Good Shepherd Lutheran Church sits in the heart of Howard, a fast-growing village on the northwest edge of Green Bay, Wisconsin, and the congregation at 2736 Glendale Avenue has been sharing Christ's love in that community since 1971. Organized as a mission congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and led today by Pastor Jen Fite, Good Shepherd is a parish that blends traditional liturgy with contemporary music, takes Holy Communion at every service, and pours a great deal of energy into education, music, and outreach that reaches well beyond its own walls.
A Mission Born in Howard in 1971
In the late 1960s, the population of Howard was climbing fast, and four nearby ELCA congregations (Bethel, Calvary, Grace, and Trinity) saw the need for a new parish in the Howard/Suamico area. In August 1971 they called Reverend Richard Lind to plant the church. The first worship service was held on September 12, 1971, at Howard Elementary School, and forty-five families gathered for the organizational meeting on December 4, 1971.
A 6 1/2-acre building site was purchased and readied for construction. The first 9:00 service and Sunday school class in the new building took place on December 17, 1972, and the dedication of the church was held on May 20, 1973, with 75 charter families. The original building was a one-level worship space with movable chairs rather than pews, a practical choice that has shaped the congregation's flexible, family-friendly feel ever since. After six and a half years of foundation building, Pastor Lind handed the baton to Reverend Harvey J. Jaeger on January 22, 1978.
Pastor Jaeger served for nearly two decades before retiring in 1997. After a year with Interim Pastor Alan Schafmeyer, Reverend Frank Kauzlarich led the parish from July 1998 until October 2014. Interim Pastor Beth Macha began serving in January 2015, and Pastor Jen Fite began her ministry as permanent pastor in February 2016.
The 1980s and 1990s brought two major building projects. Construction of a Fellowship Hall addition began in 1985 and was completed and dedicated on September 13, 1987; the new space made room for a nursery school for ages 3 and 4, expanded Sunday school, three weekly worship services, Bible studies, and confirmation classes. The most ambitious project came at the turn of the millennium: in the fall of 2002, the congregation launched a capital campaign that ultimately raised $350,000 over three years toward a new sanctuary. Groundbreaking was held on June 27, 2004, the cornerstone was laid on July 17, 2005, and the new sanctuary was completed in February 2006, dedicated on February 26, 2006, with seating for 350 and a large narthex for fellowship and overflow. A second three-year capital campaign beginning in 2006 raised an additional $145,000.
The music ministry was expanded during this period to include a bell choir, and the youth ministry continued to grow. Good Shepherd is, in the words of its own history, a thriving congregation in the midst of one of Wisconsin's fastest-growing areas.
Sunday at Nine, Wednesday at Half Past Six
Good Shepherd's regular weekly worship is held in two settings: Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. and Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. Both services follow traditional and blended styles, and Holy Communion is received at all services. The Sunday 9:00 a.m. service is regularly livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, and recordings of previous services are also archived there. Sunday mornings during the academic year are anchored by a Fellowship Hour at 10:00 a.m. and Sunday School from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m.
Acolytes light and extinguish the altar candles and assist in bringing forward the communion elements and offering. Worship streamers run the cameras and set up the live feed, lectors read the day's readings, assisting ministers help the pastor distribute communion and read the prayers, and ushers and greeters hand out bulletins, direct the congregation during communion, and welcome worshippers as they arrive. Communion set-up and clean-up providers prepare the elements before each service and clean the supplies afterward. A nursery space is provided during Sunday worship.
The Worship and Music Team plans the worship schedule and coordinates the volunteers. The team meets on Good Shepherd's Team Nights, held the first Tuesday of each month from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., and chairs the Liturgy and Music Selection Group, which gathers on select Sundays at 10:30 a.m. to help plan the musical and liturgical elements of upcoming services. Handbooks for ushers, lectors, and assisting ministers are available through the church.
A Blended Voice: Spirit Singers and Ringers Jubilate
Music is at the heart of worship at Good Shepherd, and the music ministry has been expanding since the late 1990s, when a bell choir was added alongside the established vocal choir.
Spirit Singers, the vocal choir, rehearses on most Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and leads the congregation in a mix of contemporary song and traditional hymnody with multi-part harmony during select worship services throughout the year. Music Director Robbie Spofford leads the ensemble, and the group has performed the national anthem at Green Bay Bullfrogs games and at other community events.
Ringers Jubilate, Good Shepherd's handbell choir, has rung for more than 40 years and currently performs with more than three octaves of freshly tuned bells. Rehearsals are held Monday evenings from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. September through May, and the group offers monthly in-worship offerings. Bell Choir Director Corey Christenson leads the ensemble, and short-term substitutes are welcomed alongside long-term members. The 2026-2027 academic year schedule opens on September 27 with This Is My Father's World, Three Hymns of Praise, and A Grand Celebration; continues with Antiphonal Celebration and How Can I Keep from Singing on October 25; moves into November with Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel and Festive Air; and includes a December 6 Advent service featuring Ring We Now of Christmas and Emmanuel Savior of the Nations.
For those who would like to make their own musical offering, the church welcomes custom music offerings: honking, kazooing, dancing, ringing, playing, singing, or any joyful noise that the Spirit inspires. Collaborative or solo offerings using personal or church-owned instruments and equipment are encouraged, and the music director can help with arrangements for those who want to share a favorite piece.
Forming Faith from 4K through Confirmation
Christian education has been a core part of Good Shepherd's ministry since the 1970s, and the church continues to support learners of every age through Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, a confirmation program, adult Bible study, a book club, and the wider camping ministries of Crossways.
Sunday School is offered for children in 4K through sixth grade every Sunday morning during the academic year from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. The program uses the Spark Sunday School curriculum, which follows the same lectionary schedule used in worship. Sunday School for 2026-2027 begins September 20. Raven Weseman coordinates the program and welcomes new volunteers. The 2026-2027 Sunday School registration form is available through the church's online resources.
Confirmation is a three-year program open to all youth who have completed sixth grade, along with their parents. Confirmation classes for 2026-2027 begin September 16 on Wednesday evenings from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. Led by Pastor Jen and small-group lay leaders, the program is built on SparkHouse Digital content and walks students through Old Testament scriptures, New Testament scriptures, and Luther's Small Catechism/Christian Living, with opportunities to serve their church and community, to worship with God's people, and to care for one another in their small groups. A typical Wednesday evening includes large-group lesson time, small-group time broken out by grade, and a wrap-up with announcements and closing prayer. At the completion of their ninth-grade year, youth are invited to publicly affirm their baptism. The confirmation camp, held at Imago Dei Village each summer, is a highlight of the program.
Adults also have regular opportunities to grow: an adult Bible study and a book club meet on a routine basis, and Lenten small-group studies are offered during the season. Crossways Camping Ministries, a Lutheran outdoor ministry with three sites (Imago Dei Village in Clintonville, Pine Lake Camp in Waupaca, and Waypost Camp in Hatley) along with a traveling day-camp program, is a frequent partner. Good Shepherd uses Crossways' grounds for its annual confirmation camp and actively promotes Crossways' other ministry opportunities, including a women's fall retreat, a senior high gathering, and a 9th-grade winter retreat.
Wonderful Wednesday, Retreats, and a Disc Golf Course
Good Shepherd's youth ministry, long nicknamed Wonderful Wednesday, is woven into the Wednesday evening rhythm of the church. After the 6:30 p.m. worship service and a time of fellowship, middle- and high-school confirmation students gather for large-group teaching and small-group discussion. Older youth also gather for fellowship, service, and learning activities throughout the year. Jerry Lapinskas serves as the Confirmation Coordinator.
Recent youth activities have included Vacation Bible School, the annual youth auction and luncheon, summer mission trips, the National ELCA Youth Gathering, Howard-Suamico's Got Talent show, confirmation camp at Imago Dei Village, Salvation Army service days, youth-led worship, youth bonfires, beach days, picnics, overnight lock-ins at the church, and trips to Green Bay Gamblers and Bullfrogs games. The youth group even helped build the church's own disc golf course, used during a recent Backyard Bible Study series on Micah 6:8.
