© Copyright 2005 Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church
|
Directions
to Click the map to the right for detailed directions or for a larger version.
Exit I-295 and head south on Blanding Boulevard |
|
What’s your Sunday worship like?
Every Christian church has its own style of worshiping Jesus. We think you’ll enjoy worship at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. But as with any church you’re not familiar with, you should expect it to take at least a couple Sundays to become accustomed to our worship of Jesus.
We attempt to make our worship as "user friendly" as possible. Each week an outline of the service is printed in our service folder with explanations of what we’re doing. The readings and prayers are also printed there for you. Of course, you’re always welcome to bring along your own Bible and follow along with the readings there if you choose.
Our worship is liturgical, which means that we have a set order of worship every week. Every Sunday we consistently focus on God’s Word and Sacrament because only through the words of Scripture and in the sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion does God freely offer us the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. These things are the only source of our spiritual lives and spiritual growth.
Music is also an important part of our worship. Through our singing of hymns and other songs we express our thanks to God for his wonderful salvation. As Lutherans we are blessed with a rich heritage of excellent hymnody called Lutheran chorales. These powerful hymns remind us of the many wonderful things our Savior has done for us and for our salvation. They take some time to learn, but once you’ve learned them you’ll never forget them!
In our worship we use traditional forms along with modern language and applications. The traditional features of our worship bring us the best from God’s Church throughout the ages, while the contemporary features remind us that God’s promises of forgiveness, guidance and peace still apply to our daily lives. We pray that through our worship your faith will be strengthened in those promises!
Our worship usually includes the following:
The Confession of Sins - We confess to God that we have failed to live up to the perfect standards in his law, and we plead for his mercy.
The Announcement of Forgiveness - The pastor announces the forgiveness of sins won for us by the perfect life and innocent sufferings and death of Jesus, our Savior.
A Song of Praise - These songs of praise remind us of the wonderful things God has done for us, not the least of which is the salvation he gives through Christ.
Prayer of the Day - The Church brings her concerns and prayers to a loving Father in heaven, who has shown great mercy and promised to hear our cries for help.
Scripture Readings – The pastor reads three selections from the Bible. They usually include one selection from the Old Testament, one from the New Testament epistles (letters), and one from the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John).
Sermon - The pastor offers instruction and encouragement in a sermon, usually based on one of the three readings. Expect to hear God’s guidance for dealing with the problems of life, along with the promises of forgiveness and eternal life in heaven through Jesus.
Response to the Word - We respond with offerings and prayers for the things God has promised us and for strength to do what he has asked.
Holy Communion – Currently we celebrate the Lord’s Supper on every first and third Sunday of the month. Before communing, however, we ask our visitors to please speak with the pastor. As a congregation we practice closed or close communion. For a further explanation of this practice, please see below.
Final Blessing - We hear one last assurance of God’s guidance and love.
What is closed or close Communion?
One of the biggest questions that people have about worship at Good Shepherd is our practice of closed or close Communion. First of all, a disclaimer: we do not practice closed Communion to be exclusionary or judgmental. Nor is it out of a "holier than thou" attitude. Our greatest desire is that all people might be able to join us for this heavenly banquet. So please don’t think that we want to exclude you or relish it. Nothing could be further from the truth.
That being said, though, Scripture does have some very definite things to say about who is to be invited to the Lord’s table. In his first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul gives us some very specific "provisions" concerning communicants at the Lord’s Supper.
- First of all, St. Paul says, "A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup" (1 Co 11:28). In other words, the Lord’s Supper is only for those who realize and confess all their sins before God.
- Secondly, St. Paul writes: "Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord" (1 Co 11:27). What does Paul mean: "in an unworthy manner"? The Christian church has traditionally understood Paul to be writing about someone who is living in impenitence or denying some clear word of Scripture. The Lord’s Supper is only for those who accept all the teachings of Scripture, nothing more and nothing less.
- Thirdly, St. Paul writes: "For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself" (1 Co 11:29). One specific belief of the Christian church that Paul mentions is the belief that in the Lord’s Supper all communicants – whether believer or unbeliever – receive Jesus’ very own body and blood. The Christian receives it for his benefit; the unbeliever receives it to his judgment. Many in the Christian church deny this central Christian truth, however. For such a person Paul has a stern warning: that he "eats and drinks judgment on himself."
Dr. Martin Luther summarized these three points in his Small Catechism, writing: "… he is properly prepared who believe these words: ‘Given’ and ‘poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins.’ But whoever does not believe these words or doubts them is not prepared, because the words ‘for you’ require nothing but hearts that believe."
Now, what if you agree with all these "provisions" set down in Scripture? What if you confess all your sins, believe that Jesus has freely forgiven all your sins, accept all the teachings of Scripture and believe that in the Lord’s Supper you are truly receiving Jesus’ very own body and blood? Are you welcome to commune at Good Shepherd, even if you’re a member of another Christian church body? In such a case we would ask you – out of love for your fellow Christians at Good Shepherd – to refrain from receiving the Lord’s Supper until being received into membership at Good Shepherd. That decision rests with the individual communicant, however. Needless to say, holding membership in one church body while communing in another is a confusing and potentially unloving action toward the members of Good Shepherd. That’s why we ask even Christians who are not members of our congregation to refrain from the Lord’s table.
