About us

About us

Our Mission is to…

Help all people know, love & live for Jesus.

The Good Shepherd was planted out of Deakin Anglican church in 1964 to bear witness to Christ and make him known in the new suburbs around Woden. The church first met in Hughes Primary School. The current buildings were completed in 1971.

As an Anglican church we share a rich heritage with other such churches around the world. In particular we are connected to 60 Anglican Churches in the Canberra Goulburn diocese through a robust governance structure and a broad range of support services. The Rector provides leadership for the local church in partnership with the Parish Council which is elected each year and meets each month.

Our church is financially independent with all income coming from the giving of our members.

The Good Shepherd is evangelical in flavour and is a place where people from all backgrounds, cultures and nations meet to give thanks to God for his amazing love shown to us in His Son Jesus.

Barton Church Plants first Baptism, 2025

Our Staff Team

Our Values

At the Good Shepherd we long to be a church that is:

  • We are creatures made to glorify our creator. We aim for this in all we do. (Revelation 4:11)

  • All things were made through and for Jesus and salvation is found in Christ alone. Therefore we seek to promote Christ in all we do. (Colossians 1:15-20)

  • Following the example of Jesus we aim to act in love toward one another and toward our community. (John 13:34)

  • Prayer is an expression of our dependence upon God and our relationship with him as our heavenly Father. Prayer is a priority in all our gatherings. (Ephesians 6:18)

  • We believe that all Christians have the Holy Spirit. We are confident in the powerful work of the Spirit in and through us. (Acts 1:8)

  • We are confident that the bible is the living and powerful word of God that changes lives. We believe the bible is sufficient for all we need to know about God. (Hebrews 4:12)

  • In obedience to Jesus’ commission we are proactive in making mature disciples for Jesus. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Taste of Alpha, 2024

Safe Community

We are committed to providing and ensuring that our church is a Safe Ministries church. We seek to build and maintain a safe community of faith by:

  • fostering relationships between members, and those of the wider community, based on the teachings of Jesus;

  • providing a safe and secure environment where all people can feel respected;

  • providing responsible and loving Christian leadership and management practices built on a scriptural base; this includes requiring all our leaders - paid and voluntary - to undertake the Creating Safe Ministry Course administered by the Diocese , and

  • ensuring that any cases of alleged abuse, neglect or grievances and complaints are handled in a consistent, unbiased and thorough manner.

More details about our Safe Communities Policy can be provided on request.