Fellowship and outreach activities included a concert by the Queen City Jazz Band, a service of wholeness, blessing of the animals, and an Easter Sunday brunch. The music program also produced its own praise hymn book.

It was a year of numerous staff changes but also a year of discovery, wrote Dr. Landes in his annual report: "discovering God's unique callings among us, discovering and acknowledging the rainbow of spiritual giftedness in our church; discovering new depths of community among us; discovering and celebrating Christ alive." And the journey continues.

The journey's joy was tempered, the next year, however, when Alan Landes left Shepherd of the Hills for California and new challenges. In July 1999 Les Avery, retired pastor at St. James in Littleton, joined the staff as interim pastor. He was to serve and guide for the next two years.

As Shepherd of the Hills prepared to call a new senior pastor, the Mission Study Report was prepared. It evaluated where the church was and where it wanted to go, and became a vital part of the information used by the Pastor Nominating Committee.

Third graders were recognized and received their Bibles in a special service and a Cub Scout troop joined Pioneer Girls as activities for grade schoolers. A task force studied the nursery, making recommendations looking forward, while the worship committee continued it review of Renew Your Worship Service by Robert Webber.

Our Youth Groups Still Flourish

Lee Shelton Mr. Master of Ceremonies

A new Welcome Center was positioned in the narthex and the ChristCare program (small group ministry) and Dinners for Eight were instituted. ChristCare offered a time for group caring and sharing, Bible study, worship and an opportunity for missional service, all within a small group setting.

Mission and Outreach continued to develop D-2 ministries, and members wrote an introduction to Frank Tillipaugh's book, Calling. A ministry development committee was formed to review potential D-2 ministries in the church and to help them develop.

One of these ministries was to become a host congregation for the Interfaith Hospitality Network, housing and feeding up to 14 people for a week once a quarter. The program moved ahead under the name Moccasin Walk. Other new ministries involved animals and the collection of devotional materials for prison inmates.

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