The Designated Light

Would you ever consider driving your car at night without the headlights on?  Of course not… yet many of us go through dark times without seeking the light of Christ.  During times of spiritual darkness we each need the guiding light of Jesus to point the way.  Join Pastor Jack for part-three of his sermon series, “The Manifestation of Christ”.  Find out how to seek the spiritual light offered to the world in and through Christ.  Jesus is our “Designated Light.”

COFFEE HOUR HOSTS URGENTLY NEEDED – Please sign up on the bulletin board in the parish hall.

RIDES FOR RONN – Drivers are needed to provide rides to and from church on Sundays for Ronn Sacchiero who lives in Mt. Arlington. Please sign up on the bulletin board in the parish hall. Thanks!

INCLEMENT WEATHER – Please check your email before venturing to church during inclement weather. Every effort will be made to alert you as early as possible to any cancellations. You can also check our Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SOTHNJ and the church website at www.sothnj.org

2026 MINISTRY “APPRECIATION WALK” – Happy New Year-Thank you for your prayers, time, and contributions to SOTH. Did You Know? 70% of our congregation volunteer in some position on one of our mission teams:              *Worship & Music                          *Christian Education/Youth
          *Community Relief                         *Activities
          *Marketing                                     *Membership
          *Property                                       *Giving

DID YOU KNOW? – Pastor Jacks’s weekly days off are Fridays and Saturdays. Of course, exceptions are made for urgent matters, emergencies, church work days, church special events, weddings, and funerals.

SAVE THE DATES:

ONLINE GRIEF EDUCATION – Thursdays in February (5, 12, 19, 26) 7:00 PM—8:00 PM via Zoom. Presenters: Pastor Jack DiMateo & Deacon Karen Kelly. To join the meeting click https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84851793386?pwd=l0fTOpA6sTFkLOB4uoC O9aYaldPJrg.1 or go to www.zoom.us, click “Meet > Join a Meeting”, enter Meeting ID: 848 5179 3386 and enter the passcode: 662980

ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE – Wed., Feb 18 at 7:00 PM

FAMILY POTLUCK DINNER AND MOVIE / GAME NIGHT – Sat., Feb 21, 5 PM – Come with food/drink to share and a game to play. After dinner, we’ll start the movie (TBD—suggestions welcome) and then let the games begin. Contact Barbara O. with any movie suggestions.

BLOOD DRIVE -Thurs., Feb. 26, 1-7 PM – To make an appointment, visit https://donate.nybc.org/donor/schedules/sponsor_code and use code #71131 or call 800-933-2566. Volunteers are needed for setup and cleanup, please contact Janine S. or sign up on the sheet in the narthex.

EASTER EGG HUNT- Sun., March 29 – More details coming soon.

FISH & CHIPS DINNER – Sun., Apr. 19, 5-7 p.m. Tickets go on sale at the beginning of February. We are collecting new items to be used for our baskets and door prizes that evening. Please see Barbara R., Diane F., or MaryAnn D. to donate.

MONDAY ADULT BIBLE STUDY – If you cannot attend (in person) our Bible studies on the first and third Mondays at 6:00pm, you can join us live via ZOOM video conferencing.
Please use this link:
Topic: SOTH Bible Study
Time: 5:45 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87871072581
Meeting ID: 878 7107 2581

BROWN BAG BIBLE STUDY 
Continues in person at Holy Trinity Church or via Zoom, the first and third Wednesdays from noon-12:45. Join Pastor Jack for a lively discussion of the Bible. No prior experience necessary! Click here to join us via Zoom. 

JOIN US WITH GENEROUS GIVING TO OUR MISSION: with these gifts, we continue to welcome folks to our community, to equip them with faith tools – learning the word, prayers for one another, and communal support – and then to send us into the world to welcome others. Your donations to SOTH can be accomplished in the following ways:

• On Sunday, place your donation in the offering plate.
• Mail your offering to: SOTH 246 Woodport Rd., Sparta, NJ 07871
• Go online to setup your e-giving from your checking, savings, credit card or debit card http://secure.myvanco.com/L-YXCY
• Download Vanco Mobile (Faith) on your smartphone, search for Shepherd of the Hills (Sparta)
• Text Giving to 973-832-0226 You can make a one-time gift or setup recurring offerings.

PLEASE CONTACT Barbara Osborne FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE WITH ELECTRONIC GIVING at bjo1216@gmail.com

Supplemental Opportunities For Giving – In addition to financial offerings mentioned above, there are additional ways to support our congregation that are mentioned on our website: https://www.sothnj.org/giving. 

Many thanks to all of the donors who support our mission!

WORSHIP INFO for January 25, 2026
Worship Service Bulletin
Marketing Team Volunteer List

New Link for Zoom Bible Study, Wed. at noon

Meeting ID: 878 7107 2581

SOTH CONGREGATIONAL COUNCIL AND TEAM LEADERS
Janine Shugan – Council President
Don Wolff – Vice President
Brett Maynard – Treasurer
Solveig Schunk – Worship and Music
Barbara Osborne – Financial Secretary
Recording Secretary – vacant
Nancy Wood – Christian Education
Patrick Wood – Property
Rick Erck – Membership
Kathy Schwab – Marketing
Judi Wolff – Community
Relief Activities – vacant Giving – vacant

STREAMING IS HERE!: We are excited to announce that you can now view our service live at 9:00 a.m. each Sunday. Click on this link to see the service and subscribe to our SOTH channel:  
https://www.youtube.com/@shepherdofthehillslutheran8820/streams  Don’t worry if you missed the live broadcast.  All services are archived on our channel.  You can also search for us on Facebook and like our page. https://www.facebook.com/SOTHNJ/.