Our worship is liturgical which means that it usually follows a specific format to reflect the church year and the life of Christ. In so doing, the Lutheran liturgy offers the rich banquet of the blessings Christ gives to us in Word and sacrament. Not only do we need to receive these blessings, but so do visitors to our church. Liturgical worship affords the opportunity for God’s people to “declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). Using the songs of the liturgy, confessing our faith with the ancient creeds, following the church year, singing hymns that proclaim solid biblical truths, understanding that preaching is proclaiming the gospel—all of this reflects what we believe, teach, and confess. In our Lutheran worship, we “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).
Most services follow this basic order:
- Prayer before service and musical prelude
- Greeting
- Confession and Absolution
- Lessons
- Hymn of the Week
- Sermon
- Confession of Faith
- Offering
- Prayer
- Communion
- Blessing
- Hymn
We use both old and new hymns sung by the congregation and choirs along with organ, piano, and other musical instruments.
Church Year Calendar
The Church Year is divided into two main parts: The festival half, which covers the life of Christ, typically begins about December 1 and ends about May 30. Each church year begins with Advent and the promises of His coming, the birth of Jesus, His ministry, His suffering, death, resurrection, ascension and Pentecost. The non-festival half, which emphasizes the Christian’s life of response to Christ, begins about June 1 and ends about November 30.
The Church Year has three cycles:
- Christmas (Advent, Christmas and Epiphany)
- Easter (Lent, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter and Ascension)
- Pentecost (Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, Sundays after Pentecost, and End Times)
Regular Service Schedule
Sunday
- North St. Paul – 8:30am Worship
- Hugo – 10:00am Worship
Monday
- North St. Paul – 7pm Worship
Special Service Schedule
Special services are held throughout the year to celebrate certain special days in the church year and festivals. The times may change, so please call or check website for exact times.