Our Guiding Principles

          The Bible, God's word to us, reveals the eternal truths that offer a fulfilled life on earth and eternal life in heaven.  In the beginning God made all things.  In time, he made you.  God loves you and wants you to love Him.  Therefore, He daily provides you with everything you need to sustain your life.  But He also knows your greatest need is not the material things of the world.  Whether you know it or not, the restlessness you experience, the peace and joy you desire, find their answer in a personal relationship with God.
     The Bible tells us, "Your sin has separated you from God."  That sin was the express purpose of God sending His Son Jesus into the world.  Jesus died for our sin and made it possible for us to experience rest, peace, and joy by entrusting our lives to God's loving arms.
     To get these benefits to us, God uses "means of grace" - electric power lines or invisible TV signals, if you will, that carry the energy of God's forgiveness.  Jesus' death is the power or signal generator producing the forgiveness of sin.  The Bible, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper are the means by which that forgiveness is transmitted.  These means of grace establish and nourish our relationship with God.  That relationship is described as faith, love, and trust.  It is that relationship which leads to a fulfilled life here on earth and an eternal life of joy in heaven.
     At Good Shepherd we know and experience the good news of God's love, a.k.a. the Gospel.  Therefore, since we are loved by God, it is our purpose and mission at Good Shepherd to learn the Gospel, live the Gospel, and share the Gospel.  You are invited to join us in the experience of that love.