Anniversaries

Introduction:  Although Good Shepherd is a relatively young congregation, it has a rich tradition of documenting its history, celebrating anniversaries from the 5th thorough the 45th.  With the milestone 50th anniversary of the founding of the church, and the 25th anniversary of the major building addition, the tradition has continued.  In 2018, the celebration of the 60th anniversary celebration will join the tradition.

2008:  50th Anniversary
In 2008, the 50th anniversary was celebrated with a number of components.  A Fund Drive which had two parts was launched:  $60,000 for the Hook & Hastings Opus 1193 Organ Fund and at least $10,000 for a thank offering, the Congregational Outreach Gift.  

A history of the church, Celebrating 50 Years: 1958-2008, by Roger Anderson, was published.  The booklet included many details about the church arranged in lists ranging from baptisms and marriages to art and artifacts in the building. 

A festival worship service was celebrated on November 27, 1988 with special music commissioned to debut at the service.  A brunch for the congregation followed the service.  Former pastors and charter members were invited for the celebration.

2013:  25th Anniversary of the Expansion of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church’s Building and Mission

When Good Shepherd expanded in 1988, the goal was to provide additional space not only for church programing but also for the use of community groups. Besides the new sanctuary, additional rooms were constructed for church administration, Sunday School classes, and community activities. The old sanctuary was repurposed into a Fellowship Hall with a new kitchen.

The 25th anniversary, A Celebration of Gathering, was celebrated on Sunday, November 17, with a special worship service, brunch and program. Throughout the morning and during the program at the brunch, the artisans and craftspeople who designed and created the unique furnishings for the new sanctuary and narthex area were recognized.  

To honor the occasion, Good Shepherd members selected two agencies to be recipients of funds from the outreach portion of the 25th Anniversary Gift Fund. A local gift was made to the Decorah Community Free Clinic while a global gift was donated to Lutheran Immigration and Relief Services. The Gift Fund will also was used to refresh spaces and furnishings within the church building.

2018:  60th Anniversary
The theme for the 60th Anniversary, Connecting, Growing, and Empowering: 60th Anniversary of Good Shepherd, 1958-2018, was celebrated on Sunday, November 25, 2018.  Pastor R. David Keesey-Berg, second pastor to serve at Good Shepherd (1965-1974), preached at a festival worship service. 

Charter members were recognized and an anniversary history booklet published with a short history and timeline of notable events over 60 years.  The booklet contained updates of baptisms, marriages and funeral/memorial service lists.  60th Anniversary bookmarks were distributed.  A brunch for the congregation followed the service with a special program.  Links to the documents created for the day are below:

Bulletin 11-25

Anniversary History booklet

Luncheon Program

Photos chronicling the event are posted on the Good Shepherd flickr site.