Did you ever observe a person walking a dog, and you wondered “Who is walking who”? Is the owner in control, or is the dog dragging its owner down the street? This Sunday, our New Testament reading encourages each of us to look at our relationship with money, and each of us needs to ask, “Am I in control of my money, or is my money controlling me?” ” Do I have my money on a leash…or is money dragging me around for dear life?” Don’t miss this Sunday’s sermon as Pastor Jack unpacks the Biblical principles of wealth management. You may be surprised by the conclusions!

THRIVENT ACCOUNT HOLDERS – We are in need of Thrivent customers to write Action Team grants. All customers are entitled to submit one or two per year. Please contact Denise Leifken at dleifken@aol.com or call 973-715-6611 for assistance.

VISITORS – please sign the guest book on the table in the lobby.

SUBSTITUTE SECRETARY NEEDED – Our volunteer secretary will be out of the office for approximately four weeks after October 24 due to a surgical procedure. We are in urgent need of someone to word process from home or in the church office for that period of time. Please see Wendy. Training happily provided!

PLEASE RETURN your songbooks to the table in the narthex at the conclusion of service today.

COFFEE HOUR HOSTS – are needed. Please see the sign-up sheet on the narthex table. Thanks to the DiColas for leading this fellowship activity.

SAVE THE DATES:

BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS – Sat., Oct. 1 at 10 AM Please bring your animals on a leash or in a carrier for a special blessing and a treat from Pastor Jack. Snacks and door prizes too!

ALL ARE INVITED to attend the Tues., Oct. 4 event planning meeting at 7 PM to set the calendar for 2023. Come with your ideas and the understanding that all events are group efforts.

BLOOD DRIVE is scheduled for Thurs., Oct 27 from 1-7 PM. Volunteers are needed. Please contact the church office if you can volunteer to help or serve as the coordinator.

PLEASE CALL AHEAD – before venturing a trip to the church office. Hours are subject to change due to voluntary nature of our staff.

THANKSGIVING FOOD COLLECTION – at least 20 of each item is needed: flour, peanut butter, gravy/gravy mix, jelly, instant mashed potatoes, canned vegetables, macaroni and cheese, cake mix, tuna, frosting, canned sweet potatoes, pancake mix, cereal, syrup, cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, soup, canned fruit, baked beans, rice, toilet paperT

LUTHERAN DISASTER RESPONSE –Your gifts will support those affected by the most recent disasters in Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and Alaska. Gifts to the general fund will be used in full (100%) to assist those affected. Checks or money orders can be sent to:
Lutheran Disaster Response P.O. Box 1809 Merrifield, VA 22116-8009
Write ” Give by phone at 800-638-3522 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. CT) or online.

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED – BLOOD DRIVE COORDINATOR, CONTROL ROOM HELP, OFFICE VOLUNTEERS, COFFEE HOUR HOSTS, FINANCIAL COUNTERS, PHOTOGRAPHER, DEACONS, AND USHERS are all needed. Training joyfully provided. If someone calls to recruit you, please prayerfully consider how YOU can serve. You can always volunteer by contacting the office.

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.

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

HELP SOTH WHILE SHOPPING ON AMAZON SMILE

Your shopping can benefit SOTH. Click here to find out how you can donate when you shop on Amazon. We have raised $469.07 to date!

DID YOU KNOW – that you can donate your used car to benefit SOTH? Please visit this site to get started:
https://careasy.org/nonprofit/shepherd-of-the-hills-lutheran-church

WWW.SOTHNJ.ORG – The church’s website is the place to look for upcoming events. Please consult the calendar there. The weekly email can be found under News at the bottom of the home page.
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/channel/UCH8w_r1Rb9HH7i6SD15Tu6w 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/.