This coming Sunday, November 2nd, the Rev. Dr. Portia Hopkins will officiate. Rev. Portia is our advising Episcopal clergy person, a regular member of our governing Mission Committee. Rev. Portia also serves as the campus pastor at the UC Davis Belfry student worship center.
Blessing of the Animals: On Sunday, October 5th, 2025, members of Shepherd by the Sea brought their pets to a special event following the regular service. Meeting in the grassy area outside the sanctuary, the Rev. Dr. Portia Hopkins blessed the animals in a lovely service of St. Francis' Blessing of the Animals. Special treats rewarded the very good girls and boys--all of the canine persuasion.
Season of Pentecost
The dove and flames in this image of the dove mark the season of Pentecost, a time of celebration and remembrance following Easter, marking the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and the birth of the Christian Church.
Mens Group
Shepherd by the Sea's new Men's Discussion Group is flourishing. The group meets the second Thursday of the month at 11 AM at the church. Lamar Van Gunten initiated the group, noting that "a lot has been written lately about men (and women) becoming isolated in our increasingly digital device-oriented society. As our own Shepherd by the Sea initiative against this drift we have formed a Men’s Group. We gather once a month to get to know ourselves a bit better, reflect, and discuss topics of interest. These subject matters are not necessarily religious (but can be), and are intended to jump start conversations. " To request to join the group, use the @ email link in the Contacts section on the right of this webpage.
Taizé Service
Shepherd by the Sea celebrated a Bread, Soup and Supper evening on September 6th, which included a service based on the Taizé service which originated in with the Taizé Community monastic order in Taizé, Saône-et-Loire, France. Taizé prayer services are comprised of silence and song, candlelight and stillness, prayer and contemplation. We plan to repeat this service several times a year.
Past Programs
On Friday, Friday evening, July 11, at 6:30. Rev. Rebekah Davis spoke at Shepherd by the Sea on her current experiences at the St. Andrews Refugee Services in Cairo, Egypt. She related the stories of refugees displaced by war, hunger, and poverty; and the effort at St. Andrews (https://www.stars-egypt.org/) to support these people in their struggles to reach for security, hope, and freedom.
Pastor Davis visited us on a short break from her leadership position at Saint Andrews Refugee Services (StARS) in Cairo, Egypt. In 1979, StARS (https://stars-egypt.org) began serving refugees through English language instruction and community support. Founded by St. Andrew’s United Church of Cairo, StARS was one of the first organizations in Egypt dedicated to improving the quality of life of refugees and vulnerable migrants, offering education, psychosocial, and legal aid programs.
On Wednesday evening, March 12, 7 PM, Shepherd by the Sea held its first community program. Rev. Randall Balmer (see https://www.randallbalmer.com/) spoke compellingly on the " Origins of ‘Christian Nationalism’ in the US." A prize-winning historian and Emmy Award nominee, Randall Balmer holds the John Phillips Chair in Religion at Dartmouth University.
Shepherd by the Sea Episcopal-Lutheran Mission is a Protestant congregation open to the community in Gualala and the Mendonoma area. Our roots are in the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and our worship liturgy is drawn from both traditions.
Wherever you are on your spiritual journey, we would like to meet you.
