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A Brief History at
Our Shepherd
The Church
Our Shepherd Lutheran Church came
into existence as an offshoot of Grace Lutheran Church on Lynhurst
Drive. The congregation was first organized as “Westside Lutheran
Mission” and held its first service at an elementary school on
April 18, 1971. There were 158 charter members, with 125
communicants.
 Since
the very beginning of its existence Our Shepherd Lutheran Church
has offered a Sunday School and full Christian Education program
including: Vacation Bible School, confirmation classes, midweek
Bible studies and retreats.
Current location on
9101 West
10th Street
A music program has also been a part
of the church from the beginning. There has been an adult choir
since 1971. Other music groups have been added through the years
including: a junior choir, two hand bell choirs and various
ensembles and quartets.
In November of 2001 the congregation
purchased 25 acres of property located 1.5 miles west of our
present site on Tenth Street. A new church and school facility
will be built there in the years ahead. The congregation has
already approved a preliminary design of the new sanctuary.
Future location just a few miles
West of current location on 9101 West
10th Street
Our Shepherd Lutheran Church
presently has a baptized membership of 812 members and a
communicant membership of 572. It is a congregation of the
Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod.
The Church Staff
Roger D. Eden was installed as
Mission Developer in October 1971 and served as first pastor until
December 1973. The first worship services at our present facility
at 9101 West 10th Street were held in January, 1974.
Gary Dworak served as second pastor
from March 1974 – January, 1984. On August 29, 1983 Our Shepherd
Lutheran Preschool began and has been in operation ever since.
Carl D. Cloeter served as third
pastor from June, 1984 – February, 1999. Scott Rauch was
installed as the first Director of Christian Education in June,
1986 and served until November, 1998. New education facilities
were added and dedicated in August, 1987. In 1998 the music
program came under the direction of Mrs. Joyce Zimmerman.
In August of 1999 Pastor Ronald May
was installed as Our Shepherd’s fourth Pastor. A month earlier,
Marty Hasz was installed as the new Director of Christian
Education. In August of 2002 Pastor Aaron Rosenau, a recent
graduate of Concordia Seminary – St. Louis, was installed as Our
Shepherd’s first Assistant Pastor.
The School
In 1992, a Kindergarten ministry was
begun at Our Shepherd. Mrs. Selma Kluender was installed as the
first school principal in June of 1993. Thereafter a new grade
was added each year. In February 1998 the newest classroom
addition was completed and dedicated. Mr. James Landskroener
became our new full-time principal in June of 2000. In May of
2001, the first 8th grade class graduated from our
school.
What We Believe
Overview
With the universal Christian Church, The Lutheran
Church-Missouri Synod teaches and responds to the love of the
Triune God: the Father, creator of all that exists; Jesus Christ,
the Son, who became human to suffer and die for the sins of all
human beings and to rise to life again in the ultimate victory
over death and Satan; and the Holy Spirit, who creates faith
through God's Word and Sacraments. The three persons of the
Trinity are coequal and coeternal, one God.
Being "Lutheran," our congregations accept and teach
Bible-based teachings of Martin Luther that inspired the
reformation of the Christian Church in the 16th century. The
teaching of Luther and the reformers can be summarized in three
short phrases: Grace alone, Scripture alone, Faith alone.
Grace Alone
God loves the people of the world, even though they are sinful,
rebel against Him and do not deserve His love. He sent Jesus, His
Son, to love the unlovable and save the ungodly.
Scripture Alone
The Bible is God's inerrant and infallible Word, in which He
reveals His Law and His Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. It is
the sole rule and norm for Christian doctrine.
Faith Alone
By His suffering and death as the substitute for all people of all
time, Jesus purchased and won forgiveness and eternal life for
them. Those who hear this Good News and believe it have the
eternal life that it offers. God creates faith in Christ and gives
people forgiveness through Him
Synod
The word "Synod" in The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod comes
from the Greek words that mean "walking together." It has rich
meaning in our church body, because the congregations voluntarily
choose to belong to the Synod. Diverse in their service, these
congregations hold to a shared confession of Jesus Christ as
taught in Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.
The congregations of the Synod are "confessional." They hold to
the Lutheran Confessions as the correct interpretation and
presentation of Biblical doctrine. Contained in The Book of
Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church,
these statements of belief were put into writing by church leaders
during the 16th century. (The simplest of these is Luther's Small
Catechism. The Augsburg Confession gives more detail on what
Lutherans believe. Links to the full text of all the
Lutheran Confessions are listed below.
Adapted from A Week in
the Life of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, copyright
1996, Concordia Publishing House.
The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod accepts the Scriptures as
the inspired and inerrant Word of God, and subscribes
unconditionally to all the symbolical books of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church as a true and unadulterated statement and
exposition of the Word of God. We accept the Confessions because
they are drawn from the Word of God and on that account regard
their doctrinal content as a true and binding exposition of Holy
Scripture and as authoritative for all pastors, congregations and
other rostered church workers of The Lutheran Church-Missouri
Synod.
Check out the statements known as the "What
About" pamphlets. This page also has hyperlinks to a FAQ page
plus The Book of Concord, which contains the official doctrinal
statements of the Lutheran Church.
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School Calendar 2007-2008.