Website Shep Staff Jun 2013

Church of the Good Shepherd
164 Newtown Rd., Acton, MA 01720
www.goodshepherdacton.org
978-263-5782
Non Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
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Acton, MA
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Time Value Material - May 30, 2013
Church of the Good Shepherd
Our Story Inside These Pages
June 2 - Recognition and Good-bye for
Barbara Claire Kean, Children’s Minister
June 9 - Parish-wide Music Meeting after
the 10 AM worship service
June 16 - Summer Worship begins at 8 & 9:30
June 23 - J2A Pilgrim’s Litany
June 29 - J2A Teens Leave on their Pilgrimage
Please prepay your pledge before leaving on vacation
It’s official! Rev. Gareth C. Evans is our Rector-Elect!
The Shepherd’s Staff
Our story inside these pages
May 2013
A Word from the
Fold
Appreciating the Journey
I was ordained seventeen years ago in the immediate aftermath of my mother’s death. In many respects my ordination was overshadowed by grief and
loss. So began a long journey of making meaning out of
grief and loss toward blessing and renewal. Discovering
a sense of purpose has involved a process of unfurling
and unfolding over time. As a young priest, I was cautious, quiet, and fearful, hardly the stuff of positive leadership. I needed to be nurtured over time by patient
mentors and kind congregations as well as to discover
my own sense of purpose so that I could become a
priest for others. After leaving the Church of England, a sojourn at Harvard, and
six years as a rector in Charlestown, I arrived at the Church of the Good Shepherd mid-2010. By the time I arrived in Acton, the ingredients of being a good
priest “were in the mix.” The unknown question was whether my instincts, style,
and sense of core purpose would be helpful and healing to the congregation.
Over the last two years, I’ve been challenged to find empathy, appreciation, and
a deeper trust in life. I was, for the most part, a willing bearer of the congregation’s sense of grief and loss at the altar and in private conversation. Throughout
this period of time, to paraphrase St. Paul in his letter to the Romans, “The Spirit
helped us when we were weak. We did not know how to pray as we should.
But the Spirit herself spoke to God for us, even begging God for us with deep
feelings that words can not explain (8:26).” The Call of the Spirit of Life to appreciate life as a gift is deeper and more powerful than we know. I believe that
healing and wholeness of life is a gift of the Holy Spirit to be realized. I believe
that laughter, vulnerability, creativity, and having fun are all fruits of the spirit that
bring us closer to the source of all life: God revealed and made known to us in
the past, in the future, and in each unfolding moment.
With the Vestry’s generous invitation to be the next rector of the parish
and my joyful acceptance, there is a mutual recognition that with God’s help we
can amplify the blessings that are emerging in our midst. Together as the people
of God we are called to bless what is good, nurture and appreciate one another’s
gifts, and bring the wholeness and healing that we have discovered to bear on the
needs and aspirations of the whole world.
My thanks go to Bishop Tom for recommending me to you and you to
Contents
Warden’s Message
2
Worship
3
Christian Formation
3-8
Mission Outreach
8-10
Committee News
10-12
View From the Rectory
12
Thank You Page
13
Administration
13-14
Passages
14-15
Spiritual Reflection
15
If you need to contact
16
Calendar of Events
17
The Church of the
Good
Shepherd
164 Newtown Road
Acton, Massachusetts
01720
(978) 263-5782
Fax: (978) 929-9512
Website:
www.goodshepherdacton.
org
A parish in the
Episcopal Diocese
of Massachussets
me. My thanks go to the discernment committee for creating a generous and loving space for authentic discovery
and to the wardens and vestry for creating a leadership
context that is challenging, positive, open-hearted, and full
of promise.
Sincerely,
Rector-elect Gareth Evans
Amplifying God’s blessings with a spirit of humor, healing, and
helpfulness.
Warden’s Message
May 14 was not
an ordinary “Vestry Tuesday”. On
that night the
Discernment
Committee lead
by Sara Kilkenny
presented a wonderfully crafted
report recommending that the vestry call Gareth C. Evans
to become the fourth rector of our “Oasis in the Woods”.
The excitement bubbled along with a spot of champagne
as the actual calling and accepting took about 30 seconds. We are sure you join us in celebrating Gareth’s calling as our rector. Now we look forward to moving ahead
together.
After this past transition period of being “on
hold” and looking back, we invite you to share with the
vestry a collective grateful breath—join us as we get “on
the move” to the future. For a glimpse into this new momentum, we encourage you to read the Discernment Report (limited copies are available from the office). Here
follow two “teasers” from the Discernment Report.
1) From a time of looking inward to a time of reaching
out...
We quote from the survey analysis embedded in the Discernment Report:
“ … Outreach would appear to be an area that needs further
development.This is not necessarily for lack of opportunities, as
there are activities that exist which could help meet this goal.
