Dear Friends,
Thank you for taking the opportunity to learn more about the vision for the future of Good Shepherd Catholic Church. It has been my pleasure and joy to minister to this wonderful community of faith, fellowship, and devotion to our Lord Jesus Christ. Your pastors and deacons, and parishioners like you, continue to make this parish a beacon . . . a bright light for the faithful. Good Shepherd Catholic Church centers us spiritually, connects us socially, and instills in us a sense of home for a family of believers. Further, Good Shepherd Catholic Church is building up the Kingdom of God, living stone by living stone. Over the course of 16 years, our parish family has beautifully flourished to nearly 4,000 families. With this wonderful growth, our current worship space and parking lot have crossed the threshold of their service capacity. Accordingly, just as the first families of Good Shepherd faithfully faced the challenges of their time, as well as planned the future needs of the next generations of Catholics in Elk Grove, we are now called forth by the Holy Spirit to build upon their sacrificial work.
Over the past year, Good Shepherd Catholic Church has moved thoughtfully and progressively toward the realization of our long-held goal – to build a permanent church. With your prayers, we now are ready to take the next significant step – to fund the building, which will become our home . . . home for our family of believers. As a parish family we now embark upon a capital campaign to raise the necessary funds to properly address our growing needs. Our capital campaign appropriately carries forward the name of “Living Stones,” reminding us of our prayerful commitments and reflection just one year ago when we each received a holy stone.
Living Stones is you, and it is marking a turning point in our parish history. It will ensure a legacy of faith that will resonate in the hearts, minds, and spirits of all those who will follow us. Funds raised through the Living Stones campaign will represent the first phase of a three-phase effort to construct our permanent church, retrofit our current worship space to become our parish multi-purpose center, and expand our parking areas. We have maximized the use of our present structure. To continue to meet the needs of our registered parishioners and all who call Good Shepherd Catholic Church home now and in the future, we must respond and act for the glory of God.
Our total financial need to realize all aspects of this master plan is $8.6 million which we will strive to secure in three phases of fundraising conducted over the next ten to twelve years. Living Stones capital campaign is underway! This campaign is vitally important if we are to ensure the legacy of our faith and respond to the needs of our growing Catholic community. Through this campaign, we strive to raise a minimum need of $2,500,000. As we embark in this faith filled and defining endeavor, I invite you to become a Living Stone and join me in support of the campaign to build our permanent church. Your participation will set an inspiring example to others.
Enourage the support of Living Stones among your fellow parishioners. Your monetary pledge is more than a financial commitment. It is a generous gesture of heart which demonstrates your love for Christ and your faith – your interest in handing down the faith will be realized by generations yet to come. Therefore, remember . . . “you too are living stones, built as an edifice of spirit….”