Monthly Newsletter for July, 2026

Newsletter Highlights This Month (click on a link to view)

• • Sermon Series and Bible Study
  • Help with GSLC Pantry on July 18th  (prep on July 17th)
  • 2026 Book Club Readings

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 newsletter.

Sermon Series: "Picture Perfect - I AM: Portraits of Jesus.”

We continue the summer with our sermon series called "Picture Perfect—I AM: Portraits of Jesus.” All four Gospels found in the New Testament record Jesus making statements about Himself using the Greek words, “ego eimi”, meaning “I AM.” However, in the fourth Gospel, the Gospel of John, John records Jesus saying “I AM” thirty times. That’s well more than twice that of the other three Gospels combined, who record Jesus saying “I AM” only twelve times. In seven of those thirty passages Jesus uses an explicit predicate following “I AM” to describe Himself through a graphic and meaningful metaphor. Seven. The perfect number in the Bible. That’s John’s way of saying here is a picture perfect portrait of Jesus.

Our Bible Study will take a deep dive into each of these I AM: Portraits of Jesus. The Bible class meets after the Sunday worship service (11-Noon).

I invite you to be a part of these worship services and studies, as together, we get to know our “picture perfect” Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who is the great I AM!
- Pastor Keith

Sunday Morning Bible Class

Our July Bible Study will take a deep dive into each of the I AM: Portraits of Jesus. The Bible class meets after the Sunday worship service (11-Noon).

–Pastor Keith

July-August Sermon Series: "Baptism, A New You"

"I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Those are the words of Jesus spoken when a person is baptized. Good words. Biblical words. But Holy Baptism is more than pretty words or biblical sounding ideas. Baptism is more than just a ceremony, more than just a ritual. Holy Baptism is objective reality. It actually connects us to Jesus. We are united and connected to Jesus when we are baptized. And God gives us gifts on the day we are baptized. God gives us new life. In Baptism you get a new you. Our sermon series, "Baptism: A New You," puts the focus on the baptismal gifts God gives us in our new life.

This Month in Our Prayers

For Successful Medical Care and Healing For Our Members:

Gary R.—numerous health concerns
Edna K.—dealing with numerous health issues
Judy S.—Parkinson’s disease & polycystic kidney disease
Janet E.—dealing with numerous health issues
Dave F.—dealing with numerous health issues
Brigitte S.—continued prayers for healing
Shawna H.—continued recovery and healing
Margret B.—for peace

For Friends and Family Members:

Maurice F.—(brother-in-law of Mark & Andrea Preiser)—upcoming open heart surgery
Lyn G.—(friend of Brigitte Shrode)—dealing with health issues
Becky J.—prayers for peace
Cindy P.—(friend of Nan Morrow)—healing mercies for her serious brain bleed
Diane D.—(friend of Lorna White)—dealing with cancer and numerous health issues
Curt—(brother of Cheryl Barbaria)—healing after surgery
Patty & Marshall F.—(Food Distribution Volunteers)—significant elderly health issues
Sayil—(brother of Bonnie Moore’s dear friend)—continued prayers for healing, no
infection and that he adjusts to his new life after a motorcycle accident
Natalie K.—(friend of Lizzy Savage)—healing to breathe better and peace
Rob L.—diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease
Jim—(Edna Koek’s brother)—healing from cancer
Rev. Jim J.—Parkinson’s disease and other health issues
Steve M.—(Shawna Hall’s dad)—recovering at home
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

For Friends and Family Members:

Patrick K.—(Edna Koek’s nephew)—healing from surgery
Linda M.—(Shawna Hall’s mom)—ongoing health concerns
Bob R.—(Vicki McPhail’s brother)—recovering at home
Melanie H.—healing from continuous health crisis
Judy—(friend of Shawna Hall)—starting cancer treatment
Patrick K.—(Edna Koek’s brother)—continuing cancer treatment
Christine K.—(cousin of Lorna White)—Dementia is getting worse
Terry O.—relieve discomfort & suffering from her health issues
Scott R.—(friend of Pastor Keith)--cancer treatment
Ed—(friend of Lizzy Savage)—prayers for salvation
Farzeen & Family—(friends of Lizzy Savage)—prayers for salvation

Additional prayer requests, prayers of thanksgiving, prayers of comfort:

Prayers of thanksgiving in celebration of Adam Phillips’ birthday on July 1.
Prayers of thanksgiving in celebration of Bob Szulczewski’s 92nd birthday and great grandson Kayden’s 4th birthday on July 2.
Prayers of thanksgiving in celebration of Stephanie Messner’s 26th birthday
on July 3.
Prayers of thanksgiving and celebration on the birth of Ellie Swann, born June 8th. Her parents are Jessica & Tyler Swann, her grandparents are Jeff and Cathy Swann and her great grandfather is Don Swann.
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 June 25th, 2026. Please see the most recent weekly Sunday Bulletin (on line or in the Narthex) for the latest updates to our prayer list.

Memorial Service for "Dr. Bob" Olsen
The Memorial Service for Robert W. Olson, MD will be held on Wednesday, July 8, 2026 at 10:30 in our Good Shepherd sanctuary. It will also be livestreamed.
A light reception will follow.

Memorial Service for Arlene Kramer
The Memorial Service for Arlene Kramer will be held on Monday, July 27, 2026 at 12:00 noon at St John’s Lutheran Church in Orange.
A reception will follow at 1:00 p.m.

Sunday Service Lectors Wanted - No Experience Needed

The lectors typically read the Old and New Testament readings, including psalms as scheduled.

If you have lectored before, please come back. If you never have lectored before we want you!

Please see Pastor Keith if you are interested.

Important Good Shepherd Pantry News!

