Youth Update - Denver JUICE Service Trip

This past week five of our Good Shepherd youth had the privilege of serving on the Denver JUICE trip. JUICE stands for Justice: Urban, Immersive, Cooperative, Experience. The overarching goal of the trip was to learn about poverty, homelessness, and injustice in our city, and to offer an experience that combines service and outreach with education and advocacy.

We worked with organizations that you may be familiar with like St. Francis Center, and Loaves & Fishes, as well as some that may be new to you like Crossroads of the Rockies, Joy House, and Silver Linings. We interacted with the homeless and the needy in many different ways. Some of us helped a woman who had escaped domestic violence move into a new apartment in her safe house. Some delivered lunches and care packages to people living on the streets. We spoke with the elderly about the challenges of poverty in old age. We played with children at a free summer daycare in one of Denver’s poorest neighborhoods. We sorted vegetables at a food bank, and helped repair shelters. 

We learned about legislation and lobbying; our vow to love one another as Christ loves us means using our power and our privilege to be a voice for those with less options and opportunity. We learned what it means to be advocates. 

We could not have been a part of this life changing trip without your encouragement and support. If you would like to be involved in future YES trips or would like to make a donation to our cause, please contact me.
 

Music with a Mission Update: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

The Good: A Big Thank You!

A hearty thank you to those of you who have already become Angel Sponsors for our 2018-2019 season! To date, we have 47 Angel Sponsors, and the volunteer positions of parking lot attendants, ushers and stage crew have all been filled. I am still hearing many positive things about our series, and it seems that everyone is in favor of continuing the series for our 4th season.

The Bad: We are Not There Yet

This is a good start, but we have quite a way to go to reach both our financial and volunteer goals. As of this writing, we are down 20 Sponsors from last year, and we are having a difficult time finding enough volunteers to run our receptions. I am still hopeful that many people have just not taken the time to submit their Angel Sponsor Donations and volunteer cards. We have had several people who have asked to be on a sub list for volunteer positions. While subs are helpful, we really need people who can step up and make the commitment to help with all five concerts. Most of the lack of volunteer help revolves around the planning, set-up and clean-up of our receptions.

The Ugly: (See next article)

Vestry Devotion: Listening for People’s Potential

Each month, Good Shepherd’s Vestry meetings begin with a devotion offered by a Vestry member, and, for the past year, we have been including these devotions in the Sheepskin. This month’s Vestry devotion is submitted by Carl Algermissen. Carl is completing his third year on the Vestry and serves as a member of the Music with a Mission Board. He has blessed our congregation many times with his beautiful playing during worship services.  Carl works at Oppenheimer Funds as Vice President and Senior Counsel.

God gave each of us a brain that is a connection machine – our thoughts, memories, skills, and attributes are vast sets of connections, or “maps,” joined together via complex chemical and physical pathways.  When we process any new idea we create a map of that idea in our mind, and then compare it subconsciously in a fraction of a second to our existing maps. If we can find solid enough links between the new idea and our current maps, if we can find the connections, we create a new map that becomes a part of the layout of our brain; and this new map literally becomes part of who we are.  Maps help us predict the outcome of situations more easily.  When we are processing complex ideas we tap into our visual center: we see ideas as flashes in our mind’s eye. 

We’ve all had that feeling of that sudden “aha” moment.  It’s a moment when various ideas that were not linked before come together to form a new idea.  It feels like we’ve seen something new. This is the moment of creation, the moment we feel motivated to do something. 

As scientists have begun to understand the mechanics of the brain they have discovered a world of almost unimaginable complexity.  I read recently that the brain has around 100 billion neurons.  There are practically unlimited different ways that brains can store information, unlimited options for how experience, learning, and information might be encoded.

So while your brain may look physically similar to mine, the way we store, organize, manage and retrieve information is very different.  However, it is a rare person indeed who, while trying to help another human being, doesn’t do so with a subconscious assumption that their brains are basically the same!   Each of our mental maps are remarkably different – so why do we often live as if that’s not the case?

