Rector Search Update: January 9, 2020
Dear parish family:
Happy new year! I hope the Christmas season was full of joy for each of you. I am so grateful for our clergy, staff, and lay volunteers for the six incredible Christmas Eve services at Good Shepherd: From the raucous and anything-but-serene 2pm pageant to the calm candlelight of the 11pm to carols on The Hill, there was an opportunity for each of us – all 2437 in attendance that day! – to celebrate the birth of Christ.
RECTOR SEARCH UPDATE
Since late November, the Search Committee has visited the home parishes of three priests. Four or five members of the Search Committee travel for each visit, which includes an in-depth, formal interview; a more relaxed dinner with the priest and his or her spouse if applicable; and attendance at one or more worship services. Each visit completed so far has been met with excitement and positivity by the committee, and those candidates remain in consideration. Another such visit will occur this month, and it is possible that one further will occur after that.
The next step will be to bring at least some of these priests to Good Shepherd for final interviews. Those candidates will travel to Austin discreetly to meet with the full committee and to visit our campus. The priests will visit at separate times. For reasons of confidentiality, the candidates during this stage still meet only with search committee members.
Please thank our search committee members when you see them at church. Their focus and diligence are a testament to their faith in our very special spiritual home.
PARISH UPDATES
The new year promises to bring exciting things to Good Shepherd – not the least of which will be meeting and welcoming our next rector! We also look forward to the warm fellowship of Wednesdays on Windsor; the hope and joy found in each Sunday service; the stimulating words of the guest speakers our program team has lined up.
I hope in particular that you are able to attend church and brunch this Sunday, January 12, to hear the Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers, who serves as Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s Canon for Evangelism, Reconciliation and Stewardship of Creation. The Rev. Canon Spellers will preach at the 10:30am nave service at Windsor and will attend brunch after the 11am service at The Hill. She will inspire our congregation in The Way of Love’s practice GO – the practice of crossing boundaries and listening deeply to love like Jesus.
Your vestry will finalize the parish’s 2020 budget later this month. We appreciate all who have pledged for the new year. If you haven’t yet, there’s still time – please click here to make a pledge online. Your gifts make all of our ministries possible.
You may have noticed construction fencing in the garth between the nave and Allen Hall on the Windsor campus as the renovation of our columbarium is underway. For more information about this project, including details of reserving a niche, please visit gsaustin.org/columbarium.
Finally, please mark your calendar for the 2020 Annual Parish Meeting: Sunday, January 26 at 9am in the Parish Life Center. Children are invited to attend a pajama-and-pancake party in Allen Hall while the meeting takes place. Please plan to join us to hear about the state of our shared ministry and about our plans for the coming year.
In peace,
Taylor Bowles
Senior Warden