Good Shepherd Episcopal Church sits on the eastern side of Wilson Pike in Brentwood, Tennessee, where it has occupied a single-floor sanctuary since 2006 and a refurbished education wing since the spring of 2021. The parish grew from 26 church planters in 1995 to a current body of more than 350 members, and its life now stretches well beyond the Sunday schedule: a sister parish in Ecuador, monthly Fuel Bag packing nights for local food-insecure children, college Discord servers, and a livestream that has carried its 10:15 AM service onto YouTube for years.
Two Sunday Services, Two Episcopal Temperaments
The church's worship calendar revolves around the two Sunday Eucharists, and the parish takes care to describe them as complementary rather than competing.
The 8:00 AM Holy Eucharist without Music is drawn from Rite I of the Book of Common Prayer. It is entirely spoken, with no hymn singing, and skews contemplative. Members who prefer ancient language and meditative corporate prayer tend to gather there, then move into Herlong Hall for the 9:15 AM formation hour. The 10:15 AM Holy Eucharist with Music is drawn from Rite II and blends traditional hymns with contemporary worship songs. The praise band and choir anchor it, and bulletins guide worshippers through every page of the liturgy.
Children's Church dismisses from the 10:15 service to the Education Wing, where Frolic Nursery (ages 0 to 3), Godly Play (ages 4 to 6), Whirl Lectionary (first through third grade), and Connect (fourth grade and up) run on the same schedule. The 10:15 service is also livestreamed on YouTube, with a Stream Team member typically present in the chat to answer questions. Coffee and fellowship in the parish hall close out the morning.
Clergy and Staff Who Shape the Parish
The Rev'd Canon Natalie Van Kirk serves as rector, called to Good Shepherd in October 2019 after serving as Rector of St. Barnabas in Glen Ellyn in the Diocese of Chicago and in parishes and the Diocese of Dallas. She has taught at Perkins School of Theology at SMU and at the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola, Chicago. Her husband, the Rev'd Dr. Frederick Schmidt, Jr., is the vice rector; he holds a D.Phil. from Oxford in New Testament studies, has authored commentaries and a book series, and writes on Patheos. The Rev'd Rebecca Terhune, a Nashotah House seminarian who came from the Diocese of Wisconsin and St. Mary Magdalene in Fayetteville, Tennessee, serves as deacon.
Karin Simmons leads the Music Ministry. She began exploring liturgical worship fifteen years ago at Church of the Redeemer and now directs a choir and a rotating praise band; she is also a signed writer with WieRok Entertainment. Abigail Hawkins divides her week between the Youth Ministry Director and Assistant Music Ministry Director roles, having previously led worship at churches in Michigan and Nashville. Grace Cannon, who came to Good Shepherd in January 2026 and was confirmed that spring, oversees the Children's Ministry. Ashley Mowers serves as Chaplain of College and Digital Ministries, building online community through a Discord server and care packages.
A Building Designed for Welcome
For first-time visitors, the parish has worked out the logistics in detail. The church occupies the corner of Wilson Pike and Crockett Road, between Concord Road and Crockett Road. Two parking lots, an upper lot to the right and a lower lot to the left, offer guest-specific spaces and designated handicap parking in the upper lot; the building itself is a single floor, so entry and seating are straightforward.
A Welcome Team greets arrivals at the north entrance, hands visitors off to an usher, and offers a bulletin and help finding a seat. Dress is whatever worshippers choose. There is no required giving, no membership requirement to participate, and no length-of-stay threshold before taking Communion: all baptized Christians, including children, are welcome to receive. Worshippers from other Episcopal churches can have their membership transferred directly. The rector and vice rector both take appointments through the office for anyone who would like a meeting.
Children's Ministry From Nursery Through Fourth Grade
The children's wing is built on a layered curriculum. The Frolic Nursery cares for children from birth through age three in a recently refurbished space stocked with toys and board books; nursery volunteers all complete Safe Church training. Parents receive a monthly newsletter matched to their child's age. The Godly Play classroom uses a Montessori-style storytelling method with props the children can see and touch, after which they choose between Legos, artwork, and other response activities before rejoining their families in the sanctuary.
