Missions/Ministries
Our ministry and service to the world and our community is what we call "missions." It involves sharing the love of Jesus Christ in word and deed through a variety of activities. Missions is a strong core value of our church. View our major involvements below.
Worship
Audio Visual Ministry
This ministry supports all the worship services, special services, concerts, funerals and weddings. The wonderful people who serve in this ministry have training that can be transferred into a career. The training includes working on computers and mixer boards. We are always in need of more helpers! Please pray about giving your time and talent to this ministry! There will be periodic trainings. Please call Rick Johnson in the church office, if you want to join this ministry.
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Barnabas Project
The Good Shepherd Barnabas Project aims to connect our youth with adult Christian mentors, encourage them to grow in their relationships with God and others, and serve as a support as they discover God's purpose for their lives. Mentors will regularly encourage and pray for their mentee as well as spend quality time with them. Group activities, insights for connecting, and learning opportunities will be provided to enhance relationship building and promote a successful Barnabas relationship. The Barnabas Project is an opt-in program, so all mentors/mentees have volunteered to participate. It is not unusual for both the mentor and mentee to benefit from a mentoring relationship and we encourage all who may be interested to connect with those who are already involved. Contact Jeff ffej@gslc.net or Jolyn jolyn@gslc.net to be connected with participants or for more information. "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." (1 Timothy 4:12)
Worship
Bell Choir
Kate McGuire & Joell Wilkins are co-directing the Handbell choir. The choir rehearses weekly on Mondays at 6:00 pm. The choir performs for worship approximately once per month, on Christmas Eve, during Lent, and during Holy Week - fulfilling their purpose to glorify God in worship. If you are interested in joining this wonderful ministry please call Joell or Kate or the church office.
Worship
Dance Ministry
Worshiping God through Dance. We perform as a group during the year on such occasions as Christmas Eve and Pentecost. We often teach workshops at retreats. We are also free to dance during the worship songs at the 11:15 am Sunday service. No dance experience is necessary… just a heart for worship. We meet on Sunday afternoons from 1:15-3 pm. If interested, call Tracy Emsley.
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Dinner at Vinny's
Dinner at Vinny’s is the third Sunday of every month. We collect sandwiches and fruit from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. for St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall. If you can make two loaves of sandwiches or provide fruit, you will be helping some of our most vulnerable people. Currently, there are no volunteer servers permitted; but sandwiches and fruit are still needed to feed the homeless.
If you need to bring your sandwiches on Sunday before collection starts at 11 a.m., you may put your sandwiches in the kitchen refrigerator closest to the coffee maker. The group leaves promptly at 1 p.m. to deliver the sandwiches. Any sandwiches left in the fridge after 1 p.m. will not be delivered.
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Drama Ministry
The Drama Ministry strives to bring relatable, high quality scenes and sketches to our worship services and also mount at least one major production each year. We are looking for actors, set & costume designers, and production teams who are willing to serve through the theatre arts. If you have a heart for this type of ministry, or if you would like to try something new, please contact Barb Nelson in the Church Office. Tess Tally is the director of the Drama Ministry and Jeff Tally & Barb Nelson are the producers. For any questions, you can reach Tess at teresa@stagestruckinc.com.
Local
Family Promise
This non-profit, interfaith organization, along with participating church congregations like Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, provides shelter and housing services to homeless families. Family Promise offers families a safe and supported environment away from the trauma of homelessness, while facilitating lasting income and housing stability for the families we serve. 95% graduate into housing and 100% remain housed 2 years after the shelter! Families account for 42% of all homelessness, due to the rising costs of living/housing expenses and depressed wages. This means that over 6,000 individuals in families, mostly single mothers, are caring for their children in shelters, doubling-up with friends/family, or worse, living out of cars or abandoned buildings. By volunteering with Family Promise, and giving of your time, compassion and hospitality, you are truly changing the lives of homeless parents and children for the better. GSLC hosts three times a year by providing food, shelter, and the love Jesus calls us to give. For more information visit www.fpsl.org. The 2019/2020 Family Promise dates are: November 24-December 1, 2019, May 24-31, 2020, August 2-9,2020, November 1-8,2020.
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GSLC Christmas Stocking
Good Shepherd has a long tradition of the Christmas Stocking. Donations of cash and checks go into a fund that helps congregation families and individuals with short-term financial assistance through the year. The Christmas Stocking will be hung in the back of the sanctuary beginning December 1 or donate online anytime. https://www.goodshepherdutah.com/donate
Worship
Greeting Ministry
We would love for you to consider joining the Greeting Ministry at GSLC. Why be a greeter? Greeters have an extremely important role at worship and other church gatherings. Greeters are often the first impression that our church gives to visitors. Greeters let people who come to church alone know that they are welcome, they have friends, and that we are glad that they are here. Greeters can help newcomers connect with a pastor, find where they need to go, answer initial questions, or just give a handshake, maybe a hug, and definitely a smile. Being a greeter can be as simple as shaking hands or it could lead to deeper moments of prayer, conversation, and connection that can help people experience the love of Christ. Who can be a greeter? If you have the gift of hospitality, warmness, and are authentically happy to see people as they come to worship you can be a greeter. What do greeters do? Greeters welcome everyone coming to worship. Ideally one team will be near the parking lot and the other team will be by the doors of the church. On occasion greeters might be asked to help people fill out nametags for special services. Greeters help us discover who is a first time visitor and make sure they receive a gift bag from the welcome desk. Some tasks we hope a larger team of greeters will help with in the future are helping people find Sunday School and nursery registration, guiding people where they need to go around campus, and gathering some basic information from visitors so we can connect with them within 24 hours of their first visit. Ideally we would have a greeter at the welcome desk who can answer questions about Good Shepherd, worship, events, and ministries. Please prayerfully consider becoming part of this vital ministry! For more information please contact: Pastor Jeff (801-255-8181 or jefft@gslc.net) and he will connect you with Greeter Team Leaders.
