ABOUT US
Welcome to Good Shepherd
People end up at Good Shepherd all kinds of ways, but we’re glad that you’re here. We hope you have a good experience at our church, but even more, we hope that by participating in our community you’ll come to realize how much God loves you, and how much he wants you to participate in his beautiful Kingdom.
Worship Services Times
8:00 AM
Worship with Communion
9:15 AM
Sunday School
10:25 AM
Worship Service
Rev. Denman Frazer
Email: gsumcbrodenman_comcast.net
I have been the Senior Pastor at GSUMC since June of 2007. I am delighted to serve here in this capacity. This is a warm, caring, friendly group of Christians who love the Lord, love each other and love reaching out to people in need. The benchmark of this church is the open and receptive atmosphere that is lived out as the community of faithful Christians striving to make a difference in this community and the world. It is a great opportunity to be a part of something very special and dynamic. From children to youth to church music to multiple outreach programs to study and prayer groups this is a church on the move, active and alive. These are just some of the reasons I love being here, there are many, many more.
I have been an ordained minister since 1983 when I joined the Tennessee Annual Conference following graduation from Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Since then I have served local churches in Smith, Dekalb, Putnam, Maury, and Davidson counties prior to being assigned here. I served four years as a Chaplain for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. I also served churches in Giles County as a student and in Georgia while a seminarian. I have had the privilege of serving great Christian witnesses across the years. It is especially true here at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church.
I am a firm believer in family. My wife of 30 years is Laura whose main hobby is four horses she keeps on our small farm in Wilson County. She has taken up Stamping and is most carried away with it. She likes all types of crafts, flowers and is a mighty good cook although she doesnt get much time to cook these days. She is an X-Ray Technician at the V.A. Hospital in Murfreesboro by profession.
Laura and I have two grown sons, Will and Chris. Will graduated from Martin Methodist College in May 2009 with a degree in Nursing. He has moved to Atlanta, GA to participate in a Nursing Residency Program at the Piedmont Hospital in Buckhead, GA. Chris is a Senior in the Nursing Program at MTSU and is scheduled to graduate in May of 2011. They both love the outdoors and have lots of friends and fun. They especially like being involved in outreach opportunities such as the Room In The Inn program or Community Care Fellowship.
My hobbies include riding motorcycles, hunting, attending auctions and football, football, and more football. I also enjoy working on our farm and piddlin' in my shop.
The aspect of church life that I love most is people. I love what I do. Preaching, teaching, visiting the hospitals and health care facilities, meeting with church groups and looking for ways that we can meaningfully serve God and be better disciples. You will see many different ways to be in ministry through this church as you review this website. What cannot be experienced on a website is the genuine love and care this congregation lives out each time we gather. I hope you will come to experience this firsthand and be a part of this caring community of believers.
Gavin is a youth ministry veteran of over 15 years, a digital community builder, monastic misfit, hack photographer, computer geek, guy, husband, dad, church communicator, dog owner, social media participant anthropologist, internet community builder, speaker, & bill payer.
He has had articles, books, cdroms, photography, and interviews published through the UpperRoom, United Methodist Publishing House, Circuit Rider, Youth Ministry Today, United Methodist Reporter, UMC.org, and more. Gavin is a featured blogger for Patheos, and currently writing a business book called "Sticky Sheep."
email: gavoweb_gmail.com
Brittany Ramage
I joined the staff at GSUMC as the Children's Director in October of 2007. I absolutely love serving the Lord and his children here. From the first Sunday we attended we felt like part of the family and that meant the world to us. We are blessed by God everyday and we feel that Good Shepherd is just one of those many great and wonderful blessings God has given us.
I hail from the big city of Paducah, KY and have lived there most of my life. I attended Lambuth University where I majored in elementary education and then attended Murray State University where I received my masters in education. I taught school for three years in the Livingston County school system and prior to moving to Tennessee I worked at Broadway United Methodist Church in Paducah, as the youth minister. Michael and I found ourselves in Nashville after he accepted a promotion within his company, Connected Nation. He promotes broadband and technology throughout the state of Tennessee by working with government, business, education, and other organizations within each community. We have a two daughters, Shelby and Sydney and also a four legged daughter, our dog, Bailee.
