Good Shepherd Lutheran Church stands at 901 E. Stroop Rd. in Kettering, Ohio, where a congregation founded in 1953 is known for a simple description: “small but mighty.” Its mission, “Created, Saved and Gifted by God, We Seek, Serve and Share Jesus Christ,” frames a church that wants people to feel at home, grow in faith, and carry faith into the community. The open and affirming congregation worships in English at 4 p.m. Saturday and 10:30 a.m. Sunday, with learning, music, fellowship, and service for people at different stages of life.
A Church That Grew with Kettering
Founded in 1953 in the heart of Kettering, Ohio, Good Shepherd grew with the suburb. Ten years later, in 1963, the cornerstone of its sanctuary was laid. The building is clean and inviting, with a main floor and sanctuary designed for easy access during worship and fellowship. This local history sits within a stated mission that reaches through the Dayton and Miami Valley area to people and organizations around the world.
Good Shepherd calls itself small but mighty. Its four-part pattern of gathering, Word, meal, and sending gives the congregation's opportunities a worship-centered shape. People arrive, hear good news of forgiveness, listen and sing, receive Holy Communion, and go out to serve neighbors. Learning, music, fellowship, and benevolence are therefore not separate from Sunday worship but part of the life that surrounds it.
The mission begins with spiritual development and growth, caring relationships, acceptance, the sharing of talents, and social interaction. Traditional and contemporary music both have a place in that mission. The congregation's public welcome is equally intentional: differences are considered a blessing, and people are invited to worship wherever they are on the journey of life and faith.
Saturday Reflection, Sunday Celebration
Saturday worship begins at 4 p.m. and has a relaxed, meditative character, with music led primarily by the music director. The congregation alternates between two liturgical settings, Holden Evening Prayer and Unfailing Light, allowing the Saturday rhythm to vary while remaining rooted in Lutheran worship. Sunday worship begins at 10:30 a.m. and is led by the Chancel Choir and Praise Team. Its regular repertoire draws from the hymnal Evangelical Lutheran Worship, with singers, soloists, percussion, guitar, flute, oboe, trombone, and piano adding to the service.
Each service contains four elements:
- Gathering: The Holy Spirit calls the people of God together. Sins are confessed, and forgiveness is heard again through God's grace.
- Word: Scripture is read from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Gospels. A children's message follows the readings, the pastor's message develops them, and the congregation states its beliefs and prays for the church, the world, and those in need.
- Meal: The congregation remembers being saved by grace through the body and blood of Jesus Christ and receives Holy Communion.
- Sending: Music and a blessing conclude the service and direct the people back into the world as witnesses to God's love.
The 10:30 a.m. Sunday service is available both in person and through a live broadcast. Chancel Choir members gather at 10 a.m. before worship, while the Praise Team rehearses at either 9 or 9:30 a.m., depending on the amount of music planned. Traditional anthems, hymns, and songs heard on Christian radio give the Sunday morning a shared musical identity without making every service feel the same.
Communion at an Open Table
Holy Communion is offered at every Saturday and Sunday service. No church membership is required. Those who believe Jesus Christ is their Savior and Redeemer are invited to receive bread or a wafer and wine or juice. A person who wishes to come forward for a blessing may do so as well. The open table is one of the clearest expressions of the congregation's welcome.
Good Shepherd also makes practical accommodations. Gluten-free wafers are available on request, juice can replace wine, and Communion elements may be brought to anyone unable to come to the altar. Those who prefer to remain in the pews during Communion can still receive the elements there.
First Visit: Peace, Children, and Practical Access
A first visit begins with a welcome rather than a requirement to blend into something already happening. Visitors may be offered a goldenrod-colored card on which to share contact information, but filling it out is entirely optional, and no one is singled out. During the passing of the peace, people may approach with wishes of peace. The service then continues through Scripture, song, the children's message, Communion, and the sending blessing.
Children are explicitly welcome in worship. A weekly children's message is offered before the sermon, and there is no age limit for coming forward. A child who is shy may be accompanied by a parent or grandparent. Just outside the sanctuary, a cozy play area gives small children a place to be with an adult who must remain with them.
