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PARISH INFORMATION
Father Bender and the rest of the parish community would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to Good Shepherd Church. We believe that Good Shepherd is a rather unique parish family and, as you spend some time here, we hope you'll agree. We invite you to worship with us, to socialize with us, and to share our work.

What follows is an attempt to tell you how and what we do to celebrate liturgy at Good Shepherd Church. Hopefully, we'll give you enough information to get you started...

Liturgy Sheets
As you enter the church, please obtain a Liturgy Sheet from one of our Ministers of Hospitality. Copies are also available on the gift tables located at the entrance to the church. Please refer to the Liturgy Sheets for the Order of the Mass. New sheets are provided at the entrance to the church each time we celebrate liturgy.

Prayer Intentions
Our Book of Prayers is located on a stand in the gathering space and is provided so that your prayer intentions may be included with those of the rest of the congregation during the Prayers of the Faithful.

If you have a particular intention which you would like the entire congregation to pray for at mass, simply write it on one of the lines in the book beforehand. The book will then be taken to the altar during the Offertory Procession and the intentions included in the Prayers of the Faithful for that mass. In addition to the Book of Prayers, a group of parishioners has made a commitment to pray daily for the intentions of the people of Good Shepherd. If you have any prayer intentions that you would like them to pray for or if you would like to join the Prayer Chain, please call the church office.

If You Are Receiving Communion
Inside the entrance to the church are terra cotta bowls containing hosts. When arriving for mass, those who wish to receive Communion are asked to transfer a host from the terra cotta bowl to the white bowl located next to it. The white bowl contains those hosts which will be consecrated at that mass.

We do not take up a collection with ushers passing baskets during mass. As you enter the church, please place your community offering in the baskets provided in the gift tables located at the entrance to the church.

Placing your host and donations in the containers provided before mass begins is a strong symbol. Both are gifts. The host represents all the work of your hands during the past week. Like the host which is made by applying man's labor to God's gift of wheat, we take creation and apply our labor and our talent to provide for the welfare of our families, as well as the larger community. Our financial offering is also a gift we bring to the Lord's table. It is fitting that they be made together and both are presented to the celebrant by representatives of the community on behalf of us all.

Children's Liturgy
Children's Liturgy of the Word is celebrated each week in the parish hall during the 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. masses.

Children's Liturgy is designed for children from four years of age through first grade. Volunteers at these masses hold a special celebration for children in the parish hall. The children listen to the same readings as the rest of the parish and, through a variety of activities, try to understand what they mean. It is done on a child's level. The children then rejoin their families in church after the homily. The red cloth "seat savers" that you see draped on the backs of chairs at the start of these masses indicate those seats which have been reserved for the children who are participating in this program.

Nursery
This is a cooperative babysitting service which operates during the 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. weekend masses. The nursery is located near the main worship space. The volunteer staff is scheduled on a rotating basis to supervise the nursery. All children must be signed in and a permission slip on file before the parent(s) leave the nursery to attend mass. Following mass, children are released only into the custody of their parent(s), guardian(s), or designated older sibling.

Cry Room
The cry room is open during all masses. It's located near the main worship space and
is accessible only through the nursery. An alternative to the nursery where children may play freely during mass, the cry room is designed to allow parents to participate in the liturgy while caring for their infants and small children. The main worship space is clearly visible through a large window and sound from the main worship space is piped into the room. Since the cry room is accessible only through the nursery, those who use this room are asked to avoid frequent entrances and exits and to keep noise and other disturbances to a minimum in an effort to minimize disruptions to the nursery and to others who are using the cry room.

For the Mentally and/or Physically Challenged
Good Shepherd strives to be an inclusive community. If you have needs or concerns which have not been addressed, please feel free to contact the church office. While the needs of the mentally and/or physically challenged have been a priority in both our programs and our church design, some of the more unique features are listed below.

• Hearing Impaired Units
  Units designed to help the hearing impaired are available in the sacristy before all masses. While most units merely amplify sounds, these pocket-sized units with earphones offer a direct link to the sound system in our church. Three units are currently available for use by our parishioners and visitors. Simply stop by the sacristy before mass and ask for one. The sacristy is located directly to the right of the main worship space and can be accessed either from the church or from the gathering space.
• Altar/Ambo Accessibility
  Both the altar and the ambo (pulpit) have been designed to make them easily accessible by those who are wheelchair bound. The ramp located at the back of the altar has been incorporated into the design of the main worship space to make the altar readily accessible to the handicapped. Another rather unique and important feature in this area is the ambo (pulpit) which electronically adjusts to various heights and can easily accommodate those individuals confined to a wheelchair who may wish to serve as Lector/Readers.

After Mass
Coffee and donuts are offered in the gathering space each Sunday after both the 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 am masses. We like to socialize a little after each mass. Those who attend the 5:30 p.m. mass on Saturdays seem to have places to go and things to do and, therefore, don't tarry long. However, a large crowd generally gathers to get acquainted over coffee and donuts after both the 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. masses on Sundays. Please feel free to join us as often as possible.