I believe that teaching and ministering to children and their families is a very important mission God has given me. I feel that God has placed a call on my heart to work with children and strengthen their faith. I was very fortunate as a child to receive a well rounded Christian education. I want to give back a portion of what was given to me. I believe children are our future and my desire is to build for them an environment where they can grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
My daily prayer is that God will bless the childrens ministry at Good Shepherd beyond measure.
May the Lord Bless You and Keep You Always.
Email Brittany: brittpoohbear_yahoo.com
The Music at Good Shepherd is really evolving and growing. There are lots of oportunities to be involved!
My Name is Vaughn Skow, contemporary music coordinator at Good Shepherd. I believe that music is a wonderful gift that God gave us; the least we can do is to use that gift to worship him. Music is powerful, spiritual, and it's also a bunch of fun. I would love to help you find the right fit in the music mix here at Good Shepherd. Some of our music is of the traditional style, while other music is contemporary and rockin'. So, if you
are looking to sing in a traditional choir,
or play electric guitar in a band,
You're in the right place!
We Love Tecnology ... but we also know when to turn it off.
From high-tech to no-tech, we never forget who we are praising!
Choral Music Director Nancy Slaughter lives in East Nashville and is Associate Professor of Music at Volunteer State College in Gallatin, where she has been on faculty for 12 years. She teaches voice, music theory ear training, music appreciation and Vol State Singers.
Ms. Slaughter holds degrees from Austin Peay State University and George Peabody College. Further studies include the Tanglewood Festival, Lennox, Massachusetts, and the American Institute of Musical Studies, Graz, Austria. She has coached with Margo Garrett, John Wustman, Roland Hadju, Budapest, Hungary and Robert Hiller, Stuttgart, Germany. Masterclasses include: Dalton Baldwin, Jessye Norman, Nico Castel, and Shirley Verrett. In May 2010, she was one of forty American Community College Professors participating in a faculty exchange program with The Netherlands.
She has a love of animals, to include her beloved horse, Magellan, and has worked with animal rescue and welfare groups all of her adult life. If she is not at church or school, she is probably at the farm in Portland riding.
Emily Bastien
My name is Emily A. Bastien and I feel so blessed to be serving the Lord here at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church. My husband, Art, and I watched the construction of this church and before our first visit to Knox Doss School, where services were being held, we decided we wanted it to be our church. We became members on opening day, June 16, 1996.
Good Shepherd has been my life since that date. I volunteered my services in the office, assisting with many duties. This led to the position of Programs Secretary one day a week. For six years I held a most rewarding position as assistant coordinator of weddings contributing ways and means to make every couples day, special in every way.
Since August of 1996 I have been serving as the Bookkeeper and eventually to the Financial Secretary offering my past experiences as the Manager of Operations at Citibank in Buffalo, New York. Words can not express this opportunity given to me to serve God and Good Shepherd with my talents.
Email Emily: gsumcemilyb_comcast.net
Rob Kirpatrick
Church Instrumentalist
Brenda Walden
Wedding Coordinator
Call Brenda for more information. Phone 615-944-4536
Email: bptwvols_aol.com
The Story of Good Shepherd United Methodist Church
In 1962 a group met at a home on Shepherd Hills Drive in Madison for the purpose of beginning a Methodist Church in the area now known as Rivergate. A membership was formed under the name of Shepherd Hills Methodist Church and continued to meet in the home until a worship facility could be built. The Koellein family (Marsha Morley’s family) sold the new church some property at the corner of Shepherd Hills Drive and Gallatin Road for $1.00. Groundbreaking for the church was on August 4, 1963, and members moved into their new building on March 22, 1964. Ten years after moving into the new building, the church debt was paid in full and members celebrated with a note burning ceremony on June 30, 1974.
Pastors who served at Shepherd Hills Methodist Church:
Ray Wiggins (first pastor), E.U. Robinson, David Comperry (Interim Pastor)
In 1968 the General Conference added United to the name of all Methodist Churches after the merger with the EUB denomination. The following pastors served Shepherd Hills United Methodist Church:
John Williams, Dennis Parks, Clark Flatt, Ken Whittaker, Neal Glass, Earl Goodwin, Russell Lindsey
In 1989 another group of people who were interested in beginning a church in the Shackle Island community of Hendersonville began meeting at Beech High School. Good Shepherd United Methodist Church was organized and continued to meet at the high school until May 1991, when the members of Good Shepherd and Shepherd Hills United Methodist Churches voted to merge under the name of Good Shepherd United Methodist Church. Membership of the merged congregations totaled 91.