When we learn, the universe – our universe – changes. The connections between our neurons reconfigure, and the world is a tiny bit different as a result.  It is sometimes said that we see the world as we are, not as the world is.  Any piece of information that comes along is compared to our existing mental maps, to see where the connections are.  We try to fit the data into our existing frameworks.  This is done through guesswork that’s based on past experience.  If we think the world is a dangerous place, we look around for evidence of this and find it.  Whatever filter we hold in mind, the brain frequently looks for evidence to confirm this filter, and it does so extremely efficiently, second to second, without our conscious mind being aware of what we are doing.

So both changing the way in which we perceive the world, AND influencing how others perceive it – is a tough challenge of leadership, as we can each have the occasional tendency to fight hard to hold on to our particular view of the world.

Everyone has to make their own connections, according to their own wiring.  The good news is that we can make the space for this to happen, and encourage it, but then we need to take a step back and allow the process to unfold. Any group of people will see the same situation from substantially different perspectives.  Rather than fighting this, bringing together a balanced team of people who think in different ways can be tremendously beneficial.  When this happens, recognizing it for the blessing that it is can be liberating, particularly if we give ourselves the space and freedom to let go of mental frames that may be holding us back from performing at our peak. 

But letting go of negative mental frames can be challenging – just as it can be challenging to stop a bad habit.   Yet maybe if we surrender this habit that we wish to change and hand it to God, we can devote our energy to creating a whole new habit.  We need to trust that God gave us a brain that has a remarkable ability to repair itself when things go wrong.  The key may be to find new ways to approach situations that leaves our existing wiring where it is, and allows for the development, and ultimately the hard-wiring, of new habits. A less technical way of saying this is that we need to focus on solutions instead of problems.  We need to give up our desire to find behaviors to fix, and allow ourselves to become fascinated with identifying and growing people’s strengths, which is an entirely different discipline.

Focusing on and defining solutions allows us to better concentrate on what we are trying to achieve, why we are trying to achieve it, how to get there, and – perhaps most importantly – it prepares us to listen to others.  That listening part trips us up frequently, though.  How often do we only hear what we are listening for, paying special attention to what we are expecting to hear?  Most people, if honest, would admit that while they purport to be listening, they are only hearing a small percentage of the time, with the rest of their attention being put to judging, assessing, trying to sound smart, listening to distractions, trying to size other people up, or being self-conscious – to the point that they are only, in fact, listening to themselves.  I think God wants us to listen for other people’s potential, rather than measuring or monitoring, and without falling into the trap of constantly focusing on problems. 

Thank God people are placed in our lives who speak truth, love, and words of wisdom.  The trick is that we need not only to listen, but to hear, which is why we pray for discernment to know when God is using someone to speak instruction into our hearts, and for the strength and courage to follow through with that advice, even when it may be difficult.  Fortunately, it is worth remembering that, when surrendering to Grace, we do so with a prayer that we might be filled with peace in knowing that, even if we take a wrong turn, God’s purpose will prevail.

Stewardship 2018 – Book Review: Best Practices in Parish Stewardship

As I mentioned last month your Stewardship Committee has worked with Church Development out of Kansas City for Webinars, Resources and books related to Stewardship. Three books that I have read in the last month and that were recommended by Church Development, are listed below and are all available on Amazon.com.  Last month I reviewed the book Rebuilt, and this month I will talk about the book, Best Practices in Parish Stewardship.

• The Spirituality of Fund-Raising – Henri J.M. Nouwen – 2004
• Rebuilt – Michael White and Timothy M. Dolan – 2013
• Best Practices in Parish Stewardship – Charles E. Zech – 2008

Although this book is written about the Catholic Church, there is a lot in the book to help us all with our understanding of Stewardship.  Quite simply this book is based on the concept that Stewardships is everything we do in the Church, including our time, talent and treasure.  I will try to describe the book by sharing what he says about Stewardship and then the eight things that he shares that churches can do to advance Stewardship.

