I was raised in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Charlottesville. My father and grandmother raised me and my three siblings; together, they somehow managed to get all four of us through our first communion and confirmed in the Catholic Church. My father favored the modern Catholic Church where most of the University faculty and students went, and we kids liked going to the Folk Mass where guitars and tambourines accompanied the priest throughout the service. It wasn’t until my husband Jeff and I got married in 1996 that we both decided to switch from our respective denominations to the Episcopal Church. From the very first time I stepped into Good Shepherd I felt at home. Everything about it reminded me of St. Thomas Aquinas in Charlottesville. This familiarity and the warm sense of community made it easy for us to choose Good Shepherd as our permanent place for worship. Our three daughters (Aven, now a 4th year at UVA; Blake, a sophomore at JMU; and Carleigh, 10th grade at Maury H.S.) have grown up running the halls of Good Shepherd. Over the past 15 years they have enjoyed attending the Ruok program (evening arts and crafts), children’s chapel, vacation bible camp, confirmation classes, OBX retreats, acolyting, serving during NEST, the annual picnic, and so much more. I feel privileged to have had opportunities through the years to volunteer teaching children’s chapel, helping with Vacation Bible Camp, assisting Ben with music and art projects, hosting social events, serving as a lector, and most recently helping to count the offertory after the service. Although my life’s vocation has been grounded in human services where I have had the good fortune of providing support and education to underserved populations of all ages, I’m now at point in my life where my girls are more independent and I have more time to give back to my community. I am looking forward to rolling up my sleeves, peeling back the curtain, to help reveal the next phase of growth for Good Shepherd. The building, along with the surrounding grounds, and the people who frequent these cherished spaces, hold so much promise for fellowship, outreach and camaraderie. I am honored to be called to help shepherd in new beginnings, growth and opportunity here at this place I have grown to love.

I am a long-standing member of the Church of Good Shepherd. I grew up in this church. I was baptized, served as an acolyte, and was confirmed at Good Shepherd. My children Mackie (5) and Claud (3) were also baptized here and enjoy coming to Church each Sunday. I have found that Good Shepherd provides me with a sense of wellness as it allows me to connect with friends and grow spiritually. The ability to help others through its ministry also brings me peace. I would love to see Good Shepherd grow but also to see it reconnect and re-engage with current and past members. This could indeed have a positive and lasting impact on our community both near and far.

My husband and I grew up attending churches of other Protestant denominations but started attending Good Shepherd in the 1960’s and grew to love our Episcopal Church. Our three boys also enjoyed being acolytes.

I have loved being involved with the Outreach Committee, and going on outings with the mission children. I do feel strongly that we need to not only take care of our own members, but also reach out to the larger community.

Good Shepherd has also offered me educational opportunities, including Lenten studies and the EFM course, that I’ve found challenging and informative.

The Good Shepherd family has been there to support us through rough times, as well as to provide us lots of joy through music, art, and friendships.

I am looking forward to a bright future for Good Shepherd and it is a privilege to help in any way that I can.

Even though I spent most of my adult years in New York—Brooklyn and New Rochelle–after graduating from Howard University with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in music, my parents, siblings, and I are Norfolkians who graduated mostly from Granby High School. During my years away, I migrated from being a Baptist, whose great-great-grandfather, Zachariah Hughes, was the first pastor (1878-1915) of the nearby family church, Mount Pleasant Baptist Church. I grew up attending services with my parents and siblings every time the church doors opened! In New York, I joined the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church (1857), a historic institution in the neighborhood near the Brooklyn Academy of Music where I lived. At LAPC I was a choir soloist, a community-involved parishioner, an Elder on the Session (closely akin to the Vestry), and eventually the Clerk of Session. Since moving back to Hampton Roads in 2007, Norfolk State University appointed me to the music faculty and in 2011 I joined the choir at Good Shepherd.

From early on, my life has revolved around family, community, and service—to students at NSU, to children and families served by the Kiwanis Club of Norfolk, the River Pointe community in Portsmouth where I live, and COGS. I have felt such gratitude for the kindness and generosity of the members here, especially for their support of NSU students in so many ways. My spiritual life has been deepened by the enriching Sunday sermons, my own solitary explorations, and most recently, the Contemplative Prayer Group that meets here weekly. I look forward to doing what I can to be an instrument of peace and to letting this little light of mine shine.

My story is the story of an immigrant’s dream. My family emigrated from South Korea 50 years ago in search of opportunities for a better future–God has truly blessed our lives. My wife, Janet, and I grew up in the Midwest where we met and moved down to Norfolk when I started my surgical training. We both grew up going to church each Sunday and this is what sustains us. We have two children, Micah (14) and Emily (12).

Our family has been attending Church of the Good Shepherd for over a year after having attended St. Paul’s for over 16 years. Last summer, we searched for a new church home that would help nurture our growth in Christ, and inspire and challenge us to lead a Godly life. We found that at Good Shepherd. The congregation has welcomed our family.

I wonder what we as a church can do to make our faith community stronger and show our love for our neighbors.