Salem Lutheran Church

Salem’s mission is to “share faith, hope, and God’s love with everyone.” We define this as follows: with Faith in Christ (Hebrews 11:1), joy in worship (Psalms 100:2), and a commitment to service (Luke 17:21), we are called to share faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13:13) with our neighbors (Matthew 22:39). Salem does this in our worship, social activities, fundraising, and in our daily life as disciples of Jesus. Sharing faith, hope, and God’s love is not just a slogan to us; it is how we feel God is calling our congregation to serve our neighborhood, our community, and our city.

Salem is a Lutheran church and a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, our national church body. However, our congregation is comprised of many folks who did not grow up Lutheran, so do not feel like you have to be in order to fit in! You can learn more about the ELCA by following this link.

Lutheran Christians believe that the story of God's steadfast love and mercy in Jesus is the heart and center of what the Scriptures have to say. We believe in a living God, who we name Holy Spirit, who calls us to live in love, seek kindness, and stand in solidarity with those on the margins of society.

We do a sort of "light traditional." Our service is very similar to Episcopalians and Catholics, but we keep it loose. Formal, but not too formal. You will hear people laughing and children playing. While we take God seriously, we like to have fun here and we find that a relaxed worship works best for us. You can follow along in the bulletin you receive when you enter; it's a step-by-step guide to our worship.

Please do not let the traditional atmosphere of "church" prevent you from feeling comfortable in worship. Wear what you like, come as you are.

Yes! It is Salem's policy that all who seek a deeper relationship with Jesus may receive Communion, regardless of what your background is. If you feel uncomfortable partaking in Communion, you may come forward to receive a blessing instead if you so desire. You are also welcome to simply stay in your seat if that is your preference. There is no pressure and the choice is yours. If you've got questions about Communion (what is it, anyway?!) our pastor would be glad to chat with you one-on-one.

While we are operating under the restrictions caused by COVID-19, Communion and blessings will be at the end of service as you are leaving the building.

Bring 'em! Salem is welcoming and encouraging of all children. We are comfortable with children in worship, knowing their behavior will vary. During the service, they are invited to come up for the children's sermon, a brief learning time just for them, led by the pastor at the front of the church.

As a parent or guardian, we encourage you to be as present with your child as you prefer. We provide a small play area in the back of the sanctuary, and if you feel that they need to take a break from worship, you may take them downstairs to our fellowship hall, where there are restrooms and spaces to run around. Please note we can not offer the play areas as described while we are under the restrictions of COVID-19.

Yes! It is our congregation’s practice to not only welcome folks of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions but to actively include all people in worship and ministry.

We are in the process of becoming a Reconciling in Christ congregation.