Some thoughts to describe Stewardship:

1.  “All we have is really a gift from God, Who asks us to return a portion in the form of time, talent, and treasure to support His work on earth.”
2. “Stewardship involves developing a need to give, rather than merely giving to a need.”
3. “Stewardship is an understanding of a total way of life; a conversion of mind and heart.”
4. “Stewardship is not about something we do, it is about who we are, and Whose we are.”
5. “Stewardship is about asking ourselves, ‘What do we own, and what owns us.’”
6. “Stewardship is an act of worship, not an act of obligation.”

Eight things that parishes can do to Advance Stewardship:

1. Be a welcoming parish that takes community building seriously.
2. Appoint a Stewardship Council.
3. Include stewardship as a vital component of the Parish Plan.
4. Emphasize Stewardship in all parish formation and education programs.
5. Provide the opportunity for lay witness presentations.
6. Encourage parishioners to make a commitment to the parish by pledging.
7. Communicate with parishioners on stewardship.
8. Remember that good stewardship starts in the parish house.

Although these comments talk only about a portion of the overall book they do share many of the key points in the book.

Youth Update – West Virginia Service Trip Builds Friendships AND Muscles

We had a wonderful time in West Virginia on this years’ high school service trip. We worked hard rebuilding a little league community building in the heart of Clendenin.

Some of us installed sub flooring and others worked on the roof and the exterior. It was hard but rewarding work. We learned a lot about power tools and a lot about resilience.

The people of Clendenin suffered a tremendous loss in 2016. Thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed, and lives were lost. Two years later they are still working diligently to rebuild their community. It was a tremendous privilege to be a part of it.

Check out more pictures from the trip on our website by clicking the button below

Thank you! 

Congregational Meeting on our Transition to be held Tuesday, April 10th at 7 pm – all are Invited

Please join the Good Shepherd Vestry at a special congregational meeting at 7:00pm, April 10. Since the first meetings we held, we have additional information from the Office of the Bishop about the number of vacancies in parishes in our region and in our state. For a variety of reasons, we are taking another look at how we will be selecting our next Rector and we hope to see a big turnout for the meeting April 10.

We are pleased to announce Vestry and staff assignments as liaisons to some key committees. DeeDee Atwood, Shane Jones, and Deborah Sampson will be working with Transition Communications. Deb has begun to populate Rector Search page on the Good Shepherd website, where you find the latest information on the search process. Please contact Deborah at sampson.dk@gmail, if you are interested in serving on the Transition Communications team. Nora Earnest, Marjorie Lell, and Kathy Hunter are working on the Transition Celebration committee.  The Celebration committee has organized the party, to celebrate Fr. Craig and Ann’s contribution to Good Shepherd, on Saturday April 7. Contact Nora at nearnest@msn.com if you want to help plan all the celebrations related to the transition process.

One other area you are sure to be wondering about, Retired Bishop Jerry Winterrowd will be helping with services, during the beginning of our transition – celebrating at the April 22 and 29 services. Retired Bishop Cal Scofield and Rev. Merrie Need have agreed to celebrate 6:00PM services, through May. We are so very blessed with our wonderful and active retired clergy.

So, go to www.gshep.org and click on “Rector Search” in the main menu for the latest information on the transition and:

• Attend the Tuesday, April 10, 7:00pm meeting with your questions and prayers,
• Consider volunteering for communications or celebrations,
• Know that we are blessed with retired clergy to support us in a more active way for a short period,
• Pray for our parish, our vestry, and our staff,
• Remember that this is a sacred time for all of us.

A Message from your Senior Warden about our Transition Process

As we collectively inch closer to Fr. Craig’s retirement, I want to share some of the work that has been going on in the background.  Clergy transitions typically follow a distinct set of stages.  These stages include Loss, Preparation, The Search, Call & Start, Adjustment and Re-visioning.  Although Fr. Craig has not yet retired, I’m sure many of you have experienced a sense of loss, since his announcement. 

