Building

We welcome you to visit our church and experience the physical space and sacred symbols that make our church building unique.  The triptych above was painted by Decorah artist Doug Eckheart in 1972.  It is based on John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches…”, and hangs in the Fellowship Hall.

Sanctuary

The sanctuary at Good Shepherd, constructed in 1988, is a six-sided worship space within the church building which seats about 200 people with adjacent room in the Gathering Space for overflow seating. With six floor-to-ceiling windows providing visual avenues to the exterior landscape, and eight clerestory windows, the sanctuary is exceptionally light-filled. High-quality acoustics within the space have made it especially desirable for musical performances. Learn more…

Gathering Space

The Gathering Space at Good Shepherd, part of the 2019 renovation, is a space for gathering at the entrance to the sanctuary. It functions as a place of transition for people to greet one another and prepare for worship.  It is used as a gathering space for the formation of liturgical processions, including wedding processions and processions before funerals and memorial services. A section of this space provides seating and a wall-mounted TV used for programs and Adult Forum. The Gathering Space provides overflow seating which allows people to hear and participate in services in the sanctuary. 

The Figure of the Good Shepherd, hanging on the east wall of the Gathering Space, was created in 1988, carved by congregation member Nils Kjome. The walnut log was sawed by Amish sawyers from the Prosper, MN area. In addition to the carved figure, the words “The Lord Is My Shepherd” are inscribed on the piece. This work, dedicated to the memory of Nils’s brother, Michael, was one of the several projects carried out in connection with the congregation’s 30th anniversary and dedication of the 1988 addition. 

Library

The library, a room entered from the Gathering Space, was created during the 2019 renovation as a multi-purpose room.  Meetings of the Congregation Council, church committees, Bible study and other groups are held there, utilizing a large conference table purchased from a local bank.  Books are shelved in that space while the archives of the congregation, prayer shawls and prayer shawl supplies are also stored there.

Fellowship Hall

The Fellowship Hall at Good Shepherd was created in 1988 when the new building addition was completed. At that time, the old sanctuary was renovated to become the Fellowship Hall with a new kitchen built along one end. In recent years, the space was renovated again when the platform that created the altar area at the north end was removed, making the floor all one level, new carpeting installed and the ceiling renovated. Learn more…