Rejoicing in God's love for his whole creation.
From Rev. Ann
Welcome to Good Shepherd! And we mean it! All are welcome here regardless of who you are, your experience with or lack of experience with church, your marital status, your ethnicity, your sexual orientation or economic position. Perhaps you are seeking answers, seeking God, seeking healing or seeking relationship. Whatever you are seeking, Good Shepherd opens wide its doors to you.
You will find loving, caring and compassionate people here at Good Shepherd. People who care deeply about loving their neighbors and providing for their community.
I invite you to explore our website, which I hope will give you a glimpse into our beloved community, and when ready, to reach out to me to answer any questions you may have, or better yet, to come and visit. You will be happy you did!
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Peace and Blessings,
Reverend Ann+
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We are listed as an LGBTQ+ welcoming church in the directory of www.gaychurch.org.

Covid-19 Memorial “When the reported death toll from Covid-19 hit 100,000 nationally, the reported death toll in Massachusetts hit 6,547. On this line there are 6,547 strips of cloth and ribbon representing a life lost. May the knots remind us how we are bound together.” The Rev. Meredyth Ward, artist

What To Expect:
When you come to our worship services you can expect…
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…to dress any way you like. Most of us dress comfortably and casually for worship.
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…to be warmly greeted by an usher who will give you a bulletin
to help follow the order of service.
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…to sit wherever you are most comfortable. There are no
reserved seats.
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…to raise your voice in song throughout the service with our wonderful choir accompanied by the organ, piano or other instruments.
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…to join in reading the bold portions printed in the bulletin or feel free not to join in and just sit in silence.
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…to sit during the entire service if that makes you comfortable or sit and stand when others do so.
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…to hear readings from the Old and New Testaments.
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…to hear a gospel reading from Mark, Matthew, Luke or John.
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…to hear an 8-12 minute sermon reflecting on the readings.
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…to engage in an exchange of peace with those around you if you feel comfortable doing so.
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…to see an usher pass the plate for people to make donations in gratitude for blessings and the ongoing work of our church.
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…to be invited to share in Communion. ALL ARE WELCOME.
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When the usher invites you, you may kneel or stand at the rail and hold out your hand for the bread. You may either dip the bread in the wine or eat the bread and drink the wine from the chalice.
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…to enjoy coffee and delicious treats during our coffee hour following the service.
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That our worship will last approximately one hour. That you will not have to stand or raise your hand as a new visitor.
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Rest assured, we are happy to welcome you to Good Shepherd. It doesn’t matter if your child is fussing, or your baby is crying, or you are a member of the LBGTQ community, or you are disabled or from a different religion or not religious at all. There are no requirements. We are happy to have you join us just the way you are!
Our Priest

Rev. Ann F. Scannell
Priest-in-Charge
Reverend Ann began as the Clergy-in-Charge at the Church of the Good Shepherd in January 2019 having earned a Master of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School and an Anglican Diploma from Berkeley Divinity School where she was also formed in the steep Anglican tradition. After her ordination to the priesthood in June 2019, Ann became the Priest-in-Charge at Good Shepherd.
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Ann was drawn to the Episcopal Church by it’s engaging liturgy, it’s teachings of inclusivity and it’s mission of love, compassion and hope for all. She is blessed to be at Good Shepherd and is amazed by the congregation’s faithfulness in worship and ministry to others. People often wonder how a church small in numbers can do so much for the community.
Ann resides in Worcester with her two daughters, Keara and Renny and their beloved golden doodle, Mickey. Ann enjoys spending time with her family, walking in the woods, reading and staying fit.

Our Staff

Lisa Bergman
Parish Administrator
Lisa has been an active member of Good Shepherd since 2005. She joined the staff as Church School Coordinator in February 2007 and transitioned to Office Manager in February 2015. She is a Navy veteran and holds a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Michigan University.
Lisa and her husband Dave raised their two daughters,
Alexis and Natalie in Sterling.

Kris Layton
Organist and Music Director
Kris has been playing the organ and directing the choir at Good Shepherd since November 2006. A classically trained pianist who learned to play the organ when she got her first church job, she has Colleague Certification with the American Guild of Organists, and holds the Bishops’ Certificate from the Leadership Program for Musicians (LPM). She studied gospel music with Dr. Horace Boyer; World Music and Congregational Song with John Bell of the Iona Community; improvisation with Gerre Hancock; and once had a long conversation about the King James Psalms with Pete Seeger before he walked off with her copy of “On Eagle’s Wings.”
Outside the church, Kris is a singing member of both Assabet Valley Mastersingers and Chambersingers. She works with community theaters and high school music theater groups throughout central Massachusetts as Music Director or Resident Orchestra.

Gary Czepiel
Sexton
Gary has been the sexton at Good Shepherd for the last fourteen years. He has lived most of his life in Clinton. When he is not working as sexton, he enjoys fishing, grilling with his friends
and family and spending time with his dogs.
Gary and his wife Jean live in Clinton with their three lovable dogs, Angel, Brady (yes after Tom Brady) and Figaro.
History
The Church of the Good Shepherd began as a mission church in 1874. Regular worship services started on April 12, 1874 in Bigelow Hall in Clinton. One year later, a suitable building lot was secured and the cornerstone of the church was laid on October 28, 1875. The first worship service in the new church building occurred on April 17, 1876. Our church was named by a twelve year old girl who was comforted during her first communion by a stained glass window at All Saints Church in Worcester depicting Christ as the Good Shepherd. To this day, the Church of the Good Shepherd continues to function as a mission church reaching out to address the needs of the community.


Map
Church of the
Good Shepherd