New Prayer Buddy Program offers intergenerational opportunities

Two of the most important reasons people come to church are to build relationships and to pray.  Good Shepherd has developed an opportunity to do both, but in a new way!

Become A “Prayer Buddy!”

The goal of the “Prayer Buddy” program is to build intergenerational relationships at Good Shepherd through prayer and friendship. Interested adult parishioners will be paired with a child or youth parishioner (with parent’s approval).  Each Prayer Buddy team will be asked to pray for one another on a regular basis and mail greeting cards to each other on holidays and on their birthday.  

For young children, having a Prayer Buddy may be a great opportunity to start a prayer routine at home!  Parents may also assist their children with sharing artwork or drawings with their child’s Prayer Buddy.  For adult parishioners, having a Prayer Buddy may enable them to get to know children and families at Good Shepherd who they may not already know; and they may enjoy watching their Prayer Buddy grow up in the church. For youth, having an adult parishioner pray for and be interested in them may help them realize they are part of a loving and supportive church family.    

Adults parishioners are encouraged to register by clicking the link below and parents of children and youth are asked to sign up on behalf of their children.  Once you sign up, you will be paired with a buddy and will be provided general information about your buddy (birthdate, interests/hobbies, prayer requests, which service they typically attend, etc.).  You will also receive a card with your buddy’s photo and contact information.  

Need ideas on how to support your Prayer Buddy?

• Include them in your prayers

• Send them a “thinking of you” card or a birthday card

• Greet them during the sign of the peace

• Sit together during the church service 

• Share a treat together during coffee hour

Sign up online today to be a part of this wonderful program! Go to gshep.org/prayer-buddy-program or contact Rachel Whipp for more information.

Holy Week Schedule

What is Stewardship?

Recently (2019), the Episcopal Church Foundation working with Forward Movement (our monthly Day by Day books) as their Publisher, published a “Finance Resource Guide” which most of us assumed was written for treasurers and finance leaders in Episcopal Churches. The publication actually talks about Stewardship, Church Leadership (Vestries and Wardens), and Finance and Administration for Episcopal Churches.

I am going to use some of their presentation on Stewardship because I believe their comments are right on. They share that Stewardship is more than fundraising. It is a life-giving way we respond to God’s call to interact with the world, both as individual believers and as communities of faith. Our participation in and commitment to our community of faith – in the form of pledging, serving on the vestry, or being a Sunday School teacher or as choir members – is all stewardship. This ties into our concept of Stewardship as our time, talent and treasure.

As lay and clergy leaders, we are stewards of our congregational assets, responsible for taking care of the church budget and the building. That means we must be intentional about inviting people to participate in the work God is doing in the world and to celebrate that participation.

Among all the institutions in the world, faith communities lead the way in teaching the life lessons that being a giver is better than being a taker. We are heathier – physically, emotionally, psychologically, relationally – when we understand and practice giving.

Stewardship is at the heart of putting our faith into action, as followers of Jesus, for the glory of God, for the good of our congregations and our communities and for our own spiritual growth. Stewardship – giving of ourselves – is worship and is a part of our lifelong journey with God. It’s the embodiment of our discipleship.

Stewardship formation invites us to grow in our relationship with God, helping us recognize and use the gifts we’ve been given, including money. Fundraising for our church is part of stewardship – it’s just not the entirety of it. “Stewardship” is the theology, and “fundraising” is a ministry. If you think of Fundraising as a part of stewardship, it takes some of the pressure off the traditional “stewardship season” of October through December.

Your Stewardship committee meets year-round and we believe that Stewardship is a way of life and involves everything we do at Church and includes our time, talent and treasure.

Sunday School News

Starting March 1, Elaine Oxenbury is offering a 5-week (actual class time) Communion instruction series during the normal Sunday school class time.  This curriculum is a yearly offering in the 3rd-5th grade Sunday school class but is open to all children pre-k and above.  It is tailored to the needs of the child and will honor your child’s Communion experience, whether they have or have not taken Communion before. It is a preparation for the celebration of First Communion or a continuation of the exploration of the meaning of why we celebrate this Sacrament.  We will recognize the participants of this class and celebrate with those who will receive their First Communion at the service on April 26th at 10:00. Children don’t need to be baptized to be in the class, but in order for your child to receive Communion, they will need to be baptized. For more information on being baptized, please contact Rev. Gary.

