Gathered, Empowered and Sent to share the love of Christ with all people.

                  Good Shepherd is a congregation ...
Gathered by the Spirit in a community of welcome, worship and grace.
Empowered as a commmunity of risk takers daring to be the face of Christ for the hurting.
Sent on a faith journey, inviting others to share and experience the Good News.

1. Jesus: Jesus is Lord — and we are not!

   Jesus meets us in the pain, struggles, and brokenness of our lives and accepts us as we are — no strings attached. We know that the past is not our potential because Jesus, through forgiveness and love, has liberated our future. This is the source of our hope and contagious joy. (Philippians 2:11)

2. Story: We are each a part of God's story.

   Everyone has a story to tell … and each story has value. We are committed to discovering the places where our stories connect with the big story of Jesus and his love. We make these connections through worship, study, prayer, conversations, small groups and social time, growing deeper in faith and discovering where God is actively at work in the world. (Matthew 24:13-35)

3. Welcome: All people are welcome at Good Shepherd Church.

   Jesus welomed all people … sinners … outcasts … broken people of all places and backgrounds. Because they mattered to Jesus, they matter to us. They are us! All are welcome. (Mark 9:37)

4. Serve: Jesus sends us to love and serve our neighbors.

   The original followers of Jesus continued his servant ministry in the world and they changed the course of history. We follow his instruction and the example of those who have gone before us. We continue to serve the hurting and unchurched as present day followers of Jesus. (Matthew 25:37-40)

5. Laughter: We have a playful and creative God with an incredible sense of humor.

   We believe we can hear God laughing in one another and through the beauty and diversity of creation. Our playfulness and the ability to laugh at ourselves is an important part of our identity and our life together. (Genesis 21:6)

6. Risk: We are called to use our gifts and take risks in order to share the Gospel.

   In order to follow Jesus, there are times when we need to risk, step outside our comfort zone and take a leap of faith. Yet, with risk comes reward. Just as Jesus called his disciples to risk comfort, safety and stability to carry out his ministry, our faith community is called to do the same. (Matthew 25:14-29)