Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd
Our Vision: To Know Christ and To Make Him Known
The Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd is a member of the New England Convocation of the Anglican Communion Network, and a member church of the Anglican Diocese of Kenya, and therefore a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion. We are located in the administration building of Camp Good News, 71 Route 130, Forestdale, MA. We invite you to attend our services which are based on orthodox biblical teaching and the historical and traditional Anglican Eucharist.
Diocese
of Kenya
Current
Events
Schedule of
Services
News
Items
Direction to the
Church
What the Churches of the Anglican
Communion Believe
Common
Cause Partners and Theology Statement
Our
Mission and What We Value
Our
Bishops and Clergy
Our
Vestry and Lay Leaders
Links to Informative
Websites about the Anglian Communion
A
Picture Gallery
Please see Schedule of Services below
Weekly Services:
9:00 AM Sundays. Holy Eucharist Rite II
Sunday School is closed for the Summer, and will resume in the Fall.
Third Wednesday of each month:
Adult Bible Study at home of Dr. Hope Brooks.
Special services during Christmas and Lent will be posted at this site.
Nairobi, Kenya, August 30, 2007. (Extracted from Reuters)
All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi, was the location for the consecration of The Rt. Rev. William Murdoch and the Rt. Rev. Dr. William Atwood by The Most Rev. Benjamin Nzimbi, Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya. Bishops Atwood and Murdoch were appointed as Suffragan Bishops for the Diocese of Nairobi to serve the 30 Anglican Churches in North America under the leadership of the Anglican Church of Kenya.
The
Rt. Rev. Dr. William Atwood, The Most Rev. Benjamin Nzimbi, The Rt.
Rev. William Murdoch (photo New York Times)
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Directions
to the Church
From
the South:
From the Mashpee Traffic Circle on Rt. 28, take the Great Neck-North
exit toward Rt. 130. Proceed north for 2.1 miles to the traffic
light intersection with Rt. 130. Turn left on Rt. 130 for 4.8,
passing through one additional set of traffic lights. The entrance to
Camp Good News is on the left with a sign announcing The Anglican
Church of the Good Shepherd. Proceed 0.5 miles past the tennis courts
on the left, to the Administration Building. Parking is available to
the right. Please use the center entrance.
From the North: From Exit 2 of the Mid-Cape Highway (Rt. 6), proceed south on Rt. 130 for 4.1 miles passing through two sets of traffic lights. The entrance to Camp Good News is on the right with a sign announcing The Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd. Proceed 0.5 miles past the tennis courts on the left, to the Administration Building. Parking is available to the right. Please use the center entrance.
The mail address is: The Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd, PO Box 936, Foresdale MA, 02644
The telephone number is (508) 420-0800. There is also a recorded telephone message with directions to our church, and an opportunity to leave a message if you wish. Return to Table of Contents
WHAT THE CHURCHES OF THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION BELIEVE
The Anglican Communion is a worldwide Church Communion. It is the second most geographically widespread Church Communion in the world and the world's third largest Christian body. The Anglican Communion is also the fastest growing Church Communion in the world and is growing at a rapid pace in Africa, Asia and South America. There are approximately 80 million Anglicans worldwide. The Archbishop of Canterbury (in England) is considered the "First Among Equals" among the Bishops of the Anglican Communion. The Communion's peaching and doctrine is based on God's holy Word -- the Holy Bible, and we proclaim the Catholic Faith of God's holy Word. The authority of Holy Scripture holds a place of primacy and Anglicans recognize that the Holy Bible has the power to change human hearts and to draw them more fully into a relationship with the Living God in His Son Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. The Anglican Communion celebrates all seven of the traditional Sacraments or Sacramental Rites of the Church: Emphasis is placed on the importance of Holy Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. Holy Baptism incorporates us into the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and through Holy Baptism we become members of His Church and heirs of His Kingdom. The Holy Eucharist enables us to be nourished spiritually with the Body and Blood, that is, the very Life and Person of Jesus Christ.
The
Anglican Communion, is a branch of the ancient one, holy, Catholic
and Apostolic Church which celebrates and proclaims the same Faith
(creeds), Gospel (Holy Scripture), Sacraments and Orders of Ministry
(that of Bishop, Priest and Deacon ordained in the Apostolic
Succession) as in the once undivided Catholic Church. Anglicans also
uphold the traditional moral teachings of the Church as found in the
Holy Bible and practiced in the early Church.
(
Father
Michael J. McKinnon, Church of the Holy Trinity, Marlborough, MA.
with permission.)
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The Common Cause Partners Theology Statement
In September 2007, Anglican Bishops from 10 North American jurisdictions representing 600 congregations pledged to take the first steps towards a "new ecclestiacal structure" in North America. The first meeting of the Common Cause College of Bishops was held in Pittsburgh, PA on September 25-28, 2007.
Leaders for the Common Cause Partnership at Trinity Cathedral, Pittsburgh, PA. Photo by Peter Frank, Diocese of Pittsburgh
The Common Cause Partners
in North America are:
The Anglican America
Counsel (AAC)
The Anglican Coalition in Canada
(ACC)
The Anglican Communion Network (ACN)
Of which, The Anglican Church of the Good
Shepherd is a part.
The Anglican
Essentials of Canada
The Anglican Mission in
the Americas (AMIA)
The Convocation of
Anglicans in North America (CANA)
The Anglican
Network of Canada (ANC)
The Anglican
Provence of America
Forward in Faith - North
America
The Reformed Episcopal Church
In December 2007, The Common Cause Partners innaugrated their new website, elected The Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan as their moderator and published the Statement of Theology for the Common Cause Partners for North America. You're invited to visit their website at www.united-anglicans.org.
Theological Statement
"We believe and confess Jesus Christ to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no one comes to the Father but by Him. Therefore, the Common Cause Partnership identifies the following seven elements as characteristic of the Anglican Way, and essential for membership:
1.We confess the canonical books of the Old and New Testaments to be the inspired Word of God, containing all things necessary for salvation, and to be the final authority and unchangeable standard for Christian faith and life.
2.We confess Baptism and the Supper of the Lord to be Sacraments ordained by Christ Himself in the Gospel, and thus to be ministered with unfailing use of His words of institution and of the elements ordained by Him.
3.We confess the godly
historic Episcopate as an inherent part of the apostolic faith and
practice, and therefore as integral to the fullness and unity of the
Body of Christ.
4.We confess as proved by most certain
warrants of Holy Scripture the historic faith of the undivided church
as declared in the three Catholic Creeds: the Apostles', the Nicene,
and the Athanasian.
5.Concerning the seven Councils of the undivided Church, we affirm the teaching of the first four Councils and the Christological clarifications of the fifth, sixth and seventh Councils, in so far as they are agreeable to the Holy Scriptures.
6.We receive The Book of Common Prayer as set forth by the Church of England in 1662, together with the Ordinal attached to the same, as a standard for Anglican doctrine and discipline, and, with the Books which preceded it, as the standard for the Anglican tradition of worship.
7.We receive the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion of 1562, taken in their literal and grammatical sense, as expressing the Anglican response to certain doctrinal issues controverted at that time, and as expressing the fundamental principles of authentic Anglican belief.
In all these things, the Common Cause Partnership is determined by the help of God to hold and maintain as the Anglican Way has received them the doctrine, discipline and worship of Christ.
"The Anglican Communion," Archbishop Geoffrey Fisher wrote, "has no peculiar thought, practice, creed or confession of its own. It has only the Catholic Faith of the ancient Catholic Church, as preserved in the Catholic Creeds and maintained in the Catholic and Apostolic constitution of Christ's Church from the beginning." It may licitly teach as necessary for salvation nothing but what is read in the Holy Scriptures as God's Word written or may be proved thereby. It therefore embraces and affirms such teachings of the ancient Fathers and Councils of the Church as are agreeable to the Scriptures, and thus to be counted apostolic. The Church has no authority to innovate: it is obliged continually, and particularly in times of renewal or reformation, to return to "the faith once delivered to the saints."
To be an Anglican, then, is not to embrace a distinct version of Christianity, but a distinct way of being a "Mere Christian," at the same time evangelical, apostolic, catholic, reformed, and Spirit-filled."
OUR
MISSION
As
an Anglican mission, our ministry is to attract people to experience
the Good News that is the Word of God, to find fellowship in the
celebration of the Eucharist, to mature as Christian disciples, and
thus to enjoy the blessings of a personal relationship with God in
Jesus Christ. We strive to be known for our commitment to
evangelical faith and communion with other biblically faithful
Christians.
WHAT WE VALUE
Fulfillment of the
Great Commission. We value the fulfillment of the
Great Commission through evangelism, Christian education in the
Anglican tradition, and guidance by our leadership in our daily
commitments to the Christian faith.
The Bible as the
Sole Source of Divine Revelation. The bible is the
sole source of divine revelation. We believe that the message
of the Gospel is unchanging. The eternal truth of God's Word is
exactly that-the eternal truth. Human experience is to be
subjected to that truth, not the other way around.
The
Relationship with Jesus Christ. This relationship is
the source for all that is good in our lives. Our worship
provides an environment that enables and inspires us to continually
build up and renew our personal relationship with Jesus Christ and
one another.
The Anglican Traditions of Orthodox
Christian Teachings. We believe that the Anglican
tradition has maintained fidelity to the teachings of the early
Christian church.
Outreach. Christian
outreach into the local community and the world at large is the
single best way of demonstrating Christ's love for mankind and the
means by which we will demonstrate our love for our neighbor and
commitment to improving the human condition.