Rather, it may be an indication for more targeted outreach to
be done.”
And from Gareth’s Priest-in-Charge Narrative:
“ … Good Shepherd has begun to shift its perspective and
energy from facing inward to extending outward. Bishop M.
Thomas Shaw, SSJE, recognized this shift with its corresponding healing and growth in his most recent visitation to Good
Shepherd, at the end of September 2012. At that time, Bishop
Shaw commended the whole congregation for being restored
to wholeness of life in Christ.”
Look forward, stay tuned, and prayerfully consider
how you might support more Mission Outreach!
2) From a time of focus on youth education to a time that
includes more adult education and formation…
Again quoting from the Discernment Report:
“It may be time to consider adding programs that will more
concretely feed the adults along the same lines as our children
and youth.”
And again from Gareth’s Priest-in-Charge Narrative: “The possibility of expanding house groups as local GS hubs for
learning and mission (e.g., establishing neighborhood groups to
extend our presence into peoples’ homes and the towns where
they live).”
Look forward, stay tuned, and prayerfully consider
how you might want to get involved in developing our
adult education and formation.
The parish is at the threshold of a new era. We
encourage you to enjoy this time as we all look forward to
a promising future together. Information will be forthcoming regarding Gareth’s formal installation as rector this fall. In peace,
Andy and Lynn
2
Worship
Return to Creation centered
Liturgy for Summer
During the languid Sundays of summer, the
Eucharist at the 9:30 AM service will reflect the rich,
nature-based spirituality of the New Zealand Prayer
Book, He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa. Published in 1989,
this prayer book marked a sea change by incorporating
the worship texts of the Maori, Fijian, and Tongan
indigenous peoples of the Pacific islands side-by-side with
the English language liturgies. In addition to seeking to
recognize the voices of indigenous peoples of the Pacific
Islands, this prayer book is also sensitive to blending male
and female imagery for God. During the writing of the
liturgies over some twenty years, the Anglican Church in
New Zealand saw the adoption of the Maori language as
an official national language as well as the ordination of
women to the priesthood in 1977 (two years before the
official acceptance of women’s ordination by the Episcopal
Church).
The genius of this antipodean prayer book lies
in the blending of Pacific Island spirituality and inclusive
imagery for God with more familiar forms of worship
found throughout the Anglican Communion. The Church
of the Good Shepherd, sitting in a natural woodland
setting, is a wonderful oasis that reflects the beauty and
fragility of creation. The New Zealand Eucharistic liturgy
amplifies the redemptive purposes of God made known
to us in creation. This season the Eucharistic liturgy is infused with a sense of gratitude for all that we share and
points to the Creator Spirit of God as the source of all life
and wholeness. Knowing how liturgically dexterous folks
at Good Shepherd are, I have every confidence that this
season’s worship will be a source of blessing and delight.
Service Schedule
Sunday: 8:00 AM Holy Eucharist*
10:00 AM Holy Eucharist* w/Church
School
Beginning June 16:
Sunday: 8:00 AM Holy Eucharist*
9:30 AM Holy Eucharist*
Wednesday: 7:30 AM Holy Eucharist w/potluck
breakfast
Saturday, June 22: 5:00 PM Contemporary Family Eucharist
* Healing Prayers and Laying on of hands the first Sunday of the Month.
Food Ingathering the second Sunday of the month.
Choir Rehearsal Schedule
Anthem Choir Rehearsals
June 5 Last rehearsal
June 9 Last Sunday Choir sings
June 9 Choir Party at Tish’s, 3 PM
Teen/Youth Choir Rehearsals
June 2 - Sing at Barbara’s Farewell
All-Parish Music Ministry Meeting,
Sunday June 9 after 10 AM service
This is a follow-up meeting, for all musicians and
non-musicians to discuss “Looking Forward” in the music
ministry at Good Shepherd. We need your feedback and
ideas concerning all music in the church, including services,
choirs, special events (such as Lessons & Carols) special
services (such as Holy Week) and concerts. We want
all voices to be heard, so please attend this important
meeting even if you were unable to attend the first.
Tish Kilgore, Minister of Music
Summer Music
Instrumental & Vocal Soloists and
Ensembles Needed! Please see me or email
me at [email protected] if you would
like to sing or play at one of the summer
Sunday services at 9:30 AM.
Tish Kilgore,Minister of Music
Not Too
Serious Book Group
The N2S Book group will be
reading Room by Emma Donoghue
for our June meeting. A fascinating and
compelling story about a young woman
who has been held hostage and has given birth to a child while a captive.The whole experience is
related through the eyes of the child who is now five. Taking into consideration the recent events in Cleveland, this
book will hold your attention and captivate the reader
with it’s unique use of language.
