What should I wear?
Come as you are. We aren't worried about what you're wearing.
Where do I park?
Park wherever you like. Visitor parking spots and handicap spots are available just outside the main church entrance.
What do I need to worship?
Worshippers commonly bring their own Bible, but we have Bibles in the pews, too. For your convenience, the service in its entirety (i.e. readings, prayers, music, etc.) is printed in service folders. Greeters will give you a service folder (normal, or large print) and a connect card as you enter the sanctuary. For ease and accessibility, we’ve printed directions and explanations throughout this service folder in blue– all so you feel right at home.
What are the worship services like?
Regardless which service or Sunday you come to, the focus will always be Jesus, the Son of God - the central figure of the Bible, our hope, joy, and eternal salvation. In every service, we apply the unchanging truth of God’s Word to the ever-changing challenges and complexities of our lives that we face today in our modern world.
At Our Shepherd, the songs, prayers, and creeds we use in worship will reflect the timelessness and timeliness of the Christian message. We strive to present a healthy blend of both historic traditions and modern creativity in our worship services. Musically, we are committed to a vision of a global church - meaning we aspire to use musical instrumentation and language that culturally communicates and resonates within the diverse context of Northwest Indiana.
You will notice a pattern in our worship; we come humbly before God, we corporately confess our sins, we are reminded of how loved we are by God and the forgiveness we have in Jesus, and are then empowered by that good news to live for God in joy.
Our worship services typically last about 60 to 70 minutes.
what is our communion practice?
On the first and third Sunday of each month, we celebrate the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Our Shepherd Lutheran Church practices the historic and Scriptural practice of closed communion, the standard practice of 1.8 billion Christians around the world today (i.e. The Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, other Confessional Lutheran church bodies, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the Reformed Presbyterian Church, the American Presbyterian Church, some Anglican churches, et. al.). Our rationale for this practice is twofold:
Risk of ‘Unworthy’ Reception: Scripture exhorts us in 1 Corinthians 11:23-32 “to examine [ourselves]” before our reception of the Lord’s Supper; we’re called to apply that same critical examination and discernment towards the nature of this holy meal - what it is and our need for what it gives. Neglecting to discern the nature of this meal and our need for what it gives, Paul writes, risks receiving this meal in an “unworthy manner”; such recipients would “be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord” and “eat and drink judgment upon themselves” (1 Corinthians 11:27-29). The severity of these words and our sincere care for all who worship with us are why we encourage worshippers outside of our fellowship to temporarily refrain from communing with us until they have scheduled a meeting with our pastor to talk about communion.
Premature Profession of Unity: Like much of the western world, American Christians frequently approach worshipping God in a privatized way (i.e. “just me and Jesus”). This inherently cuts against the corporate nature of the Lord’s Supper, which is intended to celebrate a horizontal unity of faith between us and those with whom we share this meal (1 Corinthians 10:17; 11:26). Because the celebration of this meal is inherently a declaration of oneness in faith among those who receive it together, we want you to know what our church believes - so when you do commune with us, you can make this joint profession of faith confidently without injury to your conscience.
Because we wish to celebrate this meal with you responsibly, our pastor offers a free pathway class called FaithBuilders - a 10 lesson course which covers what our church believes. Sign up for the class today!
Will I be asked for money?
Our Shepherd is deeply committed to serving and engaging NWI with the life-giving good news of Jesus. As an unsubsidized ministry, your gifts – no matter the size – directly finance our mission and make our ministry to NWI possible.
Those prepared to support the gospel work of Our Shepherd in NWI can place gifts in the offering plate during the collection; you can also give securely by scanning the QR code in the service folder or by texting ‘Give’ to 219-327-6699.
During the offering, visitors need not feel obligated to participate in this offering which supports our ministry: we’re simply glad that you came to join us! Visitors are invited to fill out the ‘Welcome’ Connect Card to learn more about the mission and ministry of Our Shepherd, ask questions, share prayer requests, or get further connected.
What about my child?
The discipling of all nations by baptizing and teaching includes children, too (Matthew 28:19). When Jesus’ disciples discouraged parents from allowing their children to be taken up in his arms and blessed by him, Jesus responded “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for I tell you that the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it” (Mark 10:14-15). Not only does our God work saving faith in heart of even little children, our Savior also continues to nurture and strengthen that trust in him through his word. This church is committed to sharing ‘Christ’ with the next generation.
Kids of all ages are welcome. We encourage kids and their parents to grow in faith together. Our worship services not only encourage families with children to worship together, but are tailored to actively engage every worshiper, including children.
Our Greeters have Kids Activity Sheets based on today’s Scripture readings – so you and your kids can be in the Word together! Parents of small children are also invited to utilize our Nursery in our education wing – that has a changing station, a Pack n’ Play, and a TV that streams our worship service. Speak with one of our Greeters for directions to our Nursery.