Nearly four years ago, staff from the Diocese of Pennsylvania brought a group of visitors from another Episcopal diocese to talk with members of Good Shepherd. The visitors wanted to meet with representatives of various parishes to witness and hear more about the ways in which the Diocese of Pennsylvania was providing support for its parishes. Good Shepherd, Rosemont, was highlighted as an example of a parish beginning to grow because of such support. In the course of the conversation, one of the visitors made an observation. She kept hearing from Good Shepherd parishioners that they felt valued. People nodded their heads and affirmed this assessment. I’ve never forgotten that moment.
I’ve thought of it frequently as I’ve watched this parish grow over the past five years. Newcomers routinely tell me the same thing that visitor articulated four years ago. They feel valued. Perhaps we at Good Shepherd value the gifts of newcomers in a salient way because we are yet a small parish, even though we’re growing. There aren’t discernable cliques of “insiders” and “outsiders.” Because the vast majority of parishioners and regular attendees are relatively new, there’s little territorialism in ministry. If people want to become involved, they’re readily signed up! Parishioners in more established parishes with entrenched ministries often forget how unwelcoming they can be to newcomers.
Good Shepherd, Rosemont, is a place where I pray that everyone can feel valued. True to our name, we’re a parish that strives to welcome—indeed, to seek out—the lost sheep and to turn the house upside down to find that one lost coin. Now, the flip side of this wonderful attribute of our parish is that when anyone is not sharing of their gifts or involved in parish life beyond Sunday worship, the parish is affected. In fact, the parish is weaker as a result. As I’ve said many times, we’re not what we can be when some are withholding their gifts, for whatever reason. However incomprehensible it may be, we’re approaching a new program year. And as we do so, we need to look carefully at the broad scope of our parish ministries and identify areas in which the sharing of gifts, time, and talent are sorely needed.
Hear again the timely, beautiful words from the Letter to the Ephesians:
[Christ] himself granted that some are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love (4:11-16).
Notice how the author of the letter, in the spirit of St. Paul, enjoins us to maturity. A mature body of believers (a mature ekklesia) is one in which all share freely and abundantly of their gifts. This sharing is integral to the flourishing of God’s kingdom on earth. Part of what makes Good Shepherd a strong, healthy parish (small but mighty!) is this generous sharing of gifts. But there is yet more room for growth in this regard. As we increase in numbers, we need more people to assist with ministry as it expands and deepens. I would like to offer a sweeping survey of our parish ministries, noting specific areas where assistance is especially needed.
Worship
Worship is at the heart of what we do as Christians, the wellspring from which our lives of faith and service flow. At Good Shepherd, we sustain a liturgical schedule more robust than the vast majority of Episcopal parishes, many of which are much larger than we are.
Acolytes serve at the altar for all Masses. We are always in need of more acolytes. We especially need acolytes to serve occasionally for Sunday morning Low Masses at 8 a.m., as well as for weekday Masses (Wednesdays at 12:05 p.m., Fridays at 8 a.m., and Major Holy Days).
The Sacristans Guild prepare vessels, the sacristy, and the church for all liturgies. They usually set up on Saturday mornings.
The Altar Guild launder linens for use at the altar. This can be done at anyone’s convenience and at home.
Daily Office officiants lead Morning Prayer (9 a.m.) and Evening Prayer (5:30 p.m.) on weekdays. These services are attended by people in person and are also livestreamed to a regular online “congregation.” We would benefit significantly from more Daily Office officiants.
Lectors read the Scripture lessons at liturgies.
Ushers greet people at Mass, hand out service leaflets, and welcome newcomers.
Outreach
The Rosemont Community Retreat House is at the heart of our outreach ministries. We routinely welcome guests from across the country to stay in the house for individual retreats, prayer, rest, and respite. We also partner with Hosts for Hospitals to provide free lodging for those traveling to the Philadelphia area for hospital stays. We will use the coming year to pray and discern towards a more sustainable plan for our retreat house. Of all our parish ministries, I think this ministry is most in need of support. We would eagerly welcome anyone who is interested in working towards a clear and manageable vision for the retreat house, as well as others who are willing to offer their time in service, as we continue to look outwards beyond the bounds of the parish.