John Link
3
Church School
Dear Church Family,
My prayer for the children’s and youth ministry is
that it remains vibrant and growing. I also pray that Good
Shepherd gets leadership that is devoted to the spiritual
growth and community of our young people, and that
the children and youth are engaged, happy and faith-filled.
The Religious Education program is so important in any
church; it brings in new families in addition to supporting
the current ones. It provides the younger generation with
a religious community which is a springboard to multigenerational friendships, Christian service and values, as well
as knowledge about the Hebrew people and the life of
Jesus, as well as, and most importantly, a loving relationship
with God.
Good luck, dear Church of the Good Shepherd. I
know you will have a devoted staff and wonderful, generous volunteers to continue to build a lively ministry for
children and youth, who are such a central part of the
church.
It has been a deeply meaningful and joyful experience working with you, and I thank you.
With Love and Blessings,
Barbara
opportunity arose to create a going-away present for Barbara, I immediately thought of a stained glass art project.
A friend recommended that I check out Denault
Studios in Maynard, which recently opened and offers
many different types of workshops in glass art and jewelry
making. Michael Denault, the owner, immediately recommended we try two projects: making a fused glass platter
for Barbara and making suncatchers for the children. The
projects come in kits that Michael puts together. All you
have to do is glue pieces of glass together and clean them.
Michael fires them at his studio and the glass pieces melt
together to create beautiful works of art!
Even though I did not have any experience in glass
art, Michael assured me that anyone could do these projects and that they would appeal to all ages. He was right!
Our workshop on May 5 was enjoyed by all—from my
90-year-old mother-in-law Clara Zawada, who had offered
to assist me with the workshop, to our J2A teens and
youth, and even our youngest preschool-age children who
participated! We had an incredible turn out: over thirty
people made suncatchers and platter pieces.
We will all have a chance to see the beautiful results
of our work when we present our platter to Barbara on
June 2. The suncatchers are for the children to take home.
To help offset the costs of the platter project, and to give
a monetary gift to Barbara, we are asking for your financial support. Please drop off a donation to Gareth at the
church office by end of May.
Lynne Zawada
Sun Catchers
Over the years, I have had the pleasure of assisting
Barbara Kean in teaching Children’s Chapel. Last year, one
my most memorable services involved a lesson on the
history of stained glass art in Christianity. So, when the
4
Nursery Staff Needed
Sign your children up by July 1 for God’s Back Yard
Bible Camp, July 22–26, 2013. I will be held at St. Matthew’s
Church, 435 Central St., Acton, Monday through Friday,
from 9:00 AM to noon. Registration forms are available on
the round table in the Parish Hall. If you have any questions at all, please give Marilyn Fedele a call, or e-mail her.
To register on-line, you can email Sally Jo Bernard, Christian Education Director at St. Matthew’s, at sjbernard@
verizon.net. Fee is $35 per camper. Please mail the fee to
St. Matthew’s with your registration form or separately if
you register online.
For the last few years, three Acton churches have
joined together to sponsor Vacation Bible School. The
three churches are St. Matthew’s Methodist, Acton Congregational Church, and Church of the Good Shepherd.
The collaboration creates a great team of leaders, a fantastic curriculum, and many more children at the camp.
St. Matthew’s location was chosen because it has a large
grassy area for the outdoor activities. Clergy from the
three churches will participate in the large group gatherings each day.
We hope you will give your children an experience
of growing in relationship with God, making new friends,
and having lots of faith-filled fun.
We do need a couple of adults to help out. Can you
spare at least one morning? We also need a few teens,
especially to help outdoors with the games. A couple of
our teens have already volunteered to help with crafts and
music. Please volunteer if you can; you’ll have a great time.
If you are 16 or older and have experience
with and delight in young children,(babies to age 3), please
consider working or volunteering in the Good Shepherd
Nursery. The pay is $8.00 per hour. First aid training is a
plus.The job can be a summer job or year round. Summer
hours will be in effect starting June 16, with the church
service starting at 9:30 AM.
You would be expected to be in the nursery by
9:15 AM to welcome the children, especially those who
come early, and to be sure the room is neat and welcoming. Please contact Barbara at [email protected] if you
are interested. Hope to hear from you soon!
God’s Backyard Bible Camp
School is almost over
and the warm days of summer
are coming; will your pre-K to
Grade 6 kids be looking for
something to do, have some fun,
and make new friends? At this
summer’s Vacation Bible School,
the theme will be Christian Service and finding God in simple
places, like your own back yard.
The children will enjoy a variety of activities: bible story
drama, arts and crafts, games, water play, snacks, music
with movement and entertaining puppetry.
Youth Activities
Live, from a Spiritual Oasis
in the Woods,
In the spirit of Twitter, here are nonsequiturs to give
you a flavor of the fun:
It’s Saturday Night!
