Gentle Shepherd Church

Richmond Virginia's Independent Catholic Community
Proud members of the Ascension Free Catholic Alliance

Advent Wednesdays at Gentle Shepherd

Come Home for Christmas!

Our Series of four Advent Wednesday programs is open to everyone regardless of past or present religious affiliation, and is directed to those who may have forsaken main stream denominations for any number of reasons and yet still feel drawn to communal worship.

God will never forsake you, even if people do so in His name. Come home for Christmas!

7:00 pm

light refreshments will be served

3700 Ellwood Ave

If....

    ....The holiday season has become a mundane and lackluster frenzy of shopping and overeating

    ....You are lonely and discouraged, depressed and needing more than lights and tinny Christmas music.

    ....You are filled with anger and disappointment because of an earlier religious experience.

    ....You feel a need in your life to worship, but are afraid of not being accepted.

    ....You are surrounded by those who do not validate you.

    ....You are hurt and shunned by those who try to impose their personal beliefs upon you.

Then....

    ....Know that there exists a safe haven for you, a community where you can experience God’s love without shame, without guilt, without fear.

    ....Know that you can enjoy the beauty and joy of traditional liturgical worship without the oppressive dogma of exclusion and ultimatum, a community that encourages you to expand the individual spirit of God that is in each and every one of us, where no conflict exists between your intelligence and your faith. Where God is love and where the Spirit within us manifests openly and brilliantly to all humanity.

    ....Come home for Christmas, come to a place where the God you may think you have lost has never lost you.

-please note that programs for December 7 and December 14 have been switched from prior announcements-

Wednesday, Nov 30   - Come home for Christmas! A modern view of religion for those who care to think! Exploring how traditional worship styles can co-exist with modern thinking will be the subject of a lecture and discussion on Wednesday, November 30 at 7:00 pm.  Gentle Shepherd Church of Antioch, a member of the Ascension Catholic Alliance, is Richmond’s independent Catholic community, a liturgical congregation with a policy of absolute acceptance for all. 

Wednesday, Dec 7      - Rosary Service - quiet and peaceful devotions. Take a break from shopping! The Holy Rosary is considered a perfect prayer because within it lies the awesome story of our salvation. With the Rosary in fact we meditate the mysteries of joy, of sorrow and the glory of Jesus and Mary. It's a simple prayer, humble so much like Mary. It's a prayer we can all say together with Her, the Mother of God. With the Hail Mary we do not pray to her, but instead we invite Her to pray for us. With only a short time left before Christmas, perhaps this is a perfect opportunity to clear our heads and remember what this beautiful holy feast is all about. Come home for Christmas!

Wednesday, Dec 14   - Angelic Advent Vespers - Angels are God's messengers.  Join us as we gather for vesper's, to sit down, tune out the stress of the day and to relax and reflect with readings and psalms associated with The Angel Gabriel's annunciation to Mary, the greetings of the angels of the nativity to the shepherds,  and wise men guided to visit the new born Christ.  Come and pray with us and experience the blessings of God's message for you this holy season. Come home for Christmas!

Wednesday, Dec 21   - Bishop Tom David moderates: Practicing Spiritual Fitness. A consideration of perspectives on living a spiritually attentive life.  Is it "weird" to seek after holiness?  What's in it for me?  Customizing your personal spiritual fitness program.  "But you don't keep Christmas!"