To prepare for a smooth transition, the Vestry and other lay leaders have been engaging with Fr. Craig, on a regular basis.  At our Vestry meeting, on January 16, Ann Fleming, Missioner for Transition Ministry & Congregational Development, presented the members with information on search options and other materials to help guide our church through the process.  At the Vestry retreat, in February, a significant amount of time was dedicated to building a framework to support the transition process.  The Vestry decided to support the process using functional committees to accomplish the work ahead of us.  These functional committees will cover communications, profile, interview and celebration.  While most of the committees are self-explanatory, the celebration team was formed to organize the party commemorating Fr. Craig and Ann’s contribution to Good Shepherd over the last 13 years. 

In addition to the work being done by the Vestry, the Transition Committee, consisting of Nora Earnest, Randy Hubbard, Pete Roden, Elaine Oxenbury and myself, have been meeting with Fr. Craig regularly to understand the critical systems and processes at Good Shepherd.  The Transition Committee meetings have helped establish a road map of actions, which need to be accomplished, prior to Fr. Craig’s retirement.  Fr. Craig discussed these actions in his March Sheepskin article.  One of the actions on the road map was for me to spend a day at the church with Fr. Craig and the staff.  This task was accomplished this week.  A full building walk-through was performed, during which locations of critical systems and documents were noted.  I also had the opportunity to attend the weekly staff meeting and get a feel for all the effort it takes to keep Good Shepherd running.

We have also been in conversation with our retired clergy, and the Diocese, to make certain we have service coverage into the future.  Retired Bishop Jerry Winterrowd, Retired Bishop Cal Schofield, and Rev. Merrie Need will be helping us through the transition.  I have also been in regular contact with Ann Fleming to discuss supply and interim clergy options.  Currently, we have the Sunday morning services covered through April, and the 6:00 PM services covered through May.  We will continue to work on the plan, until we have all services covered.

As we approach Easter, let us enter into this sacred season with prayer and reflection.  Please keep all the clergy and lay leaders in your prayers, as they prepare to celebrate Christ’s resurrection.  Please keep Good Shepherd in your prayers, as well, as we prepare for new life with a new Rector.  If your schedule will allow, please plan to attend the parish meeting on April 10th, as we continue to prepare for the transition and begin the search process.

Juice O’ The Barley to Perform on Friday, March 23 for Music with a Mission

Following on the heels of our very successful bluegrass concert which raised over $1,700 for Heifer International last month, we end our 2017-2018 season with a special St. Paddy’s Day treat! Join us the Friday after St. Patrick’s Day on March 23 when we welcome Juice O’ The Barley to the Good Shepherd Stage.

Over the years, Juice O' The Barley has established itself as one of the most sought after purveyors of Irish pub music in Colorado. Taking its name from a well-known--and much consumed--Irish beverage, THE JUICE performs contemporary versions of pub classics, as well as music from the current Irish folk and pop scene. They can be found playing at local pubs and at major Irish and Celtic festivals throughout Colorado. The Juice is not your mother's typical Irish folk group. They play their music in a style that can only be described as "Irish music with an attitude."

All funds for this concert will go to NAMI Mental Health. Hope to see you all there!

The Hummin’Birds to Perform on Friday, February 16 for Music with a Mission

If you are a bluegrass and country music fan, then you won’t want to miss our next Music with a Mission concert on Friday, February 16th when we welcome local artists The Hummin’Birds. Cami and Mike (pictured at left) will be joined by their daughter Claire on the fiddle for this delightful evening.

The Hummin’Birds draw their inspiration from early masters in American music styles, including Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, the Stanley Brothers, the Louvin Brothers, Bob Wills, Doc Watson, Cindy Walker, Les Paul & Mary Ford… and the list goes on! They deliver an easygoing performance, mixing old time Appalachian tunes with country, bluegrass, gospel, swing and original songs. Their clean vocal harmonies and playful instrumentation have delighted audiences over many years. 

