Good Shepherd Lutheran Church was established on Decorah’s west side on November 24, 1958. In November 1957, when the parcel of land that was to become the spacious church grounds on Iowa Avenue was purchased, it was a sheep pasture. Construction of the original section of the church building, which included the sanctuary, Sunday School rooms, offices, fellowship room, and kitchen, began in the summer and continued into the fall of 1958.
An addition was completed and dedicated on November 20, 1988, the 30th anniversary of the congregation. The addition includes a new, larger sanctuary, narthex, offices, a nursery, sacristy, and restrooms. The original sanctuary became the multipurpose Fellowship Hall and new kitchen. The library, facilities for a preschool, and Sunday School space now occupy the area between the original church building and the addition.
In 2018 and 2019, the sanctuary and education wing underwent a redecoration and renovation. In 2018 the sanctuary was painted, including the ceiling, beams, pews and pastor’s chairs refinished, new carpet installed throughout, and new choir chairs purchased. During the following year, the education wing was renovated with all new spaces constructed which remained inside the original building footprint. In addition, a geothermal/HVAC system was installed for the education wing. Photos of the redecoration/renovation process may be found on the Good Shepherd flickr site.
Solar Courtyard
The most recent addition to our facilities is the Solar Courtyard, which is adjacent to the building and just outside the Fellowship Hall foyer. This facility came to fruition following the Good Shepherd Carbon Neutral Initiative, approved by the congregation in June 2022. The Solar Courtyard is constructed on top of a large French drain (meant to handle all the rain runoff from our flat roofs) that consists of 200 tons of compacted, crushed gravel. It is topped by permeable pavers which include an outline of the original cross formally l
ocated in the front of the church. A large post and beam pergola rests above the courtyard which supports a large bi-facial solar array. With new chairs and tables, this facility provides a new place for fellowship, services, special events, and an outdoor classroom.
During the construction of this Solar Courtyard, additional bi-facial solar panels were installed on the Education Wing roof bringing the total of the three solar arrays to 56 kW of panels. A new 600 amp service entrance was completed at this time and all remaining natural gas rooftop furnaces on the Sanctuary were replaced with air-to-air heat pumps. Our facility is now 100% electric, Carbon Neutral, and Net Zero energy consumption. We produce sufficient solar energy to meet all our electrical needs. Good Shepherd is the first house of worship in Iowa to be Carbon Neutral/Net Zero and has been recognized by Interfaith Power and Light as a Cool Congregation.
The Carbon Neutral Initiative was designed and constructed by Mission Green LLC, a company owned by congregation members of Good Shepherd. A video overview of the project can be viewed here:
Additional information about the Carbon Neutral Initiative can be found at: www.missiongreen.llc
Our large green space behind our facilities is the location of the geothermal field for the geothermal heat pumps installed in 2019, which includes 15 horizontal bored lines. This area also has over 40 trees and bushes, a pollinator prairie and a large garden.
FIREARMS POLICY
No firearms of any type will be allowed on Good Shepherd Lutheran Church property, with the exception of firearms being carried by law enforcement personnel. Should an individual bring a firearm onto the property, they will be asked to remove that firearm from the property.
Policy established by the Good Shepherd Congregation Council, April 17, 2018
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Good Shepherd is fully accessible to all. 