STATE OF THE PARISH? IN A PHRASE, “STATE OF THE ART”

SO, as a member of the PAC (Parish Advisory Council), I think I have a pretty good understanding of our parish community: our mission statement, our many ministries, our amazing staff, our engaged parishioners, our programs, the list goes on…  I do my best to keep up, but honestly, it’s no easy task.  Sure, there’s the parish bulletin, and the website, and the e-newsletter, and the social media elements, and the e-blasts, and friends…yes, plenty of ways to stay informed.  Now if only we had that little commodity called “time”…

SO, last weekend Father Richard gave us one more chance to sit up and take note of all that Good Shepherd has to offer.  (Father understands the role of repetition when imparting knowledge.)  I decide to turn off all the mental filters and to listen as though I were a first-time visitor.  Father’s delivery of his annual “State of the Parish” address was straightforward, no-nonsense, and to the point, just like Father.  And to my amazement, I learned plenty.  In fact, I was awestruck by the enormity of what our parish has accomplished just in the last year.  What alchemy, that we should be gifted with so much opportunity for spiritual and personal growth.  It’s all right here. 

SO, then I thought about Deacon Clark’s homily on answering God’s call to live out our vocations, and to live in deep communion with Christ.  I thought about our clergy, our staff, and our countless volunteers, who following God’s call as Samuel did, labor tirelessly and faithfully to make what we have at Good Shepherd possible. And, I thought about our wonderful parish family members who come to partake, and to celebrate their faith, to be welcoming to others, and to give…  “Good Shepherd” is surely living up to its name and, therefore, is deserving of it.      

SO, in a recent discussion, a fellow parishioner was sharing her thoughts on the importance of “branding” and the value of generating pride in a product line.  Her point was that mega churches do the same, and so must we.  How true!  We need to build great self-esteem in who we are at Good Shepherd!  We need branding!  We are “state of the art” and we have much to offer!  Think about it.  When the following are mentioned, don’t most people nod in full awareness?

Fellowship…“ah, yes, Fellowship”

White Chapel…“ah, yes, White Chapel”

Gateway…“ah, yes, Gateway”

SO, don’t we want that too?   

GOOD SHEPHERD...“AH, YES, GOOD SHEPHERD!!”

--Cyndy