October blanket and lamp drive for household goods
Good Shepherd is sponsoring a blanket and lamp drive for Household Goods October 1-31. Please bring lamps with shades and clean blankets with no rips or stains. Twin and full/queen size blankets are especially needed.
Household Goods provides a full range of donated household items, free of charge, to help people in need make a home.
Creation Care: Pray, learn, act, advocate
The Creation Care team offers The Path as a way to take action in support of environmental concerns
Our Diocesan Creation Care Justice Network has developed The Path, a framework of “pray, learn, act, advocate” to guide churches to meet the challenge of the 6th baptismal covenant:
“Cherish the wondrous works of God, and protect and restore the beauty and integrity of all creation.”
Good Shepherd’s Creation Care Team used this framework during our Creation Care focus last fall.
We offer The Path as a way to address:
the threat of private jet expansion at Hanscom Field
the fact that the MA legislature is running out of time to pass several environmental bills
Stop private jet expansion at hanscom field
Pray:
May we be even more aware of the wondrous works of God in this world, so that we make decisions that protect and restore, rather than damage, our God-given creation. Amen
Learn:
A coalition of over 80 partners has come together to stop a massive 50-acre hanger expansion by Massport* to house private luxury jets at Hanscom Field, located in Concord, Lexington, Bedford and Lincoln. However, this is more than a local issue for just the surrounding towns. These private, luxury jets are the worst per capita emitters of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) in the world. This project would cancel 70% of the positive climate impact of all solar installations in Massachusetts to date.
If you are interested in learning more, go to spje.org. This site incudes lots of information including how the expansion will affect nearby National Historic Parks and a National Wildlife Refuge. Visiting the site is worth your time.
FYI: “MassPort was created by the Mass. State Legislature in 1956 to oversee and operate key transportation facilities in the state. They do not answer to either the Governor or the MA legislature. It is governed by a seven-member Board and is an independent public authority.”
Act:
Please sign the petition for support from Governor Healey to stop private jet expansion at Hanscom.
Advocate:
Good Shepherd Creation Care Team has joined the Coalition to stop private luxury jets at Hanscom Field.
Yet-to-pass environmental bills: Time is running out!
Pray:
For the forward movement and passage of these bills.
Learn:
There are a number of Environmental Bills still in our MA Legislature Committees that need to be brought to the floor for discussion and a vote. If they are not voted on before the end of the legislative session this July, they will have to wait for another two years before they can be brought up again. We encourage you to learn about these bills.
Act:
Act by writing or calling your senator and representative to put pressure on the leadership to bring these bills to the floor for a vote. To contact your senator and your representative go to https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator. Even if your legislators are for these bills, emails or phone calls are good data for them to put pressure on their peers.
Here is a sample letter or phone call script to your senator and representative which you can use.
I am concerned that there are important environmental bills that have not been advanced during this legislative session. They include among others:
clean air (S.1382/H.2131),
environmental justice for vulnerable communities (S.2113/H.3187),
transitioning away from gas (S.2135/H.3237),
equitable building decarbonization (S.2365/H.3232)
I urge you to put pressure on the leadership to bring these bills out of committee to the floor for a vote. The climate emergency cannot wait two years.
Thank you
Name
Address
Advocate:
On May 21st, a group of concerned environmentalists, including members of CGS, assembled on the lawn in front of First Parish Church on Lexington Road in Concord for a rally to let people know that Time is Running Out!
Church of the Good Shepherd packages 10,000 meals to help fight hunger
Watch a video of our parishioners packaging 10,000 meals!
On Sunday, May 5, 64 volunteers, ages 2 to 90, donned red hair nets. To the beat of energetic music, they went to work measuring, weighing, sealing and packaging 10,000 meals. The boxes were loaded onto the Rise Against Hunger truck to begin their journey to a food insecure country somewhere in the world.
The Good Shepherd Pupusa Truck Will Arrive March 9th!
Come and Enjoy Pupusas!
Support the El Salvador Scholarship Fund and bring your family the experience of delicious Salvadoran pupusas!
On Saturday, March 9 from 6:00-8:00PM, we will be serving chips, salsa, Salvadoran pupusas, slaw, plantains, desserts, and soft drinks in the parish hall.
We will be highlighting current successes and challenges in our sister community of El Ocotillo and the important role of our scholarship program. All ages are invited. Dinner is free and you are welcome to make a donation to the scholarship fund.
Please RSVP to Kevin Gross with the number in your party. We will have a variety of pupusa types and no need to order ahead of time.
Anyone who is interested in helping decorate the parish hall for this event or in helping to serve the food should text Rafael Pupo.
Refugee support & slide show
24-01-21 Ongoing Mission Report: refugee support & slide show
Ongoing Mission Report
Successful food drive for the Acton Food Pantry
221 food items which were delivered to the Acton Food Pantry this week thanks to Good Shepherd parishioners
Thank you for the tremendous support we received for the food drive for the Acton Food Pantry. It was a huge success! We have donated over 221 food items which were delivered to the Acton Food Pantry this week. We had so much food that we needed a truck!
It has been wonderful to participate in the food drive. Helping our community and involving our children in this important work has also been fulfilling and eye opening for them. Working as a team has made this volunteer work possible and the added bonus is getting to know other parishioners in our community. My sons were already asking when the next drive will be!
-Kristen
We so appreciate the opportunity to grow relationships and make a meaningful impact for our community! It was such a collaborative and flexible way as working moms to participate in such an important ministry - the support structure was amazing! My daughter, Angela said, ‘It’s good to know I am helping those in need.’
-Kim
This outpouring of generosity will undoubtedly help a great many of our neighbors in Acton and Boxborough. Thank you for your thoughtfulness and care during this season of giving.
November food drive for the Acton Food Pantry
Join Good Shepherd families in collecting donations for the Acton Food Pantry
Let’s HELP our neighbors this November by donating food or money! Please bring in food or money to donate to the Acton Food Pantry by November 30th. Look for the bins in the church or write a check with a note to donate to the food drive.
The Pantry critically needs:
Baking: Flour, Sugar, Honey
Drinks: Coffee, Tea, Hot Chocolate
Dried Goods: Dried Beans, Dried Fruit , Nuts, Trail Mix
Hearty: Canned Meat/Fish, Canned Soup, Stew, Chili, Jelly, Jarred Pasta Sauce, Diced Tomatoes
Baby: Baby food, Diapers size 4-7 and baby wipes
Thank you for your support...together we can make a difference!
22-11-20 Lowell Transitional Living Center
https://ltlc.org/
Isaiah Stephens, Managing Director
Deb Leary, Resource Development Manager
https://ltlc.org/
Concert and cookout fundraiser
on behalf of the Acton and Stow Area Interfaith Partnership to Support Afghan Refugees
on behalf of the Acton and Stow Area Interfaith Partnership to Support Afghan Refugees
When: Friday July 29, 2022
Where: St Matthews Church 435 Central Street Acton, MA
Cookout starts at 6 PM Concert is 6:30 – 8PM
Join us for a cookout and concert from the Summertime Jazz Band on a summer evening! Food available starting at 6PM and the concert will begin at 6:30. Enjoy your dinner while listening to jazz tunes. If the weather is nice, we will be on the front lawn. Bring a blanket or lawn chairs to sit on the lawn. If it is raining, we will be indoors.
All proceeds from the event will directly support a family of six who has recently moved to Lowell, Massachusetts from Afghanistan. This family is being supported by six local churches in Acton, Stow and Shirley, including Church of the Good Shepherd.
Please sign up for tickets with this link:
If you would prefer to make a donation, use this link to First Parish Church of Stow and Acton
http://fpc-stow-acton.org/donate
Select "Give to Restricted Gift" and include the comment: " Interfaith Afghan Families".
How can you help?
Donate Food or Time! There are lots of opportunities to provide food or volunteer on the day of the event. We are also looking for several more people to provide grills and grillers. Please sign up here.
Attend! Please invite your friends and neighbors to this special evening for a special cause!
FAMILY FRIENDLY CONCERT TO BENEFIT THE AFGHAN FAMILY SETTLEMENT PROJECT
Save the Date (April 23) and Invite Your Friends
At 4:00pm Saturday April 23, Good Shepherd will host a performance by the a cappella octet NOTA (which stands for None of the Above). Pastoral Associate for Liturgy and Music Ellen Oak sings with this group. Their repertoire spans classical, jazz, pop, and folk genres.
All proceeds will benefit the Afghan Family Settlement Project (sponsored by six local communities of faith, of which Church of the Good Shepherd is one) to welcome an Afghan family in the area.
FREEWILL OFFERING: Suggested donation $20. All contributions of any size most welcome. All proceeds will go directly to the Afghan family project. Cash, check, or online through Good Shepherd website.
RECEPTION: All comers are invited to bring a light refreshment to share at the post-performance reception. Coffee, tea, and lemonade will be provided by Church of the Good Shepherd.
For more information about NOTA Click here.