Christmas & Advent at Good Shepherd 

Every year Good Shepherd is filled with joy and wonder as we celebrate the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. Lights and decorations bring beauty of the season. Generosity flows through our Narthex as we share God’s blessings with neighbors near and far.

As you plan your own holiday calendar, please make sure to note the many opportunities to prepare your heart, to worship and celebrate Emmanual this season.

NEW! – ADVENT SKITS

On Sunday mornings, at 8:50 we will have fun, heartwarming skits right before 9:00 worship, and during 11:00 worship. Come early!

CHRISTMAS CANTATA

Saturday, December 13 at 5:00pm
Sunday, December 14 at 11:00am
Join us on for an inspirational worship experience "The Heart of Heaven" presented by our 45-member choir and 18-member orchestra under the direction of Jamie De Geer, Director of Music Ministry. Creator, Mike Speck, describes the heart of heaven as “the core essence of almighty God's divine, perfect, unending love. It is the center of God's being. It represents the very heart of God himself - and the heartbeat of God is Jesus. The Father loves his Son, yet he gave His Son for us. The Creator and Ruler of all that exists revealed his heart when he gave us Jesus.” Use this opportunity to invite a friend to attend with you!

BLUE CHRISTMAS

Sunday, December 21 at 4:00 pm
Christmas is usually a joyful time for celebrating Jesus’ birth with concerts, parties, and family gatherings. However, for those who have lost a loved one or faced other hardships, Christmas can feel lonely, painful, and difficult. On December 21, Good Shepherd will hold a service of prayer, comfort, remembrance, and hope on the longest night of the year.

CHRISTMAS EVE WORSHIP

3:30pm: Contemporary Worship
5:30pm: Traditional Worship
8:00pm: Traditional Worship
Communion, Candlelight, and Livestream available at all worship services
Live Animals – 4-7 pm.

CAROL SING WORSHIP SERVICE

Sunday December 28, 10:00am: The weekend after Christmas we will have just one worship service at 10:00am Sunday. This will be a time of singing and celebration. (No Worship on 12/27) 

Giving During Christmas Season

Good Shepherd loves to be generous. One of the ways we share the love of God is through giving around Christmas. Throughout our Advent season we have several opportunities to bless our neighbors.

BEYOND HOUSING GIVING TREE

Each year, our congregation has the opportunity to “adopt” children through Beyond Housing, an organization we’ve partnered with for many years. This Christmas, we’ve been asked to help make the season bright for the children from four families. Pick an ormament from the tree in the Narthex and bring back an unwrapped gift for a child by December 7th.

ELCA GOOD GIFTS

ELCA Good Gifts is a program of ELCA World Hunger. These donations help provide transformative gifts to families around the world helping them move poverty to sustainability. Grab an ornament in the Narthex or give online here.

FEED THE NEED STL

Each Advent we collect a special offering to support the spring mobile pack. 2026 celebrates 20 years of the STL mobile pack, which is the longest running mobile pack in Feed My Starving Children’s history! You can donate directly to Feed the Need STL, or donate to the pack through GSLC with the blue special offering envelopes or online. Give the gift of life. $106 feeds a child for a whole year.

WARTBURG SEMINARY STUDENT ASSISTANCE

Each year, GSLC collects donations to support seminary students with unexpected medical expenses. This tradition is a tremendous blessing for seminarians and their families, helping to form leaders for the future of the Church. (Give online or via check to GSLC with “Wartburg” in the memo.)