During the 10:00 service on Easter, April 12, we are offering a children's choir which will be led by Connie Branton (our Choir Director). Rehearsals are downstairs on Sunday mornings from 10:20-10:30 on March 8th,15th, 22nd and April 5th, during our Sunday school time.  (A rehearsal will not occur on March 29 because of the family service.)  All kids and youth are welcome!

Our annual Easter Egg Hunt, which we hold on Easter Sunday, continues. In order to have an abundance of eggs, we are asking families to donate plastic eggs filled with individually wrapped treats…PLEASE, NO PEANUT BUTTER PRODUCTS…or small stickers.  There is also a need this year for bags of small candy or a collection of small stickers that I can use to fill plastic eggs.   We would greatly appreciate a donation of one dozen eggs per child to ensure that we have enough on Easter Sunday for our church family and visitors.  There will be a large, labeled red collection bin just inside the church entrance March 22 through April 5.  Thank you so much in advance for your generous donations that make this fun event possible!

Please keep in mind that since March has five Sundays, on the 29th we have our youth/family service.  For this Sunday only, the kids will not meet downstairs, but enjoy this service in its entirety with their families.  On the first four Sunday’s in March, Sunday school will meet downstairs and then at approximately 10:35, we will process into the sanctuary so the kids can rejoin their family at the Peace, followed by the celebration of Holy Communion.

Sunday school begins at 9:45 every Sunday.  There is one Godly Play classroom, for children aged 3 years through 2nd grade.  Grades 3, 4 and 5 are using Living the Good News. 

The Godly Play classroom will have hands on presentations every Sunday in March, led by either Elaine Farrell, Susie Street, Emma Blackburn, Katie Blackburn or myself with either Jackie Algermissen, Sally VanWeldon, Emma Blackburn, or myself helping.  These presentations will include:

• March 1st:  Mystery of Easter

• March 8th:  Faces of Easter 1-3

• March 15th: Faces of Easter 1-5

• March 22nd: Faces of Easter 1-7

• March 29th: Youth/Family service

Elaine Oxenbury is the faithful every week teacher in the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade class and will present her 5-week Communion Instruction series throughout March 1, 8, 15, 22 and April 19.  (March 29 is the family service; April 5 is the Palm Sunday Liturgy and April 12 is Easter.)

Thank you for making church a priority and sharing your child with us on Sunday mornings.  We consider it a privilege to come alongside you as we together help your child along their spiritual journey.

Men’s Group meetings in March

In March the Men’s Group will meet on the Saturday mornings of the 14th and the 28th.

We’ll meet in the parish hall for a full breakfast on March 14th at 7:30 am and there again for a lighter breakfast on March 28th at 7:30 am. A short program follows breakfast from 8 to 9 am in the Chapel, with our meetings ending generally at 9 am.

The topics for the month will surround a review/conversation on the final chapter of the book entitled “An Uncommon Guide to Retirement” written by Jeff Haanen featuring topics relating to finding God’s purpose for the next season of life and we’ll also begin reviewing the book entitled “The Twelve Disciples” from the LifeGuide Bible Studies written by Douglas Connelly.

Note, each session stands on its own, so those interested can attend any one of the individual sessions and maintain the overall theme, even if you miss one or several meetings. Information relating to the topics covered will be available at the meetings.

Mark your calendars and join us on March 14th and/or the 28th for conversations relating to these interesting topics. We welcome men new to the Church and/or those having an interest in the Men’s Group.

Please email me at (roden.pete@gmail.com) if you have any questions or would like to receive any additional information.

Thanks for your interest and we look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming meetings!

Snapshot of Good Shepherd’s finances as of January, 2020

From Fr. Gary: The family piano

For the last several months, I’ve been hearing reports (coming out of the Office of the Bishop) about a book entitled Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory (by Tod Bolsinger). One of the comments, representative of some of the material in the book, was the question, “What do you do, when you’ve got all of your belongings (including the family piano) in a covered wagon, and you find you need to make your way up the Rockies?” The answer is probably, “The family piano, as beloved as it is, should not keep us from reaching the Oregon Territory. So, we’ll leave by the side of the trail”.

The analogy, of course, is that the Church's mission in the 21st century is like approaching the Rocky Mountains with a wagon full of beloved, but unnecessary, baggage. Or, to use another image from the book, to approach those mountains by canoe (i.e., on the Missouri River), only to discover hundreds of miles of mountains, rendering the canoes useless. I’m reminded, too, in this regard, of another saying that “Generals have most often prepared to fight the last war” . . . . meaning NOT the final war, but the previous war . . . and finding that the resources and tactics are inadequate to the task.