•
•
At some point in your life you have tried to pat
your head while rubbing your belly. Try this one on for
size. You know that rhythm from Queen’s “We Will Rock
You”? It goes clap, clap, stomp. Clap, clap, stomp. Do that
now, while you are reading. Read this entire article out
load. Keep the rhythm going. We did!
Our overnight at church was a genuine pleasure.
Adults and children enjoyed a lot of good belly laughs.
We played rambunctious games in the evening and board
games in the morning.There was more than enough to eat
and we actually got some sleep. But wait, good progress
was made creating a short play based on Luke 7:1-10, too.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
5
Elbow tag make me laugh.
Tapping your hands on a table is more difficult than
it looks.
I would have thought the best hiding spot would have
been downstairs.
It can take 10 minutes to count to ten.
Balloon tag makes me sweat.
I would have expected that the centurion would be a
more popular role than the slave.
We can psychically communicate with handshakes.
I’m surprised that anybody would even think of ordering mushroom pizza.
Which goes better with a bagel, Connect Four, Pentigo, Rush Hour or Cathedral?
Peace, Harry Peebles
Rite 13 Liturgy
Matthew Canning
Madeleine Heavey
Emma Yvanovich
Owen Coughlin
Spencer Nixon
Caleb Church
Ashleigh O’Neill
Abigail Recko
Isabella Saarinen
Joshua Canning
6
J2A Pligrimage Countdown
Has Begun
The J2A class has been together for four years in
the youth curriculum at Good Shepherd. Thirteen members of the class will be flying on June 29 to Colorado to
begin their long-awaited pilgrimage.
Some of the special activities are being kept a surprise, but here are some
details we can share:
The pilgrims and their leaders will be staying at a retreat lodge
in the mountains near Colorado
Springs, where they can wake each
morning to see the beauty of the surrounding countryside. They will be
taking part in an environmental mission outreach: learning about local wildlife and helping to
preserve it through a beautification project. The second
service project will be working with the Springs Rescue
Mission which offers outreach to homeless families. The
group will also be attending a local Episcopal church on
Sunday morning. Most importantly, they will be learning
how to respond to God’s goodness as they appreciate the
natural beauty of Colorado—part of God’s creation—and
they will be guided to see the holiness in new people they
meet, each other and themselves. The goal is for each pilgrim to return with a deeper relationship with Christ, having developed an even closer community of prayer, play,
and caring.
Our wonderful chaperones are Lesley Murray,
Kevin Gross, and Joanne Stephane, with a leader from the
Wonder Voyage company as well, so the adult-youth ratio
is very good. The return date is July 5.
The J2Aers, even those not going on the trip,
worked hard and had fun
fundraising over the past
two years and have raised
somewhat over $6000!
It took a lot of work by
the youth and the parent volunteers who supported their children by
coordinating all of the
many events. Teachers
also were devoted supporters. The youth took
on a great deal of responsibility, working with
their parents to plan each
event, and everyone took
part in the rotation of responsibility.
Much gratitude goes to the parish for their support
of the youth by participating so generously in the fundraisers. After they return, there are plans for the pilgrims
to offer a presentation of their spiritual experiences and
adventures in nature. Please plan to attend this exciting
program. More details will be forthcoming.
Finally, please keep our pilgrims in your prayers as
they embark upon their holy pilgrimage.
Barbara Kean, Lesley Murray and Kevin Gross
7
Church School & Youth Program Dates
Sun., June 2
10 AM Last day of church school for all except J2A, Nursery
Goodbye party for Barbara Claire Kean, Children’s Minister, after church
Sun., June 9
10 AM Multigenerational Service, Nursery, Food Ingathering, J2A class
Summer hours begin!
Sun., June 16
9:30 AM Church Service, Nursery, Possible children’s chapel for ages 4-10; Watch eblast and blue sheet for more information.
9:30 AM J2A class
Sun., June 23
9:30 AM Church Service with Litany for Pilgrims , Nursery. Possible children’s chapel for ages 4-10; Watch eblast and blue sheet for more information.
9:30 AM J2A class
Sun., June 30
9:30 AM Church Service and Nursery, Possible children’s chapel for ages 4-10; Watch
eblast and blue sheet for more information.
Looking ahead: July 1
Last day to register for Vacation Bible School.
July 5
Pilgrims return!
Mission Outreach
Budget Buddies
On Sunday, May 5, Kathy
Brough and Anita Saville,
co-directors of Budget
Buddies, came to Good
Shepherd Coffee Hour after the second service to
answer questions about
this upcoming new GS mission project. There was a
great
response—several
women signed up to receive more information about becoming financial coaches. Budget Buddies is a non-profit
organization that assists low-income women with financial matters. It is expected to launch at Good Shepherd
in September for clients from the Acton area. There will
be a series of workshops on such topics as Budgeting,
Banking, and Credit. There will also be one-on-one counseling of clients with a woman coach. It is not necessary
to have any financial expertise to volunteer as a coach.
