episcshield_05_063.gif     The Episcopal          
Church of the Good Shepherd
invites you to join us!

We are located at
164 Newtown Road
Acton, Massachusetts 01720
(978) 263-5782

 

Click here 
to download the February issue of the Shepherd's Staff newsletter.

 

Click Here

to download the 2012 February Calendar

 

Click Here

to download the 2012 Stewardship Packet

 

 

 

This Week at Good Shepherd   

 

 

Friday February 3

Labyrinth Available

7:00pm:J2A Chili Cook-off

 

 Saturday February 4

8:00am:Men’s Group

10:00am:Memorial Service for Albert Koch

 

Sunday February 5

ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING directly following 9:00am service.

9:00am:HE with Healing Prayers, ChurchSchool and Nursery,followed by

Annual Meeting and Children’s Program

SuperBowl Chili Pickup

 

Wednesday February8

7:30am:Holy Eucharist with Healing Prayers

8:00am:Potluck Breakfast

10:00am:Staff Meeting

1:00-4:00pm:Priest’s Drop-in Office Hours

7:30pm:Anthem Choir Rehearsal

 

Friday February 10

7:00pm:Rite 13 Valentine’s Day Party

 

Saturday February 11

8:00am:Men’s Group

7:00pm:J2A Valentine’s Day Party

7:30pm:Wine Tasting Social Event

 

Sunday February 12

BISHOP SHAW VISIT

8:00am:Holy Eucharist (HE)

10:00am:Multi-Gen HE with Food Ingathering

NurseryAvailable

4:00pm:High Tea

5:00pm:Worship

NurseryAvailable 4:00 - 6:00pm

 

 

 

 Gareth’s drop-in office hours are on Wednesdays from 1 – 4 pm.

  

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Bring Your Palms to Church

 

Please bring in your palms from last year and place them in the specially marked basket in the Narthex.  They will be burned on Shrove Tuesday and used in the Ash Wednesday services.  

 

 

WINE TASTING

 

The Parish Social Committee is hosting a Wine Tasting with our own wine connoisseurs extraordinaire- Elgin Summerfelt and Andy Platt. The event is for adults only.  Elgin and Andy plan to educate the palette and the taster with four varietal reds, as well as, a surprise wine to test your knowledge at evenings end. The event will be held at the Parish Hall on February 11 from 7:30pm to 9:30 pm. Cheese and crackers will be served during the tasting and pastries will be available for nibbling concluding the tasting activities. The price for the evening is $15 per person with checks made out to Andy Platt or Elgin Summerfelt. A sign- up sheet for the event will be in the Parish Hall along with an envelope for check collection. The deadline for being included in this entertaining evening is this Sunday, February 5th. For more information contact, Stephanie Ingraham.

 

 

 

VISIT FROM BISHOP TOM SHAW

 

The Rt. Rev. M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE will visit Good Shepherd from 2:00 to 6:00pm on Sunday February 12. From 2:00 to 4:00pm, he will meet with the Vestry and other ministry leaders. There will be a Traditional High Tea at 4:00pm: for all parishioners followed by Evening Prayer at 5:00pm. There will be Nursery Available during the Evening Prayer Service.

 

 

 

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 Your Amazon purchases for hoidays or everyday benefit Good Shepherd!

 Shop at Amazon.com by clicking on the logo-link above

 

Church of the Good Shepherd has signed up with Amazon.com's Associates program whereby we receive a small commission each time ANYTHING is purchased through Good Shepherd’s website. You pay exactly the same price that you would otherwise, and you can use any coupons or gift certificates that you may have.

 

The key is to enter Amazon.com through Good Shepherd’s website.  Click on the Shop Here link above, which will take you to a screen with the Amazon.com search box.  From there you can search for the items you wish to purchase.  If you should exit Amazon.com and wish to resume shopping, you must re-enter through Good Shepherd’s website for your purchases to be credited to us.  Thank you for supporting Good Shepherd! 

 

  

 Lenten Meditation Book Returns

 

For many years Sonia Stevenson and her helpers produced a Lenten Meditation Book.  Many found this a helpful and uplifting aid in their spiritual journey, and it will return this year.  We hope you will consider participating in the preparation of the Lenten Meditation Book by contributing a meditation. They are based on the daily readings for Lent, usually the Gospel.  They are no longer than 300 words and are your response to the reading. It is amazing how powerful these simply written meditations are to all who read them, making us see the Bible passage in a new way. Sharing your thoughts and feelings about any given passage is moving, and it forges a deeper connection between all of us while bringing us closer to Christ.    There is a sign-up sheet in the Parish Hall. There will be more details about this in the Shepherd's Staff and in the announcements on Sundays. If you have any questions or can’t get to the church to sign up, please do not hesitate to contact Margaret Geanisis.  This is a wonderful gift not only to the parish but also to yourself. Step out in faith and say yes to God's call—we'll all be the better for it.

 

 

El Salvador Delegation Organizational Meeting

 

Please join us on Sunday March 4th, immediately following the 10AM service, for a very important meeting on this summer's delegation trip to El Ocotillo.  This will be an excellent opportunity for those interested in going with us to have all their questions answered. This year we will be traveling July 27ththrough August 5th and the approximate cost will be $1500 per person. Once again our delegation will be made up of adults and youth (ages 14and over).  There will be only one meeting for everyone interested and youth must bring a parent with them to this meeting.  For any questions ahead of the meeting, please feel free to contact Rafael Pupo.

