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About St. Luke's
Whether you enter through this Web site or through the church
doors, all are warmly invited to join us in knowing Christ and
making Christ known. St. Luke's strives to be a Christian
community that involves all people of God in worship, learning,
care, service and witness.
Do come in! Browse our Web site and visit our church. You are most
welcome.

- Pastor Stephen Larson
Mission
Statement
We, the members of St. Luke’s Evangelical Lutheran Church,
are a congregation of people who believe in Jesus Christ. We
are committed to glorifying God through worship and acting
as His disciples by learning about our role in His kingdom
on earth.
We are committed to changing lives through the Holy Spirit
by the witness we make to those we meet in our daily lives
and the service we render to the oppressed people of the
world. We support and strengthen one another through
Christian fellowship and by sharing the Good News that Jesus
Christ is our personal Savior.
Vision
Statement
St. Luke’s is committed to knowing Christ and making Christ
known. We strive to develop a Christian community that
invites and values all people, that nurtures growth with God
and each other, and that encourages openness, acceptance,
trust, and service to God and God’s community.
St.
Luke's "Six Goals"
- Seek to be a congregation
with a ministry program for all ages
- Devise ways and means to
reach seekers and reactivate inactive members.
- Develop a culture and a
climate of hospitality and openness in our congregation.
- Become involved in areas of
human need and community service locally and globally.
- Seek to involve all members
in ministry activities and in the leadership functions
of the congregation.
- Create a Master Plan for
facilities that accommodates current and expanding
ministries.
Area Map
| 360°
View of Sanctuary
Meet the Staff of
St. Luke's
Rev. Dr. Stephen Larson - Lead Pastor
- became pastor of St. Luke's in June 2003. He is called to
preside, preach and administer sacraments at worship; to speak
publicly to the world in solidarity with the poor and
oppressed, to call for justice and proclaim God's love for the
world; to offer instruction, confirmation, marriage rites,
visitation to the sick and distressed and preside over burial
of the dead; to provide supervisory leadership to the
congregation's school, organizations and staff.
Pastor Larson
was ordained in 1975. Prior to commencing his ministry at St.
Luke's he served as a two-point parish pastor at St. Peter's
Lutheran Church in Millet, Alberta and Lutheran Church of the
Resurrection in Calmar, Alberta; for 11 years as Lutheran
Campus Pastor at The University of Alberta in Edmonton; and 15
years as pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Geneva
in Switzerland. He is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran
University (B.A.), Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (M.Div.)
and St. Stephen's College in Canada (D.Min. and D.D.). Pastor
Larson is married to Rev. Dr. Rebecca Larson; they have two
adult daughters, Katherine and Sarah.
Rev.
Kristina C. Weber - Associate Pastor
began her ministry with St. Luke's
in January 2006. She is called to pastoral ministry with
particular attention to member care, education, and
congregational life. Her responsibilities include leading
worship, preaching, teaching, visitation, and working with the
congregation to plan fellowship opportunities and events.
Pastor Weber was ordained in 1997. She has served
congregations several Minnesota communities: Toivola and
Meadowlands, Chanhassen, Crystal, and St. Louis Park. She is a
graduate of St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota (B.A.),
and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley,
California (M.Div.). Pastor Weber is married to Rev. Erik
Weber; they have two sons.
Melinda Ramseth Hoiland is
Director of Children's Choirs at St. Luke's, where she directs
the Cherub Choir (K-2nd), Junior Choir (3rd-6th), an Orff
Ensemble (3rd-6th), other instrumental groups and Camp
Allegro, a weeklong music day-camp held at the church each
summer. She also coordinates worship and music for summer
weekday services. The St. Luke's children's choir program
encourages children to grow in their Christian faith as they
lead worship, learn liturgies and hymns as well as choral
anthems and songs. Children experience music in a variety of
ways, through singing, playing Orff and rhythm instruments,
moving and creating. Melinda holds a B.A. in Music Education
from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN and a M.A. in Music
Education with an emphasis in Orff-Schulwerk from the
University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. Melinda and her
husband Joel have three children - Kiersten, Daniel and
Britta.
Nancy
Olson is an Associate in Ministry of the ELCA and
serves as Member Care Coordinator at St. Luke's. Her
responsibilities include working along with the pastors and
the Member Care and Support Cabinet to raise awareness of
opportunities for member care, support and fellowship. This
includes visiting people in their homes, hospitals or nursing
homes. She also helps St. Luke's members find the best ways to
use their spiritual gifts to serve the church and share God's
love. Besides degrees in music and library science, Nancy has
a Master of Arts in Religion from Yale Divinity School. Before
coming to St. Luke's Nancy had served as the music director
for Our Savior's Lutheran Church in New Ulm, Minn., and Gloria
Dei Lutheran Church in Redwood Falls, Minn. She was also on
the worship/music staff at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn.
and the associate coordinator of the Southwestern Minnesota
Synod Resource Service Center. Nancy and her husband, Pastor
Stan Olson, are the parents of two adult daughters -- Maren
and Christa.
Anne Krentz Organ serves as
the Director of Music Ministries at St. Luke's. Her
responsibilities include worship planning, service playing,
and the direction of the choral and instrumental music program
which includes adult, youth, and children's choirs, handbell
choirs, and a variety of instrumental ensembles. Anne holds
degrees from Valparaiso University, the University of
Illinois, and Concordia University at River Forest, IL. Her
compositions are published by Abingdon Press, Augsburg
Fortress, and Concordia Publishing House. Anne and her husband
Jim are the parents of three boys; Andrew, Daniel, and Paul.
Jeannine Oakes has served as the Director of
Children, Youth, and Family Ministries since November 2008
and is responsible for nurturing Christian education and
faith formation in children, youth, and families. Jeannine’s
roles include organizing intergenerational events, youth
service projects, as well as education and fellowship
opportunities for the youth and children of the
congregation. She also recruits and trains volunteers and
teachers who work with the children and youth in a variety
of ways. She is the Director of Vacation Bible School and
the primary leader for the ELCA National Youth Gathering.
Jeannine received a BFA in Film, Photography, and Electronic
Media from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her
interest in liturgy, theology, and multi-media worship
encouraged her to receive her MDiv from Yale Divinity School
through the Institute of Sacred Music where she received the
Director’s Prize for her collaborative work on a Holocaust
Remembrance Installation in 2007. Jeannine is engaged to
Emily Renaud; they are the proud parents of three cats:
Captain, Spock, and Violet. |