We are seeking more women to join this worthwhile
mission. Men are also welcome to serve in administrative
roles. Please contact Lin Leavenworth for more information.
Esperanza Graduates
College Bound
This spring is a special time at Esperanza Academy.
They are watching their very first class—that of 2009—
graduate from high school and make plans to attend college in the fall. One young woman who graduated from
Esperanza in 2009 was accepted to the College of Holy
Cross in Worcester with a full scholarship. Another was
accepted at the University of Massachusetts. And they
are not alone. While little more than half of ninth graders
in Lawrence go on to graduate, over 80% of Esperanza’s
student class of 2009 plans to attend college in the fall.
8 These statistics are not merely numbers—they point to
real young women with lives now full of future possibility
instead of poverty.
As Esperanza’s graduates experience success, the
school is also working to deepen and strengthen programs
for current students. New opportunities in competitive
and intramural athletics; a new professionally-prepared,
locally-sourced meals program; in-school arts programming tied into the curriculum; and enhanced support for
the students as they prepare for high school placement
are all enhancements Esperanza has made this year.
El Salvador/El Ocotillo Thank you for purchasing more than $1,500 of
handcrafted Fair Trade items from El Salvador and Guatemala during the first two Sundays in May. In addition,
the special collection for the Scholarship Program for
the youth in El Ocotillo that was taken at both services
on Mother’s Day raised $2,062. It was quite meaningful
to have this special collection on Mother’s Day, as it is
the mothers in El Ocotillo that provide the driving force
to the programs we do with them. Please note that
donations for this important outreach initiative
with our sister community in El Salvador can be
made at any time throughout the year—checks
can be made out to Good Shepherd; designated
to “El Salvador Fund” in the memo line; and put
in any Sunday’s collection basket.
Thanks again to everyone who supports this ongoing ministry at Good Shepherd. We meet once a month
to sustain our El Salvador activities and would love to
have anyone join us. If you would like to be involved in any
way with this ministry, please speak to Rafael Pupo or me.
Thanks, Kathleen Zawicki
Esperanza is a tuition-free school. As the school
has grown, they are asking their supporters to grow with
them. We at Good Shepherd have contributed school
supplies, test preparation materials, and gloves for their
annual ski trip. Please consider joining us in giving an individual donation to Esperanza’s Annual Fund Spring Campaign. Send your check to Esperanza Academy, 198 Garden Street, Lawrence MA 01840.
Thank you, Carolyn and Andy Platt
Our El Ocotillo Super Stars
Gloria
Lisseth
Argueta
Amaya is 24 years old and has
been studying at the National University of El Salvador, San Salvador
Campus. She has been part of
our program for four years. She
is studying English with a Teaching
Option “because I want to have better opportunities for my life and to
help my family, and to help my community with the knowledge that I will
be acquiring in the future.”
José Wil Guzmán Pérez is
18 years old and has been in the
program for 7 years. He is Studying public accounting at the National University of El Salvador, San
Miguel Campus beacuse “because I
like the subjects and I would like to
continue learning about the economy
of my country”
9
Gervin Francisco Ramos Argueta is
22 years old, and is studying Architecture at
the National University of El Salvador, San
Miguel Campus. “Although I study architecture
now, at some point in the future, I would like to
study theology.” Gervin is also on the soccer
team. (and often found posting on our FaceBook site.)
Rolando
Javier
Guzmán
Pérez is 18 years old and attends
Universidad del Oriente (UNIVO)
where he is studying English. This is
his first year in the program.
Ana Elisabeth Argueta Vigil is 21 years old and has been in
our program for seven years. She
is studying Pedagogy/Education Sciences at the National University of
El Salvador, San Miguel Campus . “I
am studying a ‘Licenciatura’ in Education Sciences, and I am here to help
others for whatever may be needed.”
Glenda Ivette Rodríguez Portillo is
19 years old and has been in our program
for 7 years. She is studying Mathematics and
Education at the National University of El
Salvador, San Miguel Campus where she participates in the youth and women’s/mother’s
groups in the community (Glenda is a young
mother)
Erick Jeovany Guzmán Vásquez is 20, having been in the program for 7 years. He is studying Public Accounting at the National
University of El Salvador, San Miguel Campus (UES San Miguel)
“I am studying a ‘Licenciatura’ (equivalent of a Bachelors degree) in Public
Accounting, which is a career in which we professionals in this area come to
work in tributary and financial areas of different businesses, which throughout the history of our country have defrauded the country and its development, given that they have been able to evade millions of dollars in taxes,
which paralyzes the general economy of the country, and really hits the most
poor sectors.”
