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Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd

Dear Parish Friends:

On May 3 we held a parish gathering to develop a “working” purpose statement out of which we began to formulate some plans for fulfilling this purpose:

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This is an ongoing process and one which we need to be intentional about revisiting and reshaping, in our discernment of how God is calling us to faithfully live in the world around us.

Our plant sale had excellent profits this year given the unseasonable conditions.  Our sincere thanks to our coordinators, who, along with many others, contributed to the sale’s success.

The Tuesday ‘Lunch Bunch’ (formerly known as Seniors & Friends) is on a break over the summer but will resume in September.  We have been gathering weekly from 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM for conversation, friendship and “nourishing” of community.

A special diocesan synod was held June 20 at St Chad Anglican church.  In addition to synod delegates; parish wardens and treasurers were also invited to participate in discussion concerning our 2009 diocesan budget deficit.  A motion to borrow the necessary funds from the Rupert’s Land Capital Fund was passed in order to meet this year’s budget; donations received from the Gifts programme would also be applied.  After Bishop Don’s address in the afternoon, we addressed questions in small groups of our need for and support of one another.

I have been appointed by the bishop as Archdeacon of the Central Winnipeg and Fort Seine River deaneries.  Our deanery is the latter one, and includes Good Shepherd, St John’s College, St Paul, St Mary Magdalene, St Michael & All Angels, St Phillip, St Bartholomew, St Mark, and St Luke.

One of my responsibilities is to meet with and be available to clergy and parishes within the two deaneries that comprise our archdeaconry.  I would also assist in the appointment process of incumbents for our deanery and participate in celebrations of new ministry where an incumbent is welcomed.

I know this work will be particularly challenging given the realities of decline that we are facing in the parishes of our diocese and beyond.  But there are signs of new life and hope because we are a resurrection people.  We are at a threshold, I think, here at Good Shepherd as well as in our diocese, and movement towards something more life-giving and sustainable has begun.  Embracing this new way of being and doing church will result in changes that may be painful, but ultimately will empower us as gospel people in God’s world.