First through third graders meet for Whirl Lectionary, a video-and-discussion curriculum built around the day's lectionary reading, including a yearly Intentional Communion unit in the spring to walk children through what happens at the Table. Fourth graders and up move into Connect, a Genesis-to-Revelation Bible study with ten four-to-five-week units, taught by rotating volunteer couples; each child receives a personal Connect Bible to write in and use throughout the year.
Youth Ministry With a Full Weekly Rhythm
Under Abigail Hawkins's direction, the youth ministry runs on a multi-touch weekly schedule. Sunday morning formation at 9:15 AM meets with the adults in Herlong Hall. Sunday evenings from 6 PM to 8 PM are the main gathering, beginning with dinner at 6, moving through worship and prayer at 6:45, a game or activity at 7, and a lesson and discussion at 7:30. There is a Waffle House study on the third Monday morning of each month and a Starbucks hang on the first and third Wednesdays. Summer programming runs from May through July.
The ministry feeds itself through volunteers: parents and parishioners sign up online to supply Sunday evening dinners.
College and Digital Ministries
Ashley Mowers, who holds a B.A. in Worship Arts from Judson University, an M.A. from Northern Seminary, and an MLitt in Theology and the Arts from the University of St. Andrews, runs the parish's college and digital work. The college ministry meets students wherever they are, including those studying at other schools: text keyword COLLEGE to (615) 637-3738 to get connected, and the parish maintains an active Discord server for conversations, questions, and community. An annual Epiphany dinner in January brings students back together over a King's cake.
The digital ministry reaches the same way. The 10:15 AM Sunday service livestreams every week and most major feasts (Christmas, Holy Week, Easter). The same text line, with the keyword ONLINE, opens a connection to Ashley and the Stream Team. A weekly bulletin PDF is refreshed each Sunday for online worshippers.
Adult Formation and Small Groups
Adult education at Good Shepherd happens in two streams. The Sunday 9:15 AM formation hour, hosted in Herlong Hall, walks through a new topic each quarter. Wednesday nights bring a clergy-led Zoom study, with past topics including theories of atonement, Proverbs, and discernment. Lay-led small groups meet throughout the week, searchable by schedule and interest through the parish's ChurchSuite portal.
Several contemplative offerings run alongside those groups. Centering Prayer gathers on Mondays at 9 AM in the sanctuary and on Fridays at 9 AM on Zoom. Lectio Divina follows on Mondays at 9:30 AM in person and on the second Tuesday of the month at 6 PM, with a shared meal in Herlong Hall afterward. Online Morning Prayer meets Tuesdays at 7 AM for the daily office.
Music That Stretches From Hymnal to Praise Band
Music Ministry at Good Shepherd is rooted in Anglican worship but draws from a wide range of Christian sources. Song selections follow the lectionary and the liturgical calendar, mixing psalms, hymns, and contemporary songs that theologically reinforce one another. The choir rehearses at 8:55 AM and leads the 10:15 AM service; there is no audition, but members should be comfortable reading music. The praise band rehearses at 8:25 AM, features piano and a rotating cast of instruments, and leads the same service.
Outreach: Fuel Bags, Ecuador, and Soul Care
Good Shepherd's outreach efforts take a few distinct shapes. The parish is an official partner with GraceWorks and hosts Fuel Bag packing nights on the third Wednesday of each month at 6 PM; these bags feed more than 450 children each week who lack weekend access to school lunch. Each year, a team travels to the sister parish of San José Obrero in Manta, Ecuador, to support its preschool program through classroom building, supplies, breakfasts, and occasional medical clinics that serve over 350 women and children.
Closer to home, Father Fred's Soul Care initiative gathers Lay Eucharistic Visitors, Meal Ministry, Welcome Ministry, and Flower Ministry into a single pastoral care effort. The Outreach Wagon, coordinated by Deacon Rebecca, collects for a different local outreach organization each month.
Becoming a Member
The membership process is designed to be simple. For Episcopalians transferring from another parish, the church handles the paperwork with the prior congregation. Membership classes are offered throughout the year, covering the Episcopal Church's history and structure, the values of Good Shepherd, and the ministry opportunities open to new members.
Getting Connected
The church office is open Monday through Thursday, 8 AM to 4 PM. The mailing address is PO Box 1443, Brentwood, TN 37024, while the building is at 1420 Wilson Pike. Online giving is available through ChurchSuite, and a podcast feed of recent sermons is available on Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major platforms. Newsletter subscriptions are open online, and the parish posts regularly across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok.