Spreading the Word.

Witness is the work the church does to reach out to our members and the surrounding community with the good news of what Christ is doing among us. In that way, we hope those we touch may experience God's forgiveness, find acceptance in our Christian fellowship and become involved in the various ministries of The Church of the Good Shepherd.

One might describe us as the marketing branch of the church because we "publicize" the church and its events in the yellow pages, the newspaper and on the radio and maintain the church's Web site and publish the church newsletter. Perhaps you've seen our changing signs if you drive by on Hunter Mill Road. But there's a BIG difference! We're NOT salesmen! What we have to offer, the news that you are the beloved of God and that he welcomes you into his Christian community, is NOT FOR SALE! It's been PREPAID and so to all of us, IT'S FREE! And it's NOT a limited time offer where "some exceptions apply." It's good for all time. So, when you're ready, we hope you'll accept our invitation to visit our Christian community and hear the Good News first hand. It's the kind of welcome news that everyone needs to hear.

Some of the things we do:

Visitor Carnations   Visitor Gifts   Brochuress

Newcomer's Class

Attendance   Lenten Devotional   GoodShepherdVA.com

Visitor Carnations

We welcome visitors during each of our Sunday services and present them with a carnation.

Visitor Gifts

Shortly after a visitor attends our church for the first time and signs in on the teal attendance pad, we deliver a gift of Virginia honey to the visitor's home.

Brochures

We have created a number of brochures for the church that describe the many activities and opportunities at the church. A color brochure that provides an overview and includes photographs is available in the information kiosk and also is mailed to first-time visitors with a letter from our pastor.

In addition, we have individual brochures on our various ministries, a "For More Information" brochure, a "History" brochure as well as a brochure called "Frequently Asked Questions" that answers questions about joining the church. These brochures are available in the information kiosk, and they are delivered to first-time visitors in a special folder.

Newcomer's Class

Whether you are just beginning your faith journey or are curious about the mission and programs of The Church of the Good Shepherd, you are invited to attend a series of Newcomer's Classes led by Pastor Mark Burgess. Topics include the history, theological roots, organization and missional understanding of the United Methodist Church. Classes are scheduled for:

NEXT NEWCOMERS SERIES TBD

Please call the church office at 703-281-3987 to reserve a spot and to request childcare for any of the three evening classes.

Attendance

We keep attendance records for two purposes:

One is that we get information on both first-time visitors and repeat visitors. Their attendance is recorded.

Second we keep attendance records on members and regular attendees. The primary purpose is to determine who is not attending so that they can be contacted to see if they have any problem that the church can help with.

Lenten Devotional

Once again, the Witness Committee spearheaded the creation of a Lenten devotional booklet, made up of writings and drawings by our members. This year's and all previous versions are available on our website. The Devotional features daily devotionals from Ash Wednesday through Easter.

This year marks our eighth Lenten devotional booklet. "Writing and distributing a Lenten devotional has become an important part of our ministry," said Dr. James R. Noland, former pastor at Good Shepherd, in his opening letter in the 2003 booklet.

The booklet is mailed to all of our members, as well as 25,000 neighbors. Additional copies are sent to ministries supported by the church, including a local nursing home, a women's shelter, a family shelter and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Additional printed copies are available at the church, or by sending $1 to: Lenten Devotional, The Church of the Good Shepherd, 2351 Hunter Mill Rd., Vienna, VA 22181.

GoodShepherdVA.com

Our web site, www.GoodShepherdVA.com, which we have had online since 1996, is a vital way to communicate with our church and its many activities to those outside our church walls as well as to members of the congregation. It was originally created by Merv Norton and is now maintained by Dana Bain.

We are frequently changing the content on our website. If you would like to get involved in the care and feeding of the web site, e-mail us.