The. Church of the Good Shepherd. Pitman, N.J. / Parish Profile

Transcription

1 2015 Transition Process The Welcome to our faith community! Church of the Good Shepherd Pitman, N.J. / Parish Profile A Prayer for Discernment Almighty and everliving God, source of all wisdom and understanding, be present with us as we consider the renewal and mission of our congregation. Teach us in all things to seek first your honor and glory. Guide us by your Holy Spirit in our search for a rector who will care for your people and equip us for our ministries, that we may be the church you want us to be. Bless the family, life, and ministry of each prospective rector, that they also may be guided by the Holy Spirit in discerning your will. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Our Mission The mission of The Church of the Good Shepherd is to know and embrace Jesus Christ and to share God s love with our neighbors as a welcoming community. zz The Church of the Good Shepherd Pitman, N.J. Page 1

2 Our Vision and God s Vision for Us A bove all else, The Church of the Good Shepherd is a Christcentered community. Our collective and individual goals are centered on spreading the Gospel, while also fully living it through our lives, actions, and words. We seek to spread the Good News with our neighbors in a welcoming and inviting atmosphere. We hope to provide everyone who comes through our doors with a personal pathway to grow and foster a relationship with Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The parish is looking to our new priest to continue this mission through his or her own personal leadership style. With a story stretching over a century s worth of history, we look to our past but are not bound by it. As we write this next chapter, there are certainly aspects of our church that we are striving to cultivate in both the near term and in the many years to follow. Stewardship is an ever-present and necessary challenge to any healthy parish. We will look to our new spiritual leader to encourage not only the tithe of our members, but the willing gifts of their time and talent as well. The lifeblood of any church is its youth, and Good Shepherd is no exception. We are looking for our new leader to grow and foster our already strong youth programs and Sunday School. We want nothing more than for our children to learn about and grow in Christ s image and love. This is our responsibility to them. This wish goes hand in hand with our desire to maintain and grow the involvement of our parish s younger parents. We will look to our new priest to inspire us to find new ways to support and engage our youth and their parents, so Good Shepherd can become a place where all can find what they need. Like our younger members, Good Shepherd s adult parishioners have a desire to grow their knowledge and personal relationship with Jesus. A more comprehensive adult education program would serve to help meet that need for our parish. While we are blessed to already have a strong Bible Study and Inquirers Group among our many and varied ministries, we will look to our new rector to bring renewed energy and new ideas to these endeavors to help our members get closer to God. A personal pathway to a relationship with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These are but a few qualities that we are looking to nurture under the leadership of a new priest. Although change is challenging, we are excited to watch and experience the legacy of our next rector unfold. The Church of the Good Shepherd has always been strong, family-oriented, and above all, rooted in the teachings of Christ. We look forward to the hopes, challenges, and victories in writing this next chapter of our story, as we build on what has already been established in this wonderful church. The Church of the Good Shepherd Pitman, N.J. Page 2

3 Our Worship Story A t Good Shepherd, worship is the heart of all aspects of our parish life. It is the spiritual nourishment through which we establish and maintain a relationship with our Lord, and we extend that relationship through our ministries. When sitting in the sanctuary, we can feel the very presence of God. We have a variety of worship experiences, all of which are Eucharistcentered. Our main service is a family service at 10 a.m. Sunday, which follows Holy Eucharist Rite II. Watching the children and their teachers enter the sanctuary following Sunday School never fails to energize our parishioners. We offer several worship experiences weekly, including our family service at 10 a.m. on Sundays. The congregation typically sings the Gloria and the Sanctus. We also sing hymns from The Hymnal 1982 or Lift Every Voice and Sing. Our devoted choir performs an anthem during the Offertory. Our music is accompanied by our Music Minister on the pipe organ or piano. We look forward to our priest s sermon to help us gain a better understanding of the readings to connect the message to our daily lives. Then, after the Eucharistic Prayer, the children and teachers from Sunday School join their families for Communion. On Saturday evenings at 5:30 p.m., there is a less formal spoken service of the Eucharist. The order of service is from the Episcopal liturgical manual Enriching Our Worship. This quiet and contemplative service has an enthusiastic following. Morning Prayer is also offered on a regular basis. Our services are enriched with many ministries, including the choir, our Lay Eucharistic Ministers, the acolytes, Altar Guild, ushers and greeters, and our prayer ministers. We occasionally have special participation with a lay minister giving an address, our verger leading the processional, our bell choir performing, the Our pipe organ, making beautiful music since children taking part in youth services, and even bagpipes! Many of us find comfort and peace from the ritual of our liturgy, knowing what to expect from the continuity of our services. However, our congregation is represented by many liturgical backgrounds and is open to new and different liturgical styles. We are happily anticipating what our new rector will add to our worship story. The Church of the Good Shepherd Pitman, N.J. Page 3

