Joining Good Shepherd & Sacraments
If you are interested in Membership, Baptism, Confirmation, Reception, or Marriage at Good Shepherd, please call or email the Church Office at 281-482-7630 or office@gshepherd.net.
We are always more than happy to answer questions and be a resource to you in your life and journey of faith!
Holy Baptism
Holy Baptism is full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ’s Body the Church. It is a public statement of one’s intentional decision to follow the way of Jesus. In the case of infant baptism, it is the parents’ declaration of their intent to raise a child in the way of Jesus. The bond which God establishes in Baptism is indissoluble, so baptism is only administered once.
When you choose to be baptized yourself or to have your child baptized in the Episcopal Church, it means you are choosing to live out the Baptismal Covenant in the context of an Episcopal church community, taking your part in the worship, mission and ministries of the local parish. Baptism is open to all people, regardless of age or background.
If you are interested in the Sacrament of Baptism at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, please contact Fr. Justin. Baptisms are celebrated several times a year, on Baptismal Feasts, and a short period of preparation is expected.
Marriage
Holy Matrimony is a sacrament of the Church, in which a couple enters into a life-long union, make their vows before God, and receive the grace and blessing of God to help them fulfill their vows. In order to be married in the Episcopal Church, one member of the couple needs to be a baptized Christian. All couples planning to get married are required to take pre-marital counseling.
Marriage at Good Shepherd is for members and their immediate family. Those desiring to be married must meet with one of the parish clergy before a date can be placed on the parish calendar. At this meeting, the officiating priest will discuss the couple’s request to be married, answer any questions, set out the preparation process, and clarify church teachings regarding Christian marriage. If either party has been previously divorced, specific requirements of the Church must be met before an Episcopal priest may perform the Blessing and Celebration of a Marriage. This includes submission of a remarriage petition to the bishop. Episcopal canon law requires a minimum of 30 days notice before a wedding can be solemnized.
Weddings follow the liturgy for The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage found on page 423 of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer or one of two additional trial liturgies approved at the 78th General Convention of The Episcopal Church. The use of music for all Episcopal Church services is governed by the rubrics of the Book of Common Prayer and The Hymnal under the direction of the parish director of music and parish organist.
Marriages are not traditionally celebrated in Advent and in Lent because these are penitential seasons during which times festal liturgies, such as weddings, are not appropriate. Diocesan policy is that weddings during Advent or Lent should only happen in the case of a serious, pressing or compelling pastoral need.
We would be honored to speak with you about marriage at Good Shepherd, and encourage you to review our Marriage Customary for more detailed information about our practices and expectations. Contact the church office to schedule an appointment with our clergy, if you are ready to begin the process of marriage preparation and set a date.
Confirmation
Confirmation is when a baptized person, who has been instructed in the Christian faith, makes a mature commitment to his or her life of faith. The Bishop visits our congregation each year to celebrate Confirmations as well as to Receive new members into the Episcopal Church. Sometimes, when the Bishop is here individuals who have been Episcopalians for many years choose to Reaffirm that commitment at the hands of the Bishop of the Diocese.
