Our Story: The Early History of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Formation
On September 25, 1994, thirteen people met in the home of Jerry and Lois Robinson to discuss the formation of a second congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, in the Holland area. They met again on October 2 to continue the discussion; and on October 9 a group of 26 people traveled to St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids to worship there and to meet with individuals who had formed St. Luke's congregation 14 years earlier. On October 16 Pastor Jim Kocher, assistant to the Bishop and Outreach Director for the North/West Lower Michigan Synod, came to Holland to meet with the group. With Pastor Kocher's encouragement, the group decided to apply for synodical authorization as a Worshipping Community of the ELCA. "Good Shepherd Lutheran" was chosen as the congregation's name, and the initial Leadership Committee was formed: Jerry Robinson, President; Peggy Hydorn, Secretary; Diane Main, Treasurer and Financial Secretary; Corinne Becker, Larry Heckel, and Tom Ludwig, members at large. After three weeks of planning by the 26 founding members, Good Shepherd Lutheran Worshipping Community held its first service on November 6, 1994 in Lakeshore Elementary School (on 168th near Quincy on the north side of the Holland area) with 43 people attending.
Growth
For the next several months, worship attendance averaged around 30 people. With an active Evangelism program, membership grew from the initial 26 to 40 by March 1995 and to 51 by the first anniversary in November 1995. The first group of three confirmands (taught by Pam Heckel) was confirmed in May 1995, and the first baptism occurred in June 1995. Membership reached 60 in July 1996 and stood at 72 by the second anniversary in November 1996. During this period worship was conducted by four lay leaders (Jerry Robinson, Larry Heckel, Chad Main, and Tom Ludwig), with preaching by Robinson and Ludwig along with a number of West Michigan pastors (including Steve Kaufmann, Earl Merz, Louis Grother, Mary VanAndel, and Allen VerHey). Although Good Shepherd continued to worship at Lakeshore School, property for a future building site was purchased on 112th and Quincy. Four new members were elected to the Leadership Committee: Sharon Iverson and Rob Parrott (1995), and Bryan Blank and Chad Main (1996).
A Mission Pastor/Developer
In 1996 the new synodical Outreach Director, Pastor John Schleicher, began working with Good Shepherd to obtain an ordained mission pastor. By early 1997 he had identified a good candidate, and on June 15, 1997 Pastor James Foster became the Mission Pastor/Developer of the congregation. With Pastor Foster making thousands of calls in the Holland area, worship attendance grew rapidly, with membership reaching 85 by the third anniversary in November 1997. In 1997 Terry Grossman and Molly Feenstra were elected to the Leadership Committee.
Recognition as an Official Congregation
In February 1998 Pastor Schleicher led a two-day retreat for Good Shepherd's leaders. During this retreat the leaders wrote a mission statement and planned the process for becoming an officially recognized congregation of the ELCA. Following this process, "Charter Sundays" were held in March 1998 (13 new members), June 1998 (16 new members), and October 1998 (10 new members), bringing membership to 124. In October 1998 the ELCA Churchwide leaders granted final approval for Good Shepherd to be recognized as an official congregation of the ELCA on its fourth anniversary, November 1, 1998. The Leadership Committee was dissolved, replaced by the first Congregation Council consisting of Becky Berg, Bryan Blank, Floyd Cochran, Molly Feenstra, Terry Grossman, and Chad Main.
Planning for the Future
During the first half of 1999, Good Shepherd experienced continued growth. A Building Committee was formed to begin the process of planning a new church building on the property at 112th and Quincy. In preparation for an eventual move to that site, the Church Council began a search for a suitable temporary worship location on the east side of U.S. 31. In September 1999, discussions began with the leaders of the two Roman Catholic parishes in the Holland area about the possible use of the new Corpus Christi Center (a school and faith formation center) as our worship and education space. An agreement was reached at the end of November. Good Shepherd congregation held its farewell service at Lakeshore Elementary on December 5, 1999 and its first worship service in the chapel of the Corpus Christi Center on December 12.
And they all lived happily ever after.
