Shepherd Circle leaders met after church on May 22nd for lunch and a training session.  The seventeen circles were created to be small communities within our larger community of St. Margaret’s for the purpose of building relationships, communication, and pastoral presence.  St. Margaret’s is warm, welcoming, accepting and non-judgmental.  We feel accepted like we belong to a family.  WE CARE AND WE SHOW IT!  Our community is growing and in the process, we don’t want to lose what we love so much about it.  This will require relationship building and communication – and lots of it.  Much of our meeting was devoted to discussion about how to achieve this goal. 
 
Mary Vano spoke to the group about being a pastoral presence.  When we are going about meeting the needs of and praying for our circle members we are a pastoral presence.  I volunteered to help with this ministry because I truly believe we are living out what Jesus taught us:  “A new commandment I give you, to love one another even as I have loved you” and I love sharing my faith in this way.  I feel privileged to be involved.  I ask for your prayers for us.
 
Sharon Echols