OVERVIEW
A Message from Pastor Tara Beth
In this moment, we stand on the shoulders of the faithfulness of previous generations, and previous seasons of Good Shepherd. We are the spiritual descendants of those who started Good Shepherd at Westmoreland, (some of you still worship with us regularly)! We’re the legacy of an Early Church who lived so boldly and beautifully in their time that God used them to transform an Empire (Acts 2:42-47).
This is our story, and it’s what allows us to look forward to what God has next for Good Shepherd.
This is our story, and it’s what allows us to look forward to what God has next for Good Shepherd.
Make a Commitment
Ready to make your commitment to the next two years of the life of our church community? Let's move forward in faith together!
VISION
Let's Move Forward Together
A year ago, we launched a bold vision, Forward. We prayed, we dreamed, and we stepped into faith together.
Our goal was nine million dollars, not for ourselves but for God’s mission through Good Shepherd.
And God provided. Through your generosity, we didn’t just meet that goal, we surpassed it.
We believe now is the moment to finish what God began. We are prayerfully asking God to provide an additional one million dollars to complete the vision, to make every space beautiful, functional, and ready to welcome the next generation.
Ten percent of that will go directly back into mission, to Cherish Watoto and to local immigrant families finding new life through our community partnerships.
As we reach the midpoint of this journey, every one of us has a part to play.
For some of you, you’re new. You’ve joined our Good Shepherd family since we launched Forward or you maybe didn't make a commitment last year.
We want to invite you to make your first Forward Together commitment, to join what God is doing through this movement of generosity.
For others, you made a commitment a year ago. You’ve prayed, you’ve sacrificed, you’ve stayed faithful. We want to encourage you to finish strong. Your faithfulness is shaping the future of this church and this city.
And for some, you’ve seen God provide in new ways. You sense Him calling you to take one more step of faith.
We want to challenge you to consider increasing your commitment to help complete this vision for generations to come.
Church, this is a watershed moment.
We’re not raising money, we’re raising faith.
We’re not building walls, we’re creating space for lives to be changed.
Our goal was nine million dollars, not for ourselves but for God’s mission through Good Shepherd.
And God provided. Through your generosity, we didn’t just meet that goal, we surpassed it.
We believe now is the moment to finish what God began. We are prayerfully asking God to provide an additional one million dollars to complete the vision, to make every space beautiful, functional, and ready to welcome the next generation.
Ten percent of that will go directly back into mission, to Cherish Watoto and to local immigrant families finding new life through our community partnerships.
As we reach the midpoint of this journey, every one of us has a part to play.
For some of you, you’re new. You’ve joined our Good Shepherd family since we launched Forward or you maybe didn't make a commitment last year.
We want to invite you to make your first Forward Together commitment, to join what God is doing through this movement of generosity.
For others, you made a commitment a year ago. You’ve prayed, you’ve sacrificed, you’ve stayed faithful. We want to encourage you to finish strong. Your faithfulness is shaping the future of this church and this city.
And for some, you’ve seen God provide in new ways. You sense Him calling you to take one more step of faith.
We want to challenge you to consider increasing your commitment to help complete this vision for generations to come.
Church, this is a watershed moment.
We’re not raising money, we’re raising faith.
We’re not building walls, we’re creating space for lives to be changed.
For Our Neighbors.
For the World.
For 1310.
For the glory of God.
For Our Neighbors and For the World — $.9M
The Forward Initiative has a monetary goal of raising $9 Million over the next two years. That means that our continuing investment in those who are vulnerable and hurting in the world through our global mission partners will be $900,000 over the next two years.
One example of this commitment played out at Cherish Watoto Kenya. We have proudly supported this one of a kind school and orphanage for almost 20 years, and as partners we have worked to come alongside these teachers and the incredible kids that make Cherish the incredible place that it is. The school extends to 8th grade, but as students leave Cherish to continue their education, they walk away from the joy of Cherish Watoto into uncertainty.
Yet we can now see a reality where the kids at Cherish have a more secure future, as land right next to Cherish became available for purchase. An anonymous lead gift was given to allow Good Shepherd to buy this land and there are endless opportunities ahead of us! We can extend their education by building a high school, we can create space for sustainable agriculture, we can create spaces for kids to be kids and play sports. The question is, how big will we be willing to dream with God?
One example of this commitment played out at Cherish Watoto Kenya. We have proudly supported this one of a kind school and orphanage for almost 20 years, and as partners we have worked to come alongside these teachers and the incredible kids that make Cherish the incredible place that it is. The school extends to 8th grade, but as students leave Cherish to continue their education, they walk away from the joy of Cherish Watoto into uncertainty.
Yet we can now see a reality where the kids at Cherish have a more secure future, as land right next to Cherish became available for purchase. An anonymous lead gift was given to allow Good Shepherd to buy this land and there are endless opportunities ahead of us! We can extend their education by building a high school, we can create space for sustainable agriculture, we can create spaces for kids to be kids and play sports. The question is, how big will we be willing to dream with God?
For 1310 – $1.89M
We will complete necessary updates to our building so it may be a gathering place where people can connect relationally, grow spiritually, and thrive in community. These updates can serve anyone who calls Good Shepherd home, as well as those in our surrounding communities. Having a welcoming patio, expanding the reach of the cafe, and offering our building as a gathering place for everyone helps us radiate God’s love to people well beyond a Sunday morning.