Resources and tactics adequate to the task are what we, at Good Shepherd, will strive to identify, with intention, as we enter our Season of Visioning. As I’ve said in my sermons during January, we need to imagine who are those folks who are traveling to Good Shepherd, and for what reason. We need to recognize that transitions are difficult for individuals as well as institutions (including Good Shepherd). And we need to embrace the fact that the time is ripe to accept our call to follow Jesus into this new reality.

Another, complimentary, image came to me as I was driving into the office this morning. I heard the beginnings of an interview by Mary Hynes (of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s “Tapestry”) with author/scholar Margaret Wheatley (https://tinyurl.com/v8gmoqf)

As part of the intro, Hynes referred to Wheatley answering the time-old question “Is the glass half-full or half-empty?” in an entirely unexpected way: “Who cares!? The real question is: ‘Who needs the water, and how do we get it to them?’” Our challenge, moving forward, is to recognize the “living water" in our glass—as much of it as we have—and to make it available to those who need it. 

With regard to the metaphor of the “family piano”, we can recognize that some of us learned to play on that “piano”, some of us played duets on it, some of us sang around it, some of us just enjoyed listening to it. Those are memories associated WITH the piano; those are what are precious about the piano, not the instrument itself. We will take those memories—the living water—with us to the “Oregon Territory” and, with God’s grace, learn to make music in new way, in a new “land”.

Blessings,

Fr. Gary+

PS: The Senior Warden and I are asking the Vestry and the Visioning Team to read Canoeing the Mountains this year. I’ll probably be making reference to it from time to time. I invite others to read/listen to it as well . . . in a sort of “One Book; One Flock” experiment!

Annual Meeting draws record numbers; shows signs of unity and progress

Good Shepherd’s 44th annual parish meeting was held on Sunday, January 26 and was highly attended by a record number of parishioners – so many in fact that we used up all our extra chairs! The excitement and unity in the room was evident as it became clear just how far we have come as a congregation since this time last year. It was the first time in many years that we went into our annual meeting with no budget shortfalls.

We elected four new members to our Vestry – three for the class of 2022 (Michael Louie, Anne McMahon, and Dennis Phillips), and one to fill a vacant spot in the class of 2021 (Casey Creenan). Outgoing Vestry members Greg Bell, Chris Hall, Marjorie Lell and Deb Sampson were all recognized for the work they have done for our church.

In addition, Fr. Gary handed out Holy Spirit Awards to Curt Watson (for his work on the remodel of our new choir loft), Dave Mathews (who oversaw the remodel of our basement after three different episodes of water damage), and Renee Tschetter (who lovingly tends our outside grounds and gardens).

There was a special presentation from DeeDee Atwood on the state of our communications and technology including how to benefit from our website and Facebook page. Karin Elsen also gave a presentation about our Congregational Care Ministry and how they are building strength with their new reorganization.

Our Senior Warden, Carl Algermissen summed up the theme of unity by saying, “2020 will be a year of joy.” Way to go Good Shepherd!

Outreach Committee announces schedule of in-gatherings for the year

From the Outreach Committee, here is the list of in-gatherings we have planned for 2020, with more details about specific dates to follow over the course of the year:

• Souper Sunday (soup and other non-perishable food items)--January 21 thru February 4;

• House of Hope/Crisis Center (feminine hygiene products, diapers, other baby needs)--late May;

• Loaves and fishes (food items)--late June;

• School supplies--late July/early August;

• Socks and skivvies--mid-October;

• Thanksgiving food drive for Covenant Cupboard--early November;

• Angel Tree Project--early December.

In addition, we will continue our ongoing collections of clothing for the St. Francis Center and St. Clare's, as well as individual toiletries for St. Clare's, throughout the year.

For everyone's information, the current members of the Outreach Committee are Randy Hubbard (chair), Joyce Manning, Sherri Hesen, Sally Van Welden, Kip Travis, Liz Peel, Jo Ann Schomerus, Shelley Hitt and Fr. Gary Brower

Candlemas / Feast of the Presentation to be held Sunday, February 2

"What’s Candlemas?” you ask?

On Sunday, February 2nd, we will observe the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple (also known as the Feast of the Purification of the blessed Virgin Mary). 

