On a wooded stretch of Webb Bridge Road in Alpharetta, just north of Atlanta, a Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod congregation has been gathering for worship, teaching children, and sending missionaries for more than three decades. Christ the Shepherd Lutheran Church sits on a single campus shared with Open Arms Child Development Center, the preschool that grew up alongside the church from the very start of its life. Members worship in two Sunday services, one traditional and one contemporary, that draw on the same Lutheran liturgy, the same preaching of the Gospel, and the same celebration of the Lord's Supper. Around those services the congregation has built a wide network of communities for adults, a robust children's ministry, two youth programs, and a roster of mission partners that reaches from downtown Atlanta to North Africa and South Asia.
A Church Planted on Webb Bridge Road
Christ the Shepherd began the way many LCMS missions have begun: with members from an established congregation sensing a call to plant something new. In 1989 members of the Lutheran Church of the Ascension in Buckhead felt the Holy Spirit pressing the church-planting idea onto their hearts, and a call was extended to Pastor Kevin Elseroad to serve as missionary-at-large and church planter. His work began on November 19, 1989 with a small group meeting in a public school cafeteria.
What made the new work unusual was that the first facility built for the congregation included a child development center from day one. Less than a year after the initial groundwork, Open Arms Child Development Center opened on October 22, 1990. A growing community and an embryonic church met together in that central hub, and on August 11, 1991 Christ the Shepherd was formally received as a congregation of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
Over the next thirty years the Lord blessed that work. Staff grew, facilities expanded, and ministries multiplied among children, youth and adults. The story the congregation tells is plain: any true and lasting story begins with God, and the Lord has kept writing new chapters through the lives of the people who have walked through the doors on Webb Bridge Road.
Two Services, One Gospel
Sunday at Christ the Shepherd has two main acts in the Sanctuary, with an education hour tucked in between. At 8:30 in the morning the Traditional Worship service uses an ancient liturgical format, the historic shape that Lutheran congregations around the world have followed for centuries. The service draws on hymns, confession and creed, preaching and prayer, and the Lord's Supper. Music at this hour is anchored by the sound of organ and grand piano, with classic instruments and vocal ensembles lifting the liturgy.
At 10:45 a.m. the Contemporary Worship service gathers in the same Sanctuary. The content is the same: the same Scripture readings, the same sermon, the same sacrament. The musical style is different. A praise band and vocal team lead the singing, drawing from many modern worship sources while sprinkling in great hymns of the church.
Between the two services sits the 9:40 Community Hour. Sunday School for children, the Sticky Faith Community for middle and high school youth alongside caring adults, and a menu of adult Communities all meet in this window. Worship services are livestreamed each Sunday at 8:30 and 10:45 a.m. for members who are traveling or unable to attend in person.
Children's Ministry: From Nursery to Fifth Grade
Children are woven into Sunday morning at Christ the Shepherd rather than separated from it. A fully staffed nursery serves infants through age four across from the Sanctuary, with paid staff and volunteers caring for the youngest members of the community during either service. For parents who want to keep their children with them, a Family Worship Room offers a warm, clean space where they can watch the service live while their children move and play.
Older children begin in the Sanctuary with their families. Children ages five through fifth grade are dismissed from worship just before the sermon for the JR Sermon Ministry, which gathers in Celebration Hall for Bible discovery, learning games, crafts and prayer. They rejoin their families before Holy Communion is celebrated. Parents who prefer their children stay with them throughout the service are welcome to do that too.
During the 9:40 Community Hour, CTS Kids' Hour meets in the Open Arms Child Development Center for children ages five through fifth grade. The program is designed to help kids grow as disciples of Jesus in a Scripture-filled, community-focused environment. Children participate in music, large- and small-group time, Scripture memorization, and hands-on activities that build lasting friendships and a deeper relationship with Jesus.
Throughout the week, the Open Arms Child Development Center itself hosts chapel times for its preschoolers, with chapels on Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. for preschool-age children and 10:00 a.m. for toddler-age children, plus a Thursday 2:30 p.m. chapel for preschoolers. The school is woven directly into the congregation's life, a tangible expression of the church's long commitment to children.
