order a Lily or two to help beautify our Easter Sunday services. Lilies are $7.00 each and order forms are due no later than Sunday April 10.

Women’s Group/LWML Organizational Meeting

Ladies: We would like another meeting on Monday, April 11 at 6:30 pm for anyone who couldn’t come to Friday March 4 meeting. It will be in the meeting room in the Sanctuary for all the ladies in the congregation who would like to get a “Women’s group” together. We will talk about things that we can do at church. It will be about an hour long. Please come and help us organize some activities. Contact Shirley Kaiser or the church office for more information.

If you have a suggestion for a more convenient day and/or time please let us know.

Easter Egg Hunt Candy Needed

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church will hold an Easter Egg Hunt. To donate wrapped candy for the hunt, please place the candy in the basket in the narthex.

Thank you for anyone who can help with this donation request. The children will have a great time at this event! Please contact the office if you have any questions.

Special Plate Collect for Mortgage

Next Sunday, March 13, is our monthly special plate collection to help pay down the Shepherd’s Hall mortgage. There will be a basket as you leave the sanctuary where you can put any amount if the Holy Spirit calls you to do so.

Thank you all for your continued support! Every little bit will help.

A/C and Memorial Garden update: 3/5/2022

We did not add any more funds in our effort to raise enough money to replace the A/C unit in Shepherd’s Hall or to expand the Memorial Garden.

We did get off to a Rip Roaring start of raising funds to replace one of the A/C units in Shepherd’s Hall the first week. So far we have raised $10,025.00! That is almost half way to our goal, great news! We need to also keep in mind the expansion fence for our memorial garden with that goal set at $3,700.00.

Please keep these fundraisers in mind as you make you regular contributions. I know we are asking a lot, but with God’s help we will get there.

If you can give in addition to your regular contributions, please prayerfully do so.

Funeral for Ray Thomas

Ray Thomas passed away February 21. Funeral services will be held at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church on Thursday, March 3, at 11 a.m. A receptio with coffee and cake will follow in Shepherd’s Hall.

Please keep Donna and her family in your prayers.

Concordia University Chicago Wind Symphony Concerts in March

The Wind Symphony from Concordia-Chicago will perform secular and sacred music in Florida during March. Concerts are open to the public with free admission. Call the symphony’s tour director, Rachel Leininger, for more information. (Click her name for contact info)

Link to concert tour brochure (PDF)

Wind Symphony Spring Tour 2022

Friday, March 4
St. Luke’s Lutheran Church & School, Oviedo, FL
7 p.m. Concert


Saturday, March 5
Abiding Savior Lutheran Church, Gainesville, FL
7 p.m. Concert

Sunday, March 6
Messiah Lutheran Church, Tampa, FL
7 p.m. Concert

Monday, March 7
St. Armands Key Lutheran Church, Sarasota, FL
7 p.m. Concert

Tuesday, March 8
St. Armands Key Lutheran Church, Sarasota, FL
2 p.m. Concert

Thursday, March 10
Hope Lutheran Church, Bonita Springs, FL
7 p.m. Concert

Friday, March 11
St. John Lutheran Church & School, Ocala, FL
7 p.m. Concert

Saturday, March 12
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Orlando, FL
7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Concert

A/C and Memorial Garden Fundraiser Update

We are off to a rip-roaring start: $10,025 for the new air conditioner for Shepherd’s Hall–almost halfway to that goal.

Please keep in mind the expansion of the Memorial Garden with its goal of $3,700 for a new fence.

If you can give in addition to your regular contributions, please prayerfully do so.

Any interest in a Women’s Group at Good Shepherd?

There will be an hour-long meeting Friday, March 4, at 10 a.m. in the Sanctuary meeting room for all the ladies in the congregation who would like to form a women’s group. We will discuss what we can do at church and what activites we can organize. Call Shirley Kaiser or the church office for more information or if another day or time is more convenient.

Chili Cook-off Winners

3rd place: Roasted Peppercorn Bacon Chili — Charlie Fahey
2nd place: Mama’s Secret Chili with a Kick –Crystal Larson
1st place: Connecticut Yankee Bean Chili — Mary Ann Kalwat

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to them and all who brought their yummy chilis. (My apologies if your chili names are incorrect; I transcribed them from the announcement.)

A Thank You also to those who bought Shepherd Bucks and voted; we covered the prizes and raised $445 for the general fund.

Thank you!

A huge thank you to all who helped install the new speakers in the sanctuary on Wednesday, February 16 and to all who helped set up the Hibiscus Show in Shepherd’s Hall on Friday, February 18, and early Saturday, February 19. We are grateful for your hard work.

Fundraisers For Memorial Garden Expansion Fence and Replacement of Shepherd’s Hall A/C unit

The Board of Directors has recommended raising funds to expand and fence our Memorial Garden. We have many loved ones in there already and would like to continue to keep this open for our future loved ones. The cost to have the fence built is $3,700.

They also recommended raising funds to replace one of the A/C units in Shepherd’s Hall. The cooler weather now is not too much of a strain on the other unit, but summer is coming. The cost of a new A/C unit is $22,000

Please keep these fundraisers inyour prayers as you make your regular contributions to Good Shepherd. If you decide to give, please mark your envelope for the fund to which you wish your donation to go.

We have two big goals. With God’s help and guidance, we will be successful in raising the funds needed. Thank You

Weekly updates will be posted in the bulletin and website.

Ash Wednesday & Midweek Lenten Services

Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, is Wednesday, March 2. Morning service starts at 11:00am in the Sanctuary. Evening services will be at 6:30pm in the Sanctuary. Lenen services are every Wednesday from March 13 through April 6 at the same times.

We will continue our traditional “Lenten Lunches” following the 11:00am service in Shepherd’s Hall. Homemade soups, breads, and desserts will be served. (The food sign-up sheet is in the narthex.)

Everyone is invited and we hope that you will join us for lunch and fellowship during this special time of our church year.


Hibiscus Show Saturday, Feb.19

Mathews-Fallman (Central FL) Chapter of the American Hibiscus Society Hibiscus Show and Sale.

We will be there at 7am to open the building up. We will begin selling plants as soon as we are set up. This could be as early as 8 am, but as late as 9 am. We ask that you do not rush us in setting up. Judging of any blooms brought for showing will start at 9am and go until 11:30 am or until the last exhibitor states they are finished, whichever comes first. The head table will be set by 12:30 pm at the latest. You will be able to look at blooms that are not gold prior to head table completion, Gold blooms do have to be rejudged, so no one will be allowed in that section until judging is completed.

February Newsletter Articles are Due

February newsletter articles are due no later than Wednesday, January 19. Please email articles to office@titusvillelutherans.org or leave a hard copy on the desk in the church office.

A big “Thank You!” to everyone who contributes to this monthly newsletter.

The Annual Chili Cook-Off Is Back! (updated)

Sunday, February 27 in Shepherd’s Hall after worship. A sign-up sheet for the contestants/cooks is on the bulletin board in the Narthex. LutherBucks will be sold for $1 for the voting; money will be used for prizes to the winning chili-makers and to build the church’s general fund.
See the flyer for more info or call the church office.

New Adult Bible Study: “Hopeful Neighborhood”

Starting January 16, Bill Kaiser will lead a six-week study titled Hopeful Neighborhood. This is based on a joint project of Lutheran Hour Ministries and the Barna Group: Better Together: How Christians Can Be a Welcome Influence in Their Neighborhoods. The study uses the project’s Hopeful Neighborhood Field Guide. (links are to the LHM website)

Participants will look at ways to bless both Good Shepherd’s neighborhood and their own neighbor by discovering the gifts of community, imagining the possibilities, and pursuing the common good.

Class will meet in Shepherd’s Hall (room to be announced)

Pastor Bruce’s Sunday Study: Christianity 101

Pastor Bruce will start a seven-week study in his Adult Information series on Sunday, January 16. Ths class is based on Luther’s Small Catechism and is for those wanting to learn more about Christianity and the Lutheran church or those who want a refresher on the Catechism.

Join Pastor Bruce and the new Whiteboard (“Ah!”) in the large classroom in Shepherd’s Hall after worship (approx. 11:15 a.m.)

Updates on Worship and Classes for January 8 & 9

Junior Confirmation class is cancelled for Saturday, January 8th. Class will resume on Saturday, January 15.

Weekly Worship with Communion will resume Sunday, January 9th at 9:30 a.m.

Adult Class will resume Sunday, January 9th after Worship (around 11 a.m. when all the bacon has been eaten.) The topic is The Papacy and the Antichrist.

Altar Flowers for 2022

We have a new signup sheet for Altar Flowers on the bulletin board in the Narthex. Please sign up for that special birthday, anniversary, or memorial for your loved ones. It is still only $30.00 for these beautiful arrangements.

Poinsettia Pickup

Thank you all who bought poinsettias to help beautify our sanctuary for the Christmas season. It is time to take them home to help beautify your home or garden.

Please pick them up after today’s service if you wish to take them home