4 Our Ministries Prayerful and plentiful W e are blessed with over 30 ministries at Good Shepherd. There are ministries for worship, Christian education, fellowship, outreach, and our youth. All are active, vibrant, and essential components of our church community. Everyone is welcome to participate. We have chosen to highlight four ministries that explain what makes Good Shepherd such a special place as a worship community. Holly Fair The Holly Fair is a legacy event that began in 1961 and has been a mainstay of our church ever since. The Holly Fair happens annually on the first Saturday in December. And it is a happening! The Holly Fair is a joyous occasion that brings together all ages of the parish as well Vendors fill our Parish Hall with a variety of crafts. as members of surrounding communities. Church members transform the Parish Hall into crafters booths that offer a wide variety of handcrafted items. Sunday school rooms become the Bake Shop, Dollar Store, Crafts for Kids, and more. The kitchen provides lunch and homemade desserts. The Choir sings carols throughout the day. Our Holly Fair restaurant is very popular. The Holly Fair weaves our parish together in faith and fellowship. The Fair s financial proceeds benefit a local charity and contribute to the church s capital improvement fund. Brotherhood of St. Andrew Good Shepherd fosters a lively ministry for men and boys. We are one of only nine parishes in the Diocese of New Jersey that has a chapter in the Brotherhood of St. Andrew. The Brotherhood is an international ministry within the Anglican Community. Our chapter, which has been active for more than a decade, brings the men of our parish together to share faith, study scripture, and become more active in supporting the congregation. The Brothers feed the parish at our St. Andrew s Day celebration in November and collect donations for a Christmas Toy Drive, which benefits our surrounding communities. They also take part in service projects in our church and nearby churches in need. The Brotherhood is committed to Christ and spiritual growth through prayer, study, and service. The Church of the Good Shepherd Pitman, N.J. Page 4

5 Our Ministries Prayerful and plentiful Youth Education and Ministry Let me tell you a story Each week, parishioners tell Bible stories that enhance the children s Sunday School lessons. Our Youth Ministry is growing in a variety of ways. Good Shepherd has a strong Sunday School program with an average enrollment of 62. We use the lectionary-based Living the Good News curriculum. Children from all grades come together several times a year to take part in fellowship activities that highlight special themes. The Youth Group promotes friendship and service by engaging in multiple activities. Examples are assisting with the Christmas Pageant angels Spring Cleanup Day of Good Shepherd property, preparing food for church events, and donating assembled bag lunches to the Cathedral Kitchen in Camden. Any child old enough to read may join the Youth Choir. Their talents are showcased during selected church services. The Christmas Pageant provides parish children the experience of presenting the traditional Christian Christmas story. The cast includes more than 30 children and adult volunteers, who begin preparing months in advance. All aspects of our Youth Ministry are grounded in this foundational principle: Teaching children that Jesus loves them. Sunday School instruction covers Pre-K through 12 th grade. The Youth Choir enjoys performing several times a year. Pray-ers Ministry The Pray-ers Ministry is a unique custom that facilitates the prayer experience. During Holy Communion, a team of two Pray-ers is stationed in a discreet area to the side of the sanctuary to provide the opportunity for an individual prayer moment with the Pray-er team. Pray-ers are instructed in how to be sensitive to the events touching congregants lives. Prayers are offered in joy for blessings received or to help ease burdens that may lie upon the heart. Good Shepherd is a praying church. And even more You can find descriptions of all of our ministries (more than 30!) in this section of our website. The Church of the Good Shepherd Pitman, N.J. Page 5

