Who we are...
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Established in the early 1980's, Good Shepherd exists to serve people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the basis of God's Word. We seek to clearly proclaim God's Law and Gospel to lead sinners to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ for life and salvation. We strive to strengthen believers in lives of faith through the Means of Grace God offers us in his Word and in the sacraments of Holy Communion and Baptism. And we strive to equip believers as disciples, stewards, and witnesses for sharing the Gospel of Jesus with others. |
Our Beliefs...
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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church bases all of its beliefs and teachings on these three main tenets of faith:
To read more about what we believe, visit the in-depth explanations of the teachings in our Bible-based faith here. You may also want to search for answers from our Topical Q&A, a helpful section that has many answers to common and even uncommon questions. |
Our Lutheran Heritage...
 Luther's Seal
As a Lutheran congregation, we accept and preach the teachings of Martin Luther and other reformers who sparked the Reformation of the church in the 16th century. The teachings of Luther and the reformers can be summarized with three phrases: Grace alone, Scripture alone, Faith alone.
As Lutheran Christians, we believe that the Bible is the holy, inspired Word of God, and as a result everything written in the Bible dictates and governs our lives. We are also a confessional congregation. We do not hold the confessions above the authority of Scripture. Rather, we believe that the Lutheran Confessions are a correct interpretation and presentation of biblical doctrine. As a result, we confess, teach, and preach according to the Confessions of the Lutheran Church. These confessions include: |
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Luther's Small Catechism (1529 A.D.)
Martin Luther wrote the Small Catechism as a brief summary of the basic truths of the Christian faith. It was primarily intended to educate the laity and was designed as a tool that parents could use to teach their children. It provides summaries or explanations of the Ten Commandments, the Apostles Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the Sacrament of Baptism, the Sacrament of the Altar (Holy Communion), and the Ministry of the Keys and Confession. Luther's Large Catechism (1529 A.D.)
Covering in greater depth the same doctrines and subjects as the Small Catechism, the Large Catechism was really a series of edited sermons of Martin Luther. It was intended primarily as a tool that could be used by pastors and teachers to broaden their knowledge of the teachings of the Bible. The Augsburg Confession (1530 A.D.)
Written by Luther's colleague Philip Melanchthon, this statement of faith is often viewed as the chief Lutheran confession. It was presented by the followers of Luther to Emperor Charles V at the imperial diet (assembly) meeting in Augsburg, Germany. It was intended to be a summary of the chief articles of the Christian faith as understood and taught by Lutherans in contrast to the errors that were being taught by the Roman Catholic church. |
The Apology (Defense) of the Augsburg Confession (1531 A.D.)
After the Roman theologians had condemned many of the teachings of the Augsburg Confession, Philip Melanchthon authored this lengthy defense of the Augsburg Confession. Smalcald Articles (1536 A.D.)
The Smalcald Articles were written by Luther in late 1536 for presentation and discussion at a church council that had been planned by Pope Paul III. On June 4, 1536, Pope Paul III announced that a council would be held to deal with the concerns of the Protestants. In these articles Luther indicated on which points Lutherans would not compromise. Lutherans at once recognized their value as a statement of pure evangelical and biblical doctrine. The Formula of Concord (1577 A.D.)
In the years following Luther's death, Lutherans had become divided over a number of doctrinal issues. Written primarily by Jacob Andreae, Martin Chemnitz, and David Chytraeus, the Formula of Concord (or "agreement”) was a detailed restatement of many of the truths contained in the Augsburg Confession and was intended to be a statement that all genuine Lutherans could adopt. It was signed by over 8,100 pastors and theologians, as well as by over 50 governmental leaders. The Solid Declaration is the unabridged version. The Epitome is an abridged version intended for congregations to study. |
Our Denomination...
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church is a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod [WELS]. This world-wide church body is the third largest Lutheran church body in America with 1,264 churches; 344,244 baptized members; and 275,259 communicant members.
As a member of this church body, we support work in world mission fields like Cameroon, Malawi, Nigeria, Zambia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Taiwan, Thailand, Albania, Bulgaria, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico, Bolivia, Brazil, and Colombia. We also support mission work in the United States, Canada, and the West Indies. As a member of this church body, we maintain Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minn., Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, Wis., and two preparatory high schools: Luther Preparatory School in Watertown, Wis., and Michigan Lutheran Seminary in Saginaw, Mich., for the education of our pastors, teachers, and staff ministers. Our congregations—either individually or as federations—operate one of the largest Lutheran school systems in the country with 281 Lutheran elementary schools; 369 early childhood ministries; 26 area Lutheran high schools; and Wisconsin Lutheran College, Milwaukee, Wis. As a synod, we run one of the largest Christian prison ministries in the nation, distributing hundreds of thousands of Bibles and Bible correspondence courses to inmates across the United States over the last 20 years. |
Our Affiliation World-Wide...
As a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church is also a member of the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference [CELC]. Providing a forum for confessional Lutherans around the world, the CELC—made up of 24 member church bodies worldwide—gathers at triennial meetings for encouragement, fellowship, and an internationally united voice.
Members of the CELC provide theological and doctrinal essays that further clarify issues facing WELS and other confessional Lutheran churches in our time. Rev. Dan Koelpin, the president of the CELC, says, “In an era of theological bewilderment, the CELC stands as a beacon of light, bringing the illuminating power of God’s truth to bear on the confusing philosophies that exist in our sin-darkened world.” |
What we offer...
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Bible Study
Facilities
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Our practice of Close Communion...
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In Holy Communion, we share in the mystery of the bread and wine offered together with the body and blood of Christ. As Christians who believe that the Bible is inspired by God and that every word written in it is God’s holy Word, we believe that we receive the body and blood in, with, and under the bread and wine. While this is something that goes beyond our human understanding, our faith allows us to accept this as true. God warns us in the Bible that anyone who doesn’t understand this teaching or who denies this real presence of Christ’s body and blood will do damage to his or her soul if not taught first.
As a congregation we care about people and about the spiritual well-being of individuals, especially those attending the Lord’s Table. If you are a guest and desire to commune, please speak to the pastor before the service. Our altar is open to those who confess oneness with us in doctrine, are not under church discipline in another congregation, and are members of our congregation, one of our sister congregations in the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod [WELS], or a member of our sister synod, the Evangelical Lutheran Synod [ELS]. |
Our Constitution and Bylaws...
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