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Dear friends,
Welcome to our web site! We are excited to share with you in these pages the mission and ministry of Saint Luke's Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
If you're not familiar with our congregation, you may find that we are unique—different from many Lutheran congregations today. In a time when many parishes (Lutheran and others) are moving toward more contemporary, supposedly "relevant" forms for worship, assuming that's the only way churches will grow, we are unabashedly Scriptural, traditional and liturgical—and we are a growing, vibrant, alive congregation!
We are pleased to announce that we are now a charter congregation of the newly formed North American Lutheran Church! This new body is committed to the truth of God's Holy Word that is trustworthy and unchanging. The NALC is a confessionally centrist Lutheran denomination, rejecting the liberal drift of many mainline denominations, yet practicing open communion and being ecumenically engaged. We are truly enthusiastic about the opportunities presented by being part of a new Lutheran denomination committed to God's Word that is both Law and Gospel, faithfully reflected in our Lutheran confessional teachings.
One of the first things you will find when visiting Saint Luke's is that we are a younger congregation—we have lots of young families, children, and youth! We are finding that many young families are yearning for a church that celebrates the richness of tradition, so that their children may participate in a congregation that teaches reverence for God, and how to worship God in the beauty of holiness.
Together with a full spectrum of children and youth ministries, children and teens are fully involved in our worship services—serving as acolytes, crucifiers, ushers, and nursery attendants. Children and youth are not "on the fringe" at Saint Luke's—they are a full and active part of our congregation!
To help our families and parents, we offer "Children's Church" during our two Sunday morning services. After the reading of the Scripture lessons for the day, children 2nd grade and younger may go to a classroom for children's sermon, object lesson, and songs relating to the Biblical theme of the day! This provides younger children with an age-appropriate Bible lesson, and it provides parents with the chance to actually hear the sermon! Children return to the sanctuary during the offering, so that they may continue to participate in the service. Of course, children are not required to go to Children's Church—or nursery, for that matter—children are always welcome in worship—with their parents and family!
Because folks of all ages tend to be busy and over-scheduled these days, we offer three services each weekend to make weekly worship more possible. We offer a full Saturday afternoon service at 5 p.m., as well as two services on Sunday morning at 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. All three services offer a nursery staffed by teachers of our Children's Center.
And speaking of worship, our worship is full of the richness of the almost 2000 year history of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. In fact, we have committed ourselves to using only those forms for liturgy that are part of the "Great Tradition"—those forms used by the Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran orders for worship. This protects and safeguards liturgy, ensuring that it is not "trendy" or subject to the whims of clergy, laity or personal desire.
If you have never participated in traditional, liturgical worship—come join us for services. You will find worship that is reverent, centered on our Triune God, evangelical and catholic. At every weekend service we celebrate in Word and Sacrament—which means the Scriptures are read and preached, and the Sacrament of Holy Communion is administered.
You will find Saint Luke's to be a warm, friendly community that is Christ-centered and Spirit-led. We are average folks trying to learn what it means to be in the world, but not of the world, as Jesus said to His disciples at the Last Supper. We are honest, genuine people who find joy in being a community of Christ in this place, and enjoy welcoming others into our midst.
It is truly inspiring to be part of a congregation that is growing to the glory of God—and we invite you to be part of our congregation and our growth. If you are looking for a church home, please come worship with us! As you explore our web site, you will discover a lot about Saint Luke's—from photos of our church, to the monthly newsletter, weekly Parish e-Letters, and information about our church and Children's Center. If you have further questions or desire other information, please feel free to e-mail me at pr-hansen@saintlukes-cs.org. Or call me at 719-598-4397. I would like to be of service to you.
In Christ,
Pastor Josh Hansen