SERVICES
SUNDAY AT 8:00 AM (2nd & 3rd Sundays)
SUNDAY AT 10:30 AM (every Sunday)
WEDNESDAY AT 6:00 PM (in Chapel)
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ABOUT THE CHURCH OF
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
OUR VISION
“Sharing the Good News of God’s love by welcoming others to our traditional Anglican worship, providing opportunities for spiritual growth, and reaching out to those in need.”
WHAT WE DO
We strive to worship God in the beauty of holiness, to be formed as disciples of Jesus, to grow continually into the image of Christ, and to partner with others to serve Christ next door, in Newton County,
and in the world.
OUR COMMUNITY
As the Episcopal Church's presence in Covington, Newton County, and the surrounding area since 1950, we are a parish of the Diocese of Atlanta.
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
We are Episcopalians, a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta,
which is in turn a constituent part of The Episcopal Church.
As Episcopalians we are inheritors in the United States (and nearly 15 other countries)
of the Anglican tradition, that is, the Christian church in the British Isles. Episcopalians believe
there is One God who creates all things, redeems us from sin and death,
and renews us as the Children of God. As Episcopalians, we promise
to follow Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.
We believe the mission of our church is the
restoration of all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.
Some of the things that define us are:
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Liturgy
Our worship on Sundays and other feast days centers around Holy Communion (the Eucharist). We worship using the ancient forms of prayer that have been part of the Church's life for two thousand years. Our worship is ordered by the Book of Common Prayer.
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Inclusivity
We welcome everyone to hear and center God's message in their lives. We welcome and embrace our LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters and stand with the trans community, immigrants, refugees, and all those in marginalized communities. We ordain women to the priesthood, we marry same-sex couples, and we affirm the goodness of God's call to all people.
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​​Social Justice
The Episcopal Church has been at the forefront of the fight against social inequality for a long time. At baptism, one of the promises we make is to "strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being."
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Holy Scripture
We read the Bible - a lot! In our Sunday worship we read from the Old Testament, the Psalms, the Epistles of Paul, and the Gospels. The words of our prayers are rich with Biblical references and allusions, and we also meet in Bible Study every week to dig more deeply into the treasure-house of God's word. We read the Bible as a community, never relying solely on individual interpretation. In studying Scripture we are informed by the voice of the Church through the ages (Holy Tradition) and by the minds that God gave us (Reason).
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If you would like to learn more about the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Tradition, "Walk in Love: Episcopal Beliefs and Practices" is a good book to start with! You can also explore what daily prayer looks like in the Episcopal Church, take a look at Bishop Michael Curry's Way of Love, learn more about liturgy here, or email Mother Mary Grace with any questions you have.