6 History The Church of the Good Shepherd was founded in 1907 as a little wooden sanctuary built among the trees known as The Little Church in the Wildwood. Our current Gothic stone sanctuary was consecrated in 1941 and the mission became an independent parish in We celebrated the Centennial Anniversary of the church in 2007 with a busy year of events: We buried a time capsule, built a memorial walkway, installed a Centennial Bell, and even wrote a book about our first 100 years. You can read more about our history here. Above, the cornerstone in Below, the church today. In the summer of 2014, our rector, the Rev. Patricia Daniels Pierce, retired after 15 years. Mother Pat s tenure was a time of great inspiration and growth for our parish. We currently have 595 baptized adults and 168 baptized children under 18. Children represent nearly a quarter of our parish! We are blessed with both the energy of new families and the deep roots of multigenerational families. Rectory The rectory is part of the surrounding neighborhood. The rectory is conveniently located across the street from the church on Wildwood Avenue. It was built in 1928 and acquired by the church in It is a spacious home with a living room, dining room, kitchen, laundry room, half-bath, den and sunroom on the first floor. The second floor offers 3 bedrooms and 1 full bath. All of the bedrooms include large closets. There is a sizable storage area off the middle bedroom. It also offers a full dry basement with a detached twocar garage. The property is within easy walking distance of the elementary and high schools, the library, and local businesses. The rectory was remodeled 16 years ago, and it is undergoing additional renovations to keep this home beautiful for years to come. Plumbing and electrical work has been completed to keep the house up to code, and windows have been replaced with new, more efficient ones. All the rooms have been repainted a neutral tan color with white trim. The charming oak and pine floors are being refinished throughout the house. Dedicated parishioners have been working hard to complete these renovations so the rectory continues to be a great place to live. Get to know us even better! Learn more about Pitman and our surrounding community in this section of our website. The Church of the Good Shepherd Pitman, N.J. Page 6

7 Buildings / Grounds The facilities of The Church of the Good Shepherd consist of the church complex and the rectory. The church complex is located at the corner of Highland Terrace and Wildwood Avenue in a residential neighborhood consisting of three interconnected buildings that form a horseshoe around an open courtyard. It was constructed in stages as need and finances allowed. The cornerstone of the church was laid on All Saints Day in It is a semi-gothic building constructed of stone with a stucco interior and exposed wooden beams. The aisles are carpeted in red and there are 16 rows of natural oak wooden pews that seat approximately 175 worshipers. The church is adorned with 19th century stained-glass windows, including a Tiffany Good Shepherd window. The sanctuary includes a freestanding altar behind the communion rail. A full pipe organ was refurbished in The parish hall is a bi-level cinderblock and brick building built in The upper level consists of a large hall for gatherings. A full kitchen is attached to the hall for easy access. The lower level consists of classrooms, storage, and restrooms. In 1964, the final bi-level structure was added to complete the horseshoe design. The main level houses the chapel, rector s office, secretary's office, classrooms, meeting rooms and restrooms. The lower level is used for classrooms. As with any large complex, we give constant attention to improvements and efficiency. Recent additions include handicap ramps and restrooms. We've also added a security system and a smoke detection system for the church. The old oil burner system was replaced with natural gas to improve heating and save on costs. The Church of the Good Shepherd Pitman, N.J. Page 7

8 Voices of our parish The following information helped identify what the congregation values most about Good Shepherd. It was captured at a gathering of 100 parishioners in November 2014, near the beginning of our discernment process. Remember a moment that was a high point when you felt that this church was doing God's work and fulfilling its mission. 8% 11% 7% 14% 6% 2% 24% 28% Outreach Ministries Youth ministries Coming together to worship and work Welcoming, supportive church spirit Prayer ministries in action Pastoral care Serving the church Calling of 3 deacons Name the three things that you value most about this congregation. Recall a time when you most appreciated the ministry of a priest. 11% 15% 36% 18% 20% Inclusiveness Caring inreach and outreach Friendship Ministries Liturgy 11% 29% 10% 50% Support during difficult times Baptism, confirmation, marriage Support during illness Calling into ministry What will be Good Shepherd's three most important accomplishments over the next three years? 7% 5% 8% 20% Calling next rector Grow current ministries Grow church school and youth involvement 12% 19% Increase outreach Expand membership and fellowship 13% 16% Air condition parish hall Grow Scholarship Fund Other The Church of the Good Shepherd Pitman, N.J. Page 8

9 Financial data THE CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD 2014 actual 2015 budget Good Shepherd experienced a small decrease in pledged giving in 2014 due to the retirement of our rector of 15 years and the deaths of six parishioners. With less spent on clergy, all other expenses were in line with estimates. We also experienced a small drop in attendance immediately after the rector s retirement. Our 2015 budget includes a commensurate reduction in clergy expenses as we continue our search for a new rector. INCOME EXPENSES Total Operating Income 204, ,500 Clergy and Personnel 108, ,480 Operations 15,263 17,205 Outreach 22,465 22,798 Property 29,371 30,522 The rest of our expenses reflect modest increases. While our pledged income for 2015 is down, attendance has returned to nearly all of its pre-retirement levels. Other 10,461 10,500 Total Operating Expenses 185, ,505 SURPLUS 18,644 18, The Church of the Good Shepherd Pitman, N.J. / Parish Profile We thank God for our blessings! The Church of the Good Shepherd Pitman, N.J. Page 9