Good Shepherd Lutheran Church-Alexandria, VA

05/08/2026

The first "Blanket and Bites" was a huge success! Mark your calendar for the next Blanket Tying Party (no bites this time, just blankets!) on Wednesday, May 13 at 7pm in the Fellowship Hall.

These blankets share tangible love with the graduates of the Friends of Guest House program and with our High School graduates, as they go out to do amazing things in the world!

05/07/2026

Join the Be Our Guest service team as we prepare a meal for our neighbors at Friends of Guest House! We will see you in the kitchen on Monday, May 18, at 4:00 pm! All are welcome!

05/01/2026

We have three tix left for the Nats game tomorrow (5/2)! Let Pastor Kate know if you're interested!

04/26/2026

In her comments welcoming us to the City's annual remembrance of Joseph McCoy, Mayor Alyia Gaskins reflected that annual events can become tired - we can think, 'I went to that last year' or 'I already know that story.' But, she reminded us, it's important to show up again and again and again.

And it was important to gather again - Black, Brown and White neighbors - to remember Joseph McCoy's life, lament his brutal, extrajudicial death by lynching, celebrate the resilience of the Alexandria African American community, and interrogate the work still needed to eliminate the disparities that still delineate our society along racial lines.

So let us be about that work, those of us who society identifies as White. To listen, learn and pray, that we may chip away at the formal and informal ways racism operates in the health, housing, education, work, economic, justice and governmental systems we share. It is truly holy work.

04/21/2026

Last night the Be Our Guest service team prepared a springtime meal for the women of Guest House.

From our church kitchen, we put together a fresh, seasonal menu featuring lemon herb chicken and vegetables, parmesan herb orzo, and homemade pound cake topped with fresh strawberries.

We love being able to share God’s love with our neighbors in this simple but meaningful way — through a home-cooked meal made with care.

The Be Our Guest team meets once a month - usually on the third Monday- all are welcome to join!

04/19/2026

With a marshmallow to represent Jesus' body; cinnamon, sugar and butter to represent the oils and spices for anointing the dead, and crescent roll dough as the burial shroud -- the children heard and retold the story of Jesus' death and burial, then after being entombed in the oven the rolls emerged (mostly) empty! Christ is risen indeed!

04/19/2026

Third Sunday of Easter!

Highlights of the morning:
-Baptism of Leo!
-Cupcakes and meringues for Pastor Kate's birthday
-Resurrection Rolls- one of our favorite Sunday School traditions!
-Wonderful anthem by our choir- Arise, Shine for Your Light has Come
-Sermon by Vicar Carrie on expectations, grace and hope- Jesus walks with us in our doubt and despair.

What was your favorite part of this Sunday?

Many wonderful things are already being planned for the 4th Sunday of Easter. Come and see, come and join.

04/19/2026

Not all research for a sermon makes it into the final product. I tried y'all, I really did. But this didn't quite get a spot. In our gospel lesson for tomorrow, the text is translated as "stranger" but it doesn't quite grasp the spirit of the word. The Greek is Paroikos. It would be para but since the root begins with a vowel, the second A is truncated. Anyway, the root of the word is oikos or home. Par(a) means "beyond, contrary, or irregular" (think words like 'paranormal"). There were many things that Cleopas and Not Cleopas did wrong but here they got it right. They may not have recognized Jesus as Jesus but they did treat this paroikos with respect and dignity, they didn't make Jesus feel like an "other". Cleopas and Not Cleopas recognized the fact that this paroikos might have something to teach them. See you in the morning! Let's see what we can learn from the contrary home. Love, Vicar Carrie

04/17/2026

Wow!! The small things make such a big difference!

A huge thank you to our Property Team and this construction crew for fixing the side entrance. We now have a new drain next to the sanctuary to help keep our building beautiful, functional and most importantly, DRY!!!

Your ongoing donations make these projects possible!

(Thankfully we didn't take a video so you can't hear the jackhammer! 🤣)

04/10/2026

Hope you can join us tomorrow afternoon! We'll be in the private room upstairs!

🦪 Dine Out for a Good Cause This Sunday! 🦪

This Sunday, April 12th, our friends at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church-Alexandria, VA are hosting a fundraiser benefiting Friends of Guest House — and all you have to do is enjoy a great meal!

Head to Hank's Oyster Bar in Old Town Alexandria and 10% of your bill **dine-in or carryout** will be donated to support women rebuilding their lives after incarceration.

At Friends of Guest House, we believe that a woman's past does not define her future. Every meal you enjoy this Sunday helps make that belief a reality.

🕐 Hank's is open Sunday 11am–9pm
📍 818 N. St. Asaph Street, Alexandria, VA
🥡 Dine in or carry out — both count!

Share this post and spread the word — the more people who show up, the greater the impact. 💛