The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd  -  Granbury, Texas

 

Search

​

In late 2021, our interim Priest-in-Charge, Doug Travis announced his plans to retire no later than July 31, 2023.  Given this challenge, the Vestry of Good Shepherd began to develop our initial action plans and contacted the Diocese of North Texas for guidance. 

 

Our first meeting with Janet Waggoner, Canon of the Ordinary for the Diocese of North Texas was held on March 28, 2022.  The search process for Rectors and Priests-in-Charge was reviewed and work began to select a Search Committee and develop our Parish Portfolio and Profile.

 

Our Search Committee was selected, consisting of one Vestry member and 6 non-Vestry members, and regular working sessions began immediately.  With the encouragement of Janet Waggoner, it was decided we would totally rework our church Web Site and incorporated our Parish portfolio and profile into the website platform.

 

During our second meeting with Janet Waggoner, she informed us the Diocese of Texas would be supporting our search efforts going forward and Kellaura Johnson, Canon for Transition Ministry, would be our primary point of contact.

 

Soon after this meeting, Holy Cow Consulting was engaged to conduct its Congregation Assessment Tool (CAT).  The CAT survey results were leveraged to confirm the desires of our congregation concerning the direction of our Church and the qualities needed in our new priest.

 

The CAT Executive Summary can be reviewed on the website under the “About Us” tab.

 

By mid-September we expect to be in position to begin our search in earnest, under the guidance of the Office of Transition Ministry.

 

The congregation of Good Shepherd has a strong and consistent history of giving – both from a time / talent standpoint and a financial stewardship perspective.  Our Vestry, Finance Committee and congregation have taken the responsibility of financial stability, planning and control very seriously.

​

Our Stewardship campaigns have yielded an increase averaging 18.5% each year for the last 5 years. And we have received an average of $37,172 more than we have spent each year, for the last 5 years.  Our 2022 campaign yielded 58 giving units with an average pledge exceeding $4,500.  Additionally, we have built a financial reserve exceeding our annual budget. Our spending for programs outside of our own parish has averaged 14.7% of all that is given.  All this was accomplished during Covid, and during the uncertainty of the legal decisions affecting many Churches of the Diocese.

 

We are blessed to have a congregation that proactively responds to need.  We built a new church and have supported all the needs that come with the change from being a renter to a land and building owner.  Our only liability is the building debt and that is less than 30% of the current value of the property.

 

We made the decision to move forward during challenging times.   Join us as we continue the journey to reach our true potential to the glory of God.

 

Critical Abilities for the Next Rector

 

• Preaching - Ability to inspire and connect people to God’s word with a caring and understandable communication style, that engages people with a message that enriches their life. 

• Strategic Leadership – Ability to present a vision and lead our church toward that realization.  Willingness to consider and implement change for the good of our church. 

• Pastoral Care - Ability to engage people empathetically and care for persons in times of need. 

• Teaching/Training - Ability to deepen understanding, form character, and equip members with new skills.  Ability to recognize and grow the gifts that our laity possess. 

• Change Management – Ability to lead our church through a significant and necessary period of change, including changes to enable us to grow in numbers and attract younger people.

• Negotiate/Resolve Conflict – Ability to help our church deal with conflict through training, negotiation and mediation. 

• Administration - Ability to manage our church in respect to all spiritual needs and activities. 

• Community Catalyst - Ability to function on a larger stage beyond our church in order to address critical issues of our community.

 

 Vision / Goals for the future

 

Mission Statement:  Hands Up to God, Hands Open to Each Other, Hands Reach out to Others

 

Goals for the future:

​

• Make changes necessary to attract families with children and youth to our church. 

• Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to reach new people and incorporate them into the life of our church. 

• Provide more opportunities for Christian education and spiritual formation at every age and stage of life. 

• Develop ministries that work toward healing those broken by life circumstances. 

• Expand outreach ministries that provide direct services to those living on the margins of society. 

• Strengthen the process by which members are called and equipped for ministry and leadership. 

• Become a more “adaptable to change” congregation in order to facilitate growth within the church and our community in general.

​

​