What an honor to be called to serve on Good Shepherd’s Council. My eight-year old daughter, Leslie, and I had been in and out of several area churches when a member of Good Shepherd invited us to attend. That was about 30 years ago. Pastor Lou’s message, biblically focused on the love of Jesus, rather than on personality or politics, made coming back easy. The warmth of G-Shep members made staying magnetic. The Good Shepherd flock is expert at making friends of strangers—and the strange!

My faith journey has been a winding path; some might and have said it is strange. But, a winding path through many Christian denominations and one religion outside Christianity has only enhanced my natural bent for curiosity, exploration, and discovery. This natural bent has blossomed into a heart for understanding that has led to faith and trust in God’s plan for me and Jesus’ love for me. As a college student, I studied the Bible as Literature. As a college teacher, I taught the Bible as Literature. I am an avid and eclectic reader. I can’t get enough of texts that help me dive deep into and understand the truth, love, and wonders of God’s word. These texts are always my current and next reads. I process what I have learned and have felt by journaling, writing poetry and essays, and sharing my discoveries and understandings with others. To that end, at Good Shepherd, for three years, my best friend and I facilitated a study group—“A Different Study”—where participants read books by Christian authors and analyzed their connections to the Bible and our lives. Under the leadership of Pastor Bob, I wrote scripts and, using the book Life Keys, worked with a team to create and co-facilitate the process to help Good Shepherd members learn God’s purpose for them and the ways they can use their purpose to serve. I write poetry, plays, and essays that have been read and performed at Good
Shepherd services. I also serve Communion in the Worship Center. I love looking our members in the eyes, smiling at them, and serving them the elements. I see Jesus in each child of God who steps up to take Communion, and I pray every day for Jesus to enter and live in the hearts and minds of His children.

For about 10 years, until the final team presented Christ Renews His Parish on February 29, 2020, I co-facilitated Table Leader leadership sessions to help CHRP participants effectively contribute to their group discussions. In my own CHRP experiences, I was twice discerned Spirituality Witness. I am by nature a listener, that’s what introverts do. I believe others see in me an open mind and willing ear to hear them out before I comment. I am always curious to know what others think and believe, for my foremost desire is to understand. Good Shepherd’s mission statement entwines the words invite, together, calling, life, and eternal to evoke God’s power that is inherent in Good Shepherd Church to create, build, and sustain the body of the Church for and to the glory of God. To that, I say Amen!

As Good Shepherd anticipates an exciting time of analyzing, evaluating, brainstorming, and creating a future that is eternal, I believe God is calling me at this time to listen, process, understand, and use my strengths of Intellection, Learning, Connectedness, Input, and Ideation to help lead our Church in healthy ways through the next half of the 21st Century and beyond. These are the qualities I am excited to bring to Council, with God’s help.