This fall we will be joining other Episcopal churches in the diocese and nationally to participate in the Episcopal Spiritual Life Inventory. This comprehensive survey of spiritual life can help provide valuable information on where we are as a faith community and insight into where the Holy Spirit is now leading us in mission and ministry. The inventory was created by RenewalWorks, an Episcopal organization charged with advancing spiritual growth, and is intended to be thought provoking for your own faith journey.

I ask that all adult members of Good Shepherd plan to participate when this survey becomes available in late September. For those who can, we prefer you complete your survey online. Others may wish to complete a paper survey. Regardless, we want every adult member to participate and to be assured that your responses are confidential.

A small group of parish members will meet following the close of the survey to consider what the data collected say about where we are and where we are going in mission and ministry. Please know that I am grateful to them and to all of you for participating in this important work. It has been more than ten years since the last time we did such a parish assessment. The work we will do together this September will become a valuable guide to setting a course for the parish over the next decade.

You will hear more about this initiative when I return from sabbatical in mid-August. For those who want more information now, please look at the RenewalWorks website https://renewalworks.org/

Grace and peace,
Fr. Bill+