**All are invited to A South Sound Christmas Eve at Good Shepherd on Dec. 24**

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.

CALENDAR

EVENTS

SERMONS

NEWSLETTERS

BENEVOLENCE

Sermon from Sunday, November 30

Pastor Carol Tomer preaching

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 on the website, Facebook, and YouTube. Video recordings of past sermons can also be found on the Recent Sermons webpage

Recent Sermons

Upcoming Worship

9 AM FORUM • 10 AM WORSHIP • 11:30 AM SUNDAY SCHOOL

Enjoy Sunday Morning Worship at 10 am in Good Shepherd’s beautiful sanctuary. A play area next to the worship are will be available for the youngest among us. A staffed nursery is also available in Room 114. A recording of the sermon will be posted on Sunday afternoon here on the website home page and on Facebook and YouTube. The pre-worship Forum and Children/Youth Activity Time begins at 9 am, Hospitality & Fellowship coffee & treats immediately following worship, and Sunday School (Pre-8th) begins at 11:30 am in Room 114.

Sunday, December 7

9 am Forum – Questioning and Human Nature. Historically within the Christian tradition, questioning has often been understood as a deficiency of faith. This forum will explore the question: What if questioning is understood not as a lack of faith, but rather that which moves humanity closer to God. Specifically, we will address human nature, the role of questioning, and what it means to live into one’s full humanity. Led by Dr. Lynn Hofstad, the Program Coordinator at Queen Anne Lutheran. Prior to her arrival at Queen Anne Lutheran, she taught in higher education for over a decade at Seattle University and Pacific Lutheran University. She holds a Ph.D. in Systematic and Philosophical Theology from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. Her scholarly interests focus on feminist theology, eco-theology, the doctrine of the atonement, and Lutheran theology.
10 am Worship – Second Sunday of Advent, The Sounds of Hope and Longing: Global Reflective Music, Blessing of the Communion Ministers to the Homebound, Rev. Robert Hofstad preaching (former pastor of Good Shepherd and former bishop of our synod). This Advent, we will explore different styles of music each Sunday morning. We are calling this exploration “The Sounds of Hope and Longing.” This Sunday’s worship service will feature Global Reflective Music with music from various countries that invites us to take a step back and reflect amid the chaos and uncertainty of our world today.
Following Worship – Hospitality & Fellowship in Crary Fellowship Hall
11:30 am – Better Ways to Read the Bible — This adult class will be focused on Better Ways to Read the Bible: Transforming a Weapon of Harm into a Tool of Healing, by Zach Lambert. This week’s discussion will focus on chapter 9: The Flourishing Lens.
11:30 am Sunday School – Pre-8th grade children and youth are invited to attend Sunday School, which will include snacks, a Bible story, opportunities for wonder and curiosity, movement, activities, and connection. We are looking forward to a year full of learning, curiosity, wonder, and delight as we dig into God’s stories and discover more about who God is—together!