This feast celebrates the ceremony of purification of Mary on the fortieth day after the birth of Jesus, and of the presentation or offering of or Jesus to the Father in the Temple, as also prescribed in the Law of Moses for first-born male children. According to tradition, it is not a “Principal Feast” (like Christmas or Easter), but is significant enough that it takes precedence over a normal Sunday observance.

So . . . . what does that mean for Good Shepherd, and what does it have to with candles?

For centuries, the candles for use in churches (and homes) were blessed on this day. We will observe that tradition! At the 10 a.m. service, we will begin our celebration in the Parish Hall, and process, with lighted candles, into the sanctuary, where we will also bless the altar candles. You are invited to bring any candles you regularly use at home (for any purpose), and we will bless those as well!

[ A short video from Wakefield Cathedral in England about Candlemas can be seen here:  https://youtu.be/qeXSfyctH0I ]

February Faith Forums to focus on Women in Medieval Mysticism

Some of the most important figures to come out of western medieval Christianity were women. For the last four Sundays of Epiphany, the Faith Forum will delve into that time period and two significant women mystics. Led by parishioner Carla Shultz, the series will explore the Church in medieval times, mysticism in the Catholic Church, and what led women to become mystics. Then the discussions will turn to two particular saints: St. Teresa of Avila and Dame Julian of Norwich.

(February 2, 9, 16, and 23 at 9 a.m. in the Chapel)

Presence Ministry informational meeting scheduled for Saturday February 8

The Presence Ministry is offering support to empower volunteers who would like to be present with others in times of need. These presence ministers will provide their time to be with members who might be experiencing surgery, illness, loneliness and other needs.

The presence ministers will make hospital calls, telephone people in need of contact and meet one-on-one with persons needing a listening ear.

This ministry will help you increase your comfort level when you are spending time with congregants who would like support during difficult times. One comment from a member of the presence ministry after our first meeting in January was "I enjoyed it.” So, come and discover if this is the ministry for you. Our next meeting is Saturday, Feb 8th from 9:30 to 11 a.m. For more information, please call Beverly White at 303 246-5044.

Denver Brass 5 to perform Friday, February 21 featuring Broadway to Bourbon Street program

Mardi Gras and street-party traditions come alive in this musical tribute to the cities where bold brass shines brighter than the lights on Broadway! Join the Denver Brass5 as they celebrate the cultural fusions that make up our American Soundscape – from the birth of blues and gospel to the fusion of classics and jazz. The Denver Brass5 will parade you from the Big Apple to the French Quarter, where blues, Dixieland, ragtime and all manner of jazz fusion and American folk traditions rule to this day!

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Get here early for best parking and seating, as we expect a big crowd for this concert.

Proceeds for this concert will benefit Covenant Cupboard Food Pantry.

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper scheduled for Tuesday, February 25

Get ready for some good fun, food and fellowship!! The Men’s group will sponsor the annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake supper at the Church in the Parish Hall on February 25 from 5-7 PM. We plan to serve all you eat pancakes, sausage, drinks and with a super salad bar so that everyone can come and enjoy dinner with your Good Shepherd family.

A sign-up list will be posted starting on February 2 in the hallway to help the Men’s group know how much food to purchase.

The cost will be $5/ Adult and $4/ per child under 12 or $20/ Family to offset the cost of the food.

Lent begins Wednesday, February 26 with Ash Wednesday services

Begin Lent, marking your mortal nature, with the sign of ashes. Ash Wednesday services at Good Shepherd will be held at 7 am, noon and 7 pm.

Diocesan “Realities Intensive Workshops” address key issues for the Episcopal Church

Our new Bishop, Rt. Rev. Kym Lucas, has been listening to area churches to discern the hot issues of interest in the Episcopal Church in Colorado. These issues (protecting creation, suicide, inclusion and racial inequality) will be addressed in a series of new workshops being offered at Cathedral Ridge in Woodland Park.  The first workshop on protecting creation was attended by Fr. Gary and Jim Wolfe back in January. The remaining three workshops will be offered through mid-May, and you can find links at the end of this article for information and registration.

Father Gary Brower and Jim Wolfe attended the first seminar entitled “Honoring and Protecting Creation,” which was offered in January at Cathedral Ridge Camp and Conference Center. The seminar was led by Rev. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, Missioner for Creation Care for the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts. The weekend was described as a weekend for educating, empowering, and equipping creation care leaders and advocates to implement effective creation care ministry.

