The vestry is the governing board of an Episcopal parish and consists of the rector, the wardens, the treasurer, the clerk and lay members. Wardens, treasurer, clerk and lay members are nominated and elected by the congregation at its annual meeting, generally held at Good Shepherd on the last Sunday in January. Our vestry meets once a month and all members of the congregation are welcome. The meetings are the second Tuesday of the month at 7 PM in the church lounge and are open to all members of the parish. The Senior Warden serves as a liaison between the rector and the parish. While the tasks of the Junior Warden vary from parish to parish, the majority of Junior Wardens, including Good Shepherd's are placed in charge of the Buildings and Grounds Committee.
“For even the son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." - Mark 10:45
Acolytes From a Greek word meaning, "to follow." Acolytes are lay volunteers who carry the Cross in the procession and recession and assist the priest in worship. An acolyte lights and sometimes carries candles, and helps in the preparation of communion. Gina Torres,Coordinator
Altar Guild The Altar Guild members serve as “God’s Housekeepers” in the Church. They prepare the Church, including the Altar for all services. They polish silver and brass, launder linens, order wafers, candles, wine, and secure repairs when necessary. They prepare the church for baptisms, weddings, funerals, and anything in between. Ruby Cox, Coordinator
Choir The choir sings at the 10 AM service during the school year and practices on Thursdays at 7:00 PM and Sundays at 9:15 AM
Eucharistic Ministers and Lay Readers Eucharistic Ministers and Lay Readers assist the clergy during worship services. At Good Shepherd, Lay Readers read the first and second lessons. The Eucharistic Ministers lead the psalm, read the prayers of the people and administer the chalice during communion. Eucharistic Visitors bring communion from the Holy Eucharist to those who cannot attend. Marie Field, Coordinator
Ushers The ushers are the first official representatives of the church that people see when they arrive to worship. They play an important welcoming role, greeting visitors and newcomers, distributing bulletins, collecting the offering and assisting with communion.
Flower Ministry Flowers are placed on the Altar for each service in memory of those who have died or in thanksgiving for those who bring joy to our lives, except during Lent when no flowers are present. After the service, the flowers are delivered to parishioners who are ill, are unable to get to church, are celebrating a special life milestone or who have a special pastoral need. To donate flowers for a loved one or special blessing, contact the Flower Ministry Coordinator. Leslie McGovern, Coordinator
Clean Team Several years ago, a group of parishioners decided that they would like to volunteer their time to help clean the church, performing tasks which had been managed by a professional cleaning service. Currently, there are six teams which take a turn once every six weeks to clean bathrooms, vacuum, dust, remove trash and mop floors. This has resulted in a significant savings for the church. Elaine Grosso, Coordinator
Holy Mowers Building on the success of the Clean Team, another group of volunteers help keep our beautiful grounds mowed, weeded and cleaned. Elaine Grosso, Coordinator
Counters and Verifiers Our dedicated team of money counters come every week to count and record Sunday's offering. Once the collection plate receipts are tallied and noted, the verifying team checks the counter's work, prepares the deposit and takes the money to the bank. Jane Farrar, Edna McDonald, Ted Smethurst, Counters Caroline Chapell, Joe and Marie Field, Ray Luddy and Ted and Nancy Smethurst,Verifiers
Photographers Photographers are welcome ... just bring your camera and send pictures to the office.