Committee News
Sustainability Use Committee
Our Green
Challenge for June
involves finding and
visiting our local farm
stands and farmers’
markets. The challenge is to buy our
fresh fruits and vegetables from local
farms rather than from supermarkets. This has a lot of advantages for our planet.When
we buy locally we support
local farmers and prevent
our agricultural land from being developed into suburban
10
sprawl. We eliminate the energy required to bring produce from California or other far away commercial farming operations. Small local farms use less machinery and
chemicals than large corporate operations so the food
is healthier and has a much lower carbon footprint. Local farms are also good seasonal employers. But the main
advantage to us is that small farms grow tastier varieties
of vegetables than those modified for machine harvesting. They are also very
fresh which adds greatly to the taste.
There are a
number of ways of buying local. One is to join a
CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).
These are community
farms where you pay
am typing now will be “old news”, but hopefully time will
have not dampened the spirit of wonder and promise that
surrounds Good Shepherd this morning.
On behalf of the Discernment Committee, I am
very pleased to announce that, at the vestry meeting on
May 14, 2013, the Committee recommended the Rev. Gareth C. Evans be called as the next rector of the Church of
the Good Shepherd. Our recommendation was approved
by the vestry at that meeting, and happily, Gareth has chosen to accept the vestry’s call. Thus begins a new era for
Church of the Good Shepherd.
In closing, I want to express my deepest gratitude
to the entire Discernment Committee: Karen Conley,
Gary David, John Link, Gail Lyons, Rafael Pupo, and Gareth
himself. Their commitment to Good Shepherd, and to the
Discernment process, made the Committee’s work enlightening, and even enjoyable. I hope to have the pleasure
of working with each of them again.
Sara Kilkenny
for the season’s produce in the
spring and then receive a box
of fresh vegetables every week.
Sometimes a gardening shift is
required at the farm also. There are a number of these in
the area so it is possible to find one that suits your time
and budget. To find a CSA (or local farm stand or farmers’
market) in your area, look online at http://www.localharvest.org/csa. The advantage of a CSA is that the produce
is very fresh and contains what is in season at the time.
This involves some creative cooking, which is an interesting challenge—easy to meet with online recipes. Alternatively, there are many local farm stands (often family run)
that need our business, and farmers’ markets have sprung
up in most towns and these also support local farms and
families. I use a local
farm and make sure I
go there for my fruit
and vegetables before
going to the supermarket. It is always friendly
there; the vegetables
look enticing and are
usually cheaper than
at the supermarket.
Bon appétit!
- Bev Ridpath
TogetherNow Campaign Wrap-up
Along with Bishop Tom, I would like to extend
heartfelt thanks to all those who participated by making
a pledge to the TogetherNow Campaign. Good Shepherd
raised, so far in excess of $58,000 for our Diocese. If
you are still praying about making a commitment to the
campaign, we encourage you to submit your pledge card
(available in the parish hall) as soon as possible. Through
our pledge commitments, we are sustaining and amplifying
God’s blessings in the lives of Episcopalians locally and far
beyond. Thank you again for the sacrificial support you
have offered to this important reciprocal diocesan effort.
Gareth
On behalf of the Diocesan In-Pew Campaign Committee
Discernment Committee
As I write this, it is the morning after the vestry’s
May meeting. It has been less than 24 hours since the
Discernment Committee presented its final report and
recommendation to the vestry. But, to borrow a timeless
cliché, what a difference a day makes. I realize that by the
time everyone reads this, sometime in early June, what I
Building Committee
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I have been working with the Sustainable Use
Committee (of which I am also a member) to see what
type of heating system would be most efficient to lower
our carbon footprint and minimize cost of fuel. Working
together, the two committees have been calling in heating
contractors to examine the GS heating system, propose
improvements, and provide estimates. During this process, we have discovered that parts of the existing system
are not at all what the original building plans called for,
resulting in the current system being much less efficient
than originally planned!
An application for a fifteen thousand dollar grant,
which was the maximum amount of money the Green
Grant provided, was submitted to the Diocese for a stateof-the-art propane heating system. The new system using
different fuel will save the church money and minimize our
carbon footprint. We should hear if we recieve the grant
by May 28.
The insulation has finally been installed over the
parish hall and office/library areas. The cost of the insulation was provided through a previous Diocese Green
Grant. As I stated in last month’s
Shepherd Staff, the Building Committee was going to take
a break and get a little rest.