Ongoing Ministry — $6.21M
While we move FORWARD together, our mission will not change. We anticipate year over year growth within the operation of our ministries and will continue our progress on the major strategic initiatives essential to our church’s future.
$9M
INITIAL GOAL
$9.44M
COMMITTED THUS FAR
$10M
TOTAL GOAL OVER 2 YEARS
LATEST UPDATES
The Latest on Forward
See the latest Forward updates and Shepherd's Heart letters in the posts below.
Resources
CONSTRUCTION UPDATES
Renovations at 1310
Renderings from Aspen Group
Frequently Asked Questions
What are you asking me to do in this initiative?
First and foremost, we are asking that you pray and seek God’s guidance on what He is asking of you. Prepare your heart to hear Him, and then listen to what He says. Join a small group. Talk with a trusted friend or, if you’re married and have children, talk together about what this commitment will mean for this next season. We are asking that you make a sacrificial commitment so we can move Forward together in Faith through our generosity.
If I give to Forward, does that include my giving to Cherish Watoto?
Becoming a “One Fund” church many years ago, we made the conscious decision to no longer ask for two gifts in the form of “regular giving” and additional gifts toward capital campaigns. Instead, we simply ask that everyone bring their best gifts. Having said that, there are a few instances where a designated fund is most appropriate, which includes Cherish. Therefore, those that regularly support the incredible work that God is doing through Cherish Watoto Kenya should consider those gifts as separate from the Forward Initiative.
What’s the purpose of a generosity initiative? Don’t we have enough funds already?
Generosity initiatives serve several important purposes:
They provide a high-profile focal point for stewardship education, reflection and commitment. This is valuable to all of us but especially important for the many hundreds of people who have come into the life of Good Shepherd since 2022. FORWARD will help many households move closer to Christ and His Kingdom’s purposes.
They help us raise monies over-and-above our annual budget to address special needs and opportunities. Our annual budget covers the cost of the routine operations of our church and its ministries of worship, growth and service. Our “normal” budget, however, doesn’t cover the major renovations or special projects that make for a truly thriving church.
They provide a high-profile focal point for stewardship education, reflection and commitment. This is valuable to all of us but especially important for the many hundreds of people who have come into the life of Good Shepherd since 2022. FORWARD will help many households move closer to Christ and His Kingdom’s purposes.
They help us raise monies over-and-above our annual budget to address special needs and opportunities. Our annual budget covers the cost of the routine operations of our church and its ministries of worship, growth and service. Our “normal” budget, however, doesn’t cover the major renovations or special projects that make for a truly thriving church.
Why are we doing a generosity initiative? Is our current giving not enough?
In the course of a single year, we have welcomed a new senior pastor, a new associate pastor, multiple staff members, we have grown by 35%, and we have navigated the waters of leaving a denomination for another. We pray that this Generosity initiative has two outcomes: the first is a unified direction for a church that has been pulled in multiple directions and second, an increased capacity of hospitality and buy-in from those who call Good Shepherd their home church. This initiative will help bring us all together for the sole purpose of moving forward in faith to see the Kingdom come at 1310 as it is in heaven.
Can I designate giving to one project?
Just like our regular giving, we are asking people to generously respond to the full FORWARD vision over the next two years through our FORWARD fund. Our leadership has been entrusted with the responsibility of prioritizing spending on the new initiatives and management of the funds and will do so with great care and stewardship of the resources that are given. Please reach out to Tom Anderson, Operations Executive Director, at tanderson@goodshepherd-naperville.org if you have additional questions or would like to discuss this further.
In addition to cash, are there other ways I can give more to the FORWARD initiative?
Be prayerful and creative as you explore ways you can give to the initiative. You might have stock, property, or other items of value. You may have stored resources that God has blessed you with in the past that He is calling you to give out of during this time. Please contact April Fecht at fecht@goodshepherd-naperville.org, or visit the Give page on our website to give or learn more about non-cash gifts.
In addition to a financial commitment, how else can I participate in FORWARD?
We want everyone at Good Shepherd to engage on a transformative spiritual journey through FORWARD by praying, studying Scripture, participating in life groups and engaging others in the journey. Consider sharing your story with others. Join or lead a group. Serve faithfully or for the first time. Take the next step in your journey of discipleship and see what God does.
We took on debt from the previous generosity initiative. Will we take on more debt or scale back the vision if we don’t reach our financial goal?
We believe that God is calling us to move forward together in faith, and that this initiative will be a key season in the rich history of the life of this church. As a result, we have no plans to scale back the vision, and through intentional seasons of prayer and discernment we believe that the $9 million dollar goal reflects our current generosity and where God is calling us to. It also has become obvious to us that we need to address how our Worship Center has become overcrowded. Therefore, we are prayerfully considering options to address this challenge, which could include taking out a loan to make necessary changes to help those currently not connected to our community feel like they can belong on a Sunday morning and throughout the week.
Don't see your question answered here?
Tom Anderson, Good Shepherd's Operations Executive Director, is available to connect with you and answer any further questions.
Take the Next Step
Make a Commitment
Ready to make your commitment to the next two years of the life of our church community? Let's move forward in faith together!
Join a Life Group
Life Groups are one of the best ways to connect people in a community where they can share life and grow in faith. A Life Group has 8-12 people who meet regularly online or in-person to pray, discuss the sermons in greater detail, talk about how Scripture relates to their lives, and support each other through the highs and lows of life.