Feed My Starving Children, Days for Girls, and Matthew House
Mission and outreach is one of the most visible parts of life at Good Shepherd. The Mission and Outreach Team coordinates the congregation's support of a wide range of local and global ministries through giving, volunteering, and prayer.
Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) has been a partner-church relationship for more than ten years. Volunteers hand-pack meals that are sent around the world to feed malnourished children. Good Shepherd's involvement includes MobilePack sessions held at Green Bay Community Church, fundraising kickoffs, jar blessings, dairy queen fundraisers, brat fry fundraisers, the chili cook-off, and a 5K run/walk.
Days for Girls, an organization that sews feminine hygiene kits for young girls in countries where they would otherwise miss school, has been supported by Good Shepherd volunteers for over five years. Sewing workdays are held several times a year.
Ecumenical Partnership for Housing (EPH) receives ongoing support from the parish. Good Shepherd has sponsored EPH's Matthew House since 2014, providing a home for a family experiencing homelessness, and has helped many families over the years. Members help manage and maintain the home, contribute cleaning supplies, and engage in spring clean-ups. The house was recognized in 2019 with the EPH Duane Howell Service Award.
God's Work, Our Hands, an annual ELCA day of service held in September, brings the congregation together for service projects after Sunday worship. Recent projects have included knitting prayer shawls, creating Days for Girls kits, baking dog treats for a local animal sanctuary, filling Handbags for Hope, tying fleece blankets for Project Linus, and making meal kits for The Giving Tree. Members of all ages participate, working together as teams and as God's Hands.
Other recurring outreach includes Soup Sunday, held in January, when members donate quarts of homemade soup for others to purchase at $10 per quart, with the total given to a local charity; the Help for the Homeless Hygiene Drive in February and March, with donations going to local crisis agencies and area shelters; the Giving Tree school-supply drive; support for Crossways Camping Ministries; the youth-run Walk 4 Water; financial support for missionaries including Eric Mayer; the Salvation Army Red Kettle bell-ringing and Serve Days at the food pantry; Lutheran World Relief school kit and personal care kit assembly; and a Christmas in July project to support ELCA Good Gifts.
Pie Socials, Palm Sunday Breakfast, and Simple Suppers
Fellowship is one of the most active areas of parish life. The Fellowship Team coordinates the Sunday morning Fellowship Hour at 10:00 a.m. and lends support to many special activities throughout the year, including the annual church picnic, potlucks, the Thanksgiving Pie Social, the Palm Sunday Breakfast, the annual Christmas Bake Sale, and Simple Suppers. The team also coordinates meal service for funerals as requested and the delivery of meals to members with special needs.
Other long-standing fellowship traditions include the Mother-Daughter-Friend Banquet, Adult Nights Out to Peninsula Players shows and local restaurants, the Great Good Shepherd Campout, soup suppers before Wednesday Lenten worship, the Pink Fluffy Unicorns float building for the Howard-Suamico Holiday Parade, the annual talent/untalent show, and the winter Nativity scene display at the church.
Serve, Share, Support, Worship, Grow
Good Shepherd's five Core Values give shape to the congregation's life and ministry:
- SERVE: The parish strives to support its worldwide community in faith and service because Jesus teaches the love of neighbor.
- SHARE: The congregation is called by Jesus to share the Good News so that others may know the transforming power of God's grace.
- SUPPORT: Members seek to love and support one another in joys and sorrows through prayer and service.
- WORSHIP: Because God is forgiving and loving, the congregation is called together to worship joyfully.
- GROW: As God's children, members engage in life-long learning of God's story so they can grow in faith and be rooted in Jesus.
The congregation's mission statement is simple and direct: In response to our baptismal faith, we strive to grow in discipleship and fulfill Jesus' command to make and nurture disciples.
