At 9am on Sunday November 11, the Church of the Good Shepherd at 5 W. Washington in downtown Oswego will honor veterans from the congregation and from the community.  The service will open with a color guard provided by American Legion Post 675. And instead of a sermon, the congregation will hear stories and remembrances shared by the veterans themselves. There will also be a display board featuring photos of the vets when they were in the service, and veterans are encouraged to wear their hats, their medals, and their uniforms to that morning’s worship, which will be followed by a brunch in the church fellowship hall. The nominal brunch donation will be waived for any veteran who attends.

Pastor Phil Sheets explained, “At our last worship planning meeting, we realized that the next time Veteran’s Day will fall on a Sunday is 2018! And of course, many of the vets who are with us now may not be here then. So we decided that this year we would recognize these men with a special worship thanking them for the service they have rendered and the sacrifices they and their families have made, from World War II, Korea, the Cold War, Vietnam, in the Middle East and elsewhere. And I get to speak most Sundays – so on this Sunday, it will be the veterans’ turn.”

Good Shepherd usually has two different worships, at 830 and 10am, but on November 11 there will be a single unified service beginning at 9am. Veterans from the congregation and community are genuinely invited to share their stories.  And while the church hopes to allow time for spontaneous sharing, preference will be given to those who have contacted the church office and arranged for a time slot.  For more information contact the church at 630.554.3269 or check out the website atwww.goodshepherdoswego.org.