Church of the Good Shepherd - Mission-Outreach 2009

Mission Outreach
Service based on the Millenium Development Goals

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Church of the Good Shepherd has shaped our work in Mission and Outreach around the Millennium Development Goals. The MDGs, drafted by the United Nations in response to overwhelming global poverty and suffering, have been the defining structure for service agencies, governments, and ministries. Our diocesan Mission Strategy is based on these goals, and the Presiding Bishop of our church has made them a priority for the national church.

Recognizing that to be effective we need to focus our resources on a limited number of projects, we have focused on projects that have interest, energy and commitment in our community.

Criteria that characterize our parish Mission/Outreach projects:

Support the MDGs
Incorporate regional, national and international projects
Provide opportunities for involvement by entire parish, all ages
Provide opportunities for all levels of involvement- for example: financial, advocacy, relational with direct, hands-on involvement, travel

For more information about how you can become involved in Mission/Outreach at Good Shepherd, contact Jeannine Stearns or The. Rev. Maggie Geller.

Regional Projects

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Gaining Ground grows organic vegetables and fruit with the help of hundreds of community volunteers and donates all of this fresh food to area meal programs and food pantries. Based in historic Concord, Massachusetts, Gaining Ground raises and distributes approximately 20,000 pounds of produce each growing season. Bring your gardening skills and help feed our local communities.

Esperanza Academy-School of Hope, is a nativity-model, tuition-free middle school for girls that creates an enriched academic and social environment and fosters individual success and community commitment for economically disadvantaged girls in the fifth through eighth grades, from Lawrence, Massachusetts. Opportunities exist for providing supplies, fundraising and tutoring.

National Projects

Gulf Coast-Katrina Relief: This a new project for
Good Shepherd. Parishioners join local and diocesan fundraising efforts and may participate in hands-on relief trips.

Regional and National

Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry. HFH seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. There are opportunities for hands-on involvement in local projects in Acton and national projects in areas ravaged by hurricane Katrina.

International Projects

EL SALVADOR

We support a small faith-community in El Ocotillo near the Honduran border. This includes correspondence, a Pen Pal project between our Sunday School children and children in El Ocotillo, and sending parish delegations to the community. We have helped drill wells for communities without clean, safe drinking water and provide a market for locally made goods.

CRISPAZ (Christians for Peace in El Salvador)
A faith-based organization dedicated to assisting the poor and marginalized communities in this country. Opportunities for greater learning and involvement include El Salvador Encounter, Summer Immersion Program, Long-term Volunteer Program, etc. The sale of exquisite fare-trade handcrafts from El Salvador, Guatemala and other countries supports local artisans.

OTHER IMPORTANT MINISTRIES

Church of the Good Shepherd
has a long tradition of individual
outreach ministries which have
been an important part of our life together as a faith community. Some of our recent efforts include

· Concord Prison Ministry

· “Undies Sundays”

· Christmas gifts for needy children

· Crop Walk

· Living Water

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Ongoing opportunities exist for parisioners of all ages. Some programs our youth have sponsored are

· Food Ingathering

· Baskets for Mother’s Day & Thanksgiving

· Backpacks for disadvantaged students