Admission is free, and a "love offering" will be collected for Heifer International. See you there!
 

Forte Handbell Quartet to Perform on Friday, January 19

Ring in the New Year with our third Music with a Mission Concert of the Season, when we welcome Forte Handbell Quartet on Friday, January 19. Based in Colorado Springs, Forté is a nationally recognized, advanced handbell quartet marked by artistry, energy, and dedication to their craft. Formed in 2007, Forté has emerged as a unique performance and educational quartet, quickly developing an elite reputation within the handbell world. They perform a wide variety of styles, including but not limited to Celtic, techno, pop-country, classical, contemporary Christian, and new age, adding original compositions and arrangements to their already-challenging repertoire. They are exciting and entertaining to watch, and you won't believe what four people can do with so many bells.

All donations for the evening will go to Covenant Cupboard Food Pantry.

Our Second Music with a Mission Concert is Friday, December 1st at 7 pm

I can’t think of a better way to kick off the Advent season than to attend our Advent Lessons & Carols on Friday, December 1st at 7 pm. This seasonal concert will feature beautiful music and readings which will prepare us for the joyful birth of the Christ Child. Advent Lessons & Carols was originally celebrated at King’s College in England many years ago and is still part of many Anglican holiday traditions.  The program will include lessons about the coming of the Messiah with music and readings to prepare our hearts and minds to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.  The Good Shepherd Choir will be joined by liturgists, vocal soloists, bell choir, men’s choir, and instrumentalists to bring this evening of music and readings beginning with a candlelight procession.  The music will range from chant and traditional anthems, to gospel music and familiar congregational hymns. 

Our mission partner for this concert will be Family Tree - House of Hope, which is provides safe shelter and resources for homeless women with children. Invite your friends and neighbors, and help us spread the good news of Christ this Advent Season.
 

Join us Friday, October 20, for the First Music with a Mission Concert!

The third season kicks off on Friday, October 20th with a classical concert featuring our very own Dr. Stephen Fiess and the music of two great Classical composers  – Frederic Chopin and Franz Liszt  – both of whom wrote music that is beloved the world over. Dr. Fiess is well known in the Denver area as a performer, composer, lecturer, and teacher, and will perform several popular Chopin piano works, including the Fantasy-impromptu, the “Minute” Waltz, the “Harp” Etude, and the Grande Polonaise Brilllante.  He will also perform some of Liszt’s best-known piano works, including Liebestraum and Hungarian Rhapsody #2. The partnering mission for this concert will be the Jamaica Medical / Dental Mission, which brings doctors, dentists and vital supplies to the poorest regions of Jamaica.
Please use this opportunity to invite your friends and family to our church for a great concert and a great cause.
 

Announcing the 2017-2018 Music with a Mission Season!

It's hard to believe that we are embarking on the third season of our Music with a Mission Concert Series. Thanks to all of you who once again contributed to our cause. Your efforts have enabled us to land a great lineup of artists this year, ranging in style from classical to bluegrass, with a few surprises thrown in for good measure. 

We begin the season on October 20th this year with our very own Dr. Stephen Fiess and an evening of Chopin & Liszt favorites. Our second concert of the season will be in December, (a first for us) and will bring our Anglican roots to the community by presenting our Advent Lessons & Carols as part of the series. In January, nationally recognized Forte Handbell Quartet will join us with a set of bells that will stretch across the entire front of the sanctuary. Our fourth concert will feature Appalachian and bluegrass music with a trio named The Hummin'Birds, and the last concert of the season will fall right after St. Patty's Day with a Celtic group that calls themselves Juice O' The Barley. Specific dates and detailed information for each concert is available at our website gshep.org. Access the full list now by clicking here.

Hard copy brochures of the season will be available in the Narthex if you would like to pick up a few and hand them out to your favorite friends and neighbors. Never lose sight of the importance of your role as a parishioner to spread the good news of our series, and to act as an ambassador for Good Shepherd. Together we can do great things in the name of Christ.

See you all at the concerts!

DeeDee