Attire is deliberately low-pressure. Some worshipers wear business suits, while others choose jeans and T-shirts, and the only guidance is to dress in whatever feels comfortable. The parking lot is ample and includes multiple accessible spaces; it can be reached from either Stroop Road or Kenosha Boulevard.
The main floor and sanctuary are fully usable by people with wheelchairs or walkers. A pew near the middle has been removed so a wheelchair or walker can be positioned comfortably, and wheelchair-accessible restrooms sit beside the sanctuary. If someone cannot come to the altar for Communion, the elements can be brought to them.
Large-print bulletins are available at every service, the words and music appear on large screens, and the sound system is designed to provide clear sound throughout the sanctuary. Worship readings use the New Revised Standard Version, while people in the congregation use multiple translations according to personal preference.
Learning from PreK through Older Lutherans
Learning for children begins before the 10:30 Sunday service. Young people from prekindergarten through high school gather at 9:30 a.m. and meet from 9:40 to 10:20 in the chapel. The Whirl curriculum connects classroom lessons and projects with the readings heard in worship. Teachers Karin Linch and Sandy Rosholt lead the class, and all youth are welcome.
Thursday Morning Bible Study meets online from 9 to 10 a.m. The weekly conversation follows the Gospel Lectionary readings that will be used in worship, with Roger Bauser facilitating. Participants are invited to bring a Bible, coffee, and treats; no previous study experience is needed. The informal format still makes room to dig into the meaning of the week's texts and consider their connection to life.
Adult learning reaches beyond that weekly group. WELCA meets on the third Wednesday of the month, with an in-person and Zoom session at 10:30 a.m. and another Zoom session at 7:30 p.m. Its study draws on Gather magazine, although a subscription is not required. Short Sharing Faith Stories classes explore how faith can be noticed and shared through personal stories.
Other recurring gatherings give people different ways to learn and connect. A book discussion group, centering prayer, and a craft group that meets on the fourth Saturday of each month provide regular places for conversation. The OWLs, Older Wiser Lutherans, meet monthly for lunch and fellowship. These activities sit within Good Shepherd's larger commitment to lifelong learning, where hearing God's word, discussing it, and making it part of life are encouraged at every age.
GriefShare creates a specific place for people grieving the death of a loved one. The Christ-centered course combines biblical teaching, a video seminar, a participant guide, weekly discussion, and personal experiences of loss. It is offered online or in person in the Fellowship Lounge. Homework Club creates another small setting for growth: with teachers from Oakview Elementary School, volunteers give fourth- and fifth-grade students a calm place to complete assignments and share healthy snacks during the school year.
Chancel Choir, Praise Team, and a Full Sound
Music is a substantial part of Good Shepherd's identity under Director of Music Mark Shoemaker. The program combines the Chancel Choir, which sings traditional anthems usually with harmony, and the Praise Team, which leads contemporary music. Vocalists and instrumentalists across a wide range of voices and instruments make music for both services. People who want to sing or play an instrument may join either group without tryouts.
Chancel Choir rehearsal is Saturday at 10:30 a.m. The Sunday choir gathers at 10, while the Praise Team meets at either 9 or 9:30. The result is a varied musical ministry that supports the quieter character of Saturday evening and the fuller ensemble heard on Sunday morning. Musicians serve the complete worship pattern, from gathering through song after the sermon and the final blessing.
Food, Homework, Quilts, and Hands-On Service
Service at Good Shepherd extends beyond the sanctuary through hands-on work. The congregation donates nonperishable food and canned goods to four community food pantries and maintains a small pantry at the elementary school across the street during the summer. Food can be dropped off at the church at any time. At the city's annual Labor Day event, a free food booth creates another point of contact with neighbors. The annual Christmas market sends proceeds to local charities and Kettering City Schools, while seasonal poinsettia and Easter lily offerings support ministries and can be given in honor or memory of someone.
Families can also help with a yearly Adopt-A-Family project by purchasing gifts for one or two families. Good Shepherd gathers quilts and kits from regional churches for Lutheran World Relief, packs meals for the Lesotho Nutrition Initiative with Harmony Creek UCC, and collects pill bottles for international mission supplies. These projects connect the congregation's concern for people beyond its own community with practical work that can be shared by many hands.
