About Us

Our STORY

We are a Christian congregation in the Lutheran tradition. Organized in 1983 by faithful Lutherans who (mostly) moved from elsewhere and didn’t find a Lutheran church in the Lakes Region, they put down their Lutheran roots in this rocky New England soil and started Good Shepherd. Since that time, the congregation has expanded to include people who didn’t know what Lutheran is, and many who don’t identify as Lutheran – so if this describes you, you’re in good company! If you are Lutheran, you’re in good company! In either case, welcome home!

Good Shepherd is part of a larger church body: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Historically, the Lutheran church is a reforming movement. You may remember Martin Luther from history class – Luther was a German monk in the 16th century. Luther had questions about some of the practices of the church in his day and he wanted to talk about them. He called for an open conversation by nailing his famous 95 theses (or statements) to the castle door in Wittenburg, Germany. (The castle door served as the community bulletin board.) He was simply calling for public conversation and reform, but he ended up as the instigator of the Protestant Reformation. To make a very long story short, Lutherans have a long history of questioning and of reform.

Lutherans are grounded in worship. (See more about that under “our Beliefs.”) Our pastor’s preaching connects the Bible stories we hear with our lives, bringing ancient texts into contemporary experiences. Through it all, we pray and we sing. We are then sent out to embody God’s love in the world! (but not before coffee and munchies in the Parish Hall!)

Our LEADERSHIP

Welcome! We are so glad you decided to stop by and see what we are about.

I personally want to welcome you to Good Shepherd Church. We are a committed and faithful community of Christians who enjoy the liturgy of the Lutheran Church. We are a small community that welcomes the activity of young children and enjoys intergenerational worship each week. I arrived here in 2020 and am delighted to servce this community. I am also the pastor for St. James Episcopal, church with whom we share a building. 

A bit about me. I have been ordained over 20 years and have served many churches throughout New Hampshire. I have a Doctorate of Ministry in congregational development, and a Masters in Divinity and Education. I am passionate about sharing my faith and inspiring others into action.  

I am joyful and believe that worship should be inspiring and fun. I believe that we are God’s hands and heart in the world. We are an inclusive community and welcome all. Wherever you are on your faith journey, we welcome you as a fellow traveler, always seeking to grow spiritually and walk closer with God and Jesus. 

Please join us!

Blessings, 

Pastor Janet Lombardo

pastor@goodshepherdnh.org


Our TEAM

Email: office@goodshepherdnh.org

Phone: 603-528-4078

Pastor: The Rev. Dr. Janet Lombardo

Property Mgr: Jeff Pearson & Bruce Wilhelm

Organist: Jan Learned

Music: Linda Fischer (Choir Director)

Ashleigh Roberts (Bell Choir Director)

Melissa McCarthy (Worship Music Coordinator)

CHURCH COUNCIL (2024)

OFFICERS

President: Elaine Hirshan

Vice President: Don Vietor

Secretary: Bev Nelson

Treasurer: Bill Frank

MEMBERS AT LARGE

Melissa McCarthy (Worship & Music)

Debbie Brooks

Lee Krueckeberg (Caring for Others)

Mary Oswalt (Isaiah 61)

Beverly Anderson

FINANCIAL SECRETARY

Bill Frank


Our BELIEFS

For many of us, we’re still trying to figure that out- and that’s ok. As a congregation, we’re part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. “We are the church that shares a living, daring confidence in God’s grace. For us, as the ELCA, this faith comes through the good news of Jesus Christ and gives us the freedom and the courage to wonder, discover and boldly participate in what God is up to in the world. “

If you’re the kind of person who likes footnotes, or if you’re looking for more details, here are some:

Historically, the Lutheran church is a reforming movement. You may remember Martin Luther from history class – Luther was a German monk in the 16th century. Luther had questions about some of the practices of the church in his day and he wanted to talk about them. He called for an open conversation by nailing his famous 95 theses (or statements) to the castle door in Wittenburg, Germany. (The castle door served as the community bulletin board.) He was simply calling for public conversation and reform, but he ended up as the instigator of the Protestant Reformation. To make a very long story short, Lutherans have a long history of questioning and of reform.

Lutherans are grounded in worship. As we worship, we gather around Word and Sacrament. Word is the Word of God, both scripture reading and the way the Word comes alive through preaching. Sacraments are ways God comes to us in physical, tangible things. In Baptism, water combines with the word of God, washing us into God's mercy. In Holy Communion, bread and wine combine with the Word of God and are, for us, the body and blood of Christ, forgiving our sins and sustaining us for the journey of life. Every Sunday morning as we gather for worship, we remember our baptism, we hear the Word of God read and proclaimed through preaching and we celebrate the Lord's Supper, or Holy Communion. Through it all, we pray and we sing.

What do we believe? That we are saved by grace alone. Not by anything we do, but by what God has done for us. We strive for peace and justice in the world as a response to the amazing gifts God has given us. We're "born again" Christians through baptism, not by any conscious decision of our own or by any experience, but by God's reaching out and claiming us in baptism. We read scripture through the lens of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Lutherans read the Bible not as a rule book but as a source of wisdom & inspiration. We seek what God is telling us today through these ancient texts and stories. One of Martin Luther's contributions was to put scripture into the language of the people. He believed that the revealed Word of God was accessible to all people, not just the learned class.

For more information about Lutherans, check out this helpful link from the ELCA: ELCA TEACHING

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To read the BY-LAWS of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, click here:

To read the CONSTITUTION of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, click here: