Walking into the narthex of Good Shepherd on Sunday morning, it’s almost certain that you’ll find Urb, his wife Annette, and their three grandchildren ready to greet you with big, warm smiles. And once inside the sanctuary, it’s even more likely that you’ll find Urb helping with worship.
Growing up, Urb’s family was very involved in the Church. His uncle was a Catholic priest and his sister became a nun, so after graduating high school, Urb decided to attend seminary. After ordination, Urb served at three different parishes. He loved serving in the ministry of the priesthood, but he also longed to have a family of his own. Urb knew he needed to meet with the bishop of his diocese where he expressed his dream for a family. The bishop was very understanding and soon after the meeting, Urb resigned. At peace with this decision, he stated that he, “felt good about my decision to leave my role as a priest because God had a different plan for my future.”
After starting a new career in finance, he met and married Annette. Having both grown up in the Catholic church, it was in these early days of their marriage that they found a Lutheran church where they felt welcomed, and the liturgy felt familiar. It was here that they raised two sons, and after retiring, moved to St. Louis to be close to their now grown children and their families. Wanting to find a new church home, they visited Good Shepherd. They felt an immediate and unconditional love at GSLC, and knew they could see themselves involved in activities around the church. Activities where they could serve, meet new people, and share those moments with their children and grandchildren. Urb mentions how much he values his family and what “a good experience it has been raising my kids and grandkids and spending time with them.”
When reflecting on the impact Good Shepherd has had on his faith and his family, Urb said, “What I love about Good Shepherd is that we have so many ways to serve others in the congregation, in the community, and in the world at large. It always feels good to be a part of such a wonderful church. Being trained and serving as a Stephen Minister is one of the ministries that I enjoy very much. Participating in the Sunday services as lector or assisting minister is also important to me. The C.G. Group coordination is another important part of Good Shepherd’s ministry. We have such a welcoming and serving congregation that just being a part of any of our church functions is a fun and rewarding.”
Good Shepherd offers many opportunities for parishioners to serve as lay ministers – whether it is serving during worship or with organizations like Stephen Ministry, lay ministries are way to continue to serve God and the congregation. Thanks to your continued generosity, we are blessed to have many avenues to live out our unique callings to serve God and our neighbors through Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.
