The Church of the Good Shepherd

231 North Church St.

Rocky Mount, NC

eShepherd December 18, 2025

This Sunday at Good Shepherd

The Fourth Sunday of Advent

December 21, 2025


8 a.m.

 

Altar Guild  Lalor Smith and Jeanette Belfield;

Celebrant The Rev. Becky Zartman Carpenter; 

Eucharistic Minister Al Hicks;

Flower Guild Emily Bondy and Jenny Williams; 

Reader  Barbara Hicks


10:30 a.m.

 

Acolytes Matthew McKellar and Chydan Mullen;

Altar Guild  Pat Weeks and Susan Folta;

Audiovideo Engineer  Ron Sowers; 

Eucharistic Minister  Ashley Moss;

Flower Guild  Emily Bondy and Jenny Williams;

Greeters  Al and Barbara Hicks; 

Intercessor  Emily Bondy;

Musicians  The Good Shepherd Choir; Lawrence Goering, organist;

Presider  The Rev. Becky Zartman Carpenter;

Readers  Marzena Laszewski and Lance Daughtridge;

Vestry Counters  Corey Folta and Barbara Hicks


Click here for this week's Sunday Bulletin


*Can't make it in person? Click here for livestream


This Week at Good Shepherd


Adult Formation Class this Sunday at 9 a.m. in the Parlor. Join us for a video and discussion format using Bruce Feiler's book and video series entitled "Walking The Bible." No homework required! And if you haven't come previously, come on in this week! In January we will start a new book, "The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World" written by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama. Interested? We'll see you in mid January!


There will be no mid-week Eucharist or choir rehearsals Dec. 24.


Christmas Eve Service at 5:00 p.m. with a musical prelude beginning at 4:30 p.m. with our choirs, soloists and instrumentalists. This is a beautiful service you won't want to miss.

Coming Very Soon!




We plan to have our annual Christmas Pageant on Sunday, January 4th, at the 10:30 a.m. service. We will have a brief rehearsal in the church at 9:50 that morning and then will put on costumes in the choir area of the parish hall.

Volunteers have already signed up to portray Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. We still need volunteers for the roles of Angels, Shepherds, Wise Men, Isaiah, animals, and a star. We also need older youth to volunteer to read lessons at the pageant.

Please contact Lawrence Goering at lgoering@goodshepherdrmt.org or 252-813-0190 if your child would like to be in the pageant and let us know what role your child prefers. We would like to include as many names as possible in the bulletin that will be printed late next week.

We look forward to hearing from you and hope that lots of children will participate in this year's pageant!


Join the Outreach Committee on Monday, Dec. 22 to help pack and distribute Christmas Food Boxes with our Ripe for Revival friends. Interested? Scan the code below to sign up! See you there!

Jordan and Chydan Mullen lit the Third Advent Candle on Sunday

Best Wishes For a Very Happy Birthday!


December 18

Jenny Williams


December 19

Lisa Meadows


December 20

Sally Harris


December 22

Brenning Daughtridge


December 24

Barbara Hicks


December 27

Anne Craig


December 28

Mary Dawson


December 29

Quintin Mangano


December 30

Fred Frohbose


December 31

Courtney Ferguson


Coming Soon!


On February 7th (a Saturday), we will be hosting a Rise Against Hunger event on behalf of the Rocky Mount Convocation (our local grouping of Episcopal churches) 


This is a meal-packing event, and this is what RAH does all day every day, so they've got it down to a science. They show up at 9:00 a.m., we start the event at 10:00 and keep packing until 12:00, and they pack out until 1:00 p.m. The Convocation has been doing this for years, and it's our turn host this year!


Right now we (as a convocation, not just Good Shepherd) will be responsible for providing 75 volunteers and $6350 in funds to pay for the material and shipping it to where they ship it to — last year it went to the Philippines). We've already got $900 from an over-payment last year. 


If Good Shepherd hugs this to death with donations, we can add more meals (so, packing 20K instead of 15K) up until the last week of January. Look for sign up information information in early January.


Parish Prayer List

For those in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity: especially Martha Daniel, William Bryan, Brod Paul, Michael Townsend, Mac Martin, Ann Burke, Janet McMaster, Donna Andrews, Joyce Greening, Hart Wiggins, George Vargha, Helen Sharpe, John and Irene Groobey, Jim Facile, Shannon Sutton, Florine McClain, Scott Sumrall, Joyce Cuthrell, Whitney Herbert, Amy McCotter, Chris Poole, and Gregory Strickland.


For continued health and healing: Jim Facile, Bill and Aileen Harris, Brent Wilson, Jeanette Benfield, Notie Vay Meadows, Bill Harris, Aileen Harris, Bill Hudgins, Mary W. Dawson, Becky Bryan, Albert Ervin, Frances Gaither, Dwight Johnson, and Boo White.


For the blessings of this life: James Beck Bowen, son of Kathryn (Hicks) and Jackson Bowen and Hardy Kennon Renegar, son of Blake and Michelle (Barringer) Renegar.



For those expecting the birth of a child:  Frederick and Kelly Frohbose, Lucas and Lindsey Bayless, Courtney (Bondy) and Tyler Ferguson, and Mark and Sara Burnette.


For those who have died: Brian McMaster, Barbara Love-Lisitza, and Ollie Mae Briggs.



To add or remove people on the Prayer List please contact Cheryl Coppedge at coppedgecheryl@gmail.com. Please ask their permission before submitting. Please include an address in your email to Cheryl so that the Encouragement Committee may send a card.


A note about pastoral care emergencies: If you are experiencing a pastoral emergency (e.g. someone you love or you yourself are in the hospital, or you’re experiencing some distressing news) please call my cell phone (570-259-0671) and leave a message if I don’t pick up right away. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. If in doubt, please call – I can’t support you if I don’t know you need support!

BZC+

252-442-1134 churchofthegoodshepherdrm@gmail.com

www.goodshepherdrmt.org


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