Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
About Good Shepherd
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Frequently Asked Questions When was Good Shepherd founded? In February 1965, 81 adults and 50 children signed the charter organizing Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, which is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Metropolitan DC Synod. What do Lutherans believe? The Lutheran church confesses in the Triune God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit - and Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We believe in the Gospel as the power of God for the salvation of all who believe. We believe the canonical scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the written word of God, inspired by God’s Spirit speaking through the authors. We believe that the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed are true declarations of our Christian faith. How many people attend Good Shepherd? We are a large inter-generational congregation with over 1200 members. On average, 500 people attend worship services each weekend and more than 150 people attend Sunday School. How do I arrange a baptism? Baptisms take place at either our Sunday 8:30 or 11:15 am services. To schedule a baptism, please call Pastor Dave at 301-869-1780 or pastordave@goodshepherdonline.org. A Baptism Brochure with information is available and Baptism Worksheet (or this Word document) will need to be completed and turned into the church office prior to the event. How do I become a member? Membership classes are held twice a year, conducted by Pastor Dave. These classes prepare adults for membership at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. One may become a member by Profession of Faith, Reaffirmation of Faith, Letter of Transfer from another church, or Holy Baptism if not baptized previously. For more information, contact Pastor Dave or click on the Become a Member link. How does Good Shepherd celebrate the Sacraments? Holy Communion is the heart of worship at Good Shepherd. Sundays at each service, we receive Christ’s abiding presence through the sacrament of bread and wine. Holy Baptism is often administered to children as infants. However, adults and other non-baptized persons may also receive the Sacrament of Baptism after they’ve completed instruction and confessed their faith. How are young people Confirmed? Confirmation classes are held for 6-8th graders. We have focused on this group for instruction because we’ve found that middle school students are at a point in their life where they are intellectually prepared to understand more sophisticated topics of faith and historical teachings of the church. They also are ready to question beliefs and teachings that they have learned up to this point. To learn more, visit the Confirmation Pages. When do children take Communion? We offer communion instruction to children who are in First Grade. Instruction and preparation classes are held in the winter prior to the beginning of Lent. Speak with Pastor Dave if you have further questions regarding communion. |