Sometimes people wonder how they are expected to dress at a church they’ve never visited before. Since the Bible presents no dress code, aside from simple modesty, we don’t make any rules either. Like most people, our members try to make their worship time at church a special time. This is often reflected in the way they dress.
However, on any given Sunday you may see running shoes and high heels, jeans and suits, open collars and ties. When a person dresses out of love for God, the choice of dress (casual or more formal) is acceptable to God . . . and us.
What about giving an offering?
"When will they take the offering?" "How will it be collected?" "How much am I expected to give?" "Do they want visitors to contribute too?" These are typical worries about church offerings.
Scripture teaches that our offerings to God should reflect our belief that everything we have a gift of God. He does not compel us to give "a tithe" as he did the Old Testament believer. Instead St. Paul tells us that "God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Co 9:7). In other words, don’t feel compelled by guilt or embarrassment to give an offering. We want all offerings to be made freely and with joy.
Like most Christians, our members bring offerings to God through their church. Since offerings are gifts of love for God, no one dictates what each person is to give.
We pass an offering plate after the sermon so that our worship may include bringing gifts to God. Offering envelopes are available to members to keep their gifts a private matter.
A child may bring the quarters and dimes his parents give him. Someone older may write a check. Both are remembering Jesus and giving their gift out of love for him.
You may wish at first to learn more about our ministry before bringing your offerings to God through our church. But you are welcome to participate as the Holy Spirit leads you to give.
What’s the worst that can happen?
Attending church somewhere for the first time can be intimidating. Here are some common worries:
"I would just die if they made me stand up and say something." We assure you, we won’t embarrass you in this or any other way. We want you to feel comfortable and at home with us. Church should be an enjoyable and uplifting experience. We promise to do all we can so you can learn about your Savior.
"I know my child is going to be too noisy." We offer a nursery during our 10:30 service for young children staffed by church volunteers. The nursery is located in the preschool/fellowship hall. Feel free to take your child to the nursery anytime during the service.
"I know I will feel out of place." We hope that this description will ease your mind, but if you have a question, please ask someone for help. Don’t hesitate to say, "I’m new. What is this about?"
"I am afraid I will say or do something wrong." All of us have felt this way when in a new situation. But we hope you see our family at Good Shepherd is full of ordinary people like you. Besides, we all have short memories!
"I just want to watch at first and I know that they will try to involve me or sign me up." It is unpleasant to be pressured or to be part of a "membership drive" as though we were heads of cattle, isn’t it? We believe that church membership is a voluntary thing, and that the most important thing is to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness and salvation. It takes time for this to be cultivated. People need time to evaluate and decide if they want to get further involved. We respect that need.
"I don’t know that much about the Bible." First a disclaimer: there are no "super-Christians" at Good Shepherd. None of us have our Bibles completely memorized (at least not yet!). If we did, we might feel that church was unnecessary. Worship and Bible study are opportunities to grow in our knowledge of the Bible and faith in Jesus. You won’t have to answer any questions you don’t want to answer. And remember, sometimes the wisest words we say are, "I don’t know."
"Most churches I’ve been to are filled with ‘hypocrites.’" This is a common complaint about Christian churches. People expect to enter a church and find "perfect people" there. We make no such claims about ourselves. People who would make statements like the above one need to realize that the church is a spiritual hospital. It’s not for healthy people; it’s for sick people. Jesus himself said: "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick" (Mt 9:12). Jesus is the Great Physician of our souls. So don’t come to Good Shepherd expecting to find perfect people. We’re far from perfect! As the bumper sticker says: "Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven."
How do I find out more about your teachings?
If you would like to read more about our beliefs and practices, check out our Teachings page and the website of our church body, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS).
What’s the WELS or Wisconsin Synod?
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church is a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). The word "synod" (pronounced sin’ id) is a Greek word which means, "walking together." The Wisconsin Synod got its name because it was founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1850. The WELS includes over 1300 congregations worldwide, with a membership of about 400,000. Good Shepherd’s membership in this church body unites us with Christians across our country and around the world. It allows us to pool our resources for training church workers, doing mission work both at home and abroad, and producing published materials such as hymnals, Bible studies and other books.
Our congregation and Synod stand firmly on all the teachings of Scripture . We believe that Jesus is our Savior and the only way to heaven (Jn 14:6; Ac 4:12). Through faith in Jesus we are united to him and each other.
The name "Lutheran" comes from the great reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546). In a period in history when the Church had lost sight of its Savior and the truth of his Word, Martin Luther boldly challenged these errors and preached Jesus Christ alone as Savior. We are proud to remember his work in bringing to light the truth of God’s Word by using his name to identify ourselves.
We pray that this has helped answer some of your questions and alleviate your fears. Our mission as a congregation is quite simple. We want to help everyone grow in faith and love through Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd. Everything we do is meant to accomplish that one goal. We pray that there is nothing that stands in your way from learning more about your Savior at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.
Please do not hesitate to call if you have any questions or if there is anything we can do for you.
God’s richest blessings to you. We look forward to meeting you at Good Shepherd!