Volunteer Opportunities: December 10 and 17

Winter Break Fun the Week Before Christmas

Decorate the Basilica of the National Shrine December 19 (6:00 - 10:00 pm) Join us for this festive annual tradition as we prepare the Basilica for Christmas Mass. Meet at Good Shepherd at 4:45 and plan to arrive back by 10:00 pm. Permissions are online. Movie Theater Field Trip - December 20 (time TBD) Join us on Tuesday, December 20 to see the new Star Wars Rogue One movie at the Regal Springfield Town Center. Permissions are online.

Franciscan Monastery Parish Pilgrimage - December 27

NEW - Scouting at Good Shepherd

If you haven't yet heard, Good Shepherd has several new and active Scouting groups. This year there are Girl Scout Daisies (K - 1st grade) meeting on Tuesdays, and Girl Scout Juniors (4 - 5 grade) and Cadets (6-8 grade) meeting on Mondays. We are also pleased to sponsor a new Venture Scouts group. Venture scouts is co-ed and open to high school men and women between the ages of 14 and 21. To learn more visit the new Scouting Page  or contact youthministry@gs-cc.org

Looking Ahead

October Events - Don't Miss Out!

Lock-In Recap

Looking Ahead - Mark Your Calendars

2016/2017 KickOff & Quick Connect Form

Youth Group Meetings & Calendar Links

October 8-9 Lock-In

October 15 Mount St. Mary's Parish Pilgrimage

Join fellow parishioners for a family pilgrimage to Mount St. Mary's in Emmitsburg, MD. This is a full day event (approximately 8:00 am - 4:00pm). We will explore the gardens, take a self-guided tour of the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes and Father Tom will celebrate Mass. A staging room is available to keep our valuables and to eat if you choose to bring lunch. There is a modest fee ($5) for all participants and if you choose to take our bus the total cost is $25/pp. Please RSVP/Register online.

October 23 High School RALLY

October 29 - 30 Homeless Awareness CampOut

Volunteer Opportunities

Middle School WorkCamp - a glimpse inside

This year's Middle School WorkCamp is a great success. Tomorrow, August 10, marks the final day of service projects in our local community. We have a great group of high school and adult leaders and could not have performed our service projects without them. To get a better grasp of WHAT we actually DO during MSWC, we asked one of our adult leaders, Laura Juricic, to provide a brief recap from her site on Monday: "Today at the Nature reserve we learn about caring for God's creation by identifying and removing invasive species of plants. This lovely park is in the heart of Alexandria and free for anyone looking for a bit of solitude in our busy world. Our guide was knowledgeable and patient as he took us through the park pointing out native plants and creatures. We ate lunch in the science room and spent some time looking at the exhibits before heading out to see if we could beat our morning record of 27 pounds of trash and weeds--we did collecting nearly 33 pounds for a total of 60 pounds of unwanted debris in a beautiful natural setting. Our last half hour was spent honing our balance and rock skipping skills in the stream."​

MSWC High School Leaders 2016 60 lbs of trash and invasive plant species collected. Some downtime.

International Festival, September 5

WorkCamp & VBS Recap

Youth Ministry KickOff Dinner, September 11

2minutes2virtue

July 17 - Stand-Up Paddleboarding (SUP)

July 30 - Krakow in the Capital (YOUNG ADULTS ONLY)

August 5 - Kings Dominion

August 16 - Bike Ride to National Harbor

Ready to Roll: WorkCamp 2016

Drop-In Starts Soon

Summer Field Trips

Mount St. Mary's Parish Pilgrimage

Prayers for our Youth

Teens needed for Vacation Bible School (VBS). Contact re@gs-cc.org. Christ House Thursday ministry needs new leadership. Please contact Mike O'Neil michaeloneil825@aol.com  for more details or to volunteer for the next date on July 7. MSYG Leadership – The youth ministry team is seking new leadership beginning in September. Please contact Miguel miguel@gs-cc.org ​ MSWC High School teen volunteers. The Youth Ministry team is seeking 6 to 8 high school teens to volunteer and assist with our Middle School WorkCamp. Applications are accepted online. Donuts after Mass - the next date is August 7th. Donuts have been cancelled on July 3 and September 5.​

September 5 - International Festival September 11 - Youth Ministry KickOff Dinner October 8 - 9 - High School Lock-In October 15 - Mount St. Mary’s Pilgrimage​

High School WorkCamp Update and Thank You

Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) July 17

Middle School WorkCamp, HS Volunteers and Youth Group

In case you missed it. . . our summer schedule is here!

Community News

Summer Young Adults Group: Sundays 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Vacation Bible School (VBS): July 25 – 29. Contact re@gs-cc.org Middle School WorkCamp Volunteers - see Middle School section above for details. Apply here. Christ House Feeding the Hungry - July 7 and August 4, contact Mike O'Neil michaeloneil825@aol.com  Donuts after Mass - July 3 and August 7, visit signupgenius to volunteer.​

September 5: Good Shepherd’s 5k/1M Race. Save the date! ​ October 15: Parish Pilgrimage to Mount St. Mary’s. Stay tuned for a survey to gauge interest and determine transportation needs.

