History of the Church
1966 to present
Our congregation got its start as a mission church in 1966, meeting in the Plaza Mall, with 23 members. The first building (sanctuary and a few classrooms) was built in 1970. A pipe organ was installed in 1979. With a growing congregation with many children, the educational wing was built in 1986, providing classrooms, a fellowship hall and a kitchen.
Stained glass windows, rebuilding and relocating the organ, renovation of the sanctuary, adding additional classrooms and meeting rooms and enlarging the lobby was completed in 1997 and dedicated in 1998.
In 2001 an area was enclosed and gave birth to the “Cup Runneth Over Cafe”. The Cafe was built to serve as a social area before and after the worship services. A place to get a light snack, coffee, tea, juice and talk with visitors.
Ground breaking in 2005 started the construction of our GS-soul.com (multi-sensory) worship center along with a children’s wing and a new gathering area while also upgrading other parts of the church. The children moved into their wing July 2006. The mural, Noah’s Ark, on the wall in the pre-school children’s floor adds to the warmth and excitement of the wing. GS-soul.com had it’s first service in the new Worship Center in October 2006.
These additions reflect the growth of the congregation and its ministries. Membership now exceeds 700 with an average attendance of almost 500!
If the Church is to reach non-members, many searching for meaning to their lives, it must reach them where they are, and not expect them to necessarily be attracted to our methods and culture.
The Church of the Good Shepherd has been moving in this direction. The first step was the formation of small groups we call Koinonia Groups or K-groups.
Beginning in 1998 different members of our congregation have participated in the “change” Conference in Ohio learning how one church is meeting the needs of the unchurched through alternate forms of study and worship. Our studies led us into our multi-sensory worship service GS-soul.com, in March of 2000.
Studies continue on how we can call persons to Christ and serve them in this fast changing culture, but still minister to those who feel more comfortable with current forms of worship.
We began as a “mission church” and hopefully, we will always be a “church with a mission”…a church who loves God, worships together and serves others.