October 9

Beloved of Good Shepherd Church,

Grace to you and peace in Jesus Christ our Lord!

We are alive on the planet to grow in love with God and each other. I believe that with all my heart. Jesus is the Christ, the one our people have long waited for, the anointed one who has come to instill in us his love-ethic, and restore us to union with God by the power of his resurrection in which love conquers death once and for all. 

Put more simply - Love is all!

Good Shepherd Church (your church!) is a powerful vehicle for the cause of love. People come to your church to learn how to love and be loved. We join in the rhythms of worship, formation, and outreach, so that we can generate love which then spins out from this place into the wider community. Our purpose is to spread the peace of Jesus, the hope of the prophets, the love of the disciples, and the grace of God to anyone with ears to hear. 

Put more simply, our purpose is to proclaim - Love is all!

Now is the time to expand our capacity to spread the Gospel from Good Shepherd. We are going to build a parish hall! I am so excited to have the opportunity to be a part of building something that will not only help us spread God’s love, but will help the generations who come after us to do the same. Our new space will not only serve us, it will also be for the wider community. In my imagination I can see us using it almost every day of the week. It will serve as a large and accessible meeting place for a multitude of ministry activities including meals, classes, activities for children and youth, Bible studies, overflow seating, and prayer groups. If you press me to give one purpose that rises above the rest as primary in my mind and heart I offer one word - fellowship. Christian fellowship is the depth of relationship birthed from getting to know each other by spending time together in the glow of the Gospel. Our parish hall will be a gathering place for all the members of our church to get together before and after worship and at all manner of other times in order to deepen our bonds of friendship and love. I can see a vibrant, intergenerational coffee hour, monthly parish breakfast, parish picnics that have outdoor and indoor seating, and events that don’t have to be canceled when it is cold or rainy. When we have a comfortable, accessible, spacious room in which to gather, we can get to know each other at a deeper level, then proceed into the world from a place of depth to carry the love of Jesus into the community. Likewise we can invite the community into our parish hall, like welcoming neighbors into our living room, so that they too can enjoy the fruits of Good Shepherd’s fellowship, care, and love.

This Sunday, October 12th we will launch the public phase of our Building Together capital campaign. You will be given the opportunity to prayerfully consider how God is calling you to participate in our dream of a parish hall. 

We are also launching our fall stewardship campaign this Sunday. Each household of the church is invited to prayerfully consider what portion of your income you will pledge to the ministry of the church. The church budget is a powerful tool for ministry. The worship, formation, and outreach ministries of Good Shepherd spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ both near and far as we proclaim together that - Love is all! By the power of our pledges we put the ministry of the church into motion. How wonderful is that?!  What are you called to give back to God through the ministry of the church in thanksgiving for our love-drenched lives?

We are careful to note that some households will need to make a choice between the capital campaign and making a pledge to the annual budget. That’s okay! If you need to choose between the two please choose your annual pledge to the church budget. Committed giving in the form of an annual pledge is the heart beat of our parish. Your annual pledge is vital to the life of Good Shepherd. 

Commitment Sunday is on November 9th this year. We will all get the opportunity to fill out a Building Together capital campaign pledge (3 year commitment) and an annual giving pledge card on that celebratory day. 

Remember this always - God loves you, and I love you too!

Love is all, 

Hendree+