Author: Leigh Pogue

We are pleased to report that the congregation of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church has agreed to begin to formally negotiate a leasing agreement for our new home with the Garden City United Methodist Church.  This decision was reached as a result of a vote taken at our Special Congregational Meeting on Sunday, April 19^th in which the motion presented by the Council to move to the Garden City location was approved by a vote of 38 to 10. 

The Transition Coordination Team is continuing to work with our volunteers to implement the plan for vacating our current property, the disposition of all things that will not be needed in the new space and the packing/moving of items that will go with us to our new home.

The Congregational Council has also determined in their meeting last evening, which space would be our preferred proprietary space at Garden City.  The council selected “Option 1”.  While not everyone has had a chance to see the space, you may find reference to it on the video tour that was made available last week. We are grateful to the people of the Garden City United Methodist Church for their graciousness and generosity during our consideration of the options.

There are many details to be worked out including the planning of our closing worship service at our current location and our physical move into the new one.  At this time, no date has been set.  We will continue to keep you informed as new information becomes available.

This has been quite a journey for our congregation – both leaders and members – and there is still much to be done!  We are grateful for everyone’s continued support of our church, and we look forward to walking together in this next step of our faith life.  

The Council updated the congregation following the worship service on Sunday, April 5^th of the following information regarding the transition.

Property Sale – While we have not received a formal notice from the buyer of our property, we have been informed that they will be looking to schedule a closing date in the very near future.  A closing date will need to be negotiated between the parties and we will keep you informed as new information becomes available.

New Home for GSLC – The Council announced that there will be two congregational meetings in the next two weeks re: our new location;

• Congregational Information Meeting on Sunday, April 12^th after the worship service.  At this meeting the Council will share information re: their recommendation to lease space for worship, office, classroom, meeting and fellowship at a local non-Lutheran Church in Monroeville.
• Special Congregational Meeting on Sunday, April 19^th after the worship service to vote on the motion that the Council will make to lease the space identified above.

A fact sheet is being prepared and will be sent to all members of record this week with more details about the arrangements.  Copies will also be available at the meeting on the 12^th.

There are many details to be worked out, and it is likely our members and friends will have many questions regarding the arrangements.  There will be a Q&A at the Informational Meeting.  The lease would be for facilities and space; we would continue to maintain our own programs, worship and identity as an ELCA Lutheran Church in Monroeville.

Please watch for more information in the coming days and weeks!

As the Lenten season is well underway, the Altar Guild is making preparations for the festival of Easter. You are invited to join in the adornment of our sanctuary for Easter Sunday by purchasing flowers in honor or memory of a loved one. Flower orders are due by March 15th.

You can choose from a variety of flower types, sizes and colors including lilies, tulips, hyacinths, azaleas and a spring combo. Order forms are available in the church narthex and office. Help us to fill our sanctuary with the beauty of spring and the joy of the resurrection!

The responsibility of the Church Council is to lead the direction and vision of our church on behalf of the congregation. This is an important calling, and we are grateful for those who have stepped forward to serve in this role.

Our newly elected officers are:

President – John Lowe

Vice President – Matt O’Donnell

Secretary – Cathy Holm

Financial Secretary – Steve Smith

Treasurer – David Pogue

In addition, we welcome two members to Council, Cathy Holm and Carol Rader.

We thank each of the individuals on the 2026 GSLC Council and to our new officers for their continued commitment to the leadership of our church family.

The following message was shared with the congregation on Sunday, February 22, 2026.

In late September 2025, the Council communicated that Sampson Morris Group (the buyer for our property) offered to investigate, at their expense, the feasibility of moving the Parish House to the portion of the property that they do not intend to use.  A representative from Sampson Morris has recently informed us that while they believe it is structurally possible to move the building, the cost for the move including required renovations to make the space suitable to serve as our future home would be close to $1.5 million.   The cost would include the moving of the structure, a full walk-out basement and a completed parking area.  In addition, the estimate assumes needed renovations to include first floor bathrooms, new windows, kitchen, a new heating and cooling system, doors and other necessary improvements.

The Council carefully considered this option, however, after discussion concluded that this would not be a prudent financial decision for the longer-term viability of the congregation.  In order to effectively support the annual operating budget for the next several years, we need to invest a larger amount of the proceeds of the sale of the property.

While the Council was disappointed that this option did not turn out to be viable we are confident that we will find a suitable space for the Good Shepherd to continue its ministry and we are anxious to move forward with the other options that are still available to us. 

We will be actively pursuing the other two options that we shared previously:

• To rent commercial space in Monroeville that can be modified to serve the needs of worship, office, classroom and meeting space.
• To rent space from an existing, non-Lutheran, church in the Monroeville area for worship, office, classroom and meeting space.

As a reminder, per our agreement, the Sampson Morris due diligence period will expire on February 12, 2027.  It is still expected that we will need to vacate our buildings sometime between now and then – the specific date remains uncertain.  We will need to continue the transition work to clean out our buildings and prepare for the move.

We appreciate the congregation’s continued patience and support of your Council and the ministries of the Good Shepherd.

John Lowe                                                      Matt O’Donnell

GSLC Council President                                  GSLC Council Vice President

The season of Lent is upon us and we will be holding the following events to mark Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Ashes to Go – Between 11:30 am-1:30 pm – Come and receive ashes and prayer in the parking lot in front of the church in your car (or on foot should you choose).

Worship with Holy Communion and Imposition of Ashes – 7:00 pm

Join us for a Souper Bowl Sunday celebration of food and fellowship on Sunday, February 8, immediately following worship.

After the final “amen,” we’ll head to the fellowship hall for a winning lineup of soup, bread, and dessert. As part of our game plan, we’ll also be collecting canned goods and other donations to support those in need—because sharing is always a winning play.

Everyone is invited to come to the table, enjoy the meal, and be part of a truly souper afternoon of generosity and community. The lunch will be provided by our Sunday School families and the Education Committee.

Please sign up on the posting in the narthex or contact the church office so we can plan for a full house. We hope you’ll join us for this great team effort!

The Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Monroeville is offering a box of traditional food items for Thanksgiving.  Food boxes will include items like stuffing mix, instant mashed potatoes, canned vegetables and dessert mixes.  Anyone interested in picking up a Thanksgiving food box should contact the church office at 412-372-2934 during business hours to arrange pick-up. We are located at 4503 Old William Penn Highway, Monroeville, PA.

Boxes will be available November 24, 25, 26 from 9 am – 1pm.

Monroeville United Methodist Church (MUM) will host a FREE MARKET on November 22, 8 am-2 pm. The Neighbors Helping Neighbors Free Market will include household items, small furniture, décor, kitchenware, small kitchen appliances, toys, and more which will be free to anyone in need of these items. It will NOT include clothing or electronics (such as computers, TVs, etc.). Everything will be in good, usable condition. The MUM church is located at 219 Center Road, Monroeville, PA 15146; phone is 412-372-7474.

If you or anyone you know is in need of such items, please check out the Free Market event on November 22nd. If you have items to donate (see list above), they can be received at Monroeville United Methodist Church from November 9th through the 19th; Sunday mornings or Monday-Thursday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Items should be left at the Church library near the back door.