By what he says, does, and is, Jesus is Good News to the poor. At Good Shepherd. we take his example of servant ministry to heart, and we strive to live it out in our daily lives. We know that God's Reign of love and justice is broader than the Church, and so we seek to partner with those of other faiths and all people of good will. In virtue of Holy Baptism, we are called to represent Jesus wherever we are, in both word and deed.

Through our different outreach ministries, we strive to meet immediate needs and to remove the root causes of injustice. We also aim to create forms of community that transcend divisions in our society. Locally, our mission reflects our context in Appalachian Ohio. Our ministries have come to cluster around feeding the hungry; sharing God's love with those who are sick, lonely, or in prison; and renewing God's fragile earth. Parishioners and clergy are also deeply involved with the work of several local non¬profits. Internationally, we share the Episcopal Church's commitment to the Millennium Development Goals, simple, achievable goals meant to eliminate the most deadly poverty, and we dedicate at least 0.7% of our budget to achieving these goals, chiefly through Episcopal Relief and Development.

Outlined below are some details about different outreach ministries of the parish and along with contact information for those who want to get involved. Wherever you are in your journey of faith, we'd like to help you find ways to serve and make a difference.

(To help protect privacy most email addresses are images and have to be keyed in.)

The Outreach Committee helps coordinate and promote all aspects of outreach ministry at Good Shepherd. It is responsible for evaluating new potential programs, for reporting regularly to the Vestry, and for making an annual budget proposal. Meetings are held on the fourth Sunday of odd numbered months (January, March, May, July, September, and November). All interested persons are welcome!
Please contact A. J. Stack
or Paul Clever (594-2425)

Each Wednesday, a crew from Good Shepherd serves an excellent meal to over 100 people. This ministry began in the late 90's by an energetic college student, Molly Gilbert. With a desire to serve, she simply began feeding peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to anyone in need of a free meal. Today th.at spark has been carried on by the parish as a whole. We have four teams who take one week of the month. There are many volunteer opportunities, from cooking and chopping up food to serving the meal and cleaning up. If you would like to help, please show up at the parish kitchen downstairs around 10 a.m.
or contact Phyllis Dean (593-8487)

The Good Earth Hunger Mission grows and gleans fresh produce for food pantries, women's shelters, and free meal programs in Athens County. In addition to feeding the hungry, this ministry educates volunteers about local. sustainable agriculture and helps reconnect people from a variety of backgrounds with the earth. Last year, Good Earth contributed 5000 pounds of produce; this year the goal is 25,000 pounds. Volunteers help in the garden each week doing everything from planting to harvesting, or cook, or work on building projects. We serve lunch at 1:00 for anyone here, and we have work projects for all different skills and abilities. On Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m., we celebrate the Eucharist together at the farm, followed by a community meal. We are located at mile marker 5.5 on the bike path or 10011 Armitage Road. For directions or details,
please contact Paul Clever (594-2425)
To more information about Good Earth Mission Farm, its blog, Facebook page, etc.

The Athens County Food pantry began over 25 years ago as an ecumenical ministry serving people in our county who are food insecure. Good Shepherd has been involved from the very beginning. Today, we continue to be a major contributor through donations, volunteers. and board members. The pantry is located at 528 Richland Avenue, and volunteers are needed each week to help pack boxes and stack shelves. Mondays are the typical volunteer days.
Please contact Anne Braxton (593-5647)
or Lynn Graham (593-5098)

The Lindley Inn is an assisted living facility for men and women. Good Shepherd began this ministry over ten years ago to make Christ's love known to a group of people with varying degrees of support from family, friends, and community. After celebrating a simple Eucharist. the group shares in singing hymns selected by the residents. Everyone is welcome to participate in this service, which is offered every other Sunday at 2 p.m. We are also always in need of piano players.
Please contact Julie Nehls (593-6877)
or Fr. Bill Carroll (593-6877)

