A church is more than a building. And more, too, than the people who worship in
the building. A church is a living organism, with a history and a personality and a
life-cycle. Churches grow and decline, flourish and wither. During a period in
which many churches in Massachusetts shrank or closed, Good Shepherd has
Why? Well, part of the reason is that we try very hard to do what we do very well.
Our worship is planned with care and executed with a kind of brisk, unfussy
elegance. The music for our worship is performed with dedication and skill by
people who are trained in the best classical tradition. Our preaching is
intelligent, practical, and focused both on the Bible and the everyday struggles
Our children are warmly included and given the attention they need in order to mature into spiritually healthy adults. The pastoral care offered by our clergy and laypeople is personal, serious, and compassionate. The care we offer to the needy and hurting outside our walls is generous. We include political and theological liberals, moderates, and conservatives. And because we are a church, not a club, we don't insist on uniformity of opinion, nor are we interested in deciding who belongs and who doesn't. But we are unapologetically Christian. The reason we exist is to draw people deeper into the life of God. And we do that within a particular religious tradition called Anglicanism, which has its distinctive style and has always understood itself as a middle way (via media in Latin) between Catholicism and Protestantism. Good Shepherd welcomes everyone but it may not be the sort of place everyone is looking for. We understand that. But if you are seeking a place where the Christian faith is explored with intelligence, commitment, compassion, and beauty, Good Shepherd may be the home which has been waiting for your arrival.
The Rev'd G. Truman Welch, Rector
“We looked at a lot of churches in Newton. At Good Shepherd we were impressed with the
worship service, sermons, the community and the terrific kids program. That was 5 years
ago and it has only gotten better since.”
You’d have to drive a long way to find a parish as special as Good Shepherd and many people are happy to do just that. Why? What gives this neighborhood church in Waban such a long reach? Different parishioners give different answers. Some cite the lovely, deeply meaningful Anglo-Catholic liturgy. Some cite the way our rector Truman stands before the congregation without any notes to deliver sermons straight to the heart of our spiritual concerns. For others it’s the vibrant community of people who care about each other and about people far outside our parish. Many talk about