The new body of Good Shepherd United Methodist Church met in the church building at the corner of Shepherd Hills Drive and Gallatin Road until 1994 when building and property were sold for $1.2 million. The church then began meeting at Knox Doss Middle School (now Merrol Hyde Magnet School) in Hendersonville and remained there until May 1996, when they celebrated the grand opening of their new church building at its current location, 525 New Shackle Island Road. Another celebration was held in September 2004 when the church celebrated the groundbreaking for a Christian Life Center, which was opened in August 2005.
To date the following pastors have served at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church:
Russell Lindsey
Allen Weller
Rob Dunbar (assistant pastor)
Denman Frazer (currently serving)
Mission Statement
"The mission of the Good Shepherd United Methodist Church is to worship God and make disciples through inviting, nurturing, equipping and deploying."
-Affirmed January 23, 2010
Invite Nurture Equip Deploy
What is the purpose of the Endowment Fund?
The Endowment Fund was created and exists solely for the purpose of providing ongoing and continuing income support for the charitable purposes of Good Shepherd United Methodist Church.
It will allow our members and others a means to support a variety of ministries, or other nonrecurring purposes not regularly designated by the current operating budget of the church.
How is the Endowment Fund administered?
Operating under the authority of the charge conference, the endowment fund will be administered by the permanent endowment fund committee of GSUMC which will include 10 members.
Gifts made to the Fund will be invested, and earned income will be used each year for purposes designated by the donor. No part of the principal will ever be expended.
The Endowment Fund shall receive and hold gifts and bequests made directly to the Fund, as well as gifts and bequests to the church that are not specifically designated.
How can you participate?
Contributing to the GSUMC Endowment Fund may serve as a means of providing tax advantages both now and for your heirs upon the distribution of your estate. Gifts may be made in the forms of cash, real estate, securities, trusts, personal property, life insurance or other methods; while the donor is living or upon his or her death. As a donor, you may wish to choose a project of ministry that has particular significance for you, and give either a living memorial or a bequest in your will or both.
The Endowment Fund provides an excellent instrument for those whose lives have been blessed by GSUMC to give you a perpetual gift to ensure its continuance and growth. The members of the permanent endowment fund committee of GSUMC will be happy to discuss the endowment fund with you and answer any questions you may have. Please call us at 615-822-4531.
If you are interested, please consult your tax accountant or financial advisor for advice on developing a plan of giving which would best suit your individual needs. Before taking action, you should also consult an attorney for advice and preparation of documents so they will conform to all legal tax requirements and regulations.
GSUMC Endowment Fund
Good Shepherd is pleased to announce the establishment of a permanent endowment Fund which will provide a constant source of revenue to ensure our church's continuation and growth for generations to come.
Inclimate Weather Policy at Good Shepherd
The Sunday snow policy (or any inclement weather) that I follow is that I never cancel Sunday morning worship. I have always believed that the Sabbath is a Holy Day and every Christian should worship on Sunday. I have not missed Sunday worship because of snow and do not plan to. I feel that if a person wants to worship on Sunday that the doors of the church should be open for that purpose. If I should not be able to be present then those assembled should do their best to carry on by singing, praying, reading the Bible and saying a good word for the Lord. Having said this let me also remind you to take seriously the rule of Common Sense which should prevail with wisdom and good judgment when considering traveling in dangerous weather conditions. If you cannot worship here then it is reasonable for you to spend some time with the Lord where you are. I would not want anyone to be injured or property damaged when a little discretion could have prevented it. I would much rather you miss one Sunday because of bad weather than to get hurt and have to miss multiple weeks and go through a medical recovery. Please be careful when making decisions of this magnitude. Just know that we are going to have worship at Good Shepherd UMC every Sunday.
Bro. Denman
Good Shepherd United Methodist Church :: 525 New Shackle Island Road :: Hendersonville, TN 37075 :: 615.822.4531 Office :: 615.822.5456 Fax