Rev. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas is an engaging personality and she has written a book jointly with Leah Schade on creation care entitled “Rooted and Rising” – Voices of Courage in a Time of Climate Crisis. We had four sessions on Praying with Nature, the Awakened Heart, the Broken Heart and the Radiant Heart. Rev. Margaret also offered several resources regarding the proper use of creation:

1. Take the Pledge to Creative Care – on the Episcopal Church website

2. Explore “Honoring and Protecting Creation” on the Colorado Episcopal Church Website

3. Lighten your Carbon Load – sustainlslandhome.org

4. Join the climate justice movement – 350.org

5. Receive a weekly Bulletin Insert – EpiscopalClimateNews.com

As an engineer that spent over 30 years in the Oil and Gas Industry this was a very interesting Seminar for yours truly. I explained to the group that just because I spent most of my career in the Oil and Gas Industry that does not mean I don’t care about the environment. It was an enjoyable experience and it was fun and educational to hear the stories about the care of creation and the current work going on from the environment viewpoint.

There are three more seminars’ coming up, and I plan to attend the next one. The cost is $150 each and you can register for them on the Cathedral Ridge Camp and Conference Center website. You can also go on the Episcopal Church of Colorado website and there is extensive information on each subject for the use by Churches or for your personal use.

The remaining seminars and the information on the Episcopal Church of Colorado website are:

• Bringing Hope, Preventing Suicide – February 28-29 -

• LGBTQIA+ Welcoming and Inclusion – April 17-18 -

• Becoming Beloved Community – May 15-16 - This is a weekend for educating, empowering and equipping race justice and healing leaders and advocates to guide congregations in becoming beloved community.

Prayers & blessings for the times of our lives

We have assembled a collection of prayers and rituals for home use that can be used for many of life’s changes. These range from blessings at meals, to blessings for new homes, to prayers upon retirement, to the death of a pet.  We have posted a listing of these on our website at https://www.gshep.org/prayersandblessings.

If you are interested in one, please let Fr. Gary know, and he will send you the full text.

Annual Men’s Retreat scheduled for March 20-21

The Men’s Retreat for 2020 will be held on Friday, March 20 and Saturday, March 21. The Friday session will take place at Good Shepherd from 6 – 9 p.m. with dinner and our evening program. The Saturday session will take place at The Pines at Genesee (about 30 minutes west just off I-70) from 8 – 4 p.m.

This year’s theme is “Personal Forgiveness and Forgiveness of Others”. Our presenter is Rev. Carl Andrews. a parishioner at St. Timothy’ Episcopal Church in Centennial, a retired Military Chaplain, and the former Canon to the Ordinary for the Episcopal Church in Colorado. Rev. Andrews tag line he is using is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul and love your neighbor as yourself.”

The cost will be $75 and includes the handout for the weekend, dinner on Friday evening, breakfast and lunch on Saturday, the rental fee for the Pines at Genesee and scholarships are available. A sign-up list will be available in the Good Shepherd hallway after the first Sunday in January. If you have questions, please contact Jim Wolfe

“Love in Service” Stewardship Campaign finishes on a high note

We want to thank all the Good Shepherd Parishioners that have pledged for the 2020 Stewardship Campaign.  As of 1/27/2020 we have received 160 pledges for $463,172 for an average of $2895 per pledge.  We are currently $20,000 over last year’s total after the supplemental campaign. Way to go!

We will now be able to accomplish several of our goals for minimum salary increases for our staff and expanding our family and youth ministries.  We encourage pledges all during the year, however our Stewardship Campaign generally runs in November and December so we can build a budget for Vestry approval and we presented this budget at the Annual Meeting in January.

Our Stewardship Campaign is very important because the Finance Committee and the Vestry build and approve our 2020 budget based on our 2020 Stewardship Campaign pledges.  Approximately 85% of our total income comes from pledges from our Parishioners to Good Shepherd.  The Good Shepherd family has been very generous in their 2020 pledges.

We wish to thank our Stewardship Committee, our Ambassadors, and our Prayer Team for their commitment to this Ministry.  We also want to thank the Good Shepherd community and family for their generous support of the 2020 Stewardship Campaign.

Soup available to share with those in need

The Congregational Care Ministry has plenty of soup, including vegetarian and gluten-free in the freezer downstairs in 8- and 16-ounce containers. These are available to take on visits and to parishioners or visitors who are sick or need a quick meal. If interested, contact Nan Behringer, Duanne Namaksy or any Congregational Care Ministry member.