On Sunday, July 6th immediately following the 11:00 service, Parish Life will be hosting a picnic luncheon in the Parish Hall. The church is providing hot dogs , refreshments, Apple pie and ice cream . Please sign up if you'd like to donate some of your delicious side dishes to go with our hot dogs. *Volunteer sign-up sheet is also located in the Parish Hallway.*

Save the date…

Mondays at 10a.m. June 9-30 in the Library.

The earliest written of the four Gospels, the Gospel according to Mark provides much material found in both Matthew and Luke. Those Gospels borrow heavily from Mark but reorganize and extend that borrowed text to make their own witness to the mission and ministry of God in Jesus Christ.

Mark has been considered lesser than the other Gospels: lesser as a piece of literature, lesser theologically, lesser as a basis for liturgy, lesser as a call to mission. A closer examination of Mark, however, reveals some of its genius and why it is the first among the Gospels. Bring your Bibles as we read Mark and discover some of its riches.

This will be the first in a series of short courses on the four Gospels.

Instructed Eucharist Sunday June 22 and 29 @ 1:00 PM, in the Nave, Eucharist, the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, is the principal act of worship in our Episcopal tradition. Understanding its structure, component elements, and some of its history and intentions can add depth of meaning and new or renewed spiritual engagement. Eucharist can mean so much more when through a slow and intentional examination you come to see and understand what is being done and why. All are welcome to this experience of instructed Eucharist.

June 27th- Asheville Tourist Baseball Game. Meet in the church parking lot at 3:30 to carpool and/or caravan to the baseball game. Game starts at 6:30. Order your tickets on line at Tourists vs. Bowling Green Hot Rods - MyProVenue™ some of us have purchased tickets in Section BB Row K.

Mondays at 10a.m. June 9-30 in the Library.

The earliest written of the four Gospels, the Gospel according to Mark provides much material found in both Matthew and Luke. Those Gospels borrow heavily from Mark but reorganize and extend that borrowed text to make their own witness to the mission and ministry of God in Jesus Christ.

Mark has been considered lesser than the other Gospels: lesser as a piece of literature, lesser theologically, lesser as a basis for liturgy, lesser as a call to mission. A closer examination of Mark, however, reveals some of its genius and why it is the first among the Gospels. Bring your Bibles as we read Mark and discover some of its riches.

This will be the first in a series of short courses on the four Gospels.

Instructed Eucharist Sunday June 22 and 29 @ 1:00 PM, in the Nave, Eucharist, the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, is the principal act of worship in our Episcopal tradition. Understanding its structure, component elements, and some of its history and intentions can add depth of meaning and new or renewed spiritual engagement. Eucharist can mean so much more when through a slow and intentional examination you come to see and understand what is being done and why. All are welcome to this experience of instructed Eucharist.

June 19th- Pizza and Game night 5:00 in the Parish Hall. Parish Life will provide Pizza, Salad, and drinks. Please sign up so we have the appropriate amount of pizzas ordered. Bring your favorite games and game faces.

On Tuesday, June 17th we are hosting our Cancer Support Group in the Parish Hall at 5pm. We are hoping to offer support to those on the journey of dealing with, surviving, and/or caring for someone with cancer. Bring something to share in thoughts, ideas, and of course some food. Contact Jose Arias by email if you can’t attend in person but would like to be part of the meeting by zoom: jose_m_arias@hotmail.com

Mondays at 10a.m. June 9-30 in the Library.

The earliest written of the four Gospels, the Gospel according to Mark provides much material found in both Matthew and Luke. Those Gospels borrow heavily from Mark but reorganize and extend that borrowed text to make their own witness to the mission and ministry of God in Jesus Christ.

Mark has been considered lesser than the other Gospels: lesser as a piece of literature, lesser theologically, lesser as a basis for liturgy, lesser as a call to mission. A closer examination of Mark, however, reveals some of its genius and why it is the first among the Gospels. Bring your Bibles as we read Mark and discover some of its riches.

This will be the first in a series of short courses on the four Gospels.

Mondays at 10a.m. June 9-30 in the Library.

The earliest written of the four Gospels, the Gospel according to Mark provides much material found in both Matthew and Luke. Those Gospels borrow heavily from Mark but reorganize and extend that borrowed text to make their own witness to the mission and ministry of God in Jesus Christ.

