PARISH MINISTRIES | COMMITTEES | MISSIONS | SCHEDULESHEDULES

PARISH MINISTRIES
Good Shepherd invites all parishioners to serve in our parish ministries. If you would like to become involved, please let us know by calling the church office or sending us an e-mail note. Other opportunities to sign up will be announced periodically in the parish bulletin and/or our community newsletter, The Sheepgate. See more on these publications at other pages of this web site. Training programs for each of the following ministries are held periodically.

Eucharistic Ministers
Eucharistic Ministers help to share the body and blood of Christ through distribution of the Sacrament of Holy Communion. The full ministry of being a Eucharistic Minister involves three elements:

• functioning at Communion during mass;
• taking Communion to the sick or shut-ins (at home or in the hospital);
• conducting a Communion Service when there is no priest available for mass.

Being trained to do all three does not mean you must function at all three. A primary qualification for Ministers of the Eucharist is that they be, by nature, interested in, caring about, and at ease with other people—without regard for status in the community or for distinctions of class, gender, age, or race.

Readers
It is Christ himself who speaks when the Scriptures are read in the liturgy. Those individuals who serve as Readers assist the congregation in hearing the Word of God. Good public reading skills, e.g., knowing your material (in this case familiarity with the Scriptures) and speaking slowly, clearly, and confidently (to name just a few), are vital to the impact of this ministry.

Servers
These individuals assist the priest at mass and provide service for a group of people who have come together to pray. Both youths (grade 4 and above) and adults are encouraged to serve the community in this ministry.

Cross Bearers
Having the cross carried into the midst of the congregation as part of the entrance procession serves to remind us all that it is our Christian faith that has brought us together. Unless they wish to do so, individuals who minister as Cross Bearers are not required to serve as regular Altar Servers.

Ministers of Hospitality
Ministers of Hospitality are our volunteers who function as "hosts" on behalf of the Pastor and the parish. This is an excellent way for entire families to become involved in parish ministry. The primary purpose of this ministry is to create an atmosphere in which people feel welcome. The role requires both knowledge of liturgy and the ability to perform inconspicuously the functional details that help to create good liturgy.

Music Ministers
Good Shepherd's choirs currently supply the music leadership at each of our masses. We would like to expand our music ministry as our numbers increase. Parishioners who can help regularly, or even on occasion, as instrumentalists, choir members, and/or cantors are encouraged to help with this program.

Money Counting
Our Money Counters work in small groups to count the weekly collections. Time requirements involve about 1½ to 2 hours every 4-6 weeks or so. The money is usually counted after the last mass on Sunday in order to get the money into the bank as soon as possible. However, occasionally it may be done at another time.

 

 

Church of the Good Shepherd
PO BOX 8186 | State College, PA 16805
Phone: 814-238-2110 | FAX: 814-238-3484 | E-mail: gsoffice@goodshepherd-sc.org
Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.