News
Pine Ridge 2019: Opposing emotions and experiences
Monday, June 24 Pine Ridge Blog – Karen Burkhartzmeyer traveling with her twin daughters Megan and Elise As I write this, the sky west of Wings as Eagles has gone…
Read MoreShare your summer travels with #GoodShepRoadtrip
Take God on the Journey This summer we would like to offer you an opportunity for prayer, reflection, and awareness of God’s presence with you on your journeys both near…
Read MoreGodspeed to Eileen Porter
Godspeed, Eileen & Dale Join us in giving thanks to Eileen Porter, who has contributed so much to Good Shepherd over the past few years through her service of music…
Read MorePastor Dara Leaves for Sabbatical
Work & Rest
In late June, Pastor Dara Schuller-Hanson embarked on her first sabbatical, a time where she’ll be able to rest and enrich her relationship with God. Sabbatical is a response to God’s creation, taking a pause, and taking time to be with God. During her six weeks of rest, Pastor Dara will be spending time with her family, studying, and traveling to California for a week-long continuing education workshop at California Lutheran University and the Upper Peninsula for a solo camping trip, where she’ll be able to commune with nature and be in God’s beautiful creation.
Welcome our high school interns to the team!
Thanks to a grant from the Good Shepherd Foundation, this summer we are excited to welcome five high school aged interns to the team! This summer, each intern serve as…
Read MoreMeet the Holy CoW
Feeding our Faith
On Sunday mornings, congregants flood the Madison campus parking lot, eager to get to the week’s worship. Right outside the entrance to greet them is a van and cart, both shrink wrapped to imitate a cartoon cow.
Branded on the side is “The Holy CoW,” or the Church on Wheels. What presents as a food cart is actually a mobile church that also serves food.
In the following months, both congregants and community members will see the Holy CoW in action at local events, providing meals and offering new opportunities to worship.
The CoW aims to explore the intersection between faith and food.
“[The Holy CoW] is a tool that we’re going to use to get out into the community and get outside our four walls to get to build relationships and explore the intersectionality between faith and food,” Pastor Joe Brosious said. “We need to get out there and get the church out to people … where they’re at as opposed to expecting them to come to us. And we really think the CoW will help us to do that in a creative way.”
Food is a great equalizer, Pastor Joe said. Though it may present as a food cart, the Holy CoW is a certified new-start congregation in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America that happens to serve food. A mobile church is a way for Good Shepherd to continue to actively serve the community and meet people where they’re at.
What originally started as a tow vehicle and an empty trailer, has now transformed into a cart with a fully functioning kitchen, complete with a steam table, a convection oven, a fridge, and a panini maker.
The synod took over the cart over a year and a half ago from another congregation, when it was called Table of Joy. To make it Good Shepherd’s own, the church held a naming competition, where the Church on Wheels was submitted. The Holy CoW seemed like a natural progression from there and fit right in with Wisconsin dairy culture.
The CoW has already started the process of debuting in neighborhood. In the coming months, it’ll make appearances with Life 102.5, a Christian radio station, to help with some of their annual fundraisers, different events, farmers markets, and fairs. The CoW will also be holding free meals Thursday nights throughout the summer in and around Meadowood, starting at the church.
So far, the ministry – also known as the Moo Crew – has made appearances at Good Shepherd events, like Vacation Bible School, handing out freeze pops and comfort food.
“People connect through food and we’re used to that as human beings,” Pastor Joe said. “[The Holy CoW] breaks down barriers and allows people to feel like it’s a safe space and approachable and allow the opportunity to have conversations that we would never be able to have from people coming through our doors.”
Want to get involved in the Moo Crew? Contact Pastor Joe or Rick Thomas, or visit us at Holy CoW Ministries.
A trip of encounter: About the 2019 Pine Ridge Reservation trip
Our media intern sat down with Director of Spiritual Programming and Development Sarah Iverson to discuss the 2019 Pine Ridge Reservation trip. Below is the full transcript of their conversation.…
Read MoreWhat is a Columbarium?
A Visible Reminder A columbarium houses urns of cremated ashes. As cremations become more common, Good Shepherd Church built a columbarium at our Verona campus in 2014 to provide a…
Read More‘Our Story’ is live!
From the basement of a parsonage, onward From 1956 on, Good Shepherd has focused on unifying the community. In Good Shepherd’s first sermon ever, Pastor J. Clemmons Peterson celebrated the…
Read MoreJoin Us in Welcoming our Newest Intern to the Team!
Thanks to a grant from the Good Shepherd Foundation, this summer we are excited to welcome a new intern to our staff team! Peyton David, a Journalism student from UW-Madison…
Read MoreLife Mentors Needed for Meadowood Youth
Fun fact: The roots of a 300 foot redwood tree are actually quite shallow, reaching only about 5 feet deep. In order to grow so tall, these trees intertwine roots…
Read MoreIt’s the June 2019 Edition of The Messenger!
The June 2019 issue of Good Shepherd’s monthly newsletter “The Messenger” is now available to read online. Print copies are available at both the Verona and Madison campuses. Have a…
Read MoreShared Leadership at Good Shepherd
We’re All Invited
What does Shared Leadership look like at Good Shepherd? What does it mean when a church isn’t structured like a pyramid – but instead gathers everyone around Jesus? The Shared Vision Task Force has been hard at work to help guide our congregation into a new model of shared leadership at Good Shepherd.
Learn about Thrivent Action Teams at Good Shepherd
Hello from Good Shepherd’s Thrivent Action Team Consultant! Thrivent Action Teams are an exciting and easy way for you to make an impact on your favorite ministries. It’s not a…
Read MoreRead the May 2019 Edition of the Messenger
The May 2019 issue of Good Shepherd’s monthly newsletter “The Messenger” is now available to read online. Print copies are available at both the Verona and Madison campuses. Have a…
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