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Every member of Christ the Good Shepherd has gifts to share with our community. There are so many ways that people support our congregation. Often when you think of a church you think of the connection to the people and how we can serve each other. We can see the people serving our community by singing in Choir, playing and instrument, serving as a deacon, a reader or on Alter Guild during worship. Serving on the council, education committee, nominating committee, call committee and a variety of other committees are all vital to the health of our church. All the hospitality that gets done, whether its coffee duty on Sunday morning, preparing a luncheon for a memorial or any other events helps connect people through food and being in community. Another act of service to our church is to care for the property we are so blessed to have at our disposal. We are working towards updating the kitchen and restrooms in the building and the Fireside Room has recently gotten a refresh that looks fabulous. The other area that needs love is our outdoor area. This is what the public sees when they drive by our location.
Recently we had a garden work day where big group of people gathered together to work on the landscaping on the outside of the church. The shrubs and weeds had become very overgrown, so much so that it had become difficult to see the sign on the exterior that we use to welcome people to our church. We removed a couple truckloads of weeds and shrubs that had overtaken the yard. During the process, it was clear to me that this maintenance needs to be an ongoing ministry. We are looking for ideas on how best to manage the yard and for people who are willing do the work. A few ideas have been circulating are: a garden club, regularly scheduled garden work days, assigning volunteers sections of the yard to manage? What are your ideas? Are you willing to work on the garden? Are you willing to be a committee chair for the garden? If you have any ideas or are willing to offer your elbow grease please contact the council or the property committee. If you feel the urge to be outdoors and do some weeding around our building, we invite you to do so. We are eager to hear any suggestions that you may have to manage the landscaping. Is gardening the gift you can share with Christ the Good Shepherd? Over the past 8 days, I have taught thirty-one people how to make glass mosaics and what it means to be part of a spiritual practice “Making Wholeness from the Broken Bits.” As each of us culled through the tiny, shiny bits of glass, we drew deeply into ourselves to create a bit of magic on pieces of simple wood, finished by a coat of cement to fill in the cracks. We exist in a time of uncertainty and big questions, generally known as “The Kingdom of God Here on Earth.” The beauty that was created in the mosaics reflects the beauty of each of the makers. Art, music, dance, poetry, cooking, and prayer are the tools that will lead us through, to make us creators and people of action on a hurting planet that depends on us to care for each other and all of creation that surrounds us. I am deeply grateful to be able to share with you all the ways that I serve at CGS, and look forward to what might emerge as we move forward.
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Christ the Good ShepherdVarious editorials, articles, and other items of interest. Archives
September 2024
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