Mark has been considered lesser than the other Gospels: lesser as a piece of literature, lesser theologically, lesser as a basis for liturgy, lesser as a call to mission. A closer examination of Mark, however, reveals some of its genius and why it is the first among the Gospels. Bring your Bibles as we read Mark and discover some of its riches.

This will be the first in a series of short courses on the four Gospels.

After the 11am service on June 8th, we will be Roasting & Toasting our Music/Choir Director Keith Christensen & Pianist/Accompanist Carol Smucker as they retire! The church will be providing ham & biscuits. We ask that you join us and please, bring something to share. Also, please be thinking of your toasting ideas! If you would like to contribute to a monetary gift to be split equally, please mark your checks “retirement gift.” Let’s thank them for their beautiful gifts to this congregation!

The Stamping (card making) Class is back by popular demand! It will take place Thursday, June 5th from 12:30 - 4:00p in the Parish Hall. Cost is $15 for 6 handmade cards and all supplies will be furnished. Capacity for 15. Please sign up on the sheet in the Parish Hall hallway or RSVP to Kaye TeRonde at kteronde@gmail.com or Jan Freeman at jansfreeman@gmail.com. Come join us for an afternoon of creativity and fellowship. We plan to offer 2 more classes later this year.

Mondays at 10a.m. June 9-30 in the Library.

The earliest written of the four Gospels, the Gospel according to Mark provides much material found in both Matthew and Luke. Those Gospels borrow heavily from Mark but reorganize and extend that borrowed text to make their own witness to the mission and ministry of God in Jesus Christ.

Mark has been considered lesser than the other Gospels: lesser as a piece of literature, lesser theologically, lesser as a basis for liturgy, lesser as a call to mission. A closer examination of Mark, however, reveals some of its genius and why it is the first among the Gospels. Bring your Bibles as we read Mark and discover some of its riches.

This will be the first in a series of short courses on the four Gospels.

On May 17th, Parish Life is enjoying a hike at Riverwalk Park in Murphy while learning local history, flora, and fauna. We'll meet at church at 9:30am, then carpool or caravan to the parking lot located just past Murphy Elementary School. Sign up if you plan to attend.

THEN…

We are meeting at 4:30pm, for fellowship at Crane Creek Stone House Tasting Room 1040 Crane Creek Rd, Young Harris, GA 30582. Sign up sheet for this as well.

St. Augustine is credited with the quote: “He who sings prays twice.” Mindful of that saying, Good Shepherd’s Arts and Spirituality Ministry will be sponsoring “Hymns of Glory; Songs of Praise,” an evening with organist Jerry Taylor. The program will take place on Wednesday evening, May 14, from 5:00-6:30pm.

The evening will start with a simple meal of sandwich, chips, salad, dessert and beverage, followed by a musical program featuring a selection of favorite hymns. Jerry will be bringing several antique reed organs to accompany the singing. As we sing the hymns, Jerry will share information regarding the history of the musical instruments, as well as information about the hymns and the authors themselves.

There is a sign-up sheet for the program in the information hallway. So that we may prepare for all who are coming, the final sign-up will be Sunday, May 11, 2025. For more information or questions, please contact Betsi Wilson.

Save the date for this Parish Life Event and watch for details to come.

Please join us for an Easter Egg Hunt following our 11am service on Easter Sunday, April 20,2025. We plan to start immediately following the service. We will be outside our front door to have the kids follow us to the playground area. We have some eggs that we can use but could use more as well as candy to stuff them with. Any and all contributions are welcome! Our number of children is small and we want to prepare for anyone who will be joining us. We can take donations in the nursery. Please have them to us by Sunday, April 13, so that we can coordinate our time to fill the eggs and get ready for our egg hunt! . Thank you all!

Parish Life Ministry is organizing a movie and dinner at VIP Fieldstone 6 in Hiawassee on Saturday, April 12th. Movie time is 4:20pm. We’ll meet at the theater to see “King of Kings.” Afterwards if anyone is interested, we’ll go across the street for dinner at Marina Station. Join us for some fun and fellow ship!

St. Francis Catholic Church in Blairsville, GA will host an Icon Writing Class from April 27 - May 2. The instructor is Kara Gillette who studied with Teresa Harrison. There are several spaces available. The cost is $525 per person which includes all supplies and lunch each day. For more information or a registration form please contact Rita Casey via email at rbear11@hotmail.com or by phone at 678-350-3739.

Lenten Supper Series 2025
Forgiveness
Wednesday in Lent at 5:00 PM

“American culture, which pits self-fulfillment against self-sacrifice, [will] produce revenge or withdrawal as a response to any mistreatment. . . . In such a culture, forgiveness is seen as self-hating, and revenge and anger are considered authentic.” - Tim Keller
“If you believe the gospel – that you are saved by sheer grace and the free forgiveness of God – and you still hold a grudge — at the very least it shows that you are blocking the actual effect of the gospel in your life, or you’re kidding yourself and perhaps you don’t believe the gospel at all.” - Tim Keller

What is the mission of the Church? The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ. So answers the Book of Common Prayer to the question of our mission as members of the body of Christ. We are in the mending, healing, bridge building, reconciliation business.
Saint Paul, in his Second Letter to the Corinthians, makes this missional directive explicit stating that as God has reconciled the world to himself through Christ, we as ambassadors of Christ and bearers of the message of reconciliation are to be reconcilers. Where there is injury we are to seek justice with forgiveness and mercy. In a time when victimhood, grievance, resentment, bullying, revenge, and aggressive language and action have taken over public and private discourse, followers of Christ have much work to do.

March 12 Stories of Forgiving

March 19 The Love, Mercy, and Justice of God

March 26 To Be Forgiven

April 2 To Forgive Others

April 9 The Ministry of Reconciliation

Dinner of soup, salad and bread begins at 5:00 PM. Your donations are welcome.

This course is led by Fr. Bill.

To follow up on Father Bill’s recent classes entitled, “Lord, Teach Us To Pray,” the Adult Spiritual Formation Ministry and the Arts and Spirituality Ministry will offer two Anglican Prayer Bead Workshops in March. At these workshops you will create your own prayer beads and will learn how to incorporate them into your daily prayer life.

The dates have been RESCHEDULED and are Tuesday, March 25th from 1:30 - 3:30 pm & Thursday, March 27th from 10:00 am - noon. The cost is $10 and includes all supplies and refreshments (a light lunch following the morning session and a tea following the afternoon workshop). The workshops are limited to 15 participants, so check the bulletin board and sign-up!

To follow up on Father Bill’s recent classes entitled, “Lord, Teach Us To Pray,” the Adult Spiritual Formation Ministry and the Arts and Spirituality Ministry will offer two Anglican Prayer Bead Workshops in March. At these workshops you will create your own prayer beads and will learn how to incorporate them into your daily prayer life.

The dates have been RESCHEDULED and are Tuesday, March 25th from 1:30 - 3:30 pm & Thursday, March 27th from 10:00 am - noon. The cost is $10 and includes all supplies and refreshments (a light lunch following the morning session and a tea following the afternoon workshop). The workshops are limited to 15 participants, so check the bulletin board and sign-up!

Good Shepherd will host a Red Cross Blood Drive on Monday, March 24th from 12:30 - 5:30pm in the Parish Hall.

During January and February, Father Bill offered a series of classes entitled, "Lord, Teach Us To Pray," where he shared how we might pray using the Book of Common Prayer as well as some of the commonly used prayer practices of the Christian Church. The purpose of these classes was to encourage us to strengthen our prayer practices and to refresh our prayer life.

To continue with the theme of enhancing prayer life, the Adult Spiritual Formation and the Arts and Spirituality Ministries will offer two Anglican Prayer Bead Workshops in March. You will have the opportunity to create your own strand of prayer beads and learn how to pray with them to incorporate them into your daily prayer life. The emphasis of the class will be on prayer rather than craft. Father Bill will provide instruction on the use of the prayer beads.

The workshops will be limited to 15 participants each and there will be sign up sheets on the Bulletin Board in the hallway beginning March 2, 2025. The cost will be $10.00 which includes all supplies and refreshments (a light lunch following the morning session and a tea following the afternoon workshop).

The first workshop will be Tuesday, March 18th from 1:30 - 3:30 pm. The second workshop will be Thursday, March 20th from 10:00 am - noon. All participants are asked to bring a small towel to use at your work space. Contact Kathy Wright for further information or if you have questions.

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.