April 21, Fourth Sunday of Easter

Adult Sunday School

We will continue with our discussion from last week on the Easter Scripture texts. Come join us in the Hoffmeister Room today at 11 a.m.

Celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday!

One way to celebrate Good Shepherd this Sundayis by continuing to lift up the programs and services of Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI). By supporting the work of LSSI on Good Shepherd Sunday, your gift will be doubled! An anonymous donor will match all donations, up to $5,000 for each ELCA synod in Illinois, which means that your gift will have twice the impact. Please visit Make a Gift | Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (lssi.org) to make a gift online or you can send a check directly to the LSSI offices located at 1001 E. Touhy Ave, Suite 50, Des Plaines, IL 60018. Thank you for choosing to make a difference!

Readings and Psalm

Acts 4:5-12: Salvation in the name of Jesus

Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want. (Ps. 23:1)

1 John 3:16-24: Love in truth and action

John 10:11-18: Christ the shepherd

The image of the good shepherd shows us how the risen Christ brings us to life. It is the relationship between the shepherd and the sheep, one of mutual knowledge and love, that gives the shepherd authority. The shepherd’s willingness to lay down his life for the sheep shows his love. First John illustrates what it means to lay down our lives for one another by the example of sharing our wealth with any sibling in need.

Worship Support

Assisting Minister: Eileen Herrstrom

Reader: Jack Wilkie

Deacon: Susan Monte

Ushers: George and Bev Kieffer

Greeters: Meyer-Bilger family

Livestreamer: Michael Miller

Sound: Kevin Vail

For the upcoming Worship Support schedule, see the spreadsheet found here on Google Drive.

Hops n’ Hymns

Join folks from Grace, Good Shepherd, and St. Matthew’s Lutheran Churches at Riggs Beer Company on Sunday, April 28, at 5 p.m. for Hops n’ Hymns. It will be fun for the whole family!

Riggs address: 1902 S High Cross Road, Urbana, IL 61802 

Pastor's Discretionary Fund

The Pastor's Discretionary Fund allows the church to offer financial assistance to people in our community. The office receives requests for help with rent, utilities, and other needs, and your donations make this important work possible!

To donate to this fund, you can give online at https://glccu.org/donate/ or by mailing a check to the church office with "Pastor's Discretionary Fund" in the memo line.

Invitation to Women's Spring Brunch at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church on May 11

The Women of the ELCA (WELCA) group at Good Shepherd is having its annual spring brunch on Saturday, May 11. We would like to extend an invitation to the women at Grace to join us for this event. We are also inviting women from St. Matthew's in Urbana. We thought it would be a good time for fellowship for women from our three churches.

The brunch will be from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall at Good Shepherd (2101 S. Prospect Ave. in Champaign). We will be serving breakfast casseroles, fruit salad, and various pastries/baked goods. There is no cost. Please contact me, Nancy Holm, at nlholm@comcast.net if you would like to attend or if you have any questions.

Also, after the brunch we will be putting together Lutheran World Relief personal care kits that we have collected supplies for if you would like to stay to assist us with that. Hope to see you on May 11!

Best regards,

Nancy Holm, Good Shepherd member

Food Pantry

The Food Pantry needs egg cartons! Please drop off your clean, empty egg cartons in the trunk at the front entrance on Sunday morning or during the week when the office is open. Thank you!

High Point University Chamber Singers

Mark your calendars!

On Tuesday, May 7, the Chamber Singers from HPU in North Carolina will visit Grace Lutheran Church. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary. We hope you can be there!

Synod-Wide In-Person Listening Gatherings

Mark your calendars today and plan to participate in one of our four upcoming in-person listening gatherings across the synod as part of our comprehensive synod-wide listening and visioning process. They will be held on April 20 and 21 at four different churches around the synod, with refreshments provided (one will be at Saint Matthew's in Urbana). Click on the link below to learn more and sign up for one of the sessions.

April 21 to 28

Sunday, April 21

9:30 a.m.: Worship Service (in-person/livestream)

11 a.m.: Easter Coffee Hour Plus (Fellowship Hall)

12 p.m.: Women's AA (Hoffmeister Room)

Monday, April 22

10 a.m.: Food for Seniors (Fellowship Hall)

6:30 p.m.: Bell Choir Rehearsal (Choir Room)

Tuesday, April 23

6 a.m.: Food for Seniors (Fellowship Hall)

6 p.m.: Adult Children of Alcoholics (Chapel)

6:30 p.m.: Sweet Adelines (Fellowship Hall)

Wednesday, April 24

7 p.m.: Choir Rehearsal (Choir Room)

Thursday, April 25

10 a.m.: Food Pantry (Fellowship Hall)

Sunday, April 28

9:30 a.m.: Worship Service (in-person/livestream)

11 a.m.: Adult Sunday School (Hoffmeister Room)

12 p.m.: Women's AA (Hoffmeister Room)

5 p.m.: Hops n' Hymns (Riggs Brewing)

Prayer Requests



We have two formal ways of praying for one another at Grace. One is in the Sunday morning worship service, where we pray for people by name in the Prayers of Intercession. They will also be listed in the emailed and printed versions of GraceNotes, but not in the web version. Please send prayer requests for the Sunday-morning prayers to office@glccu.org. You may also submit prayer requests on our website at https://glccu.org/prayer-requests/.

Using GLC Facilities



Our facilities are available for use by members and by outside groups. If you would like to use any part of the facility, please fill out a Facilities Use Request, found on the web site, and contact Alex in the office to ensure that it is on the calendar, so that the space is ready for you and that you are aware of how to adjust the appropriate thermostat.