Hmmmm! - Tony Geanisis
Finance Committee Report
Our financial position through April has begun to
fall slightly behind our original budget. Our pledge income
was tracking closely to our budget throughout the first
three months of 2013, but it has dipped noticeably in April
and we now stand $7,568 under our year-to-date pledge
budget. Our non-pledge income continues to exceed our
original budget estimates, which helps with the immediate cash flow needs, but it is not sufficient to meet our
expenses especially as we approach the summer vacation
season. Fortunately, our expenses are tracking close to
our original budget. We have experienced some minor
timing issues with the bills (e.g. we received a heating oil
delivery in late April that we didn’t expect until July), but
overall our expenses are being managed very well.To bring
us back on budget with our pledges, I would respectfully
ask that each contributing member of our GS community
make sure your yearly pledge is up-to-date. Also, with
summer quickly approaching, I would ask that anyone who is able, pre-pay his or her summer
pledge before going off on vacation.
Thanks,
- Bill Canning
View from the Rectory
Have you ever been
locked out of your house…
with dinner cooking on
the stove? I have, thanks to
Cassie’s newfound propensity to turn the thumb lock
as we leave the house. On the
evening in question, Fran was
tutoring in Milton, spare keys
were nowhere to be found at
church, and I was in danger of
burning the rectory down. In
such a tight spot, there was only one sensible thing to
do: call Bob Christmas. Bob buzzed over in a matter of
minutes and leapt out of his truck brandishing a chainsaw.
I think I said, “You have got to be kidding me!” He said,
“You’re right, I am, but it was well worth it just to see your
expression.” I was a tad stressed at this point. But thankfully, Bob sprang into action. He switched the electricity
off via a panel outside the house (who knew?) and then
backed his truck up to a window and broke in. It was all
very dramatic and quite exciting thanks to Bob’s incandescent energy and smashing personality.
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On a less dramatic note,
Drumlin Farm is open for the
season, and so the Bean-Evans’
have developed a little sabbath
day routine involving a trip to
Idylwilde Farm for a baguette,
some Brie, Scottish smoked
salmon, and a bottle of lemonade. Then we head over to
Drumlin Farm to visit with the
chickens, count the sheep and
the goats, check in on the piglets,
take a hay ride and then
have lunch at the picnic
benches. Occasions like
these have a timeless
quality and speak to one
of the simple pleasures
of life: being outside with
one’s family on a sunny
day.
Gareth Evans
Thank You Very Much
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to Barbara Claire Kean for serving as Children’s
Minister, and being so wonderful at
it.
to Lynne Zawada for planning
and leading the Crafts Sunday on
May 5, organizing the Pentecost
sun-catcher project and gift for
Barbara Kean.
to Julie Shields-Rutyna and
Alex Skinner for helping to organize and create Barbara Kean’s farewell gifts.
to Kathy and Tim White,
Alex Skinner, Julie ShieldsRutyna, Kevin Gross, Tricia Favreau, Kathleen Zawicki, Laura David, Jackie
Reis, and Harry Peebles
for helping assist our crafters
making stained glass pieces.
to the Church School Teachers for their support of our children’s ministry, and to
everyone else who helped out in so many ways during
Barbara Kean’s leave of absence.
to Nancy Brown for leading the Food Ingathering
on April 14.
to Jen Thornton for giving the baptism gift and
leading the Food Ingathering on May 12.
to Jessie Panek for grant writing for the Mission
Outreach and Sustainable Use committees.
to Harry Peebles for organizing the Rite 13
sleepover, ably assisted by
Alex Skinner.
to Kevin Gross and Lesley Murray for organizing
the J2A sleepover.
to Marilyn Fedele for her
work on the finances for the
pilgrimage.
to Members of the Rite 13
Steering Committee (Harry Peebles, Alex
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Skinner, Kathy and Tim White), and Parent
Volunteers for supporting the Rite 13 Program and
recent overnight
to the parish for their support of the J2A Fundraising Efforts—the group has met their goals!
to Members of Discernment Committee: Sara
Kilkenny, Karen Conley, Gary David, John
Link, Gail Lyons, Rafael Pupo
and Gareth Evans for their leadership, dedication and faithful discernment.
to John Woodard, Diocesan Consultant, for his support and guidance during
the Discernment Process
to Members of Budget Buddies
and the volunteers who support this
new mission outreach initiative
to Bev Ridpath for coordinating the
insulation contractors
to Dick Fedele for
painting the El Salvador
Bulletin Board, cleaning
the gutters and roof at
the rectory, cleaning the
church entrance signs
and the Episcopal welcome directional signs
around Acton. He also
washed all the windows
of the parish hall and
office ell, put in all the
screens and did a lot of spring cleanup yard work at
the church (raking etc.). He was at the church everyday for about two weeks!
• to Barbara Meglis, Lynne Zawada, and
Eyde Francis for installing the beautiful suncatchers in the sanctuary window
• to Maryanne Talpey for making the Rite 13
certificates.
