​​Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy 
​Memorial Parish Stewardship Award
​​
​“In this Annual Report, we see a reflection of Pope Francis’ hopes for the Church fulfilled in the life of Good Shepherd Parish – vibrant prayer and worship, enthusiastic faith formation programs, compassionate service of others and a hospitable environment where all are welcome!” Father Tom Ferguson, Annual Report 2015
3. Stewardship Education  
a. Describe how the parish weaves stewardship education throughout the following demographic groups. What are the elements of Stewardship education in each area below?
  1. Children –In Faith Formation classes, students in Grades K-6 learn about Stewardship through: cooking for Soup and Stations, participating in acts of service through Families in Action, and taking part in a Mass “sponsored” by their grade where the children are greeters, ushers, gift bearers, and readers. Students are visited by representatives from various ministries to inform and nurture their desire to serve.
  2. Youth and Teens – During Confirmation preparation, teens perform service to the parish and/or community. Rather than ‘counted’ hours, teens are required to submit a project about their service experience as part of the Pentecost celebration. (blog post) Teens choose opportunities from the Teen Guide to Service Opportunities. Over 150 teens are involved in Vacation Bible School, Soup and Stations, and Journey to the Manger where they assist and mentor younger children. Teen participants in our WorkCamps (High School and Middle School) grew 33% in the past year.
  3. Young Adults - Hispanic young adults are active in parish life. Two groups - La Busqueda, and Jóvenes Vivos in Cristo (JVC) - host events and retreats. English-speaking young adults are primarily college students and recent graduates; through their leadership and initiative we started a Young Adult Summer Group.
  4. Adults – Our Advent Retreat, Parish Mission, Easter Retreat and multiple Bible Studies, and special events produce well-formed adults who reflect upon Stewardship. Sacramental preparation programs offer parents a renewed opportunity to consider their faith journey, giftedness as parents and their response as leaders of the domestic and parish Church.
  5. Seniors – The Good Shepherd Single Seniors Fellowship meets monthly for faith formation, fellowship, and general interest programs; the parish also hosts monthly Senior Bingo.
  6. Various Parish Cultures – The parish is unique in its total embrace of our multi-cultural nature where the vast majority of educational materials are provided in English and Spanish. Over 33% of our parish staff is bilingual to assist parishioners in fully embracing their role as stewards and members of the Church. An annual highlight is the multi-cultural Mass during International Festival weekend where parishioners from multiple nationalities wear their native dress and read the Prayers of the Faithful.
  7. Overall - Communication is an important foundation for promoting Stewardship. Effective and comprehensive use of communication tools, in multiple languages and media (both traditional and social media), enables us to form and educate parishioners on the meaning and lived expression of Stewardship. 
​LINKS
GSCC Application (Main page)
1. Committee
2. Growth
3. Education
4. Renewal
5. Gifts
6. Communication
7. Hospitality
8. General assessment
​9. Supporting Materials
Supporting Materials
(Section 3)