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Thank you for finding out about The Church of the Good Shepherd by looking us up on the internet. I hope that you take the opportunity to look at our dream for Collier Row, which you can read after this greeting.
In summary our vision is not so much for our church, but for the communities we serve:
At The Good Shepherd we are called to be a people who follow Jesus to serve our community, so that tomorrow can be different for us all.
Maybe, just maybe, the dream, which I have described in more detail elsewhere, could become a reality not just in Collier Row, but also throughout London and the UK, even to the very ends of the earth. We long to be a church, together with other churches in our area, which is a part of making the dream a reality. At the Good Shepherd, we desire to be a church, which discerns what our loving Father God is doing in His world, and which has the flexibility and boldness to join in with Him. We desire to be a people, who have Jesus at the centre of all that we do, and who genuinely and sacrificially love our neighbours and serve them, working together so that tomorrow can be different for us all. We want to worship in Spirit and in Truth, living transparent and open lives, which reflect the beauty of God. We love so much to give the reason for the hope that we have because of Jesus, always learning more and desiring ever more to be like Him. We aim to honour God and one another in all that we think, say and do; to be a generous and hospitable people, who seek to implement all things with quality. We strive for balance as we relate to God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and so to live balanced lives of worship, prayer, family time, work, recreation and service to our neighbourhood, as well as the needs of our city, nation and the wider world.
We hope that we are a realistic people, with a balanced view of our gifts and limitations, who depend on the Grace of God, and who draw upon His BIG love to help our little love to work better. When things go wrong, which they will from time to time, we hope to be a people who seek the forgiveness of God in Christ and who forgive one another, picking one another up, dusting ourselves down and getting on with the job.
We'd love for you to check out what we are already doing as a church to serve our community. Please let us know if we can serve you through one of these activities. We'd love for you to come along on a Sunday and consider becoming a part of the life of God together with us.
Tomorrow can be different for us all! This is our dream and vision at The Church of The Good Shepherd. Come Holy Spirit! Amen, come Lord Jesus!
Rev David Hague
Vicar
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