The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Salinas, California

About Us       Calendar & Newsletter     Directions to Church      Who We are      Commissions      Links

Mission Statement

TO KNOW CHRIST, AND TO MAKE CHRIST KNOWN

We, the people of the Church of the Good Shepherd,
embrace our mission,

TO KNOW CHRIST, AND TO MAKE CHRIST KNOWN
and we affirm the vision of our Church:

As entirely open and inviting, especially of youth;
in Christian learning, programs, action and worship;

As a Christian community, welcoming diversity, 
recognized in our evangelical witness,
and in our support and healing for community hurts;

As a place of Spirit-filled joy and fellowship,
with vitality that finds expression in our worship, singing and music;

As a congregation living our mission, committed spiritually 
and materially in faithfulness

to God.

Our Welcoming Statement

The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd welcomes everyone in our worship and in our community. There are no outcasts. Responding to the gospel imperative to show care for those who may encounter injustice and oppression, we want to be known for our welcome and appreciation of all of God's people in all of their diversity. We welcome all ethnic and cultural backgrounds, the advantaged and the disadvantaged, those of every political persuasion, people regardless of sexual orientation, including gays and lesbians, theological conservatives and liberals alike, non-Christians, and seekers to join with us without social distinction in a loving fellowship of all God's children.

Most of the ninety or so households currently calling the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd their church home live in the general area.

Most of our congregants congregate in the San Benancio/Corral de Tierra loop in which our church campus is located. This is the area to which Steinbeck's Spanish corporal referred as he came up over the hill from Carmel Valley, awestruck by the splendid vista unfolding below him. In reverent tones he said, "Holy Mother...here are the green pastures of Heaven to which our Lord leadeth us".

The remainder of Good Shepherd's service area extends east and west along the Highway 68 corridor, with a high percentage of our members living in Toro Park neighborhoods and on Reservation/River Road. Some parishioners do come from the city of Salinas, with a few others from the Monterey Peninsula. Sometimes students and their families from the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey find their way to our rural setting.

In one aspect of life, our parishioners may be seen as a microcosm of the nation; that is, in the great variety of our religious backgrounds. We are truly Episcopalian, with a wide range of religious and political beliefs. We put forth a continuous effort toward tolerance, understanding, acceptance and love for each other.

Currently about twenty-five percent of our congregation are "seniors.” Thirty percent are families with children, from toddlers to older teens. About twenty members are single. While Good Shepherd is a family church, we are not a typical rural church which can boast of several generations of a family in attendance. Most of our young adults move elsewhere for higher education, first jobs, and to establish their families.

The children of the Good Shepherd preschool offer the opportunity for older members to enjoy young life and to have an impact on that younger generation through support, both personal and corporate.

Most regular members faithfully offer their Time and Talents to assist with the work of the church in worship, outreach, care of our parishioners, and management of the parish and its facilities. Some are involved in diocesan level service or in the national church efforts. As for the third traditional "T", Treasure, several tithers are among our current pledgers, along with the majority who grow in generosity to God and the church as we grow in faith.

We were born in March, 1955 in the Pastures of Heaven by virtue of the vision, dedication and support of the church’s first vicar, the Rev. Jerome Politzer, friends and sponsors from a sister church, St. Paul’s in Salinas, and the Diocese of California.

Services for this new Episcopal mission of twenty families were held the first four years in the historic California Grange Hall, a small, rustic building about a half mile up Corral de Tierra road from our current property. Bishop Henry Shires officiated at groundbreaking ceremonies for the present church building in August, 1958. In joyous celebration, the new structure was dedicated the following April by Bishop James Pike. Nestled on a stunningly beautiful 3 acre parcel [gifted three years earlier by the Herman Marks family], the new Sanctuary won a prestigious AIA Merit Award for Architecture. for Germano Milono architect of our building.

The Rev. Paul Danielson in late 1968 became Good Shepherd’s second vicar. He presided over the completion of the first part of the Parish Hall, and in November, 1975, Bishop Kilmer Myers dedicated the second portion. Just two years later, this growing mission church received full parish status in the Diocese of California. The Church of the Good Shepherd is presently [since 1980] part of the Diocese of El Camino Real.

After more than sixteen years of loving and devoted leadership, Rev. Danielson moved on to become chaplain, teacher and coach at All Saint’s Episcopal School in Carmel Valley. On March 14, 1985, the Rev. George F. Kohn was installed as our third rector by the Rt. Rev. C. Shannon Mallory, the first bishop of El Camino Real. Under Father Kohn’s guidance, Good Shepherd continued to expand its ministry, and the Parish Hall building was expanded to include a professionally equipped kitchen, additional classrooms, larger restroom facilities and more space in the parish hall.

In September, 1996 the church’s fourth rector, the Rev. James Rhodenhiser, was installed by the Rt. Rev. Richard Shimpfky, Bishop of El Camino Real. During his tenure, effective lay leadership blossomed, and the Good Shepherd Preschool became the highest acclaimed and most respected facility of its kind in the entire area. 125 children (with an in-utero waiting list), currently receive play-based instruction, demonstrating that "the path to the brain is through the hands."

In 2002 the footprint of the Church of the Good Shepherd grew seven-fold through an astounding gift of 20 acres of adjoining property. It includes an arroyo which feeds Toro Creek during our rainy season and an oak studded hill and promontory, named Eve’s Peak, which overlooks 15+ acres of flat, buildable land next to our parking lot.

In August, 2003, Rev. Rhodenhiser left for a position in Ann Arbor, MI.

The Rev. Patricia Barrett became our Rector in September, 2004. Rev. Barrett and her husband, Will, moved here from Massachusetts. She is excited about her ministry, and hopes to increase spirituality and a deeper understanding of the Episcopal Church.

We are also doing...

Children’s Worship and Education, for ages 3 to 10 years, is held during the 10 o'clock Sunday service led by Lay members of the parish. One curriculum used is Godly Play, a method of telling Bible stories and presenting parables and lessons about religious traditions using three-dimensional materials. It invites listeners into the stories and encourages them to connect the stories with personal experiences. 

Our Outreach Ministries

Our Preschool and Enrichment Program, in existence since 1960, is the largest outreach program of The Church of the Good Shepherd. Over the past seven years the school has grown from 15 children at the church site to 125 children at two locations, the church and the Grange. 

The following commissions are presently active and vibrant through the participation and work of many lay members.

a)	Stewardship - develops and executes the annual Fall Stewardship Campaign.
b)	Worship - in the absence of a Rector, this commission is responsible for scheduling guest clergy and planning the services.
c)	Buildings and Grounds - oversees and maintains the entire facility.
d)	Preschool - this commission serves as an advisory/recommending body to the school directors and the operations of the school. It includes parishioners and parents of the preschool who are not members of the parish.
e)	The Capital Campaign Committee - planning for the upcoming capital campaign, working with professional counsel.
f)	The Legacy Committee – creating a planned giving program.
g)	Parish Care – planning fellowship opportunities.

The Episcopal Church in the Diocese of El Camino Real