Friends at Good Shepherd

Below is the latest inquiry to come our way from the
internet.

I'm sending this one along as a reminder of a request
I've made in the past that our people take turns
visiting the Church at Dayton, Ohio.  We have had
three from the REC visit and/or join us this year.  I
have had inquiries from others.

With the exception of our church at Arden, NC and a
few Florida Churches, the REC have a better track
record than we at building missions into parishes.  
As this and other letters reveal, they grow
knowledgeable, committed Christians.  

The Church at Dayton, Ohio is worth visiting because
it is in a near downtown location, yet has
successfully built a stable congregation, brought in
young families and initiated many ministries in a
relatively short period of time.

Demographically Dayton-Cincinnati is little different
from Indianapolis and its suburbs.  There is no magic
place in which to plant a congregation that will
attract Anglicans -- there just aren't that many
anyway (less than 1% of the population).  Our job as a
Church is to do our Lord's bidding.  He didn't say,
"Go into all the world and find the Anglicans."  He
said, "Go into the highways and byways and compel them
to come in."  Over half the people in our part of the
world have no church.  These are the sheep that our
Lord bids us to find a bring into the fold. 

The good folk at the Dayton Church are not cradle
Episcopalians.  A visit to that congregation will help
us see the reality of what we can accomplish if we
emulate their example.  They have been obedient and
the Lord has rewarded their efforts.

Warm regards and blessings,

Charles
=====================================================

Steve Whitsitt wrote

Questions about Church of the Good Shepherd     

I am a member of a REC church in South Carolina.  My
family and I are considering a relocation to the
Indianapolis area in the near future.  I actually grew
up in the Columbus area, went to college at Marian
College on Cold Springs Rd, and worked for a number of
years in Danville.  

I have an elderly mother who is now widowed, and feel
a need to be closer to home for her final years.

The church is the central social focal point in the
life of my family.  As we consider this move back to
Indiana, of primary concern to us is Church, Job and
family.  As a part of the REC, I really am not
interested in going back into the more protestant
reformed churches of the past.  I know that the APA is
in union with REC, so Church of the Good Shepherd is
an obvious choice for us to make.  If you could let me
know a little about the church, 
how large,  'high church' 'low church' in worship,
1928 Prayer Book (if so, how close to the REC edition
of the Prayer Book), ages of the people (we have an 18
year old son who likes to be involved), etc, etc, etc.

I appreciate your time, and look forward to hearing
from you.  Our plans are still a bit nebulous, but I
imagine if a move is to be made, it will be done so by
Spring.

Steve Whitsitt