Administration
Vestry Vignettes
Music Review: Minister of Music, Tish Kilgore,
held a congregational forum to get feedback on the music
program as the parish moves forward. She will host another one on Sunday, June 9, after the late service. Budget Discussion: Bill Canning presented
the April financial update report. Pledges are running a bit
behind. With vacation season coming up, pledge updates
Warden’s Report: The “Together Now” inpew campaign to conclude with a campaign pledge cards
collection May 19. The vestry to host a coffee hour in celebration of the Rite 13 graduation and conclusion of the
“Together Now” campaign.
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need to be sent out as soon as possible to ensure necessary cash flow over the summer.
Priest-in-Charge Report: Members of the
Discernment Committee are to be commended for all
their time, hard work, and dedication. Music discernment
forums are on-going as the future direction of music is discerned. The search for a minister for youth and children
will begin in earnest with a view to an appointment by the
late summer.
Classrooms for Children and Youth: Teachers and helpers will be asked to join a “tidying up”
party as the classrooms are getting cluttered and items
are not being put away. This will be scheduled at the conclusion of the church year in early June.
Discernment Committee report: The
Discernment Committee (minus Gareth, who was asked
to recuse himself)
presented their report to the vestry
with a recommendation to call the Reverend Gareth C. Evans to be the fourth
rector of Good
Shepherd. The vestry voted unanimously to accept the recommendation. Gareth was invited to rejoin the meeting whereupon he
Baptism
prompted accepted the invitation. A welcome speech by
Lynn Nixon, Sr. Warden, was followed by a champagne
toast.
Marilyn Fedele, Clerk of the Vestry
Good Shepherd Directory
It’s been two years since our Good Shepherd Directory was last updated and published. A lot can happen
in two years! So we need to make sure all of our information is current, and that we add all of our new members. Our hope is to collect all the information and photos we need by June 2nd, double-check for correctness of
info and typing, and have it produced/emailed out by early
summer. Please look for Directory announcements in the
weekly email blast and Blue Sheet. If you have any questions, please contact Jen Thornton or Margaret Geanisis.
Margaret Geansisis
Passages
Eamon Joseph Dossin, son of Boyer and Fiona Dossin of Maynard was baptized on May 12th.
Graduations
Amy Piermarini, daughter of Judy and Steve
Piermarini of Acton, has graduated from UMass Amherst
with a BA in Psychology.
Margaret Isobel Anderson, daughter of
Karen and John Anderson, is graduating from Santa Clara
University.
Stuart Murray, son of John and Lesley Murray, is graduating from UMASS Medical School. He will be
going to Greenville NC to do a residency in Emergency
Medicine.
Eric Paton, son of Wendy Paton, graduated
from Ohio Univeristy, Athens OH with a Master of Music
in Music Performance.
Nathaniel Bryant-Ridpath, son of Malcolm
Bryant and Beverly Ridpath is graduating from Concord
Carlisle High School and will be studying Civil Engineering
at Northeastern University.
Maggie Argiro, grandaughter of Wendy Paton,
graduated, BA cum laude with a BA in Sociology/Anthro14 pology, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware OH.
Graham Feddersen, son of Jeff and Wendy
Fedderson is graduating from The Bromfield School in
Harvard, and will be studying Industrial Design at CA
College of the Arts in San Francisco, CA, Matthew
Kosicki, grandson of Bern and Pat Kosicki, will graduate
from Tabor Academy.
Jacqueline Laura Gray, granddaughter of
Bruce and Sonia Stevenson, is graduating from Concord
Carlisle Regional High School.
Emily Gray Stevenson, grandduaghter of
Bruce and Sonia Steveson, is graduating from Algonquin
Regional High School.
(The next issue of the Shepherd’s Staff will also include graduations.)
Anniversaries
June 1 - Chris & Louise Battista
June 19 - Carol & Howard Kuenzler
June 20 - Reo & Joy Hamel
- Chris & Lydia Tolley
June 21 - Jim & Stephanie Ingraham
June 24 - Bob & Ginny Heutner
June 28- Michael Fisher & Merry Post
June 29- Jack & Sarah Dawley
Spiritual Reflection
“Loving the Church often seems close to impossible. Still, we must keep
reminding ourselves that all people in the Church—whether powerful or
powerless, conservative or progressive, tolerant or fanatic—belong to that
long line of witnesses moving through this valley of tears, singing songs
of praise and thanksgiving, listening to the voice of their Lord, and eating
together from the bread that keeps multiplying as it is shared. When we
remember that, we may be able to say, ‘I love the Church, and I am glad to
belong to it.’
Loving the Church is our sacred duty. Without a true love for the Church,
we cannot live in it in joy and peace. And without a true love for the
Church, we cannot call people to it.”
— Henri Nouwen
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