As part of our Christian baptism, we are called into the world to love and serve all of our neighbors. At Good Shepherd, we take this call seriously and live it out daily.
RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVES
Our long-term relationship with the American Red Cross results in quarterly blood drives in January, April, August, and November at Good Shepherd. When signing up for one of our drives, please use our sponsor code: goodshepherdlutheran. You too can save a life.
CAREGIVERS SUPPORT GROUP
If you’ve ever been a caregiver or walked that sacred path with someone who is providing care, you know it’s a hard but blessed road. At Good Shepherd, we gather on the 2nd Saturday and 3rd Thursday of each month with those who provide care for loved ones suffering from any form of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. We worked closely with and were trained by The Alzheimer’s Association to establish this first Caregiver’s Support Group in Cherokee County. Learn more about our Caregivers Support Group.
RECYCLING / CARING FOR CREATION
As children of God, we recognize our call to care for creation and reduce our impact on God’s creation. We actively reuse and recycle pill bottles, eye glasses, metal, oral care waste, batteries, and much more. Learn more about our recycling initiatives, including electronic and Hefty Energy Bag recycling. We donate clothing to The Drake House to help empower women and children to achieve economic independence.
CARMEL ELEMENTARY
Children are essential to our community and to God. As a sponsor of Carmel Elementary School, our members work weekly with the children in their library. Each Christmas, we sponsor an angel tree that overflows with gifts for the school’s children. During Lent each year, we collect our coins to help pay the bills for those children who need lunch money assistance.
ENCOMPASS MINISTRIES
Each month we roll out the grocery cart and celebrate “Two Can Sunday”. We each bring two shelf stable cans and fill the cart, then deliver it to Encompass Ministries, a ministry that provides nutritious groceries—including fresh produce and shelf-stable items—through their client-choice pantry and outreach programs.
YARN ANGELS
We have some very talented individuals, lovingly named “The Yarn Angels”, who provide prayer shawls for members and friends to comfort them during difficult times. Many of their hand-crafted items also support The Encouragement Project. Each stitch of the prayer shawls, blankets, scarves, and hats is prayed over, ensuring those in our local community feel the love of Jesus.
THE EXTENSION
Quarterly, our Men in Mission gather to cook an incredible meal and enjoy fellowship with men at The Extension. The Extension helps men take control of their lives back from drug and alcohol addiction. Through their unique process, the residents gain the skills they need to recover and lead healthy, productive lives.
GARDEN OF GRACE
We delight in growing fresh vegetables and produce for Forever Fed, a local feeding ministry sponsored by Hillside Church. Our garden was begun in 2020 by beloved member, Mary McCoy, and has grown to include apple trees, blueberry bushes, a pollinator garden, and seven beds that provide an assortment of squash, peas, tomatoes, okra, and more – yum! Our dedicated members maintain the garden each summer and delight in the sharing the weekly harvests.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY – LUTHERAN COALITION
Working with eleven other Metro Atlanta Lutheran churches, Good Shepherd participates in yearly housing builds through the Lutheran Coalition for Habitat. While there are construction jobs for all skill levels, if building a home isn’t your thing, join us at the annual fundraiser, Taste of Habitat. Good food. Good friends. Excellent ministry!
HUNGER WALK
We have a passion for helping those experiencing food insecurity both in our immediate area and beyond. Each year we sponsor a local hunger walk around our neighborhood and also walk with 4,000 other Atlantans in the Atlanta Community Food Bank’s Hunger Walk. The money we raise goes directly to our food ministry partners
MOSTLY MUTTS
Mostly Mutts is a local no-kill shelter that houses approximately 45 dogs, providing abandoned, stray, and neglected dogs with the necessary medical attention and love to prepare for adoption. Good Shepherd members of all ages love to work at the Mostly Mutts Thrift Store during our service days.
MUST MINISTRIES
Ministries United in Service and Training (MUST) is a faith-based organization dedicated to providing services to people in crisis while maintaining their dignity. Each week, Good Shepherd fills two large barrels with non-perishable food, personal hygiene products, diapers and wipes, and transports these to MUST Cherokee. We continue to be amazed at the generosity of our members and the community who keep these barrels full.
SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE
The number of children in our Cherokee County community who don’t have a bed is literally staggering – in the thousands. So that no kid sleeps on the floor in our town, we actively participate with Sleep In Heavenly Peace in “bed builds” to assemble beds for our local children. We also donate the bedding required so that the children in our community will not only be off the floor but enveloped in new linens.
HOMELESS VETERANS
We are fortunate that our community cares deeply about those who have served our country, some giving the ultimate sacrifice. We work with the Cherokee County Homeless Veteran’s Program who provides help with food, limited housing, clothing, Veterans Affairs claims, home of record, and other support. We are honored to provide a gift card tree at Christmas, along with ongoing support for their shelter through our workdays.
GIVE A KID A CHANCE
Give A Kid A Chance is a community outreach event designed to provide students in Cherokee and Pickens counties with new backpacks and school supplies, so they are prepared to attend school on the first day ready to learn with the tools they need! Each year Good Shepherd collects backpacks and helps to distribute them to the students.