Dear Friends,

 It seems hard to believe that when you read this I will have been here at Church of the Good Shepherd for four months.  From the moment I arrived in Connecticut I have experienced your hospitality and your love in so many ways.  The celebration of new ministry and the reception that followed were another wonderful example of who you are as a community of faith.  You made everyone feel welcome and my friends from Virginia all commented on what a warm community they found here in Orange. You made all our guests feel welcome and for that I am extremely grateful.  In the coming months, as we continue our journey together, I hope to learn with you where God is leading us and God’s purpose for our community of faith.  Each of you has stories of where you have felt the most connected to God and how Jesus has made an impact on our community and our world through each of us. Please feel free to share your Church of the Good Shepherd stories and your family stories with me and one another.  In August on Saturday the 20^th at 10 a.m. we will we gather for conversation and lunch and begin the formal process of discernment.  I look forward to that time as well as our time for rest and recreation this summer. 

As a young girl, growing up in a suburb of Boston, I used to look forward to summer because time seemed to slow down a bit for me and my family.  It was a time for eating popsicles on the porch with my sisters, vacationing with my family at various campgrounds in Maine or Cape Cod, long car trips visiting places the like the Corn Palace in Iowa, going to the local swimming pool in the morning for lessons and in the evenings with my parents to cool off at the end of the day.  It seemed like a much simpler time and it allowed our family space where we could re-connect and have fun with each other after a very busy school year.   Looking back, I realize that while we did not have a lot of money, my parents gave us a very important gift and that was their time and attention.   This summer I invite all of us to be intentional and have some fun with our families as well as our church family.

To that end, we have some fun events planned including Church on the Beach at 5 p.m. June 26^th at Silver Sands to kick off our summer, a craft fair on July 2^nd , and  Vacation of summer, I invite each of you to join us on Friday August 26^nd at 8 P.M. for a movie on the grass.  We will have popcorn and snow cones as well as other treats and an old fashioned double feature.    Bring your favorite lawn chair, pillow or blanket and have a relaxed evening of fun for all ages.  I look forward to seeing you at movie night.

No summer is complete without a roller coaster rally.  If you are in 6-12^th grade and would like to tell your friends that you rode, or attempted to ride every roller coaster in the Tri-state area  then please join Church of the Good Shepherds Youth for Wacky Wednesdays this summer on June 29^th, July 6^th and July 20^th.   We will leave the church at 8 Am and return when we have conquered the roller coasters…… Approximate cost is 30 dollars per person per trip.  Please RSVP by the Sunday before each trip so we have enough chaperones.  Sign up at the Youth bulletin board or contact the office.  Permission and emergency contact forms are available in the Office and on the Youth bulletin board.  Scholarships are available by contacting Pastor Ann.  Drivers and chaperones are welcome and needed.

Summer will soon be here but before we end our church program year, I would like to thank all the Sunday school teachers and youth leaders who have given their time and talents in nurturing the faith of our young people.  I appreciate all you have done and even though as parents we are charged with bringing up our children in the faith, your partnership with parents makes the job a whole lot easier.  On Sunday, June 19^th we begin our summer schedule.  At 930 we will be led in worship by our young people, thank our teachers as well as our wonderful choir for their service to our community and celebrate Father’s Day with Donuts for Dad following the service.  Have a great summer and rest in God!

Blessings,

Ann+