What We Believe

Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church is a family of imperfect people united by faith in a perfect savior. By God’s grace, we are a church that is ROOTED in the gospel of Jesus Christ, that REFLECTS his kingdom, and that REACHES our city.

We are a church united by faith in Jesus

No matter our background, ethnicity, income, status, political affiliations, or age, we find unity on the basis of our shared weakness and need for the mercy and love of God in the person of Jesus Christ, his life, death, and resurrection. (Romans 3; Philippians 2)

We are a church ROOTED in the Gospel

We strive to know the God who cares for us. Every page of Scripture points us to God’s passionate pursuit and love of messy, broken people and his plan to bring redemption and restoration through the cross of Christ. We want that good news to permeate everything that we are at Good Shepherd. (Psalm 1, Romans 12, Philippians 2, 2 Tim. 3:16-17)

We are a church who REFLECTS His kingdom

We care about and embody what God cares about. We will be a church and a people in the world but not of the world. Our church is to reflect the values and ethics of the Kingdom of God over and above all else. God’s Kingdom values weakness and humility over power and pride. God’s kingdom values ethnic, socio-economic, racial, and generational diversity over comfortable uniformity. God’s kingdom values love of our enemies and care for “even the least of these.” (Matthew 5-7; Matthew 25:45; John 13:35; Galatians 3:26-29)

We are a church who REACHES our city

We care for and seek the good of the community and the city God has given us. In short, we believe the gospel compels us outward, beyond the walls of our church building in pursuit of mercy, justice, and compassion. (Jeremiah 29:7; Matthew 28; 1 Pet. 3:13-16)

We are a member of the PCA

As part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) our beliefs can be found more fully represented in the Westminster Confession of Faith, as well as the Westminster Larger and Shorter Catechisms.

Our Mission

To know Jesus and make him known in Normaltown, Athens, and the world.

Our mission is the simplest possible statement of how we will accomplish our vision. In order to stay rooted, to reflect, and to reach, we will strive to know Jesus above all else. The cross will be central to who we are and how we live and love. Furthermore, the cross is what we will preach and promote as we go out into our spheres of influence: our homes, our neighborhoods, our schools, our places of work, etc.