Good Shepherd Church sits on State Road in Parma, just southwest of the State and Snow Road intersection, and gathers each Sunday for a single combined service at 10:30 a.m. The congregation belongs to the United Methodist tradition and is part of a collaborative parish of three locations whose two pastors rotate between them from week to week.
One Combined Service, One Family
Rather than offering separate traditional and contemporary services, Good Shepherd holds one combined service every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. that draws on both. Classical organ pieces and hymns from the Good Shepherd choir share the hour with the SonRise Praise Band, which leads popular contemporary Christian songs. Scripture is read, prayer is offered, and a message is preached that ties the Bible to everyday life, with music chosen to match the day's theme. A brief moment in the service is set aside to share what the church is doing and to invite people into attendance, volunteering, or simply passing the word along.
Lead Pastor Rev. Stephanie Scovell typically follows the lectionary, shaping message series that run for four to eight consecutive Sundays. Associate Pastor Dr. Allan Georgia also preaches in the rotation. Each service is livestreamed on YouTube and through the Cleveland Online Church platform, and past services are archived on the church's YouTube channel for those who travel or who want to revisit a message.
Pastors Who Travel the Parish
Good Shepherd is one of three locations in a collaborative parish, and the two pastors alternate between the congregations week by week.
Rev. Stephanie Scovell has served Good Shepherd since July 2020, when she and her husband Jason moved to Northeast Ohio from Texas so Jason could begin a residency at the Cleveland Clinic. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Religion with a minor in Child and Family Studies from Baylor University and a Master of Divinity from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. Before coming to Parma she spent five years as Associate Pastor at Bering Memorial United Methodist Church in Houston, where she restarted the children's and young adult ministries, oversaw local and national missions, wrote liturgy, and launched a dinner church service. Stephanie and Jason have since welcomed two daughters, Hannah and Chloe, into the Good Shepherd family.
Dr. Allan Georgia grew up in a United Methodist family and came to ministry through a varied path that included Taylor University, Methodist Theological School in Ohio, and a PhD in Theology from Fordham University, where he met his wife Clare, a South Euclid native. He spent several years teaching in university settings and working in congregational religious education at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Shaker Heights, where he developed collaborative pastoral skills through four senior minister transitions. He and Clare live in Cleveland Heights with their dachshund Dexter, and he brings to Good Shepherd a love of conversation, guitar, mandolin, and a grace he describes as fearless and reckless.
Two staff members support the church's musical life. Lynn Campbell serves as Choir Director and David Holmberg as Organist.
Children, Youth, and Family Fun Night
Good Shepherd welcomes children throughout the building. Childcare is offered during worship for children from birth through preschool in the nursery on the first floor, off the hallway leading to the sanctuary. During the school year, from the second Sunday in September through the second-to-last Sunday in May, Children's Ministry classes for ages one through fifth grade meet in an interactive format each Sunday. Kindergarten through fifth graders gather upstairs in Room 2 for Sunday School at 9:30 a.m., using the "What's in the Bible" DVD series and related activities.
Inside the 10:30 service, children are invited forward for a Children's Message, and activity bags and children's bulletins are available at the sanctuary entrance. Children in third grade and above may serve as acolytes, helping bring the light of Christ into the sanctuary and back out into the world.
On the third Monday of every month from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m., the church opens its doors for Family Fun Night, a free evening of food, games, and a different theme each month. Open to the community, the night gives families a regular place to connect.
Teens in grades 6 through 12 are part of a re-launched Youth Group that meets once a month after worship for lunch, games, and a conversation designed just for them. The youth group spans all three churches in the collaborative parish, and youth are invited to bring their friends. Service projects and social events are part of the rhythm.
Adult Sunday School and Weekday Studies
Two adult classes meet on Sunday mornings. Sunday School 101, led by Marcia Schroeder, is designed for people new to small groups or returning after a break and meets in the library on the upper level to walk through the basic pieces of the Christian faith. The Friendship Class, led by Monica White in the Stage Room on the lower level, studies current events alongside a curriculum that ties each week's news to a Biblical lesson and discussion. Beyond Sunday morning, Weekday Studies and Groups gather throughout the week for additional Bible study and connection.
For personal devotional life, the church points members to the free YouVersion Bible App for smartphones, tablets, and computers.
Gathering, Growing, and Going
Good Shepherd organizes its life around a three-word motto: Gather, Grow, Go. The Memory Cafe, a program that welcomes people living with memory loss and their caregivers, is one of the church's go-out-into-the-world ministries, alongside Monthly Missions and an annual Mission Trip. A newsletter, archived on Issuu, keeps the congregation informed of upcoming events and stories from the parish.
The church's statement of belief centers on the triune God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - on humanity created in God's image and marred by sin, on salvation as a gift received through Jesus Christ, and on the Bible as the final authority in matters of faith and practice. Salvation, in the church's teaching, is received and kept by the grace and power of God rather than by human self-effort.
Visiting Good Shepherd
First-time visitors will find three parking lots: two on either side of the building and one across Albertly Avenue. Those needing elevator service or handicap parking should use the Forestwood Drive lot. The main entrance is off the Forestwood parking lot, with side entrances also available. Worship begins at 10:30 a.m. and is followed by Adult Sunday School. People wear everything from business casual to jeans to active wear, and no one is expected to give; visitors are asked only to fill out the Connection Card found in the bulletin so the church can be in touch. If a child needs a quieter option, activity bags are at the door and families are always welcome to step into the nursery.
Pastoral appointments can be scheduled by calling 440-884-9090 or emailing the office. Online giving is available, and the church can also be followed on Facebook.