Our Mission
The Church of the Good Shepherd is a community gathered by God through Jesus Christ to witness to the presence of God in our lives, to teach and to learn the Good News of Jesus Christ, and to care for others in and out of God's church.


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The Baptismal Font of the 
Church of the Good Shepherd, carved from native Barre granite.
Epiphany: The Ministry of the Baptized
The last four Sundays in the Season following the Epiphany, we decided to become very intentional about our Baptismal Vows at the Church of the Good Shepherd. We asked our members to write one thing they did during the week to say:“What I did this week to live into my Baptismal  Vows”:

  • “I prayed” 
  • “I recycled & composted”
  • “I made an effort of reconciliation toward estranged family members”
  • “I rescued a friend from the Emergency Room”
  • “I found out what day I was actually baptized”
  • “I visited a friend in the nursing home”
  • “I witnessed Susan O’s ordination”
  • “11th hour/Urgent Help for Senior Center” 
  • “Reached out to someone in need. Prayer answered!”
  • “Listened”
  • “I held my tongue”
  • “Ditto!” 
  • "Found somebody who didn’t know about our food ministry – and can really use it”
  • “Listened”
  • “Helped my sister get rid of stuff!”
  • “Rejoiced at a friend’s 70th Birthday party”
  • “Rescued a small animal”
  • “I spoke up for someone who didn’t seem able to speak up for herself”
  • “I stopped, took my focus away from myself and acknowledged someone in need. I took a moment to help him and to reassure him. I made sure he was not alone before I went on my way”
  • “Brought dinner to a shut in and had a great time”
  • “Gloried in the beauty of God’s creation – especially the owl on our feeder. What beauty!”
  • “Apologized”
  • “We spoke up in public about economic injustice”
  • “Asked for help from the Lord” 
  • “Studied ancient texts of Divine wisdom”
  • “Helped neighbors get their car started”
  • “I reached out to someone in need”
  • “Prayed for a friend”
  • “Rejoiced at a friend’s 60th birthday!”


This is an extraordinary list; these are things our members did to live out their faith and their call to ministry in the Name of Jesus. I think all of us here at Good Shepherd learned from each other, and we learned of the many ways both great and small that the mission of the Church is being fulfilled through our efforts. As we close out the Epiphany season and our focus on Baptismal ministry, let us continue to reflect on how God call us to join in mission in the weeks to come.
Thanks be to God!