Intellectual
Rigor, Honesty, and Integrity. We
believe that the foundation of our faith is expressed through the
intellectual rigor and integrity of Anglican tradition and by the
honest way in which we witness our case. We encourage all
seekers of the truth to challenge the very core of our beliefs and to
discover for themselves the truth of salvation.
Ministry of
the Laity and Clergy. We believe
that adherence to our core beliefs in a changing world requires the
full and cooperative efforts of lay and clergy alike. Oversight
is a shared responsibility between legitimately constituted authority
and lay leadership at all levels of ministry. We believe that
the parish is the fundamental unit of our church, and the lay
leadership of the parish is charged with the responsibility for
temporal matters according to our core beliefs. We expect our
religious leaders to be faithfully compliant with the orthodox
values, canons, and doctrines of the Anglican Communion.
The Most Rev. Rowan
B. Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury
The Most Rev. Benjamin
Nzimbi, Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya
The Rt. Rev.
Robert W. Duncan, Moderator, the Anglican Communion Network
The
Rt. Rev. William Murdoch, Suffragan Bishop, Anglican Church of
Kenya
The Rt. Rev. Dr. William Atwood, Suffragan Bishop, Anglican
Church of Kenya
The Rev.
John Potter,
Mentor, Rector of The Anglican Church of the Redeemer, Franklin,
MA
The
Rev. Michael Rennier, Rector, The Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd.
The Rev. Michael Rennier, Rector
Vestry
Sr.Warden Dr. Hope
Brooks
Jr. Warden Desiree
Mobed
Raymond Lang, Treasurer
Jeanne
Wirtanen, Clerk
Edward Wirtanen
Janet Lang
Janice
Nicholson
Joan Darling
Lay Eucharistic Ministers
Raymond Lang
Jeffery Mobed
Anne McManus
William Seward
Robert Kahl
Dolores Kahl
Church Staff
Sunday School :
Desiree
Mobed, Director; Anne McManus
Altar Guild: Joan Darling, Janice Nicholson, Desiree Mobed
Pianist/Organist: Joan Devine
Hospitality Hostess: Janet Lang
Website: Sarah Zappala
You
are invited to visit the following web sites to learn more about The
Anglican Communion in the United States. Just click on the following
links .
New England Convocation of the ACN www.acn-nec.org
The American Anglican Council
www.americananglican.org
Anglicans at
Prayer www.anglicansatprayer.org
The
Anglican Communion Network (ACN) www.acn-us.org
Common Cause Partners for North
America www.united-anglicans.org.
Following is a collection of photos taken during the last three years and range from the the solemn and formal to the lighthearted and trivial. All were solicited from the members of the congregation, and most are undated, hence, they are placed in no specific order. If you have some photos you'd like included, please give them to Sarah Zappala or send them to her email address at sawzbella@verizon.net Enjoy!
This is just a start. We need your photos!
The
Advent Altar December 2, 2007
Acolyte David Mobed; Fr. Joe; LEM Anne McManus
The First Holy Communion of Autum Darling and Nathan Mobed
February 2007
Sunday School Students Advent Presentation
Back row: Elizabeth
Williamson, David Mobed
Front row: Abbey Sprague, Autum Darling,
Cory Lopes, Danny Zappala, Nathan Mobed
December 2, 2007
LEM Bob Kahl and
Father Joe
Lent 2008
Easter
Sunday Photos-2008
The
Easter Altar and Memorial Flowers
The Processional Father Joe Proclaims the Easter Message
David
Mobed, Crucifer
Alleluia,
Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Nathan Mobed and Autum Darling, Torch Bearers
The
Children's Choir
David Mobed Desiree Mobed, Teacher Sarah Zappala, Teacher
Anne McManus, Teacher Aumum Darling Nathan Mobed, Drummer Danny Zappala
Joan Devine, director
At the Coffee Hour
The Coffee Hour has developed into an important part of the Church Scene. Here, we welcome visitors, and get to know new members who have just joined us. We learn about the births of our members' new grand-children, and the disasterous leak in the water heater. You won't find this rite in any of the Prayer Books but it has developed into one of the most important ways of keeping up with the lives of our church family....of Being One in Christ. If you photo isn't here, please contact Sarah Zappala.
Mrs. Janet Lang, our Hospitality Hostess
Faith Willard and Hope Brooks, the Senior
Warden
Jeff
Mobed samples the cupcakes
Michael and Elizabeth Bothner, with visiting daughter Katharine
Ray Lang, our parish Treasurer, savors the coffee Joan Devine, our music director
Jeanne
Wirtanen, our Clerk of the Vestry, and Ed Wirtanen, Vestryman
This
web page is maintained by Sarah Zappala, at sawzbella@verizon.net and
is hosted by REGISTER.COM