We collect non-perishable food items in the Tower entrance to be donated to the Ardmore Food Pantry. Volunteers are needed to ferry items from the church to the pantry.
Our campus ministry to Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges is led primarily by our student leaders and me. As we seek to continue this ministry and as the parish grows, we will need further support from parishioners.
The Social Concerns Committee meets regularly to discern how Good Shepherd can serve the greater community by easing suffering, giving hope, and identifying and helping individuals and families who are in need. Over the coming year, the committee will be discussing whether we wish to partner with Family Promise of the Main Line, which works to identify temporary housing for homeless families who are striving for full independence.
Hospitality and Fellowship
Sunday coffee hours are a joyful time of conversation and fellowship. There is an acute need for more coffee hour hosts. Current coffee hour hosts are working diligently to make the hosting process simple and manageable.
We host potluck suppers after most special evening feast day Masses. Volunteers help with setting up, cleaning up, and coordinating the online supper signups.
Formation
Adult formation is largely coordinated by me, in consultation with parishioners. However, if you have a passion for formation, there may be specific ways in which your gifts can be utilized.
Children’s formation occurs weekly on Sunday mornings during the program year, from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. in the Parish House. Because of the wide span of ages, we have two classes. This coming program year, we’ve had to recruit more teachers, and there’s a real need for more assistance, whether in serving as a second adult or in teaching. As the number of children in the parish grows, we will need to expand our offerings to accommodate ages. This area of ministry requires more help and support as we look to the future.
Music
The adult choir comprises paid staff singers, but volunteers are welcomed, too. Because of the limited rehearsal time each week (just over an hour each Sunday morning before Mass), volunteers would need to be auditioned and be excellent sight readers.
Our new chorister program will need additional support in the coming year in order to grow into the future. Specifically, we’re almost solely reliant on word of mouth by parents and those who know families with children to spread the word about this incredible program, which offers unparalleled musical education, character formation, and life experience. We eagerly welcome your efforts in advertising this program, helping us recruit new choristers by word of mouth, or agreeing to serve as a second adult for after-school rehearsals.
Buildings and Property
Our campus consists of over 15,000 square feet of real estate. Our small Buildings and Property Committee meets monthly to discuss issues that need to be addressed. We’re working towards a long-term buildings/property plan that puts less of a burden on our small and overstretched staff. To realize a sustainable plan that ensures the careful stewardship of what God has entrusted to our care, it’s essential to have more people serving on this committee. If you live reasonably close to the church (or don’t mind driving here frequently!) and are willing to lend your eyes on a regular basis to the state of our buildings and property and can attend monthly meetings, we would welcome your help!
It should be evident from the above list that there is no shortage of opportunities for you to share your time and talents at Good Shepherd. Indeed, for ministry to continue to thrive and deepen, we will need to rely on the gifts of all parishioners and regular attendees, as well as Friends of the parish. Are you feeling an itch to use some of your gifts? Are you eager to become involved beyond attendance on Sunday mornings? Do you have an urge to serve the least of these in the name of Christ? If so, please reach out to me. I would be most happy to schedule a time to discuss any of the above ministries. Part of the responsible use of our God-given gifts involves careful discernment of our own spiritual gifts. I thoroughly enjoy helping parishioners in that process. And we always provide training and support for those serving in ministries. After speaking with you, I’d be happy to direct you to an appropriate ministry head who can incorporate you into your ministry of choice.
I’ve frequently said that when I came to Good Shepherd nearly five years ago, I would never have dreamed of what we’re now doing in ministry. And none of us can imagine what is possible over the coming years; God’s vision for his kingdom always infinitely exceeds our capacity to dream. Each of you is valued here. Each of you has gifts to use. Your presence is an integral part of our future flourishing. How will you help?
Yours in Christ,
Father Kyle