Starting in July, we are moving the date of our monthly distribution to the 3rd Saturday of the month. For example, instead of July 4 distribution, it will be on July 18, with prep on Friday, July 17.

Questions, concerns or comments? Please chat with Val or Cindy!

Thanks for your continued support of this ministry!
Cindy and Val

Thank You for Supporting Good Shepherd Pantry Distribution!

Ongoing Needs

• Donate $$
• Donate gently used, clean, ready-to-use clothing, especially for men and kids
• Purchase food & hygiene *
• Extra citrus, fruit and/or any veggies from your yard
• Plastic grocery bags, paper bags with handles or reusable cloth bags
• Help on Friday (July 17th)
• Help on Saturday (July 18th)

* Notes:

Food items that we don’t usually get from the Santa Barbara Food Bank, such as:

• Peanut Butter, jelly, jam, syrup, flour, sugar, unsweetened almond milk
  
• More-healthy cereal (Ex: Wheat Chex, Cheerios, Raisin Bran), breakfast bars, oatmeal
  

Hygiene and household goods, such as:

• Toilet paper, tissues, paper towels, soap
  
• Toothpaste, toothbrushes, deordorant, shampoos/conditioners
• Cleaning supplies, diapers/wipes, male/female personal items

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.

Congratulations to our Board Members for 2026/2027

Board of Directors 2026/2027
President: Dave Roman
Vice President: Alan Meeder
Secretary: Michelle Cochran
Treasurer: Dan Barnett
Member-at-large: Andrea Hoelter
Member-at-large: Doug Trantow

Board of Elders (staggered three-year term)
Bill Savage
Erik Wipf

Facility Needs:
Our campus needs new roofs. We will be replacing the roofs in phases. Phase One is the Sanctuary roof and repair of the Fireside Room roof that had a leak.
The Voters accepted the Board of Directors funding recommendation for $132,388.30 for Phase One of the Facility Roofing Project.
The Phase One roofing project will begin Monday, June 15, 2026 and take approximately 2 weeks to complete.

The term for our board members begins July 1,

Good Shepherd Supports:

_________________________________________

___________________________________________

Art Show at Good Shepherd

Lizzy Savage is showing drawings and paintings at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church called "Speak Peace to the Nations.” The Art Exhibit will hang through the end of June. Exhibit hours are Mon-Thurs 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. To schedule an appointment outside those hours, please contact Lizzy Savage at 805-453-0571.

Art takes many hours and it is the expression of an artist to share their expression of Christ to you.

Don’t miss the long piece above the door called "Open the Scrolls" as we do that each time we come to church. The piece is Jesus as HE is the Word of God brought forth in our church.

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.

Bible Readings

Let’s read God’s Word together and see the great things God does for us through His Word!

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 flowers on the altar, please call (805) 967-1416, or email (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) Trisha at the church office. One beautiful bouquet is $25.

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

Adam Phillips, GSLC's Music Director, provides meditative instrumental and vocal music every Wednesday morning at 10:00 am.

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.

Lizbeth Savage
JesusSessionsgslc gmail.com
ph 805.453.0571

Portals of Prayer

Portals of Prayer devotion booklets for July - September, 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.

Results of Straw Vote to Add Infant/Toddler Care to our Preschool Ministry

Here are the results of the straw vote taken on June 21, 2026.

There were 69 votes cast.

74% said Yes, in favor of adding Infant/Toddler care to our Preschool Ministry:
Option A = 4%
Option B = 9%
Option C = 10%
Option D = 51%

26%, said NO, not in favor of adding Infant/Toddler care to our Preschool Ministry.

More information on the next steps will be announced at a later date.

Most Recent Reported Offerings 

  as of June 29, 2026

"Month"-End

2026 Year-to-Date

2026 Mission Offerings (as of 6/29/2026):

District $350.00; Nelson Family $1000.00; Dental Mission $2330.00; Hispanic Mission Backpacks $2350.00; Ukraine $930.00;  Bible Sticks $100.00

 

 

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 "members only" bulletin version 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?

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.

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.

Elder	Phone	E-Mail
Ted Hoelter	805-692-8414	tedhoelter1 @ gmail.com
Mike McGinnis	805-967-3563	mmcginnis8 @ gmail.com
Bill Savage  (chair)	805-845-5265	blia4savage7 @ gmail.com
Erik Wipf	805-683-3228	drerik @ sbdentistry.net

 

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).

Office Admin/Trisha	ext 100
Pastor Keith	ext.101
Bookkeeper/Janet	ext.103
Sexton/Robert	ext.104
Music/Adam	ext.105
Preschool/Katie	ext.108

 

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:

Board of Directors
President,   Dave Roman	805-698-4596	dave.roman @ verizon.net
Vice-President,  Alan Meeder	805-452-1591	soccer @ silcom.com
Secretary,   Michelle Cochran	805-705-7997	ms.michellecochran @ gmail.com
Treasurer,   Dan Barnett	805-729-5993	decibell.one @ gmail.com
Member-at-Large,  Andrea Hoelter	805-692-8414	andreadhoelter @ gmail.com
Member-at-Large,  Doug Trantow	323-496-1299	dtrantow @ pacbell.net

Committee Chairs and Group Leaders
Elders Chair,   Bill Savage	805-845-5265	blia4savage7 @ gmail.com
Food Pantry,   Val Eurman	805-705-3311	veurman @ cox.net
Head Usher,  Mark Preiser	805-610-0100	mpreiser @ cox.net
Memorials/Endowments,   Tom Fisher	805-964-3692	tmfisher2 @ cox.net
Shepherd's Bells,   Joan Barnett	805-729-5994	joan.barnett @ gmail.com

 

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.