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Hi! I’m Marty Brauer. Most call me Pastor Marty. Some call me Pastor Brauer. Some call me the Most Holy Reverend Doctor Martin Brauer. Actually, no one does.
I am a native Texan! Just thought I’d put that on the table. Having spent my first thirteen years as a pastor in California, I had a hard time convincing people that I wasn’t a “yankee.” I was born in Houston, Texas, and raised there for the first five years of my life. Each summer, until I was sixteen, my family would come down from Minnesota to visit family here. My mom was born and raised in the Temple area. My grandfather was the pastor at the Lutheran church in The Grove.
I am what you call a “second career pastor.” I was in sales and marketing in real estate for ten years. Though I knew God wanted me to serve Him as a pastor, I kept running from His call until He hit me over the head. I call it the “Hammer of God.” That’s a personal story I would love to share with you sometime.
I’m married to my beautiful Leona who served as an RN for over thirty years, including five years here in Texas as a nurse in Hospice at Christopher House. We have two kids and three grandkids, all living in Southern, California. We live in Leander with our dog, Tica. We love it here. We love our church. This is our home.
And this is us welcoming you to make this home we have here at Good Shepherd, your home, too. At least check it out. We would love to meet you, and we’ll call you whatever you want us to. Even if you’re not a native Texan!
– Rev. Dr. Martin J. Brauer
Pastor Marty and Leona began serving Good Shepherd in 2007. Pastor Marty completed his doctorate in 2013 at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO, in which he developed a ministry model
allowing the pastor of a church to do what pastors are supposed to do: preach, teach, visit, and spend time with the people. This model is called 2KF and is highlighted on our leadership page.
Pastor Marty has served two other congregations, one in Northern
California, and one in Southern California. Since the Brauer’s arrival, the world around them has changed. They brought with them a production of the life of Jesus called Follow The Star. About three hundred people are involved in the cast and crew of this live outdoor production and over 20,000 people attend! But that’s just one of many creative missions God uses here at Good Shepherd.
Pastor Marty and Leona love working with others to meet the needs of people and connect them to Jesus. Being “real” as a follower of Jesus is important to Pastor Marty. It’s why the phrase, “Live a life that BEGS the question” is central to his philosophy for the Christian life and permeates his preaching, teaching, and living. We are looking forward to your visit and Pastor can’t wait to meet you after worship on Sunday!
Dear Good Shepherd Family,
At Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, we take the personal health and wellness of our members very seriously. You may have some growing concerns about the Coronavirus (COVD-19), and we wanted to put your mind at ease by making you aware of the precautionary steps we are taking as a church:
We are closely monitoring updates from the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization regarding COVID-19. We will continue to seek guidance from these agencies and public health officials, and we will update you as new information becomes available.
Thank you for being a part of the Good Shepherd family! We are committed to making our church a safe and enjoyable place for all who worship with us. If you need Pastoral Care, please contact us at pastoralcare@gstx.org or call 512.258.6227.
Be Blessed,
Pastor Marty and Pastor Steven