History

Good Shepherd Lutheran began as a mission start by Our Savior Lutheran, Crestview. The first service (attendance 17) - the first Lutheran service in the Fort Walton Beach area - was held on May 29, 1955 with Reverend William P. Kniffel presiding. Five months later, in October of 1955, the first Lutheran Sunday School (attendance 19) started in Fort Walton Beach. 



The stained glass windows in our sanctuary (built in 1986) portray our Lord as the Good Shepherd. Each window has a separate theme based on scripture passages describing the love Jesus has for His sheep.

The themes and ideas for each window were originally developed by Richard Ziehr, our pastor. Cecil Casebier of San Antonio, Texas, and artist with an international reputation in stained glass, was commissioned to do the design. The windows were crafted by Statesville Glass of Statesville, North Carolina using European antique glass.

The windows on the left side (as you face the altar) are generally based on the Old Testament and those on the right side on the New Testament. Since the art work is abstract and symbolic, the following guide is offered to help you appreciate the message of our windows.



Christmas Tree Chrismons   Our Christmas Trees have decorations called Chrismons (CHRIST = MONogram) that that proclaim our Lord Jesus Christ through the use of symbols.  The Chrismons Tree originated at Lutheran Church of the Ascension in Danville, VA in 1957. They hold the copyright on the word "chrismons".