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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"

  1. Seek to be a congregation with a ministry program for all ages
  2. Devise ways and means to reach seekers and reactivate inactive members.
  3. Develop a culture and a climate of hospitality and openness in our congregation.
  4. Become involved in areas of human need and community service locally and globally.
  5. Seek to involve all members in ministry activities and in the leadership functions of the congregation.
  6. 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.


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205 North Prospect Avenue, Park Ridge, IL  60068    -    847/825-6659    -    fax:847/825-2557    -