A Tradition of Recognizing our Graduating Seniors

GSCCYM is pleased to continue their “Hand Print Tradition” with graduating Seniors. If you have participated in Youth Ministry over the past years and are graduating, we want YOU to come and leave your mark in our Youth Center.  Several Seniors have already completed this milestone, but it is not too late to be included. Come to Youth Group and we’ll be sure to get your hand on the wall.

​Successful Lock-In

June 4th & 5th: Youth Ministry 2nd Collection, Sharing Sunday & Donuts

Summer is Here! Well . . . almost

Middle School

Community News

Volunteer Opportunities for Teens and Adults

Looking Ahead

​September 5: Good Shepherd’s 5th Annual 5k Race and 1 Mile Fun Run. Planning assistance is needed. Contact Bill DeMaso gscc.if.race@gmail.com. October 15: Parish Pilgrimage to Mount St. Mary’s

May 9 and May 22 Youth Group Meetings

HS WorkCamp Thank Yous & Fundraising Update

​THANK YOU! The WorkCamp Dinner & Silent Auction was a huge success with almost 200 in attendance! We have many people to thank: A special thank you to the team that made it all happen: Lisa Rimmington, Denise Hayden & Ed Gemperline. ​ Thank you to the Knights of Columbus whose generous donation and delicious food made the night. ​ And, most importantly, THANK YOU to our wonderful Parishioners who bought tickets, battled over Auction items and participated in the raffle. Without you this event would not have been a success. Thanks to our Parish support, the teens look forward to a fun and fruitful WorkCamp this summer. Fundraising Update The proceeds from the Dinner & Auction was enough to cover all our basic WorkCamp fees. We are now working on the final bits of fundraising to cover transportation and other miscellaneous costs. The 2nd collection during Masses on June 4/5 will benefit GS Youth Ministry. Please be generous!

May 28/29 HS Lock-In

All High School students are invited to join us for Lock-In on Memorial Day weekend. Bring a sleeping bag and a snack to share. We'll order pizza, play games and watch movies! Permissions are online.

Volunteering for Students & Adults

​New Christ House Leadership Needed As Mike O'Neil continues with his Deacon role he will need to step down from managing the Good Shepherd volunteers at Christ House. We are seeking an adult to take on this rewarding task. There is a strong infrastructure in place and it should be easy for a new adult to step in. Please contact Mike O'Neil michaeloneil825@aol.com. The next Christ House volunteer days are June 2 and July 7 from 3:30 - 6:30 pm. MS Adult Leadership Needed 8th graders are graduating and GS is in need of new adult leaders for our Thursday Middle School Youth Group meetings. Contact Miguel miguel@gs-cc.org.  Adult Coordinator for Donut Sundays The Youth Ministry team needs an adult to assist with coordinating the monthly donuts after Mass. A strong infrastructure is in place for ordering, volunteer scheduling and initial setup, but we need 1 person to bring it all together. Contact Miguel miguel@gs-cc.org.    Teens: Donut Sunday and Sharing Sunday Spots are available to help serve donuts after Masses on June 5 and July 3. Visit the signupgenius link for more information. Teens are encouraged to help during Sharing Sunday the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month. Volunteers help restock the Good Shepherd kitchen and ready donations for pickup. Time commitment is usually about 1 hour. Contact Miguel miguel@gs-cc.org. Students Volunteering with MSWC Middle School WorkCamp takes place August 7 - 10. High School students are encouraged to volunteer and help with guiding the Middle School students. All service work is performed locally. Contact Miguel miguel@gs-cc.org.

WorkCamp Dinner & Silent Auction - April 30

Help send our high school students to WorkCamp this summer. Join us at our annual Dinner & Silent Auction on April 30 at 6:00 pm.  This weekend is your final chance to buy tickets after all Masses. Tickets for the dinner are only $5 and the raffle for the garden bench and adirondak chairs are $5 as well. In addition to the delicious dinner of pork loin and accompaniments, we will have entertainment from some of our very talented WorkCamp students. Our teens will sing and play music while you eat and socialize.

April 30 Silent Auction Teaser

Come to the dinner on April 30 and you will have the opportunity to bid on some great items in the Silent Auction. Here is a sample: Dinner and a Movie! - set of two gift cards- $25 for Fandango and $25 for any Darden Restaurant. London Bob Salon -  Time to indulge in a new hairstyle or spa treatment at a high end salon? Get this $100 gift certificate to London Bob Salon in Old Town.   Teen Baked Goods - Bid on home made treats and items from our very own teens. Learn to Knit/Crochet - Have you always wanted to knit or crochet that scarf? You can bid on three 1-hour sessions for either knitting or crocheting and get your skills up to speed. ​Washington Capitals Tickets! TMNJT Afghan - Bid on a one of a kind, homemade Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Afghan.  . . . . and more!

May Volunteer Opportunities

Youth Group Open to 6th and 8th Graders beginning May 1

Beginning May 1 the High School and Middle School Youth Groups are opening their doors to current 8th and 6th graders. 6th graders can join MS on Thursdays at 6:30 pm and 8th graders can join HS on Sundays at 7:30 pm.  We hope you will join us to witness our Faith, Fellowship and Fun firsthand!