Middle School and High School
Christ the Shepherd runs two distinct youth programs that meet on Sunday evenings in the Loft, the church's youth facility. FaithINK is the middle school community, and Sunday Night Life (SNL) is the high school community.
FaithINK gathers in small groups of four to six students led by an adult guide. Each week the students reach up to God through worship and praise, reach in through caring and sharing, and reach out through servant projects during the school year. A pre-event warm-up with pizza and a game room sets a relaxed tone before the small groups meet. FaithINK runs during the school year and joins Doe River Gorge's Adventure Quest Camp in the summer.
SNL focuses on worship and praise led by the Senior Youth Praise Band, followed by pizza fellowship and small groups that meet throughout the Loft, including the Eno room. The high school students do life-on-life with one another, pursuing a relationship with Jesus at home, school, work, in the community and at church. SNL also meets weekly during the school year. On designated fall weekends and MLK weekend the group gathers for spiritual growth retreats, and in the summer they participate in week-long camps such as Passion Camp in Daytona Beach. On a three-year rotation the youth travel to Panajachel, Guatemala, to serve alongside the congregation's mission partner Porch de Salomon.
On Sunday mornings high schoolers can serve in worship roles as Sunday School teachers for younger children, IMAG operators, sound technicians, or ushers. They can also join the Sticky Faith Community at 9:40 a.m. in Celebration Hall, where multiple generations form lifelong followers of Jesus through engaging God's Word together.
Sunday Communities and Adult Bible Studies
The adult ministry at Christ the Shepherd is built around the idea of Communities: intentional gatherings of adults with the common purpose of becoming fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Several Communities meet at 9:40 on Sunday mornings, with others meeting on Wednesday evenings or rotating through homes during the week.
Emmaus meets in Room 204 and draws its name from the road to Emmaus where two disciples met and journeyed with Jesus. CrossTalk gathers in Room 201 with fellowship (including tasty food) and lively Bible study discussion. Telos meets in Room 203 and is targeted at people in the seasons of pre-marriage, early marriage, and child-bearing, though singles and married couples are all welcome. A young adults community for people in their twenties and thirties meets several times a month in homes for dinner, fellowship and Bible study.
Midweek Bible study is offered in several formats. The Wednesday Evening Bible Study meets at 7:00 p.m., discussion-based, open to all ages, and led by Pastor Aaron. Women in the Word gathers on Wednesday mornings at 9:30 in Room 201 from mid-August through May with worship, community, Bible study, and a presentation, topic or discussion of interest to women. A Ladies' Bible Study meets Thursday mornings at 10:00 in Room 203 for study, fellowship and prayer.
Men's ministry includes the Intercessory Prayer Group on Thursday mornings at 6:30 in the Prayer Room, and two rotating Saturday morning Bible studies that alternate between Room 205 and various locations. Saturday's 7:30 a.m. Men's Small Group is a regular gathering on the church calendar.
Music and Worship Arts
The Music and Worship Arts Ministry at Christ the Shepherd exists to joyfully proclaim the Gospel through carefully selected art forms that support and enhance the worship services. The team seeks to serve with excellence because, as they put it, they are followers of an excellent God.
The Celebration Singers are the largest musical ensemble, open to all adults and high school students without prior vocal training or choral experience. The praise band, with guitars and more, leads the contemporary service and welcomes new participants. A drama ensemble occasionally presents slice-of-life sketches that illuminate the Word. Worship team vocals assist at both traditional and contemporary services, with participation by audition. Audio and visual techs are an essential part of each Sunday's services, and on-the-job training is available. Classical instruments are used regularly through the CTS Orchestra to enrich the hymnody and liturgy of the traditional service, with the orchestra also accompanying large-scale choral presentations and festival services.
Mission Partners Far and Near
Christ the Shepherd maintains special relationships with several national and international ministries. The relationship is described as a two-way street: the congregation sends teams and prayer and resources, and partners come to CTS as often as possible. In addition to these partnerships, the church supports many other Gospel-centered missions and local social service agencies.
Shevet Achim brokers relationships between Muslim Iraqis and Jewish Israelis to pave the way for children with terminal heart defects to receive life-saving surgeries. FaithLife Ministries trains and equips pastors and ministry leaders in the Majority World to effectively lead, manage and disciple their churches. India Transformed spreads the Gospel in India one city, one village, one person at a time. Porch de Salomon is an outreach ministry in Panajachel, Guatemala, that brings the light of Jesus to Anglo expatriates and local Guatemalans while meeting basic human care needs of many in the area who are severely impoverished. Patrick and Abigail, a son of the CTS congregation and his wife, work to see the Gospel spread through North Africa, where only a small fraction of the population is Christian. Stepping Stone Ministry is a ministry of caring for the hungry and homeless in downtown Atlanta, led by Pastor Joseph Song, with volunteers from Christian churches around the Atlanta area.
Stephen Ministry and Local Outreach
The congregation participates in Beacon of Hope Ministries by providing food and support, and runs a quarterly food drive to support the food pantry at North Fulton Community Charities, a local nonprofit that assists vulnerable populations. Stephen Ministry is one of the most quietly significant ministries at CTS: trained Stephen Ministers provide one-on-one Christian care to people in the congregation and community who are walking through difficulties such as the loss of a loved one, job loss, hospitalization, disability, loneliness, spiritual crisis, divorce or cancer. The ministry is confidential, and the identity of those receiving care and what they discuss remains private.
Following each worship service, a CTS Elder and Stephen Minister are available to pray with anyone who bears a burden or brings a thanksgiving. A prayer request form on the church's online presence lets members and friends submit requests that are forwarded to the prayer team.
The Staff, the Café, and the Building
The pastoral staff at Christ the Shepherd is led by Senior Pastor Aaron Sterling, who also preaches most Sundays and hosts the Wednesday evening Bible study. Shelley Stenger directs the Worship and Arts Ministry. Randy Potts serves as Minister of Youth and Media. Aubrey Rathke is the Director of Children's Ministries. The team is rounded out by Jerry Inglima as Business Manager, Rebekah Wang as Administrative Assistant, and Norm Smith as Facilities Manager. The staff's shared vision is to Reach Up to God in worship, Reach In to one another in community, and Reach Out to the world that God so loves.
Before and after worship the Café in the building is a gathering place where coffee and friendship flow and homemade treats are enjoyed. Connection Center team members provide information about CTS to members and guests. Serving opportunities at CTS are extensive: greeters, ushers, communion assistants, altar guild, offering counters, audio and video techs, nursery and children's ministry volunteers, praise team band and singers, kitchen help, and home-baking volunteers for the Café are all part of the rhythm of Sunday morning.
What We Believe
Christ the Shepherd teaches that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, and that through His life, death and resurrection God offers forgiveness, life and salvation to all people. The congregation believes that Jesus still calls people to Himself through His Word and Sacraments, and that the church's job is to help people know Him, trust Him and follow Him. As a congregation of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Christ the Shepherd is committed to the historic Christian faith as taught in the Scriptures and confessed in the Lutheran tradition.
Three solas summarize the congregation's teaching: Grace Alone, that salvation comes entirely by God's grace through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; Faith Alone, that this salvation is received through faith, which is itself a gift of God; and Scripture Alone, that the Bible is the inspired and inerrant Word of God and the final authority for what we believe, teach and confess. The congregation's stated mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ who Reach Up to God in worship, Reach In to one another in community, and Reach Out to the world that God so loves.
Planning Your First Visit
Christ the Shepherd is at 4655 Webb Bridge Road in Alpharetta. Parking is available on the west, east and front of the campus, with handicap parking in the west and front lots. There is no dress code: people come in everything from coat and tie to business casual to plain casual, and the church notes that everyone wears a smile. The Traditional service at 8:30 a.m. and the Contemporary service at 10:45 a.m. both meet in the Sanctuary. A fully staffed nursery serves children four and younger for both services, and a Family Worship Room is available for parents who want to keep their children with them. Children in kindergarten through fifth grade are dismissed during the sermon for JR Sermon Ministry.
Sermons are posted online in audio and video each week. Services are livestreamed at 8:30 and 10:45 a.m., and online giving is available through the church's giving page. The church office can be reached at (770) 475-0640 or through ctsinfo@cts.org, and Open Arms Child Development Center can be reached at (770) 475-6570 or openarms@cts.org.