OUR SHEPHERD FRONT GARDEN       

Rejuvenation of the front garden started in late April 2020. With the reopening of the church for communion and worship services right around the corner, a very wide corner as it was, and the potential for the return to worship for Christians who are looking for a new home. With a new, eye-catching roof in place, continued beautification seemed appropriate. After every step, a new opportunity for thanks to God showed itself.

Our God is more precious to us than anything the world has to offer. The colors used are gold, silver and copper. This shows that we are willing to throw our treasures to the ground in our desire to follow Christ.

• The shape of the garden is that of a triangle. The symbol of the Trinity, the Triune God.
• The three corners of the triangle are for the cornerstones of our faith; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
• At those corners of the triangle are three circles, symbolizing the perfection of each part of the trinity.
• The North and South corners contain one rosebush each.

            

One Red                                                       One Pink

The colors are a shout out to our mothers, who always made sure that our faith was strong, no matter the adversity we faced while we were still growing in Christ.

• The roses are also representative of Martin Luther, who saw the rose, as used in his seal as a compendium or expression of his theology and faith, which he used to authorize his correspondence.
• One rose in each of those circles stands for 1 God and 1 Holy Spirit. No more, no less.
• The West Circle, which is most prominent, is for our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Placed in the most prominent position of the garden, it is visible for all saved and as of yet unsaved people as a guide for those seeking the grace of God through the sacrifice of his only Son.

• Purple is color of royalty. Jesus Christ is our King of Kings. Even his mortal lineage is traceable to King David.
• White upon the purple symbolizes Christ’s purity.
• The red in the center represents the blood that Christ shed for the forgiveness of all of the sins of the world.
• The three sides of the triangle are the three virtues of Christianity as provided in 1 Corinthians 13: 1-13.

• Faith faces East and faces Our Shepherd, where we present our faith to God.

• Hope faces Parkview Road. Those who find hope will be led to our church.

• The greatest of which is. Loves faces South 76th Street, so that it can be seen from the most heavily trafficked road and reach the most people possible.
• Under the virtues, on the visible sides, the colors of the bricks are laid out from the center upward and outward as we, during worship, would send our arms up in praise.