our Schedule

What We Believe

"The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:23

• We are a Biblical church that gives God's Word first place in our faith and life.

• We are a Lutheran church that proclaims forgiveness and salvation for all by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

• We are a Christian church that gathers to praise God, to be strengthened by his Word, and to reach out to those around us in love – all through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church is part of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). The WELS, characterized as theologically conservative, is one of the largest Lutheran church bodies in America. With national offices in Waukesha, Wisconsin, WELS began in 1850 when three German pastors met in Milwaukee and joined hands for mutual encouragement and support. Today, it has grown to almost 1,300 congregations in North America. It has about 400,000 baptized members, is served by over 1,000 pastors, maintains one of the largest Lutheran school systems in the country, and also supports mission fields on five continents around the world.

For a more detailed explanation of what we believe, teach, and confess, you may also wish to check out www.wels.net, which has more information and resources about our Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. If you have any questions, please contact us; we'd love a chance to talk with you about them.

FaithBuilders is our course on the basic teachings of the Bible. Everyone is welcome, beginners to Christianity as well as veterans. No matter who you are, this course will build your faith in Jesus Christ, strengthen your hope for eternal life in heaven, and give you the opportunity to get answers to the questions about God and the Bible that you've always wanted to ask. This is also the course we use for membership in our congregation. Call or email Pastor Reichert for more information and to find out when the next session begins.

Our Pastor

Pastor Mark Reichert was born in October 1986 and grew up in New Berlin, WI with his parents and two brothers. For high school, he attended Luther Preparatory School in Watertown and graduated in 2005. He graduated from Martin Luther College, New Ulm, MN in 2009 and then went on to Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, WI. After spending his Vicar year in Sharpsburg, GA, Mark graduated from the Seminary in 2013. From there he was assigned to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Norfolk, NE, where he served until coming here to Good Shepherd in February 2020.

Pastor Reichert married his wife Rachel in May 2011, and they have six children: Joel, Elijah, Anabelle, Emmalyn, Addalee, and Lila.

Mark and Rachel are very excited to be a part of the community of Beaver Dam and the congregation of Good Shepherd. God bless our time and work together for the glory of his Name and the salvation of eternal souls!

Pastors Dennis Meier and Joel Jaeger also serve Good Shepherd on a part-time basis.

WORSHIP FAQ

WHAT ARE SERVICES LIKE?

Our services center entirely on proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ from beginning to end. Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, God has declared the whole world ‘not guilty’ of sin; in other words, ‘You are forgiven!’ Therefore, our worship services focus on Christ and the forgiveness we don’t deserve - but are given - in all we sing, say, and do.

During our services, we follow a worship format called a liturgy. Many of our liturgies have been passed down from generation to generation, and are designed to help us focus on the life and work of Jesus Christ. They repeat many of the important teachings of the Bible. They express the worshipers’ unity in the things they say, sing, pray, hear, and do together.

WHAT DO YOU PREACH ABOUT?

We follow a special calendar called the ‘Church Year.’ Sunday by Sunday, the Church Year follows closely the events in the life and ministry of Jesus on Earth. For example, during Christmas time, we celebrate Jesus’ birth. Since we follow a ‘church year,’ the messages from week to week are relevant to our day-to-day struggles. There is nothing more relevant than a sinner’s need for forgiveness - the forgiveness which is given to us freely by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?

At Good Shepherd we do not have a dress code - please come as you are.

However, we also want to remind you that Sunday mornings (or Wednesday evenings) are our opportunity to give God our best selves. When we enter into the house of the Lord, we want to give God all the love and respect he deserves. Some people chose to do this by dressing up, as you might dress if you were meeting a dignitary or going out for your anniversary. If you don’t have a tie or nice dress, please don’t let that hinder you from joining us, you will not be out of place. We would be happy to have you!

WHAT DO I DO WHEN I GET TO CHURCH?

When you arrive most Sundays and Wednesday evenings, one of our members will be at the door as a ‘greeter’ to do just that - welcome you to Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church. Before entering the sanctuary of the church, one of our ushers will hand you a service folder so you can follow along with our liturgy, readings, and songs for the week. You can feel free to sit where you like. Once the service begins, if you find yourself confused about where we are in the service, please ask the person next to you for help. You will find Good Shepherd friendly, helpful, and inviting.

CAN I BRING MY CHILDREN?

Absolutely! We would be happy to have you and your children at church with us! The Bible says, ‘Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ’ (Romans 10:17). This truth is not only for adults, but children also. Having your children in church with you will only benefit them in the long run. If your child is getting a little restless and you need to take them out, there is a mother’s room just outside the sanctuary behind the organist area (ask an usher if you need assistance finding the room) where you can still hear the service.

There is also Sunday School for your children on Sunday mornings at 9:15 am during the school year, between Labor Day and Memorial Day weekends. If you are not a member of Good Shepherd, but would like to enroll your child in our Sunday School program, please speak to one of the Pastors for enrollment information. And while your child is in Sunday School, please feel free to join us for Bible Study in the gym.

AM I EXPECTED To give AN OFFERING?

The Bible says, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver’ (2 Corinthians 9:7). Good Shepherd members are committed to supporting the work and mission of Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church in this community and around the world. If you would like to give, you are welcome to do so; however, you are not required to give an offering when attending a worship service at Good Shepherd.

CAN I PARTICIPATE IN THE LORD’S SUPPER?

In the Lord’s Supper, we receive Christ’s true body and blood. As Lutherans, we believe that Christ’s body and blood are really present in, with, and under the bread and wine for forgiveness of sins. The Bible gives us specific instructions regarding the Lord’s Supper. 1 Corinthians 11:26 says, ‘For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.’ Since we are proclaiming something as serious as the Lord’s death, we do not take the Lord’s Supper lightly. So honesty compels us to ask, ‘Are we proclaiming the same thing together? How can we know?’ As human beings, we are unable to read hearts (1 Samuel 16:7); only God can read the heart.

Since we are making such a strong proclamation in the Lord’s Supper, we do not want to put you in a position to make this public confession by communing with us if you do not know what we teach. Therefore, if you are not a member of another WELS Lutheran Church or an ELS Lutheran Church (the two bodies directly affiliated with Good Shepherd), we ask you to respect the Bible’s, and therefore Good Shepherd’s, teaching of ‘close communion’ and allow us an opportunity to teach you what we believe before you commune with us. We pray for the privilege to be able to share God’s Word with you and one day make this beautiful public proclamation together.