The Building and the Capital Campaign
The Good Shepherd campus on Glendale Avenue has grown in three major stages. The original one-level worship space (with movable chairs rather than pews) opened in 1972. The Fellowship Hall addition was dedicated in 1987. The new sanctuary, dedicated in 2006, seats 350 and includes a large narthex for fellowship and overflow seating. The current Protect and Preserve capital campaign, part of the We Are Here for Good annual appeal, is focused on future capital improvement projects to keep the building in good shape for the next generation.
The Property Committee oversees building and grounds policies, preventative maintenance, inspections, vendor contracts, custodial services, and safety monitoring. Boy Scout Troop 1107 also calls the church home, and troop members take part in Adopt-A-Highway trash pick-up days and other service projects in the area.
Pastors, Staff, and the Congregation Council
The Congregation Council has general oversight of the life and activities of the congregation, and especially its worship life, ensuring that everything is done in accordance with the Word of God and the faith and practice of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Executive Committee of the council includes Pastor Jennifer Fite, President Tarra Gallagher, Vice President Lois Appel, Treasurer Kathy Koehler, and Secretary Jim Hoesly. Council members include Bonnie Horen, Jen Vollrath-Grosam, Jane Lapinskas, Maddie Pamperin, and Patricia Perez.
Ministry leadership spans a number of areas. Sue Larson chairs the Worship and Music Team; Jane Lapinskas chairs the Education and Youth Team; Jen Vollrath-Grosam chairs the Evangelism and Membership Team; Cindy Gentz chairs the Fellowship Team; Jeff Fehling chairs the Safety and Security Team; Tom Felton chairs the Stewardship Committee; Tom Hansen chairs both the Property and Endowment Committees. The Mission and Outreach Team chair is currently vacant.
Staff members include Robbie Spofford, Music Director; Corey Christenson, Bell Choir Director (920-569-9800); Jerry Lapinskas, Confirmation Coordinator; and Robert Schwandt, Administrative Assistant. The main church office number is 920-434-2148, and the office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., closed Friday through Sunday.
We Are Here for Good
Good Shepherd's annual stewardship appeal is named We Are Here for Good, and the parish uses the Simply Giving program (administered by Vanco Services, LLC) for recurring electronic giving. There are no fees charged to individuals or churches, and the minimum withdrawal amount is $5, with options for weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly transfers. Members may enroll by downloading the form online and returning it to the church office with a voided check. Online giving is also available through a Vanco link.
The 2026 Time and Talent with Statement of Intent form is part of the annual stewardship process and is available in the Stewardship section of the church's online resources. Members may drop the form off at the office, mail it, or email it to the church office. The 2026 capital improvement campaign, Protect and Preserve, is part of the same We Are Here for Good appeal. The Stewardship Committee has also initiated a Legacy Endowment Fund, in coordination with the ELCA, to support the future ministries of the church through estate gifts.
The Stewardship Committee oversees the annual stewardship program, the distribution of offering envelopes, the counting of weekly offerings, quarterly contribution statements, and the maintenance of members' time-and-talent records. Members are received through transfer, Baptism, and Affirmation of Baptism, and the church's pictorial directory is currently being updated.
Online and Around the Community
The 9:00 a.m. Sunday service is regularly livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, where recordings of previous services are also archived. If a live stream is unavailable for any reason, the church makes every effort to provide a recording on the same channel. Pastor Jen's Bible Study podcasts, produced from March 25, 2020, until February 10, 2021, are available through her Anchor Podcast. The current newsletter, The Trumpet, is available in PDF form through the church's online resources.
Good Shepherd maintains an active presence on Facebook and Instagram (@gslcgbyouth for youth-related updates). The 2025-2026 member directory is current as of January 2026 and is available to members through the church office.
Members of the congregation can be found in worship, in Sunday School, in confirmation, in the choirs, in the youth group, on mission trips, at MobilePack events, at the EPH Matthew House, and in the local Howard and Green Bay community. Founded in 1971 as a mission of four ELCA congregations and now serving as a thriving parish in one of Wisconsin's fastest-growing areas, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church continues its work of making and nurturing disciples, sharing Christ's love with all.