Learn About Inreach at Good Shepherd

Welcoming, Connecting & Supporting

The mission statement developed in 2018 by the Inreach Committee is, “To welcome, connect and support the people of Good Shepherd by serving the emotional and spiritual needs of the Good Shepherd community in personal times of challenge and joy.”

Highlights from this year’s committee are as follows: 

The Inreach Committee has sponsored nine Nametag Sundays this year to encourage members and guests to know each other by name and not just by sight.  This has become an inter-generational event due to children/grandchildren often participating and inviting attendees to the nametag tables to create a nametag.  There has been positive feedback for this activity and additional Nametag Sundays are planned for 2019.

Members of the committee have also participated in the last two New Member Class Dinners.  Committee members pick up and deliver the food, help set up, serve and clean up.  Committee members greet and dine with the potential new members and develop initial relationships.  The new members bond with each other as well.  Committee members learn something about each person/family at the tables and share that information with the pastors and church staff.

During Lent, our congregation’s knitting group, Shepherd’s Hands, knit over 300 Prayer Squares.  People were invited to take a Prayer Square and keep it in their pocket as a reminder to lift their concerns to God in prayer throughout the Lenten season.

Stephen Ministry is supported by this committee.  There are currently 17 highly trained volunteers and 9 additional volunteers in training.  The Stephen Ministers provide one-on-one Christian care-giving on Sunday mornings for anyone dealing with an immediate crisis they need to talk about.  The utilization of Stephen Ministers after Sunday services has been increasing recently.

The Inreach Committee continues to meet bi-monthly with a goal of achieving the mission statement.