Good Shepherds Purpose is to make Word and Sacrament available to the greatest number of people possible.
This statement combines Article V of the Augsburg Confession with the biblical mandate that congregations continually share the Gospel of Jesus with the larger community in which they exist. For the last quarter century, this purpose statement has guided Good Shepherd through six remodeling / building programs, staff expansion, multiplication of programs, community building activities, and a strong emphasis to extend our ministry into the larger community. The numerical results are seen in the more than doubling of our worship attendance and the increase in our financial support by almost 10 times. Good Shepherd's growth in all ministries has allowed it to become a leader in the larger church.
What do Lutherans believe?
Central to every Lutheran's belief is that God loves and forgives us through Jesus Christ. We can't earn God's love and forgiveness. Love and forgiveness are free gifts from God which we enjoy, and for which we offer our gratitude.
Motto
A place to grow in faith.
Core Values:
The Bible is God's written word. It is not just another book to be considered in decision making, it is THE BOOK that informs and guides all that we do.
Worship is an experience through which we come into the presence of the one we love, God. It is one way through which we grow our faith. And it is an experience through which we restore our energy, creativity, and productivity. Worship is essential to who we are corporately as a congregation and individually as believers.
It is part of Good Shepherd's culture to encourage its members to talk about their faith in everyday language and to share what they experience with others using the words and images of our society. Sharing (witnessing) is essential to who we are, it is essential to being whom God called us to be.
Either you are growing or you are dying. Growth is a sign of life. Good Shepherd believes that Christians should always be growing in their faith. Therefore, it offers a variety of experiences in worship, education, fellowship, and service to help its members grow in their faith and their relationship with Jesus.
Generosity is giving beyond what is required or expected. A generous people go the second mile in sharing what God has given to them. Good Shepherd is not afraid to ask its members to be a generous people in contributing both financial resources and time. The generosity of Good Shepherd's members makes Good Shepherd a very special community dedicated to the ministry in Jesus' name.
We believe that every person is a child of God therefore, all individuals are seen as being of equal value without distinction to race, ethnicity, economic status, or gender.
We believe that God deserves the very best that we have to offer; therefore, we offer only our very best efforts to God.
We believe ministry programs are designed by intentionally monitoring the internal environment of the congregation and responding to the needs of the larger community; therefore, congregational leaders bear the responsibility of accurately gathering information to be used in planning and evaluating ministry programs.
We believe that all members should be part of the visioning process and once a direction has been set all members are invited to participate in fulfilling the visions; therefore, congregational leaders provide all information and data to members as strategies are considered and decisions are in the process of being made.
We believe that diversity is very important in the community of faith; therefore, we provide diverse styles of worship, educational experiences, service opportunities, and social networks.
We believe a healthy congregation has strong lay leadership; therefore, we encourage our laity to design and initiate ministry programs that are consistent with Good Shepherd's purpose and values.