Missions

Part of SHLC’s mission is to be a servant church and we accomplish this through the missions we have to help those who are less fortunate and serve in times of need. We wish to bless the lives of all who are suffering and spread God’s Word through service and compassion. To learn more about how you can get involved reach out the Church Office at 908-766-2858 and we will direct you to the correct individual.

Gentle Shepherd Christian Preschool

GSCP was founded by Somerset Hills Lutheran Church in January 1993 and is considered a mission of the church. As a New Jersey State licensed facility, the state sets forth specific qualifications and requirements for Early Childhood Educators. Our teachers and staff meet or exceed all of these requirements. The entire staff is dedicated to providing a loving, Christian environment for each child in our care.

Gentle Shepherd Christian Preschool is a non-profit organization designed to provide a Christian Education for area families with children entering preschool and younger. Our curriculum has been created using various tools including The Creative Curriculum and The New Jersey Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards. We are a program which incorporates the spiritual growth of children into their daily routines here at GSCP. Spiritual development is nurtured through bible stories, chapel time, prayer and the modeling of Christian values by our teachers and staff. Our curriculum is play-based, as young children learn best through play. We offer children
varied opportunities to play and share new experiences, while providing them with the opportunity to interact with peers. While we are play-based, we do incorporate the instruction of other academic skills in a fun, non-threatening way.

SHLC members volunteer to read to the children on a weekly basis.

SHLC members also provide an annual “Parent’s Night Out” for the parents of our preschool children by offering a evening of babysitting.

GSCP

Concordia Seminary

The Mission of the Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO is “to serve church and world by providing theological education and leadership centered in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ for the formation of pastors, missionaries, deaconesses, scholars and leaders in the name of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod”.

SHLC financially helps Concordia Seminary with their mission by offering a scholarship to a Seminarian throught Concordia’s Adopt-A-Student program. SHLC helps a future church worker overcome the greatest obstacle to enrolling at Concordia Seminary: affording it!

Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML)

The Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) is the official women’s auxiliary of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. For over 65 years, the LWML has focused on affirming each woman’s relationship with Christ, encouraging and equipping women to live out their Christian lives in active mission ministries and to support global missions. SHLC’s LWML provides Mite Boxes to its members. Based on the Biblical account of the widow’s mite (Luke 21:1-4), the mite box is intended for regular contributions of “mites” – offerings above and beyond the support given to congregations and the LCMS. Mite Box contributions fund district and national mission grants and implement the LWML program.

LWML

The Food Bank Network

of Somerset County

SHLC members assist The Food Bank Network of Somerset County to fulfill its mission of distributing food and providing other basic human needs to those less fortunate in our community. Throughout the year we collect non-perishable foods in bins provided in our gathering area. During Thanksgiving and Christmas time we collect frozen turkeys.

FBN SC

Lyons VA Hospital

SHLC members volunteer in two ways at the Lyons VA Hospital.

On the 3rd Monday of each month, we assist in the unloading of supplies for the VA Hospital Pantry and assist in the distribution of items to the Veterans.

Several times a year we provide a lunch for the Veterans and serve it to them, while engaging them in conversation and thanking them for their service.

Pastoral Leadership Institute (PLI)

SHLC financially supports PLI’s purpose to help leaders, revive their understanding and application of the Great Commission. The result is discipleship lived out in vibrant communities. By God’s guiding, families and congregations are empowered to make deeper connections with non-believers, loving and leading as Jesus did. The result is wider influence for the sake of the Gospel.

Thousands of pastors and spouses in the United States and 25 countries worldwide have been led to lead through the PLI Experience. The unique blend of couples learning together in PLI’s encouraging and accountable coaching environment results in distinctive leadership development. The PLI Experience changes lives and builds up the character of leaders to boldly reach the lost for Christ. SHLC’s Pastor Dan and his wife have received the blessing of participating in the PLI experience.