 

 

 

 

 

 Notices for Bluesheet and Email Blast

 

Just a reminder to please have all notices for the email blast and bluesheet in the office by 9:00am Tuesday morning.  Notices received later than this may not be included in the weekly email blast or the Sunday bluesheet.

  

 

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We offer children and youth engaging learning, outreach, community building, and spiritual development opportunities including nursery, toddler care, church school classes, youth program/classes, Choir, Hand bells, Dance choir, Acolyting, Christmas Pageant, Lenten programs, Special Communion classes, Confirmation classes, mission projects and social activities.

 

 

 

CHRISTIAN FORMATION

 

 

 

Help Needed for children's and youth program during the annual meeting:10:15am-12:15pm this Sunday. If you are age 16 or older please contact Barbara.You can volunteer or be paid $8 per hour. 

 

J2A (grades 8-9) Chili Cook-off, Friday, Feb 3, from 7-10pm: Bring money for pizza ($3-2 slices), a sharp cutting knife, and a food processor if you have one to share.  Contact Lydia or Chris Tolley with anyquestions. 

 

SUNDAY 2/5: Pick up your Super Bowl chili, biscuits and brownies! Thank you for supporting our J2A class as they fundraise for their holy pilgrimage. There may be extra, so check, even if you didn't pre-order.

 

SUNDAY 2/5: During the annual meeting there will be a program for children and youth downstairs. The nursery will also be staffed.

 

Food Ingathering Reminder for Feb. 12: It is now on the second Sunday of the month at 10am (for the 8am and 10am food collections).

 

Bishop Shaw loves children!  Please plan on bringing your whole family to the HighTea (Good Shepherd style) at 4pm and Worship service at 5pm on Feb. 12. TheNursery will be staffed for our little ones.

 

Valentine Parties for Youth on Feb 10 (Rite 13 grades 6-7) and Feb11 (J2A grades 8-9). Both start at 7pm. Watch your email.


Special Communion Classes. Special Communion Class for children ages 7 and above will take place Wednesday afternoon from 4:00 - 5:15pm beginning February 29. Please contact Barbara with questions or to sign up your child.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Attention Good Shepherd Musicians!!!

 

As we approach the Lenten and Easter season, I am seeking musicians of all ages for special music.  The choir welcomes new members at any time, with rehearsals on selected Wednesday evenings, singing anthems at the 10:00 HE service on selected Sunday mornings and at special services.  The contemporary family service at the end of each month on Saturdays at 5:00 is the perfect opportunity for our teen musicians to contribute their talents (in addition to Alex's wonderful drumming!).  Adult solo instrumentalists would also add much to our morning worship and special occasions.  At some point, I am hoping to work with children's voices, so would welcome hearing of your interest as well.  Please email me at tishkilgore@yahoo.com, leave a note in the Music Minister mailbox or see me after services to introduce yourself and talk about possibilities!!  I look forward to making music together!

 

TishKilgore, Interim Music Minister

 

 

 

  

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Japan Earthquake Response Fund

 

Send donations to:        Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD)

The Episcopal Church Center

815 Second Avenue

New York, NY 10017

 

earmarked "Japan Earthquake Response Fund, ” place earmarked checks made out to the ERD in the collection plates or contribute online at https://www.er-d.org/donate-select.php .

 

 

 

 

 

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Spiritual Oasis, the Church of the Good Shepherd blog

 

http://www.goodshepherdacton.wordpress.com

 

What is a blog? It is a web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer. Unlike the church web site, however, a blog is more dynamic and made for readers to participate by adding their responses to the posted content. Users can start a dialog or conversation that others may see and extend. Having a blog would help the parish with its spiritual outreach, enhance educational programs like Connect, and foster greater communication and understanding within the parish. We hope to have discussions threads dedicated to parish seminars, hot topics, and the Youth Group.  Pretty soon other topics of interest to Good Shepherd folks will be popping up so bookmark this link.  If you lose it, you can always find it again under the Resources-Links page on this website. 

  

 

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Good Shepherd Parish Prayer

 

Universal and unchanging God,
We are one, unalterably one,
With all the human race.
Grant that we

who share Christ's blood, may,  

 through your unifying Spirit,
Break down the walls
that divide us.
Amen.

NZPB page 637

 

 

 

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Request for Furniture Donations

 

The Household Goods Recycling of Massachusetts (HGRM) supplies furniture and household

goods to agencies, such as Community Teamwork, Inc. (CTI) in Lowell, who are transitioning

homeless families out of shelters and hotels. We are in dire need of box springs, mattresses,

bureaus, dining tables and chairs. Of course we take all kinds of furniture. Please consult our

website: www.hgrm.org. Our drop-off times at 530 Main Street in Acton are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, 9:00 AM - Noon. To call for a pick-up, dial 978-635-1763 (Pick-up fee is $25.)

  

 

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Adopt-a-Bill:  There's a new Sign-up chart in the Parish Hall.  Let's fill in those boxes! 

 



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