We are now in the midst of our Stewardship Drive, 

a time of year when people are asked to help support the church.  Stewardship is defined by dictionary.com as "the responsible overseeing and protection of something considered worth caring for and preserving." 

As I receive my mailings and prayerfully consider our pledge each year, I know my attitude is different than at other times of the year.  Holidays approaching, an uncertain economy and just plain old general nervousness seem to make me anxious about the pledge I will make.  I think I may speak for a few of us.

Somehow, however, we do not have that feeling with other gifts we make to Good Shepherd throughout the year.  Our Capital Campaign was fun--lots of get-togethers, impressive slide shows, beautiful brochures and big flashy projects to be completed, not to mention the wonderful Capital Campaign and Centennial Celebration we held a few weeks ago.  We also donate for beautiful flowers each week in memory of and thanksgiving for loved ones.  We are happy to donate our time and talents to the Bargain Box, Fall-iday Fair, Service Auction, and even cleaning and landscaping.  These gifts have an excitement and enthusiasm. 

Typically, though, as we carry out our Stewardship Drive and crunch numbers to balance a budget, the mood is different.  No flashy projects, no fun parties, no big celebratory dinner, just the less exciting work of projecting monthly expenses--oil, insurance, utilities, office supplies and assessments to name a few, hardly anything to get excited about.  However, these expenses are all necessary to fulfill the Mission Statement we created during the search process and ultimate hiring of Rev. Scottie:

Our mission is to help everyone reach their fullest spiritual capacity 

and apply God's teachings in everyday life. 

We strive to quench the spiritual thirsts in one another by providing a variety of experiences not only with Sunday Services and Christian Education, but continuing daily with many spiritual development programs including classes, outreach and volunteer opportunities 

within the parish and community.

Samuel Seabury was the first bishop in the American Episcopal Church.  He was born in Connecticut in 1729 and ordained in England in 1753.  He became a missionary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel and served parishes in New Jersey and New York.  During the Revolutionary War, he remained loyal to Britain (having sworn an oath at ordination to be loyal to the crown) and served as a chaplain in the British Army.

After the Revolutionary War, it looked as if the Anglican Church in the United States would not survive.  Most priests had stayed loyal to the crown, and many had been forced to flee to Canada or England.  (Indeed, in Boston, the rector of Old North Church was banished from Massachusetts, with a death sentence should he have returned.)  After the Revolution, attendance at a church so associated with the crown plummeted; in addition, in Virginia and some other former colonies, land held by the church was seized by the state.  Furthermore, American priests could not be ordained since there were no bishops in the United States, and any would-be priests would have to travel to England to be ordained, where they would be expected to swear loyalty to the crown. 

A group of Connecticut clergy met in secret session in 1783, and selected Samuel Seabury to travel to England to seek ordination.  It turned out that Seabury couldn't do it since he wouldn't swear allegiance to England.  The group then turned to so-called non-juring bishops in Scotland, bishops who had originally refused in 1688 to swear loyalty to William and Mary because they felt James II was rightfully king, and still remained independent from England in the Scottish Church.  They ordained Seabury--one suspects rather happily--and sent him back to the United States as Bishop of Connecticut.

Samuel Seabury came home ready and able to ordain priests on American soil to serve in American churches.  In 1789, he helped to organize the Episcopal Church of the United States and the convention that approved the first American prayer book (which borrowed heavily from the English one, but with some major additions from those bishops in Scotland who had made our church possible).   Seabury ordained the first bishop consecrated on American soil in 1792.  He died in 1796 and is buried at St. James's Church in New London, Connecticut.

This time of the year, folks are looking at the people who might be called to serve in leadership positions at our church.  The nominating committee is beginning to think of individuals who might like to be vestry members or officers of the parish.  Do you feel called to be on our vestry?  Would you like to serve as a parish officer?  Do you know someone whom you think would be great?  Contact Rev. Scottie or any member of our nominating committee to give suggestions.  Your nominating committee is Warren Poor, Norma Strack, Linda Hank, and Ben Sands.

Our budget process is a transparent one.  We publish and approve the budget, first on the vestry and then at annual meeting.  Every line of what we do is public.  We are in the process of putting together a budget for next year.  Barbara Luddy takes a leadership role in putting together our budget, and we welcome your input.  

When our boys were little, they loved Thomas the Tank Engine.   If you've ever spent hours reading to little guys about trains, you know that the only thing Thomas ever wanted was to be "a truly useful engine."  I think we all want to be useful.  But it is very easy to substitute "busy" for "useful."  Our three week Advent series will use written materials, spiritual practices, and scripture to help participants to be intentional, present, and useful rather than just busy during a season that many find stressful and far too busy. 

Our facilitator for the class is The Rev. Lisa Fagerstrom, a United Methodist Pastor who is director of Christian Formation and Discipleship at Wesley Memorial Church in Worcester and Minister of Program and Administration at Harvard-Epworth in Cambridge.  She is also a spiritual director.  We will meet on Wednesday evenings from 7-8:30 with some worship and quiet time built in.  The class meets on December 4, 11, and 18.  Please click here to sign up online; there is also a signup sheet on the bulletin board outside the sanctuary.

The annual convention for our diocese was held Saturday, November 2.  Your convention delegates were Linda Hank and Ray Luddy.  Rev. Scottie was also there.

Please click here for a summary of the actions that took place at convention.  And be sure to check out the photos of the Red Sox victory parade that rolled right by the convention at the Cathedral on Tremont Street (yes, delegates did take a break to cheer for our team!).  The photo here is of Bishop Tom Shaw opening the convention.

 Harper Shea Haney, daughter of Sarah and Brian Haney

 Brooke Elizabeth Sauro, daughter of Sharlene Hansen & James Sauro

 Alexander George Shimkus, son of Stacey and Donald Shimkus

Christine Camper, Kevin Cellucci, Betty Fraser, Bernice Herrick, Thomas and Henrietta Kane, Debra Katt-Lloyd, Tony Lopes, Lynn McDonald, Rheta McKinley, Alice Norman, Ken Nowakunski, Elsie Saunders, Bishop Thomas Shaw, Kevin Smith, Jake Torrisi, Ralph Ventola, Stephen Wagner, and Michael Webb.