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Parish Nursing
A Parish Nurse is a professional, licensed nurse that focuses on the intentional care of the spirit as well as the promotion of wholistic health and prevention or minimization of illness within a faith community. However, caring for our congregation and community is not something one person can provide. This ministry needs assistance and support from other professionals and non-professionals. Consider serving with the Parish Nursing team to assess needs, plan and present events, and serve your brothers and sister in Christ. Our Qualified nurses offer frequent health fairs to the community (blood pressure, diabetes checks, flu shots, medical counseling, etc.) and attend to the health needs of our homebound.
Local
T.H.E. Milestone Project
At the age of 18, young adults are released from the state's guardianship, many with nowhere to go. The Transitional Experience Milestone project offers qualified youth living quarters, in a safe environment as a training and intermediate step to prepare for independent living. GSLC partners with Salt Lake County and the State of Utah Foster Program and Housing Authorities to provide 3 group homes for these young adults.
National
Christian Motorcyclist Association
Come ride with us! CMA is a servant minded inter-denominational motorcycle ministry with a non-denominational message of hope and love through Jesus Christ. Enjoy the family atmosphere, make life-long friends, and join an army of people dedicated to changing the world, one heart at a time on the highways and byways. Contact Pastor Susan for more information.
National
Royal Family Kids (RFK)
RFK provides an annual week long Christian summer camp for children within, or who have been in, the Utah Foster Care System; as well as a club and mentoring program for kids from camp. The monthly club includes meetings/activities and 1-on-1 mentoring with a trained Christian mentor for 4 hours per month. Check the Royal Family Kids website for more details.
National
Scouting Programs
Good Shepherd is the proud sponsoring organization of Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Cub Scouts. For more information, call the church office.
International
Children of Peace international
We support the work of COPI in Vietnam to provide medical clinics to the disabled, orphaned, underprivileged, and at-risk children by sending bi-annual medical teams and financially supporting indigenous work. Through the years, Good Shepherd has helped to build orphanages, HIV centers, vocational schools, transitional homes, and medical clinics. Children of Peace International is an organization founded by binh nguyen rybacki. COPI supports over 8,000 children in Vietnam through orphanage support, school scholarships, building schools and providing medical/dental care to the underprivileged in Vietnam. Good Shepherd has supported this mission since 1993 when binh and COPI were introduced to the congregation. Besides monetarily, Good Shepherd supports COPI in many ways:
SMALL TOY COLLECTION: Throughout the year Good Shepherd collects new and used happy meal sized toys and small stuffed animals that are carried to Vietnam and given to every child who goes through our clinics. This may be the only toys that some of the children may ever receive.
VIETNAM MISSION OPPORTUNITY: COPI is accepting applications for the next Vietnam mission trip, March 11-29, 2020. The mission trip provides medical and dental care throughout Vietnam. It is open to anyone with a heart to serve. We need medical or dental professionals and many lay people to serve. We will be accepting applications until November 11, 2019. The cost of the trip is about $3800 which includes all travel, hotels and some meals. You may apply to the Good Shepherd Mission Committee for a partial scholarship. Please go to the COPI website childrenofpeace.org and fill out the Statement of Interest located on the ""Join Us"" page or talk to Raina Zeeh or more information.
PILLOWCASE DRESSES: Some of the dresses made by Good Shepherd's dress-making group are carried to Vietnam and distributed during our spring mission trip."
Day 2
Dress a Child Around the World
Friends and members of Good Shepherd work together to bring dresses for girls and T-Shirts for boys to Good Shepherd’s missions in Vietnam and Tanzania. Children welcome these dresses and T-Shirts with open hearts. By providing them with these small items they know God is working in their lives. Join us in sewing, donating and making these children smile.
International
Eastern European Mission Network (EEMN)
We support of the work of EEMN in Russia and former Soviet Union partnering with the Ingrian Lutheran Church of Russia and Lutheran churches to provide mission support through the rebuilding of churches and promotion of Christian summer camps through English Language Camps. Through the years, Good Shepherd has ministered in prisons, orphanages, schools, and churches to provide Christian Sports Camps and Language Camps.
Day 1
International Health Partners of Tanzania
We are helping to build a pediatric teaching hospital in Tanzania, Africa. The hospital is located on 62 acres in the village of Zinga, Bagomoyo District, northwest of Dar Es Salaam. Call the Church Office and volunteer to serve on one of our mission teams. The cost is about $3,300.