CGS Stories

From The Rev. Bill Bennett

I have appreciated the kind and thoughtful comments some Good Shepherd friends have shared with me concerning my sermon last Sunday. It's of course always gratifying to hear positive feedback on a sermon, but what I find really encouraging about some of what I've heard and conversations I have had is that I feel others are sharing in a vision for what we, who are Church of the Good Shepherd, are and can be. I felt this at our Vestry Retreat this weekend, at the fantastic "Splash" dinner we had this past Sunday evening (with our families with very young children), and it builds on some of the things we heard at the Diocesan Convention the weekend before. I'm finding the banner which we recently hung in front of the Duncan/Giersch Parish Life Center with the words "God Loves You. No Exceptions. The Episcopal Church Welcomes You" is a banner which is in a sense "flying over us" and rallying us here at CGS to meet the challenge of being the Episcopal Church in this moment. This does not mean we immediately need to break out the flip charts and be scurrying around frantically and reactively making up "to-do" lists of all the things we think Good Shepherd could and should be doing as we continue to move forward under the banner of God's love. There will come a time to move beyond the words on the banner, as the First Letter of John says, "...let us not love in word or speech but in deed and truth..." (1 John 3:18) In the meantime, there is a time for intentional prayer, discernment, hearing God's Word and letting it sink into us, a contemplative time which can be the wellspring for God doing amazing and astounding things through us. This is a time to search our own hearts to see where our deepest passions lie. This is a time to take an unblinking look around us to see where God's mercy is most urgently needed in the community beyond Good Shepherd's parish walls. This is a time to connect with others who share our passion for making God's love real. I sometimes find in my own generation and older that when we think about things we can do as a church to supposedly renew and expand our life together, we often find ourselves falling back on things that Episcopal Churches have been doing for the past 40 or 50 years or more that we might not be doing as a parish at the present (and that there were valid reasons for discontinuing). I think more nostalgia is at work in that than a vision that moves us forward. I hope in the coming days especially our younger adult members (who have really stepped up to the challenge of leadership here at CGS) will help us look with fresh eyes, and with all of us together, meet the challenge which the Bishop gave us in his Pastoral Address to convention to move beyond conventional ways of thinking about how we "do Church" and really move into the "new Galilee" which spoke of in his address. I'm not sure what that looks like. What I can say is: this is personally for me a genuinely exciting time to be a part of Church of the Good Shepherd. What can I say but "Thanks be to God"!

Peace and Blessings, Bill Bennett

Last weekend, at the 196th Annual Convention of the Diocese of North Carolina, the Church of the Good Shepherd was publicly acknowledged for its exemplary contributions to the diocese's NetsforLife campaign to eradicate malaria in Africa with a "Golden Net" award. Golden Net status was given to those parishes, missions, ministries and schools of the diocese who met or exceeded their campaign goal.

Because of your generosity, Good Shepherd exceeded by 19 percent the goal set for it by the diocese. In all, CGS donated $11,001.06 to the campaign. That amount allowed Episcopal Relief and Development, which oversees the NetsforLife program, to purchase 917 mosquito nets. And here's the most meaningful number of all: up to 2,752 lives will be saved as a result of those nets being placed over the beds of people who live in sub-Saharan Africa, where malaria is a plague.

With the close of the convention, the diocese's NetsforLife campaign officially ended. The full list of Golden Net designees can be found at http://netsforlife.dioncmdg.org/.

Lisa Towle, CGS Net Rep

NetsforLife campaign

Karsten TysonKarsten Tyson is a native of Greenville, North Carolina.  He is a graduate of North Carolina State University and has done graduate work at Fayetteville State University.  Karsten has worked and resided in Raleigh, since the mid 90's.  He has taught Spanish at Word of God Christian Academy, Broughton High School and currently teaches Spanish at Saint Mary's School. 

Karsten is a member of St. Ambrose Episcopal church, where he's served as a lay Eucharistic minister and lector.  In addition, he has served on the Vestry and Finance Committee.  Karsten is also active in the chapel program at Saint Mary's, where the Reverend Ann Bonner-Stewart is the chaplain and his sponsoring priest in the ordination process.  Karsten identifies himself as an Anglo-Roman-Baptist, a true denominational mutt, who went to a Catholic school, grew up in the Baptist Church and stumbled into the Episcopal Church by work.  Karsten is very passionate about the Millennium Development Goals and urban ministry.  In his spare time, he enjoys reading, writing, traveling, volunteering at the Shepherd's Table, hanging out and laughing with friends and family.  He actively blogs and invites you to read his blog at http://sayonkarsten.blogspot.com/. 

The Rev. Dr. Robert C. Sawyer

In the nineteenth chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew, there is a passage that speaks powerfully to me about the importance of children to Jesus.  Matthew states, "Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray.  The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.'"

This past Sunday, as I walked toward the garage on my way out of the Duncan-Giersch Center, I stopped by the nursery where Michelle Bullock, Nancy East our nursery coordinator and a number of parents were gently wiping down each of the toys and other items used by our youngest children to insure that everything was clean.  I stuck my head in the door and simply thanked them for all that they were doing.  One mother responded by thanking me and the church for the wonderful nursery that is provided for the infants and toddlers. 

As I walked out of the nursery I had a smile on my face because of how important a place children, even the youngest, have in the life of our parish.  I give thanks for the work of those who, during the planning process for the Duncan-Giersch Center were adamant that we would place a nursery that was visible and inviting just outside the doors leading into the Nave.  I also give thanks for the generosity of all who have given to make this building a reality.

One of the great marks of love at Good Shepherd is the way that we nurture our children from birth through the challenges of the teenaged years.  This loving nurture has enabled us to be blessed by an increasing number of young families with children.   We are also blessed to have Michelle Bullock as our Director of Family Ministry for she has a true love of the Lord and a desire to help all of our children to grow in their faith and love of the Lord.

Like Jesus called us to do, let us always welcome the little children for they are a vital part of Good Shepherd today.