Good Shepherd is a Christian community of faith founded upon the good news of God's forgiving love in Jesus Christ and celebrating the reality of God's kingdom among us.  Good Shepherd exists to welcome people into an open, loving, and living relationship with Jesus Christ; provide them with opportunities to celebrate that relationship; and equip them for meaningful ministry in the Church and the world.  We seek to be a congregation that is characterized by spiritual vitality that is evident in our thanksgiving and worship listening to the biblical word, care for one another and our neighbors, widely shared vision of our corporate ministry Lutheran identity, which we hold dear; strong proclamation of the Gospel through Word and Sacraments; climate of openness that invites participation by every member and welcomes guests; healthy relationships at every level; practical service within the congregation and the larger community.

"What We Believe"

We believe that human beings are more than just products of random chance.  Each of us is created in the image of God and is part of a larger cosmic drama, which is defined in the Bible.  The root problem - the one that underlies all the meanness, strife, and suffering in the world is human sin: our refusal to acknowledge God and our failure to fulfill the purpose for which He created us.  Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who announced the coming of the kingdom of God, a new way of living with God and with one another.  Jesus signaled this new reality through His ministry, and He reconciled us to God through His death on the cross, where He bore our guilt and suffered the judgment that we deserved.  Through Jesus, we are freed from the terrible consequences of our sin. Christ is risen from the grave, and He now lives as the first-born from the dead and the Lord of the universe, who will one day return to bring the kingdom of God to fulfillment. The Holy Spirit, through Word and Sacrament, leads us to faith and enables us to participate in the kingdom of God, wherein we fulfill our true purpose, which is to honor God and to work together with the rest of God's creatures for the good of the whole creation. 

"Missouri Synod"

"One Mission, One Message, and One People"

Lutherans in the United States number approximately 10 million. About one-third of those are members of the Lutheran Church -Missouri Synod, our parent body founded in the 19th century in Missouri.

Lutheran Church Organizations

• Project Wittenberg is home to works by and about Martin Luther and other Lutherans.

• Concordia Historical Institute serves as the Department of Archives and History of the LCMS.

• The 6,150 congregations of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod are the "front line" of mission and ministry. On average, 3.7 cents from offering plate dollars are directed to the national synod budget.  Direct gifts support a majority of the work in mission, world relief, and higher education.

• Good Shepherd is part of the Southeastern District of the LCMS.  Thirty-five districts support the work of congregations to meet today's challenges.

• Concordia Publishing House has produced materials faithful to scripture and the Lutheran confessions for 133 years.

• Ten colleges and two seminaries of the Concordia University System strive to prepare church workers and to educate lay leaders for Christian service in church and society.

• The LCMS Foundation connects donors with ministries.

• The Lutheran Church Extension Fund is a unique ministry-through-investment organization that offers LCMS members the opportunity to invest their money, earn interest, and help build churches and schools at the same time.

• Lutheran Hour Ministries Online is a service of the International Lutheran Laymen's League (Int'l LLL), a volunteer organization of 150,000 members.  The Int'l LLL is an auxiliary of LCMS and Lutheran Church-Canada.

• Lutheran World Relief/Human Care touched 5.8 million people last year through supported agencies.

• Lutheran World Mission spreads the Gospel of Jesus Christ in an effort to reach 100 million people by 2017.

• Worker Benefit Plans provide health, disability, and retirement coverage for 31,000 church workers and their families. 

Source: The Lutheran Witness 122, no. 2 (February 2003). Published by Concordia Publishing House.