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Announcements

Lent and Easter 2023 schedule

We are pleased to announce our schedule for Lent and Easter:

40 Days of Lent

Ash Wednesday – February 22

11:30am – 1:30pmAshes to Go (Drive-In Style)
7:00pmWorship w/Holy Communion and Imposition of Ashes

Every Week During Lent

Daily Prayer on YouTube
Daily Devotional from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
Weekly devotional activities in your Lenten booklet

Palm Sunday – April 2

10:30amWorship w/Holy Communion

Maundy Thursday – April 6

7:00pmWorship w/Holy Communion

Good Friday – April 7

7:00pmGood Friday worship

Prayer Vigil – April 7-9

Learn more…

Easter

Easter Egg Hunt

Learn more…

Easter Sunday – April 9

10:30amFestive Worship w/Holy Communion
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Announcements

Join us for Christmas!

We’re excited to announce our Christmas schedule for 2022! Please join us.

We’re offering two services Christmas Eve, as well as a Christmas Day service (since Christmas falls on Sunday this year). All of our services are livestreamed. You can learn more about each of them on our Christmas page.

The service times are:

  • December 24 at 4:30 pm – Family Friendly Christmas Eve Worship
  • December 24 at 7:00 pm – Traditional Chistmas Eve Worship
  • December 25 at 10:30 am – Christmas Day Communion

Be sure to stay after the 4:30 service for goodies and fellowship, and come early for the 7:00 service for half an hour of music and carols led by our musicians.

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Announcements COVID-19 News

Covid Policy Revised to Reflect CDC “Community Levels”

The church council has made significant revisions to our Covid policy, aligning it to the CDC’s revised “Community Levels” risk assessment.

You can read our policy in its entirety on our website, or view our current status anytime.

The most significant change is that masks will not be required except when Allegheny County is in the highest level of alert. As of June 27, our status is green and the following will apply:

Green (Low Risk) Status: Worship and other indoor events are open to all individuals. Masks are optional in the building and social distancing is recommended.

We will continue to offer livestreams of our worship services, as well as Daily Prayer online.

If you have any questions about our new policy, you’re invited to contact any of our council members.

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Announcements

Join us for worship this Holy Week!

We invite you to join us online or in person as we enter the holy mystery of Jesus’ death and resurrection for the sake of the world.

Maundy Thursday, April 14 at 7:00 pm. This service of Holy Communion recalls Jesus last meal with his friends, his washing of their feet, and his commandment (“mandatum” ➡️ mandate ➡️ Maundy) that his followers must show their love for one another by imitating Jesus’ own acts of humble, loving service. The worship concludes with the stripping of the altar – a solemn removal of all decorations and ornamentation, leaving the worship space harsh and exposed as Jesus’ story moves rapidly toward the nakedness of the cross.

Good Friday, April 15 at 7:00 pm. The great “Three Days” continue as we mark the trial, crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus. It is an awful, terrific, tremendous day in the truest sense – a day that inspires awe, terror and trembling at the power of God laid bare in the frailty of a dying human body. But we call the day “Good,” because the power at work that day was for our sake and the sake of the world. With this in mind, our service emphasizes prayer for all the wounded creation Jesus died to make new. The central image is of the dead wood of the cross in actuality being the blossoming Tree of Life, in which was hung the salvation of the world.

Easter Sunday, April 17 at 10:30 am. Just as Jesus shared in our death on Good Friday, on Easter Sunday we rejoice that he has risen so that we might share in his eternal life! The bleak emptiness of the sanctuary erupts into a glory of petals, the cross bursts forth in blooms, and the Church’s song of “Alleluia!” (“Hallelujah!” ➡️ “Praise the Lord!) returns with vigor to our worship after forty days’ absence. Musical celebrations and Holy Communion complete the air of victory and joy.

Masks and social distancing will be required at all services. We will be utilizing windows and air filters to maximize airflow in the worship space. Vaccinations (and boosters) are highly encouraged, though not required. If you are not feeling well, we invite you to join us online rather than in person.

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Announcements

Evening Prayer for Lent 2022

You can join us in person or YouTube every Wednesday night during Lent for Evening Prayer. If you’re joining via YouTube, you can follow along with this order of service:

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Announcements

Lent and Easter 2022 schedule

Please join us this Lent and Easter as we walk with Christ to the cross … and beyond the grave!

Lent Schedule

Ash Wednesday

March 2

12:00-1:00 pm | Ashes to Go (drive-in style)

7:00 pm | Worship with Holy Communion and Imposition of Ashes

Wednesdays in Lent

March 9, 16, 23, 30
April 6

7:00 pm | Evening Prayer

Palm Sunday

April 10

10:30 am | Worship with Holy Communion

Maundy Thursday

April 14

7:00 pm | Worship with Holy Communion

Good Friday

April 15

7:00 pm | Good Friday Worship


Easter Schedule

Easter Sunday

April 17

10:30 am | Worship with Holy Communion

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Announcements

Ash Wednesday is March 2, 2022

Please join us as we begin the season of Lent, marked with the cross of Christ in ash:

Ashes to Go

We’ll offer ashes to go in the front parking lot from 12:00-1:00. Please keep to the left and follow the signs. We ask that you wear as mask, since imposing the ashes brings us into closer contact than normal.

Ash Wednesday worship

We’ll offer a service of Holy Communion with the imposition of ashes Wednesday evening at 7:00. You can join us in person or online – but you’ll have to find your own substitute for the ashes at home!

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Announcements COVID-19

In-Person worship will resume this week

As covid levels have fallen, Allegheny County’s risk status has been downgraded to “Very High.” That means we’re able to return to in-person events and worship effective immediately. Masks and distancing will still be required while in the building. Vaccination are strongly encouraged but not required. Our livestream will continue to be offered every week on Zoom and YouTube. See you on Sunday!

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Announcements COVID-19

Services move to online only

Covid is once again surging in Allegheny County. Case numbers have reached new highs this week with the Delta-Omicron one-two punch. With the increased spread, our risk status has been upgraded to “Severe” – the highest category – by Covid Act Now, our primary source of pandemic data.

In keeping with our Covid policy, all in-person events and services at The Good Shepherd have been cancelled. We will continue to hold services online every Sunday at 10:30, and look forward to worshiping with you via Zoom or YouTube!

We look forward to returning to in-person gatherings as soon as our risk level drops back down to Red. Keep an eye on this website for the most current updates.

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Announcements

Christmas 2021 – In Person or Online!

Join us in person or online this Christmas! Visit goodshepherdlife.org/christmas for all the most current information. Here are the essentials:

Service Times

We’re offering three identical services this year so that we can gather in person safely. We’re limiting each service to 25% of the sanctuary’s capacity. Please request your seats in advance using our online form or by calling the church office – we can’t guarantee that there will be walk-in seats available this year!

Candlelight Holy Communion

  • 4:30 pm on December 24
  • 7:30 pm on December 24
  • 10:00 pm on December 24

All three services will be livestreamed.

Covid-19 Precautions

We are taking great care to make Christmas a safe and joyful experience as we gather in person this year:

  • Masks are required for all worshipers.
  • Limited seating allows for social distancing.
  • Windows will be cracked to increase air exchange.
  • Filters have been deployed to clear the air.
  • Communion will be in the pews with pre-packaged elements.
  • LED candles will be provided (so we don’t blow all over each other to put them out).
  • The service will be kept to under an hour to reduce possible exposure.