Parking

As a church plant, we have intentionally sought a place of worship that is accessible by public transportation, that has accessible parking for those needing assistance, and that, to greater or lesser degrees, invites our members and attendees to walk around our city. While the lack of a larger traditional parking lot may seem like an inconvenience, it is our prayer and hope that the practice of parking and walking will become an integral part of our discipleship to and life with Christ. Walking invites us to live at God’s speed; it slows us down to the pace of the three-mile-an-hour God we see walking throughout the gospels. It positions us to hear Jesus’ words “Follow me” anew, receiving his invitation to keep company with Him, to see, to hear, to notice, awake to a world alive with miracles. 

Thank you for taking the few extra minutes to arrive at church early. Thank you for parking in a way that shows care and consideration for our neighbors. 

Church of the Good Shepherd meets in the Music Resource Center (MRC). The MRC is located at 105 Ridge St near the downtown mall. 

Our Church Building 
Handicap Parking 
Congregants with mobility challenges are welcome to use the parking spots in the lot adjacent to the MRC on the left. 

Drop-off 
A drop-off area is available on West Main Street near the corner of West Main and Ridge. Passengers who are dropped off should walk to the MRC on the sidewalk along West Main Street. PLEASE NOTE: There are no drop-off options directly next to or in front of the MRC. Please do not attempt to drop off passengers in our handicap parking lot or along Ridge Street. Both of these options are precarious and should not be attempted for any reason. 

Spaces Nearby 
Lots
On Sunday mornings, Good Shepherd attendees may use the Noland Bath & Idea Center parking lot on Ridge St, the Main Street Market (Feast) parking lot on West Main St, and the back two rows of the Staples parking lot on Ridge McIntire Rd. See map above. Please note that these lots are ONLY available to attendees on Sunday mornings. If you are coming for another event or service at another time, you cannot park here unless the lot’s availability is explicitly indicated by Good Shepherd staff.

If there are young children in your household, we recommend parking in the Main Street Market (Feast) lot.

Street 
Free street parking is available along Ridge St, Monticello Ave, Gleason St, Garrett St, Dice St, and West Main St. See map above. 

If you have any questions about parking and accessibility, please send us an email here.

Here are some prayers, poems, and other resources that might deepen our experience of Jesus’ presence as we walk. Resources that might help conform our eyes, our ears, and our imaginations to his. 

See the People You Pass | Andrew Carter 
The lives they carry 
The stories in their faces 
The fragments of conversation you catch 
The relationships of those walking together 
The pain of some you pass like a cry of longing in your own heart 
Or the intimacy 
And the laughter 
And the colour and the youth and age and their differing heights and breadths
Imagine the choosing of the clothes they are wearing 
See the person 
Notice the beauty of this diversity 
The depth and the richness and mystery of our humanity 
The beauty and uniqueness of each face 
Let this humanity also be your prayer 
The understandable and the incomprehensible 
Each and every person made in the image of God 
Each person known by the Creator 
Each person loved by the Creator. 
Be filled with compassion 
Look upon creation with the eyes of a loving father or mother 
Let this walking be your offering 
Let this walking be your prayer.

A Collect to Prepare for Worship 

“O Host of the House of Prayer, who beckons us this morning to worship, we are grateful for the opportunity to be with your people in your house on your day. As we drive, prepare our minds to worship you in truth. As we park, prepare our hearts to worship you in spirit. As we walk, prepare our bodies to worship you in motion. We come to service not to be served but to serve—allow us the humility of those who bring offerings, even as we make our way to the sanctuary. Yet we know you will minister to us as well, and we will one to another, for we are glad when they say to us, “Let us go into the house of the Lord,” who reigns, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. 

Recommended Resources 

The City is My Monastery - Richard Carter 

Backyard Pilgrim: 40 Days at Godspeed - Matt Canlis