Case Study
Good Shepherd in Towaco, NJ, is a much smaller parish than Trinity, Mt. Airy. The parish is the result of a merger of two small churches, neither of which was able to support a full-time clergy person. Thus, when the churches combined shortly before Covid struck, they had Morning Prayer as their main Sunday service apart from a once-a-month Eucharist celebration. The ASA for these services was around 12 for Morning Prayer and 17-18 for the Eucharist services. Today, their ASA is between 18-20 people, whether or not the service is a full Eucharistic celebration. Just under two years ago, Deacon Gail began attending to provide more continuous pastoral and congregational guidance. Her support on the church’s outreach and community involvement provided the consistency and leadership necessary to achieve these higher attendance levels.
One of the most effective initiatives that Deacon Gail undertook was a consistent use of the parish’s Facebook page. First, she intentionally adopted a policy of trying to have some sort of daily post on the parish page. Though simple, these updates have provided constant pings to community and parish members. As a result, the number of “Followers” has grown from the small circle of parishioners only when Gail joined to over 100 people today.
Thus, a large crowd of non-parishioners is regularly receiving updates about ongoings at the parish and ways in which the church is involved in the broader community. These updates are a priceless form of advertisement (both literally and figuratively). The postings on the Facebook page often advertise local community events (e.g., a Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast, Lincoln Park Business club events, etc.), provide the recorded livestreams of church services, and offer information about clothing and goods available at the parish’s Thrift Shop. The Thrift Shop advertisements have been particularly important as Deacon Gail began connecting with local moms’ groups on Facebook and advertised infant, toddler, and children’s clothing and toys.
The Thrift Shop has, in fact, been a locus of relationship and trust building with the community. It is located a mile from the parish and is on Main Street in nearby Lincoln Park, NJ. Thanks to its central location in the neighboring township, the shop gets some foot traffic, especially during town festivals or parades. During an early October festival in the town, Deacon Gail moved some Thrift Shop items outside and offered prayers for pets and animals to passersby (the festival was nearing St. Francis’ Day). Partly due to this contact and Gail’s energetic engagement with the community, one couple is now attending the church regularly.
Another way in which Good Shepherd is getting its name out and engaging community members is through sponsoring special events. Last year, the parish hosted a wine tasting event in partnership with a local liquor store that raised over $5,000 for the church (a massive sum for a congregation so small). The event was hugely popular and had high levels of participation from parishioners and community members alike. Additionally, Good Shepherd hosted a St. Patrick’s Day celebration that had over thirty people attend. These and other events continue to provide opportunities for non-parishioners to meet and engage with the parish without the pressures and structure of a normal Sunday liturgy, an opening that has had an important role in bringing in new members into the community.