WORSHIP TIMES
Sunday 10:00 AM – Holy Eucharist
Wednesday 6:00 PM - Holy Eucharist

Much of the following timeline was taken from the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd booklet "Building for Tomorrow: A Dedication" (1990).

12 Dec 1897 Formal organization of a Sunday School at 17 Clark Street, which became Advent Lutheran Church
6 Feb 1899 Church services were conducted at Clark Street location by The Rev. Charles E. Haupt of Grace Lutheran Church.
21 Oct 1899 Formal organization of the congregation under the name Advent Lutheran Church, with The Rev. John W. Hassler, D.D., who served as first pastor until 1901.
28 July 1900
28 Oct 1900
Groundbreaking and cornerstone laying, respectively, of Advent at 969 East Orange Street
20 Oct 1901 The Dauphin Terrace Sunday School opened with 37 persons. Organized by The Rev. Jacob Darmstaetter, who served as the first pastor until 1904.
27 Nov 1901 Dedication of Advent Lutheran Church, Orange Street.
9 June 1902
13 July 1902
Groundbreaking and cornerstone laying, respectively, at 545 Freiburg Street between Green and Dauphin Streets for first St. Mark's building
11 Sep 1902 Official organization of St. Mark's as a congregation.
5 Oct 1902 Dedication of St. Mark's Lutheran Church (Freiburg Street became Pershing Avenue after WWI).
3 Apr 1903 St. Mark's is admitted to the Ministerium of Pennsylvania.
13 July 1930
28 Sep 1930
Groundbreaking and cornerstone laying, respectively, of St. Mark's building at East End Avenue and South Ann Street
13 Jun 1931 Dedication of St. Mark's Lutheran Church
1958 The Rev. John. W. Kammerer is called as Pastor, St. Mark's.
1965 The Rev. Theodore F. Schneider, D.D., called as Pastor, Advent
Fall 1966 Meeting at Advent at the request of the Board of Home Missions to discuss the growth of eastern suburban Lancaster and the effectiveness of existing parishes in the ministry.
29 Jun 1969 Advent congregation approves site at Pitney and Hempstead Roads (now Greenfield Road).
Sep 1970 Pastor Kammerer (St. Mark's) accepts a call to Muddy Creek Lutheran Church, Adamstown, Pennsylvania, and Pastor Schneider supplies St. Mark's as Interim Pastor.
10 Jan 1971 The two congregations merge as Advent/St. Mark's Lutheran Church, effective 30 May 1971, with Pastor Schneider as Senior Pastor.
21 May 1972 The name "The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd" (LCGS) was adopted by the merged congregation.
16 Jul 1972
Oct 1972
Groundbreaking service and construction begins, respectively.
Mar 1973 The Rev. Larry H. Louder is called as Assistant Pastor.
29 Apr 1973 Cornerstone laying of the LCGS
28 Oct 1973 LCGS building on Hempstead Road opens.
Apr 1974
12 Jun 1974
Sculptor Alois Lidauer arrives from Salzburg, Austria, commissioned to create a statue of Jesus, The Good Shepherd. The statue is completed and placed on a pedestal in front of LCGS, respectively.
13 Oct 1974 Dedication of the statue of the Good Shepherd.
31 Jul 1986 Pastors Schneider and Louder accept call to St. Luke's Lutheran Church, Silver Spring, Maryland
1 Mar 1987 The Rev. Gerald A. Spice is installed as LCGS's Senior Pastor.
1 Nov 1987 The Rev. Timothy Bettger is installed as Associate Pastor, serving until 1991.
8 Jan 1989 LCGS votes to enlarge church building
22 Feb 1989 LCGS Council votes to seek a full-time church musician to be responsible for all aspects of music in the parish, and on 1 Aug 1989 Mr. Scott Weidler begins service as Cantor.
6 May 1990 Dedication of enlarged LCGS building
Nov 1994 The Rev. Mark L. Russell begins his call as Associate Pastor. In 1997 the congregation called him as Pastor, and Pastor Spice and Pastor Russell served as co-pastors.

15 Aug 1996

Mr. Mark Mummert is named Cantor and serves until the end of June 1999.
Jun 1999 Pastor Spice accepts a call to Louisville, Kentucky, and Pastor Russell becomes Senior Pastor.
14 Jan 2001 The Rev. Dr. E. Gordon Ross is installed as Assistant Pastor, serving until December, 2005, and Donna Mull is installed as Director of Lay Ministries, serving until 2003.
20 Oct 2001 The Rev. Marilyn Witte is installed as Associate Pastor to serve as Cantor. Rev. Witte served until retirement in January 2018.
10 Feb 2002 Dedication of the Memorial Garden cross created by Mr. George Mummert, Millersville University. (Later he also created a matching processional cross.)
Nov 2003 One Vision, One Voice appeal begins, for new organ and renovations resulting in 15 years of capital appeals.
8 Mar 2004 Contract with Dobson Organ Builders signed.
1 Oct 2004 The Rev. Clifton D. Eshbach is installed as Associate Pastor, serving until April 2009.
27 Dec 2005 - 28 Apr 2006 Congregation worships in Fellowship Hall During Renovations.
29 Apr 2006 First service in renovated nave.
September 2006 Dobson Organ opus 83 dedicated
January 2010 The Rev. Win Devonshire begins serving as Assistant pastor, serving until May 2013.
April 2011 Malinda Clatterbuck fills the newly created position of Director of Family Ministries, serving until August 2013.
May 2013 A new vision statement is adopted:  The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd is committed to living out the unconditional love and radical hospitality of Jesus in our worship, in our service to the world and in our shared life.
Fall 2013 A complete renovation of the main bathrooms takes place
May 2015 The Shepherd’s Crook Café opens in the building
June 2015 A new governing structure is put in place, aligned with our vision statement.

16 Aug 2018

Mr. Christopher Prestia begins serving as Cantor.

1 Feb 2020 

The Rev. Carla Christopher Wilson begins her call as the Associate Pastor for Faith Formation and Outreach, serving until February 2022.

15 Mar 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitates the closing of the building and worship and other activities move online.

18 Jul 2020

The first of several outdoor worship services are held in the parking lot.

23 May 2021

We celebrate our 50th anniversary by way of mailing reminder gifts throughout the year.

1 Aug 2021

Following CDC guidelines, the church is once again opened for indoor services and other activities.

25 Jan 2023

After more than 28 years, Pastor Russell announces his plans to retire, with his last Sunday being July 23, 2023.

30 April 2023

Pastor Schneider returns to preach for a delayed 50th anniversary Day of Celebration.

23 July 2023

Pastor Russell retires.

20 August 2023

Pastor Strause begins his time as Intentional Interim Pastor as the congregation starts the call process for a new pastor.