Welcome!

Dear Friends,

One of my colleagues has a framed copy of his baptismal certificate hanging on the wall in his office. He has it in a prominent place—right where you might normally put a diploma, or for a pastor, a Letter of Call.


I thought that was brilliant. It’s a great reminder that no matter what we may achieve, or what we may be called to do in this life, our first and most important call is to serve God through the waters of baptism. Before we could even dream of doing something more—of being a garbage truck technician or a fire engine driver as my three year old desires—or anything else we may aspire to in life, first, God calls us to simply be a child of the divine.


As a church, we seek to live that idea out in all we do. Everyone here is a valuable child of God, with an important role to play, whether you've been here for one day or 10,000 days.


Whether you are just passing through town, have recently moved to the Alexandria area, or have been here for decades, we hope you'll stop by and worship God with us on Sunday. Whether life is easy for you right now or whether you're going through a tough patch, I know you'll find comfort and joy in being in this holy place. Come and join us in looking for where God is active in our world.


If you have questions, I'd love to chat. Please give the church a call or contact me directly.


In Christ,

Pastor Kate

About Pastor Kate

In addition to teaching, preaching and leading worship, Pastor Kate works with Good Shepherd volunteers and staff to lead outreach, evangelism and stewardship, and connect small group ministries for our GSLC community and the broader Alexandria community.


Pastor Kate grew up in Abingdon, Virginia, a small town near the Tennessee border. She went to the College of William and Mary, where she majored in biology and psychology (neuroscience). She attended seminary at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia (now a part of United Lutheran Seminary).


Pastor Kate’s first call was in Culpeper, Virginia, where she served for five years. She then joined the staff at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Gaithersburg, serving as associate pastor for four years.


Pastor Kate and her husband, Jon, have two children, James and Luke. They enjoy playing in the pool or taking bike rides with their kids around the neighborhood. They also love to take longer trips to see family in Virginia, Colorado and Illinois.