Other roles make worship possible and extend care. Acolytes, usually in grades four through twelve, light and extinguish altar candles and assist with the offering and other duties. Lectors read Scripture, while greeters and ushers welcome people, distribute bulletins, gather offerings, and invite communicants forward. An Altar Guild prepares bread and wine and maintains paraments. Flower ministers take worship flowers to people who are hospitalized or at home, and monthly lay teams bring Communion, stories, and relationships to homebound people.
The church also gathers volunteers for Vacation Bible School and its free summer day camp, including registration, meal preparation, and program support. The OWLs provide monthly fellowship for older adults, and Homework Club pairs caring adult volunteers with elementary-age students. Financial gifts can accompany these efforts through offerings collected at worship, checks mailed to the church office, or electronic giving.
Good Shepherd also supports the wider work of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. That support includes congregational renewal, the planting of new congregations, formation of lay and ordained leaders, disability ministry, global companion churches, and efforts addressing hunger and poverty, including work in nearly 60 countries.
Kettering Groups and Global Partnerships
Good Shepherd supports organizations across the Dayton and Miami Valley area and beyond. Local support includes Daybreak for youth in crisis, Graceworks Social Services, Habitat for Humanity, Hopewood Outdoors, We Care Arts, and Osterlen Youth Services. Good Shepherd youth have taken part in Hopewood Outdoors programs involving Scripture, worship, learning, and relationship building. Members also support Global Health Ministries, Wernle Home, Blue Star Mothers, the ELCA's Vision for Mission, and the Southern Ohio Synod's partnership with Mecklenburg, Germany.
We Care Arts serves people with emotional, mental, or physical disabilities by helping them learn independence, build self-esteem, and create artwork that fosters confidence and empowerment. Good Shepherd's support for that work fits its broader emphasis on sharing gifts and caring for people with needs in the community, state, country, and world. The congregation's involvement takes the form of money, time, energy, and prayerful participation.
Several groups also meet in Good Shepherd's building. These include Harmony Creek Church, Boy Scout Troop 193, Generations Swing Band, Graceworks Women's Council, Kittyhawk Dancers, the TMG computer club, Southern Ohio Synod, and Young at Heart Players. The building also serves as a voting and polling location. By opening its space to these groups, the congregation makes its facilities part of the daily life of Kettering rather than reserving them only for church occasions.
Harmony Creek Church uses Good Shepherd's facilities for Sunday worship, and other outside organizations use meeting rooms for worship, music, scouting, fellowship, computer activities, and community gatherings. This sharing of space is another practical expression of the mission to seek, serve, and share Jesus Christ.
A Lutheran Confession of Grace
Good Shepherd's teaching begins with the Holy Trinity: one God in three distinct persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is confessed as Maker of all things and as the giver of salvation and redemption by grace. Jesus is Lord, Savior, and Redeemer, and his life, death, and resurrection make new people who carry the message of redemption into the world. The Holy Spirit works in individuals and in the community, deepening their knowledge of God through Jesus in Scripture.
The Bible is understood as the inspired Word of God, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, and as the authority for decisions of life, faith, and service. Jesus Christ is the head of the church. People gather to praise God, to be nourished and supported by God's love and one another's love, and to serve neighbors with the mercy and grace taught by Jesus.
The clearest confession is saved by grace. Drawing on the teachings of Martin Luther and the words of Ephesians 2:8-9, the congregation teaches that people are saved through faith as God's gift, not by works, so that no one may boast. The same grace that redeems shapes the church's public welcome: differences are treated as a blessing, and the table, learning, music, and service are offered in a spirit of acceptance.
Pastor Mallory Morris's Path to Good Shepherd
Pastor Mallory Morris brought an unusual path into Lutheran ministry. Originally from South Carolina and raised Baptist, she earned her Master of Divinity at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2008. After ten years working in insurance, she was ordained in 2023 at Calvary Lutheran Church in Richland Hills, Texas. She then served as pastor of First United Lutheran Church of Dallas from 2023 to 2024 and has also worked as pulpit supply for local congregations.
Her background gives Good Shepherd a pastor who came to Lutheran ministry deliberately and brings experience in theology, church leadership, and supply preaching. The emphasis on welcome, learning, active service, and shared musical leadership continues to define the congregation she serves. At Good Shepherd, the mission remains lived in common: created, saved, and gifted by God, the people seek, serve, and share Jesus Christ in the congregation and community.