Good Shepherd is active in two forms of prison ministry both at the Hocking Correctional Facility (HCF) . The first is the Kairos Prison Ministry. Kairos is an ecumenical ministry that operates in prisons throughout the United States and in several other countries. In Ohio the organization is active in about ten prisons, HCF being one of the newest. Trained teams enter the prisons sharing the love of Christ two weekends each year. Following the weekend, there are weekly follow-up Prayer and Share sessions and also monthly reunions when team members return to renew ties with the residents. Supporters of Kairos can be found baking cookies throughout Ohio: 10,000 dozen are needed each weekend in the larger prisons.
Please contact Gifford Doxsee (592-3472)

The second form of Prison Ministry is a Euchre playing group. The ministry involves parishioners from the Episcopal churches in Athens, Logan, and Nelsonville who play Euchre monthly with the residents of the HCF. Between eight and fifteen visitors participate each month. As this ministry is over 15 years old, bonds have developed between the visitors and the residents who increasingly come to be seen simply as fellow human beings who have made mistakes in their lives.
Please contact Jan Gault (698-7116)

Good Shepherd has long ties to this ecumenical partnership that provides a religious service for the members of the Psychiatric Hospital located off Union street. George Hebert coordinates various Athens churches in leading a prayer service each Sunday. Good Shepherd typically leads the service for the months of November and March. This usually includes evening prayer following the Prayer Book, song accompanied by the piano, and fellowship afterwards.
Please contact Lynn Graham (593¬5098)
or Jan Gault (698-7116)

The Creation Justice ministry helps educate the parish and broader community on issues of sustainability and environmental justice. This ministry parallels several efforts in other local congregations, which together form the Earth Justice Coalition. In the past, Creation Justice has led our parish and visiting groups on tours of our region's extractive economy and to examples of a more localized and sustainable future. Actions also include performing energy audits on surrounding homes and churches, assessing our parish's energy efficiency, and looking into renewable energy sources for our physical plant.
Please contact Dana Carlson (664-2022)

Listed below, alphabetically, are some of these ministries (beyond church officers) and a contact:

Acolytes/Ushers

Please call Church Office - 593-6877 chogs@frognet.net

Altar Guild

Julie Nehls - 593-7354

Campus Ministry (Shepherd's Alternative)

Fr. Bill Carroll - 593-6877

CHS Associates (Community of the Holy Spirit)

Julie Nehls - 593-7354

To more on the nature and history of the Community of the Holy Spirit order.

Church School for Children

Please call Church Office - 593-6877 chogs@frognet.net

Choir and Handbells

Marsha Reilly - 592-2596

Please see Music Program for details.

Cursillo

Jan Gault - 698-7116

The Cursillo movement in the Southern Diocese sponsors two weekends twice a year for those who wish to become involved in Cursillo. After the weekends, a monthly Ultreya with a potluck and worship are held to support each other in spiritual growth, piety, action and study. The Cursillo group at Good Shepherd usually has their monthly Ultreya on the first Saturday of each month. For more on the nature and history of the movement please try The National Cursillo Center.

Eucharistic Ministers and Lectors

Please call Church Office - 593-6877 chogs@frognet.net

Eucharistic Visitors

Please call Church Office - 593-6877 chogs@frognet.net

Lindley Inn Assisted Living Ministry

Please call Church Office - 593-6877 chogs@frognet.net

Marthas

Julie Nehls - 593-7354

The 'Marthas' are a group of dedicated women who provide hospitality and raise funds for special projects, supervise use of the kitchen, serve dinners, organize flea markets, conduct a prayer shawl ministry, and organize wedding receptions and other gatherings.

Music Librarian

Sandy White - 591-3685

New Member Ministry

Please call Church Office - 593-6877 chogs@frognet.net

Organizational Use of Facilities

Please call Church Office - 593-6877 chogs@frognet.net

Prayer Chain

Matthew Adeyanju - 592-3187

Prayer Shaw Ministry

Julie Nehls - 593-7354

Summer Camp at Proctor Center

Please call Church Office - 593-6877 chogs@frognet.net