The Church of the Good Shepherd in Rangeley will be celebrating 100 years of service and worship. To mark this milestone, special events are scheduled throughout the year. The theme of the year-long jubilee is: The Shepherd’s Arms – Celebrating 100 Years of Reaching Out in Love.
Good Shepherd traces its roots back to a group of area women who gathered in each other’s homes, eventually forming an Episcopal Guild in 1920. Within twelve months they had raised enough funds to purchase a plot of land on Lake Street and move a former stable and convert it to the first church building. In August, 1921, that building was dedicated by Bishop Benjamin Brewster. The expanding congregation eventually outgrew that building and in 1964 the present lakeside building on Main Street was completed. Through the years they have had several ministers leading the parish; in the Fall of 2020, the parish called the Rev. Thom Rock to be their next rector. “It is due to our forebears’ remarkable faith, determination, and perseverance that we have the privilege of worshiping together today,” Fr. Thom has said, “we are their dreams come true.” As well as regular Sunday worship, the church carries out important community outreach such as the Thrift Shoppe, hosting holiday meals, an Ecumenical Food Pantry and providing annual student scholarships. In addition, the church offers its building to many non-profit groups as an important meeting and function hall.
The Centennial Celebrations kicked-off in August of 2021 and continue with special events each month throughout the year. Special events for this winter include:
December 19: Holiday Carol Sing at 5:00 p.m. Robert Ludwig, Director of Music, will share entertaining stories about sacred and secular songs of the season and lead everyone in an inspirational and sung singing of favorites. A special treat will be several young music students from Rangeley sharing their talents. There is no admission charge and the program is suitable for all ages. Social distancing and masks are required.
Christmas at Good Shepherd: Christmas Eve Service, December 24 at 8:00 p.m., is especially beautiful with candles, the Crèche, favorite carols like “Silent Night,” and Communion. A Christmas Day Eucharist on December 25 at 10:00 a.m. will also include familiar carols, as will services on Sunday, December 26 at 9:30 a.m. and January 2 at 7:30 and 9:30 a.m.
January 7 & 21; Candlelight Evensong at 4:00 p.m. The Good Shepherd Choir will offer a candlelit Choral Evensong, a service of mystical beauty as the day comes to an end. It is one of the most beloved services in the Anglican tradition, and lasts a little over a half hour. There will be a collection to benefit local charities.
February 4 & 18: Candlelight Evensong, 4:00 p.m. with collection to benefit local charities. (see above for description)
March 26: Mud Pies & Melodies: A Mud Season Sing-along, 4:00 p.m. Robert Ludwig will lead us all in a combination of favorite hymns, love songs of the 30s and 40s, folk songs, and movie songs to lift our spirits as the winter activity season draws to a close.
More events will be planned and scheduled for spring and summer 2022. To find out details about these and other planned events, visit their website www.goodshepherdrangeley.org or Facebook Page: Good Shepherd Church Rangeley Maine, or call the church office at 207-864-3381.
The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd is located at 2614 Main Street, Rangeley, Maine. They offer regular Sunday worship at 7:30 and 9:30 a.m., a service of Healing Prayer on Thursdays at 9:30 a.m., and a weekly Bible Study on Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. The Episcopal Church welcomes all, wherever they are in their personal spiritual journey, to attend and participate in services. Guests are welcome to join the choir for any service – contact Robert Ludwig, Director of Music (RobertLudwig@aya.yale.edu or 864-5093) for more information.
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