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Our History and Special Events A Welcome Message for YOU from Pastor Galen
Thanks for clicking on our church’s website.
As you search We welcome any comments and questions about our
God, church, and ministry, and I will personally respond back to you or
forward your requests or questions to As you read about our church’s ministries, you
might come across We use Here at HOTS we
believe that I
know your deeds, that you are nei
(Revelation 3:15-16) I’ll never forget how Pastor John Nunes
paraphrased that verse at a conference I attended: “A lukewarm Christian
(I’d
add ‘and Christian church’)
can’t tell a cold world about a hell that’s hot and a God that’s
good!” There’s no
doubt that HOTS – HEART OF THE SHEPHERD (as well as every o May we GLOW with
1. Being a Bible-based, praying church 2. Seeking and reaching new disciples 3. Developing love and compassion 4. Strengthening families 5. Modeling effective servant-leadership 6. Offering innovative, culturally relevant ministries for our community 7. Celebrating dynamic, meaningful, Christ centered worship 8. Growing and mobilizing disciples by spiritual gifts 9. Expanding a network of Tender Loving Care (TLC) Cell Groups 10. Planting new churches
GO with passionate, Spirit-given power
The Shepherd's HEART of love and compassion
Heart of the Shepherd’s Vision: As you travel down Burkhart Road just south of the I-96 Exit 133, a large heart attached to a cross catches your eyes and draws your attention to Heart of Shepherd Lutheran Church’s campus. Closer examination reveals that the cross with the heart on it is unique in nature with its vertical beam extended and curved to resemble a shepherd’s staff. This shepherd’s cross with the heart stands directly next to the colorful sign welcoming people to Heart of the Shepherd’s Family Life Center which also serves as its Worship Center as well as housing its quality Child Development Center. The well-positioned signs along the driveway direct you to the main entrance of the Family Life Center. The massive, attractive, outdoor playground equipment located by the south wing of the building complex and the athletic fields serve as a visual display of Heart of the Shepherd Lutheran Church’s commitment to the total development of families and to the community. As you pull into one of the dozen RESERVED FOR OUR GUESTS parking spots, you can’t help but notice the large arrow that points one in the direction of the groomed Nature Trail that weaves its way throughout the wooded portion of the property, connecting with the paved portion of the trail at the outdoor pavilion that serves as a place for special events and activities Entering the Family Life Center, you are drawn to the Information Station with the church’s motto carved into its front panel with bold burgundy letters – The Shepherd’s Heart of love and compassion Empowers our hearts and lives and church for Christlike action. Directly behind the Information Station is a large sign identifying the entrance to the Family Life-Worship Center, a large gymnasium-styled room used for church and community activities during the week and as the Worship Center on the weekends. To the right is a Ministry Wing where the offices and work areas for the ministry staff are located. To the left is the Child Development Center Wing used for the child care ministry as well as the location for the many meetings and educational and community offerings for all ages throughout the week. A person at the Information Desk welcomes you and asks how he/she may assist you and offers you a Guest Packet of information with a floor plan of the Center, pictures of the ministry leaders and their areas of responsibilities, and descriptions of the various inter-generational church/community programs and activities offered at the Center. You’re invited to read over the Guest Packet’s material in the Center’s mini café and to help yourself to a nutritious drink and healthy snack. It’s very apparent as you page through the information that here is a Bible-based place designed to strengthen the whole family, from infants thru seniors. Besides the weekend worship celebrations offered on different days and times, Tender Loving Care (TLC) cell groups, support groups, and Bible Study opportunities on a variety of topics exist throughout the week at the Center and in homes and restaurants and businesses scattered around the community. The number of wholesome activities for preschool, elementary thru senior high, and young adults reinforces HOTS’ (Heart of the Shepherd’s) commitment to the youth of the community. The many recreational and musical offerings for the church and community…the available service projects and short term mission opportunities offer you and your family, not only a place for fun and fellowship, but also a chance to get involved in doing something of significance – touching the hearts and lives of others. A tour of the facility and the introduction to a number of the young people, parents, and ministry staff, affirm in your heart that Heart of the Shepherd Lutheran Church is a church with a heart for you, your family and the community. Leaving the Family Center, your eyes can’t help but notice the large lettering above the exit doors expressing the mission of Heart of the Shepherd: GO - with passionate, Spirit-given power – AND MAKE DISCIPLES By boldly speaking, living, and loving God’s Word Into the hearts and lives of others.
HISTORY of Heart of the Shepherd
An early picnic at the property where the new Sanctuary will be built Under the leadership of Rev. Paul Werner, Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church (our "mother congregation") in Brighton, MI set out in 1998 to define their Christ centered vision of the future. Recognizing the population growth rate occurring in Livingston County, one of the challenges accepted by Shepherd of the Lakes was to give birth to a "daughter congregation". This "daughter congregation" became Heart of the Shepherd Lutheran Church. Planning began in September 1999 with the formation of a team to evaluate the demographics and logistics of establishing a congregation. This process resulted in choosing the West Howell / Fowlerville area as the prime location. During the ensuing three years we set out to locate a temporary place for worship, to obtain land for a permanent site for our congregation and to secure a pastor to lead our efforts.
Preparing for one of the first organizational meetings at LESA The Livingston Educational Services Agency is graciously allowing us to use the L.E.S.A. building as a temporary worship location. We have secured eighteen acres of land at 228 N. Burkhart Rd. for our permanent church location and in February 2002 Rev. Galen Grulke became our Pastor.
Pastor Galen Grulke Under
Pastor Galen's leadership we conducted a telephone and direct mailing campaign
to locate people searching for a church home. With God's blessing and
Don Rietsch has the cross ready in his woodshop...just needs to add the heart. The New Cross with Pastor Ruhl, Patti & Pastor Galen on Charter Sunday
Charter Sunday-The Heart of the Shepherd Family
Leslie Bates & Brenda Herndon holding the New Charter
Ground-Breaking/Land
Blessing Reflecting on the special events of the weekend, Pastor Galen commented, “Our Great God blessed us with beautiful weather for this special occasion for our mission church. To reflect on how God has blessed us in our brief history (Heart of the Shepherd will be celebrating its 2nd Anniversary in September) is truly amazing and humbling. We believe that our amazing God will use our soon-to-be-constructed multi-purpose mission headquarters to bless the families in our community as we offer a variety of activities and events designed to strengthen families. It’s exciting being a part of this growing community and a church committed to grow with it and determined to discover the needs in our community and do what it takes to help meet those needs. That’s one of the reasons why we’ve planned to incorporate in our Phase I facility the space to offer a quality, Christian Child Care Center next summer on this environmentally attractive twenty-acre piece of property we call our Promised Land. We want to help meet the needs of those families searching for quality, Christian child care and before and after school care.” What a joy is was for Heart of the
Shepherd to have Ron Steinke from Church Extension Fund recently inform this new
mission church that CEF was going to partner with them in the financing of their
new facility. This new mission church is also very grateful for the
financial support of the Michigan District’s Mission Department, its How soon Heart of the Shepherd’s
Phase I Multi-Purpose Family Life/ Worship/
Members
of Heart of the
People gather for the
Ground-Breaking worship celebration under the tent.
"Let's Break Ground, People!"
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for
you!"
