Our Church was founded by a small but dedicated group of Lutherans in early 1963.  The first service was held at Sherwood Elementary School on March 3,1963. Chaplain Honenstein led the service, Mrs. Kemp was the accompanist, and 35 people attended the worship service.  On August 28th, a congregational meeting was held to formally organize the church and to select the church name.

On October 8, 1972, we obtained the option to purchase the present congregation site at 4200 Olney-Laytonsville Road in Olney, from Mrs. Margaret Gilpin.  The funds from the sale of a home on Dr. Bird Road in Sandy Spring along with member donations and subsidy from the Southeastern District-LCMS provided enough money for a down payment on the current property in Olney.  Steady growth during the next few years enabled members to plan for construction of a permanent building.  On May 4, 1975, a Festival Service of Dedication of the new building was held.  In 1981, District subsidy was no longer needed after eighteen years of faithful SED support.. The mid-1980's saw the congregation double in size.  Increased church activities, along with a greater effort in community outreach, led to the  construction of the Family Life Wing, which was completed and dedicated on April 21, 1985.

Since the breaking of ground in 1972 until today, The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd has experienced growth and has made major renovations to accommodate Olney’s population expansion of adults and youth. Today, the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd serves its community in many ways. Outreach is extended to those who are needy, such as: men and women’s emergency shelters, the use of Good Shepherd’s facility as a meeting place for local Civic meetings, local clergy forums and Girl and Boy Scouts; in addition to Support Groups. Two of our strongest outreach ministries include: Shepherd’s Care Children’s Center, our preschool, as it offers a safe and nurturing environment for children ages 3-5 since 1997 and Good Shepherd’s annual Vacation Bible School as it shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the community since the 1960’s.

We believe that Good Shepherd’s continual Olney presence has been so richly blessed because we the members strive to “Bring Christ to the Community and the Community to Christ” and we seek to offer opportunities for personal and spiritual growth to each member.