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Midweek Advent Gatherings, Wednesdays, December 4, 11, & 18, Soup Suppers 5 pm, Worship 6:15 pm, Choir Rehearsal 7 pm •

Welcome to The Lutheran Church of The Good Shepherd in Olympia, Washington!

It’s Good Shepherd’s mission to share the love and grace of Jesus Christ with all people and to invite them to fullness of faith in God.

Welcoming and hospitality are an important part of who we understand ourselves to be as a community of faith. As in everything else, our model is Jesus. In one of his letters, the Apostle Paul urges his readers to “welcome one another just as Christ has welcomed you.” A contemporary translation reads, “Reach out and welcome one another … Jesus did it, now you do it!”

Several years ago, in an effort to do what Jesus did, our congregation adopted an Affirmation of Welcome:

The Lutheran Church of The Good Shepherd Welcomes All People:

The poor and the rich, the young and the old
People who are single, married, blessed, divorced, separated, partnered, or widowed
People of all abilities
People of all sexual orientations and gender identities
People of all nations and ethnic backgrounds

No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.

In-Person Worship

Sermon from November 24, 2024

Pastor Bergen Eickhoff preaching

Recent Sermons

Click on the CC button on the bottom of the video screen to turn on subtitles/closed captions

Video recordings of the Sunday sermon will be posted on Sunday afternoon at 3pm here on the website, Facebook, and YouTube

Video recordings of past sermons can also be found on the Recent Sermons webpage

Upcoming Worship

Sunday, December 1

Daring Advent Hope in Christ: The Weary World Rejoices

During Advent Sunday morning worship this year, we will be drawing upon a thematic focus provided by theologian Kate Bowler. (Some of you may remember our study of her books, including Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies I Have Loved.)

9 am Activity Time – children and youth of all ages are invited to the lower level Youth Room for Activity Time with a combination of free play, organized group activities, and time for conversation.

9 am Forum – Approaching Admiration for Advent: God's Ever-New Beginning – Led by Pastor Bergen Eickhoff

About the forum: Advent is the opening of the church's liturgical year. It is marked by themes of waiting, yearning, hope, and the arrival of the promised Messiah. It is also a season of contradictions. It celebrates peace amidst a time of stress and hurriedness. It proclaims comfort as days grow shorter and colder. It announces salvation while the world's imperfections are glaringly obvious. Giving time for a proper appreciation for Advent can rejuvenate our spirits for the year ahead, and can help us live into the liberation that comes with Jesus' incarnation. In this forum, Pastor Bergen will do their best to introduce us to the many reasons to admire the ambiguous season of Advent, and show why it's more than calendars and the source of the greatest church music! (Though it is also those things.)

10 am Worship – First Sunday of Advent, Holy Communion, Sunday School, Blessing of the Communion Ministers to the Homebound, Lighting of the Advent Candle, Pastor Bergen Eickhoff preaching on “The Promise of Truth”

Worship will NOT be livestreamed. Video recordings of the sermon will be posted on Sunday afternoon at 3pm here on the website, Facebook, and YouTube; The weekly Newsletter is posted every Friday at noon.

A play area and seating for children and their caregivers is available in the sanctuary, and a staffed nursery is also available in Room 114 for the youngest among us