Dear Families of Good Shepherd,

If I haven’t had a chance to meet you yet, my name is Jonathan McManus-Dail and I’m the new Priest for Children Youth and Families here at Good Shepherd. I am so excited to be here and to continue the amazing work the Rev. Brin Bon has done in supporting Children, Youth, and Families in their life of faith! Please come introduce yourself to me at one of our services soon if we haven’t yet connected. It is truly a joy to get to know each of you. 

And just so you know a little about who it is that’s emailing you, here’s a link to my bio on the website. 

I am passionate about equipping Children, Youth, and Families with the resources, formation, and community that we all need to walk as followers of Christ in our complex, changing world. I think we do that by forming strong connections and community with each other, creating spaces of safe, vulnerability, and learning the stories, prayers, and role models of our tradition that help shape us into people whose faith is an anchor and a guidepost for the living of a thriving, flourishing life. 

I truly look forward to partnering in this sacred ministry with each of you over the next years as we work to provide a firm foundation in faith and love for our kids. 

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if I can support you in any way in your life of faith. Email, call, or text me if you need a listening ear, a prayer, a blessing for a new baby, or a companion on the journey of faithfully parenting kids and teens. I can’t promise answers, but I can promise a non-judgmental ear and partnership in the questions. 

There are also so many ways to get and stay involved in our CYF Programs at Good Shepherd. See below for upcoming events! 

Blessings in Christ,

Jonathan McManus-Dail+

The Rev. Jonathan McManus-Dail
Priest for Children, Youth, and Families
252-299-4070
EDGE KIDS
(3rd-5th grades)
Sundays | 10:15-11:15a
Windsor, Edge Room

YOUTH GROUP
(6-12th grades)
Sundays | 12-2:30p
Windsor, Youth Corner
August 13: Youth Group Tubing Excursion | 9:30a-4:00p: Youth in grades 6-12 are invited to join us for a floating trip down the San Marcos River! The cost is $35 and includes tube rental, transportation, and a picnic lunch! 

August 18: Blessing of the Backpacks: If you are a student, teacher, or administrator bring your backpacks and briefcases to any of our services to receive prayers and a blessing for a good, safe School Year. We’ll giving away a really cool surprise to help you remember that your Good Shepherd Family loves you and Jim-Jims will also at the Windsor Campus from 11:30a to 12:30p! 

August 18: Acolyte Training | 12:00p-2:00p | Youth Corner and Nave: Acolytes are leaders in worship who carry the cross, torches (those big candles), and the Gospel Book in our services. They make worship beautiful and remind us of God’s majestic presence whenever we gather. It’s also a great way for youth in grades 6-12 (and beyond) to get involved in worship. It can be really interesting and rewarding to see the “action” on the altar from a different view. So, if you or your kid are in grades 6-12, I invite you to consider joining our acolyte team. We will hold a training for new and returning acolytes on Sunday August 18 from 12:00p-2:00p, beginning in the Youth Corner for Lunch. This training will equip acolytes with all they need to know to be skillful and comfortable in this ministry. Parents are invited to join us at 1:40p in the Nave. Please sign up here, and contact Jonathan with any questions. 

August 25: Godly Play and Edge Bible Study Teacher Training | 11:30a-3:00p | Media Room: Godly Play is a wonderful, Montessori based curriculum that equips children from age 3 - 2nd grade with the skills and freedom to approach Bible stories with wonder and curiosity. Our Edge Bible Study is for kids in 3rd-5th Grade to continue learning about and exploring the Bible with curiosity and openness. We are in need of teachers and facilitators for both these wonderful programs. We’d love for you to join us at this training if you are a new or returning teacher. Would you let us know if you’re interested in teaching and if you can join us for training by signing up here. 

September 8: Fall Formation Kick Off: We will officially begin our Fall Programming on September 8 which involves the following on Sundays: 
  • Children’s Choir 
  • Godly Play 
  • Edge Bible Study
  • Youth Group
For more details about each of these wonderful programs, follow the link here to our website and feel free to reach to me or our Children and Youth ministry assistant, Kellie Brewer, for more information. 

September 17: Confirmation Information Session for Parents and Students | 7:30pm | Zoom. Confirmation is for students in 9th grade and up who are ready to make a mature and public declaration of their faith. This entails a commitment to participation in the life of the church, including regular attendance at worship, service to the church, a commitment to seeking justice and peace in the world, and an overall interest in deepening their connection to God in Christ. Our Youth Confirmation Retreat will take place on Friday, January 10 and Saturday, January 11, and our Confirmation service will take place in the Spring of 2025. This information session is required to attend the confirmation retreat in January. Contact the Rev. Jonathan McManus-Dail with any questions, jonathan@gsaustin.org.

September 29: Shepherd Fest | 11:30a-1:00p, Plan to stay after worship to join us for a fun-filled time exploring all the ways you can get involved at Good Shepherd at this year’s Shepherd Fest. Children, Youth, and Family Ministry will have a booth with info about our programming AND some really cool t-shirts for children, Edge Kids, Youth, and CYF Volunteers IF you complete our registration form, here.

October 5: Expectant and New Parent Meet Up | Flo’s Wine Bar | Noon: Join other new and expecting parents from Good Shepherd to enjoy a time of community and celebration. Parenting is easier with other parents to talk with!

October 27: Trunk or Treat at the Hill |5:00p-7:00p | Good Shepherd on the Hill: Come join us at the Hill for some Halloween Fun! Dress in your best costume and visit themed car trunks to collect yummy treats! Closer to time, we will also be recruiting folks to staff the event and decorate trunks. Stay tuned! 

December 1: An Evening with St. Nicolas and Christmas Tree Lighting | 6:00p |Windsor Campus: St. Nicholas will visit us at the Windsor Campus on Sunday, December 1 to take pictures with our kiddos, tell us all about St. Nick, and pass out treats! We’ll also be lighting our beautiful Christmas Tree to kick off the season! 

More Save the Dates will be coming soon! Please feel free to reach out with any questions or for more information. 
  • If you've made it this far, congratulations! Give yourself a pat on the back. If you have questions about any of this, or feedback about our newsletter, feel free to reach out to the Rev. Jonathan McManus-Dail, our Priest for Children, Youth & Families.
Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care? (Benefit) What do I want them to do here? (Call-to-Action)

Create a great offer by adding words like "free" "personalized" "complimentary" or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take an action, so think about inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining!"