Welcome to our new Children, Youth, and Family Newsletter! Here's what you can expect to find in this monthly email:

Dear Good Shepherd Families,

By now most of you have read the announcement or heard in church that our rector, the Rev. Channing Smith, has accepted a call to a new church and will be leaving Good Shepherd at the end of the year. Channing's time at Good Shepherd has been wonderfully fruitful for our Children, Youth, and Family Ministry. Channing started our 9:15 Early Church service and has helped re-start our children and youth programs as we emerged from the pandemic, all of which draw families to Good Shepherd and allow us to nourish the faith of young and old, alike. I hope you will join me in giving thanks for Channing's ministry at Good Shepherd over the last three years. 

I'm especially grateful to Channing for inviting me to join the staff of Good Shepherd and I feel truly blessed to be part of this season of re-growth. The future of our worship and programs is bright, and our ability to provide care for families at all stages of their life is strong. I'm excited to be at Good Shepherd and have no plans to leave anytime soon! 

With the good work that Channing started, there is still more we can do together to meet the spiritual needs of our children, youth, and families. And we have a talented and dedicated team in place to help us continue responding to God's call. Jessica Riels, our Director of Programs, Kellie Brewer, our Ministry Assistant, Cody Blackmon, our Seminarian Intern, and I will continue to serve you and your children through prayer, programs, and pastoral care. In particular, Jessica and I are here for you and your families, should you have questions or need support during our transition, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us. 

Sundays | 10:15a-11:05a*

Edge Bible Study, Windsor, Edge Room

Middle School Bible Study, Windsor, Youth Corner

We've had a wonderful start to our program year in both of our Fall Bible Studies. Over the past couple months we have focused on discipleship and what it means to follow Jesus. Please note: Our fall session will end on November 12 and our Winter session will start on January 7, 2024. 

*Students will be let out at the Peace so they can rejoin you for Holy Eucharist.

Sundays | 10:15a-11:05a*, Windsor, Education Center, 2nd floor

*Pick kids up during the Peace so they can rejoin you for Holy Eucharist.

Wednesdays | 5:00p-6:00p

Edge Group, Windsor, Edge Room

Edge Kids meets for fun, fellowship, and a snack every Wednesday in our Edge Room. If you have kids in 3rd-5th grade, I really encourage you to bring them to our Wednesday night program where they have the opportunity to build a faith community for themselves through activities and fellowship that reinforce the message of God's unconditional love for them.

Wednesdays | 6:00p-7:30p

Youth Group, Windsor, Youth Corner

Students in 6th grade and up are warmly encouraged to join us every Wednesday for food, friendship, and fun! Dinner starts at 6:00p and students can go through the food line in the PLC and then bring their plates to the Youth Corner where we will eat together and check in about their week. The rest of our time is spent in conversation, playing games, and hanging out before ending with a candle lit service of Compline to wind down the evening. We are finished at 7:30p.

Whether your student can come every Wednesday or only once in a while, they are always warmly welcome to join us.

Confirmation is for students in 9th grade and up who are ready to make a mature and public declaration of their faith. This entails a commitment to participation in the life of the church, including regular attendance at worship, service to the church, and an overall interest in deepening their connection to God. Our Youth Confirmation Retreat will take place on Friday, January 12 and Saturday, January 13, and our Confirmation service will take place on Sunday, April 21 when Bp. Kai Ryan will visit. A meeting for parents and students will take place on Sunday, November 12 at 12:00p in the youth corner. This meeting is required for all parents and students. For questions, please contact the Rev. Brin Bon, brin@gsaustin.org.

Students in grades 6-12 who want to spend time outdoors with their friends are invited to join us in July 2024 for a retreat in the mountains of Utah. Two info sessions for students and parents will be offered and attendance at one is required in order to participate. Reserve your spot on Sunday, November 12 at 1:00p or Monday, November 13 at 6:30p. Lunch/dinner will be provided for all attendees, so please let us know which session you will be attending HERE. For questions, please contact the Rev. Brin Bon, brin@gsaustin.org.

Help us provide Thanksgiving meals to those in need in our community. Join us on Sunday, November 19 after the 10:30a services at Windsor to pack non-perishable food items into meal kits and deliver them to residents of the North Loop Apartments. Sign up to donate goods, or to volunteer as a driver, assembly captain, or to help us host a reception for the North Loop residents HERE.

Beginning on November 1, we will have bins in the Education Center atrium and the admin building on Windsor for drop-offs.

Items needed:

Boxed Items:

—stuffing mix

—instant mashed potatoes (boxes or packets)

—jars of turkey gravy or dried gravy mix packets

—dry macaroni

—cornbread mix

Canned goods (pop-top lid preferred):

—cranberry sauce

—yams

—veggies (green beans, corn, peas)

$20 HEB Gift Cards

(please drop these off at the administration office)

Deck the halls at our annual Acolyte + Youth Group Christmas Party. All youth in middle and high school are invited to bring a friend and a white elephant gift for our gift exchange. RSVP HERE, no later than Monday, November 27.

Please join us for some good old fashioned Christmas fun at Good Shepherd’s 2nd annual Advent snow day and Christmas tree lighting! We will start off at 4:00p with snow – yes, real snow, right on Good Shepherd’s lawn! Holiday treats, hot chocolate and caroling, followed by a Christmas tree lighting at 5:30p.

We need volunteers of all ages to make this year as fun as it was last year. Sign up HERE to bring cookies or to volunteer during the event.

Mark your calendars for this special evening with St. Nicholas. Dinner and activities will begin at 5:00p in the PLC. At 6:30p, St. Nicholas will join us for a special program of singing and storytelling in the church building. Children are welcome to come in their pajamas. Bring your camera to take a photo with St. Nicholas after the program. This will be our last Wednesday on Windsor until we come back for a special Epiphany celebration on Wednesday, January 10. Register for dinner HERE.

If you've made it this far, congratulations! Give yourself a pat on the back. If you have questions about any of this, or feedback about our newsletter, feel free to reach out to the Rev. Brin Bon, our Priest for Children, Youth & Families, or Jessica Riels, our Director of Programs. In next month's newsletter we will have information about