Church of the Good Shepherd
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Meeting you where you are on life's journey.

Community Outreach

 

Nashua & Larger Community Outreach

 

Good Shepherd Inreach

  • Welcome Ministry
  • Crisis Response Ministry
  • Funeral Receptions
  • Shut In Ministry
    • Deliver Sunday flowers to shut ins
    • Lay Companion Visits to Shut Ins
    • Lay Eucharistic Minister
  • Church Office Volunteer
  • Care of Memorial Garden
  • Grounds/Property work
  • Time & Talent Fair
  • Set up and clean up after Activities
Our Sunday service bulletin reminds us "The end of worship - the beginning of service". At our Baptism we become members of the Body of Christ, representing Christ in the world. Together as parishioners of the Church of the Good Shepherd, we carry out a corporate ministry to the Nashua area and the world beyond our borders. Much of our time as well as twelve cents of every dollar we contribute to the church goes to Outreach.

In 1982, under the direction of The Rev. Robert Schenkel, then Rector, and Carl Swenson, Administrative Assistant, CGS approved a by-law mandating that 10% of the budget be spent annually on LOCAL outreach. A Community Concerns program was developed, responding to the emergency problems of needy people in the community.
 
In 1987 under the leadership and direction of Carl and our new Rector, Odie, "Community Concerns" was separately incorporated as the Nashua Pastoral Care Center. Other religious, civic, business and government entities soon joined CGS in this effort to comprehensively meet the needs of the community. Today the Care Center owns and operates three Transitional Housing sites for women and their children, administers an Emergency Assistance Program, Security Deposit Loan Program, Food Pantry, the Telegraph's Santa Fund, and a Dental Assistance program. For more information about the Care Center visit their web site at www.nashuanpcc.org.

The Community Action portion of the budget also supports other outreach ministries, including: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Picayune, Mississippi; Episcopal Relief and Development; Nashua Children’s Association; Manchester Pastoral Counseling Center; Adult Learning Center; Church Women United; New Hampshire Community Loan Fund; NH Fund for Choice; Rape and Assault Support Services;Nashua Soup Kitchen;Nashua Area Interfaith Council; the Granite State Project; and several Episcopal Seminaries. The parish provides meeting space for Alcoholics Anonymous and Gamblers Anonymous almost every day of the week.
 
Individually our parishioners have supported: The Companions in Jubilee – a cooperative program for economic opportunity in countries mired in poverty – cosponsored by the Dioceses of New Hampshire, USA, Quebec, Canada, and Limerick & Killaloe, Ireland; The Diocesan prison Ministry by providing gifts for children of inmates; the Nashua Area Interfaith Council’s annual Crop Walk; Heifer International, and World Vision.
CGS parishioners are also involved in numerous other community volunteer programs and activities.
 

Companion Parishes: St. Paul’s, Picayune, Mississippi and CGS, Nashua, NH
In 2006 CGS entered into a companion parish relationship with St. Paul’s Church, which had been severely victimized by hurricane Katrina in 2005. The goal is for the people of the two churches to develop and sustain a long term relationship that goes far beyond any assistance that CGS might provide in the beginning to help St. Paul’s rehabilitate it’s building. Money from CGS’s Community Action line item in the budget is used for this purpose. This takes place through visits, pulpit exchanges, and program sharing between the clergy and the lay people of both parishes.

 
In October 2006 their Rector, The Rev. Kathleen Potts, came to CGS and spoke with various groups and preached on Sunday. Pastor Odie visited St. Paul’s in April 2007 to lead their Vestry Retreat and preach on Sunday. In October 2007 twenty parishioners from St. Paul’s came to CGS and had a magnificent weekend visit. St. Paul’s web site can be viewed at http://stpaulspicayune.dioms.org/. Over the Columbus Day Weekend 2008, 20 adult and 5 teen parishioners from Good Shepherd journeyed to Mississippi to visit St. Paul's. Activities included a work day on Saturday. Some parishioners helped at a Habitat for Humanity house site while others worked at the fall clean-up on church grounds.

This is how we attempt to live the CGS mission to "Proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ; seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves; and strive for justice and peace among all people, respecting the dignity of every human being."

“As you did it to one of the least of these, my brethren, you did it to me.” (Mt 25:40)