Beginning
Good Shepherd Baptist Church officially began July 29, 1984. Temple Baptist Church of Omaha served as official sponsor for this newest church plant in west Omaha’s expanding neighborhoods.
Thirty-one people attended Good Shepherd’s first Sunday service—most of these relatives and well-wishers. From that humble beginning to the present day, God has faithfully continued to bring people into the church and to use them for gospel ministry and outreach.
The founding pastor and his wife held Wednesday evening services for a few weeks in their home. There, the congregation chose officers and Sunday school teachers and decided where to hold services. In the beginning, they conducted morning church services at the Cottonwood Elementary School and evening services in a church family’s home. During these services, they crafted the church constitution and covenant. Later, when funds allowed, they rented Cottonwood Elementary for all the Sunday services, but some members continued to host the Wednesday evening Bible studies until the church building was built.
Official Recognition, New Building
When the church became an officially recognized Baptist church March 13, 1987, fifteen charter members signed the roll. Area pastors led the service. Sixty-one people attended. The General Association of Regular Baptist Churches welcomed Good Shepherd Baptist Church into the fellowship on June 24, 1987 at its annual Bible conference, which was held in Ames, Iowa that year.
The congregation began plans for a new building. They located a plot of ground on the corner of 169th & Pacific Streets—a cornfield at the time. The congregation held a ground-breaking celebration on that cornfield on October 18, 1987, and joyfully dedicated the new facility on May 22, 1988. Many in the congregation helped with the new structure’s finish work.
Celebrating Twenty-five Years
Our congregation praises God for the three pastors who have served us over the past twenty-five years (and counting). Today we count ourselves blessed with a pastor and teachers who love the Word of God, with families who care for each other, for the people in the congregation who give of their time and resources to build each other up.
It is our job faithfully to communicate Bible truth and gospel truth to our children...in the words of Psalm 78:4–7 (NKJV)....
We will not hide them from their children,
Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD,
And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.
For He established a testimony in Jacob,
And appointed a law in Israel,
Which He commanded our fathers,
That they should make them known to their children;
That the generation to come might know them,
The children who would be born,
That they may arise and declare them to their children,
That they may set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments.