A Lutheran Congregation on Belden Boulevard
All Saints Lutheran Church sits on Belden Boulevard in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America that has served the south Twin Cities metro since 1966. Recent years have brought a new chapter to the campus: All Saints now shares its building with Zion Lutheran, two Lutheran communities worshiping and working side by side.
The congregation's motto is Show Up. Do Good. Be Kind., and the phrase recurs like a refrain through everything the parish does. All Saints is a recognized Reconciling in Christ (RIC) congregation, publicly committed to welcoming people of every race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and socioeconomic level, and to working for racial equity. Pastors Wes and Jules, music director Karen Pieper, and children's ministry coordinator Leah share ministry with a sizeable team of lay leaders and volunteers across every program.
Sunday Morning Worship at Nine
Sunday worship begins at 9:00 a.m. The setting is casual and come-as-you-are, and the liturgy is familiar Lutheran shape: a centering song before the service, a gathering hymn, confession and forgiveness (or thanksgiving for baptism), a children's message with snacks, scripture readings, sermon, prayers of the people, offering, Holy Communion, and a sending song.
Communion is celebrated every Sunday, and the congregation teaches that the table is open to all. You do not have to believe just right, or act a certain way. God wants to meet you here, because you are loved just as you are. Children of every age are welcome to receive communion; a first communion class can be arranged through the pastors.
Music at All Saints is best described as eclectic. A house band plays guitar, violin, oboe, drums, and trumpet alongside piano, and the congregation's repertoire draws from ancient liturgies, camp songs, contemporary praise, and beloved ELW hymnody. Musicians who would like to play, sing, or offer special music can reach out to Karen Pieper.
A PrayGround area inside the sanctuary lets children engage with age-appropriate activities while remaining part of worship with their families. For children who need to burn off more energy, a nursery is available during the service. Visitors who cannot attend in person can watch on Facebook or YouTube; recordings, the ASLC podcast, and this week's bulletin are all available online (livestream page).
Children, Youth, and Family Life
Faith formation for young people runs through Seeds of Faith, Confirmation, and the High School Ministry. Seeds of Faith gathers children ages three through fifth grade every Sunday from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. during the school year for music, Bible stories, cooking, crafts, and community. Children must be potty-trained to participate.
Affirmation of Baptism, the congregation's confirmation program, walks students in grades six through eight through three years of intentional formation, with the confirmation service held on the first weekend of May in the student's eighth-grade year. Confirmation students help lead both congregations' worship life, from serving Ash Wednesday dinners to hosting pancake breakfasts.
The High School Ministry is rebuilding around service and friendship. Older teens help lead small groups in Confirmation and gather throughout the year for activities like a Dungeons and Dragons afternoon, a fall mum sale, an MLK Day event with youth across the Twin Cities, and a week at Luther Crest Bible Camp each summer. Vacation Bible School runs four days, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., staffed by counselors from Luther Crest, with magicians, reptile shows, and park hopping in the schedule.
Lifelong Learning for Every Age
Education at All Saints is not only for the young. Adult Bible Study meets every Thursday at 10:00 a.m. in the Conference Room, and Lifelong Learning series fill the 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Sunday hour each week. Recurring Lifelong Learning offerings have included sessions on aging resources through MN Aging Pathways, an Every Meal Partnership evening with the program's development director, an Art Journaling through Lent series led by Deb Werle, and dialogue-based gatherings such as Dialogues on Race and conversations on political grief.
The approach reflects a teaching style that asks nothing of the participant except presence: No experience needed, show up as you are.
Music at the Heart of All Saints
Music is one of the most distinctive offerings of the parish. Beyond the weekly band, All Saints is home to a sanctuary choir that sings most Sundays, a bell choir that rings on festival days, and a long list of guest musicians offering special music throughout the church year. Karen Pieper coordinates the program, recruits singers and instrumentalists, and oversees the AV and livestream team.
Worship volunteers fill a wide range of roles beyond music - readers, communion preparers, communion assistants, greeters, soundboard operators, and Coffee Corner hosts after the service. Sign-up sheets are posted on the table outside the sanctuary, and the pastors welcome new helpers at any time.
Quilts, Crafts, and Hands-On Fellowship
Several hands-on groups keep the building busy throughout the week. The morning quilters stitch together every Monday from 8:30 a.m. until noon, and the afternoon quilters meet on the first and third Tuesday of each month from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Their quilts become gifts for members in times of need and donations through the Holiday Fair. The Holiday Fair Crafters gather on the second Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m., with a separate crafters circle meeting on the same Tuesday afternoon. Lifting up needlework, baking, and potluck traditions, these groups welcome newcomers and keep longtime members connected.
Men's Group and the Owls
The Men's Group at All Saints meets three times a month in three different places. On the first Thursday at 11:45 a.m., the men gather at the church for fellowship and a homecooked lunch. On the second Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., they reconvene at Cottage Grove Carbone's for dinner. On the third Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., the group heads to the Hastings Bierstube for food, faith, and fellowship.
OWLS - Older Wiser Lutherans - meets on the third Wednesday of each month at a rotating location. The Owls are one of the parish's warmest invitations to its older members, gathering for meals, conversation, and the steady friendships that mark a long tenure at All Saints.
Mission, Outreach, and Standing With Neighbors
The Mission and Outreach Team coordinates a network of local partnerships that reach across Cottage Grove and the south metro. Friends in Need Food Shelf in Cottage Grove relies on All Saints volunteers to sort and stock donations and serve clients, and the church is one of Friends in Need's strongest volunteer pipelines. Open Hands Midway receives regular donations of 64-ounce juice bottles - Juice Sunday, on the first Sunday of each month, is the congregation's standing collection - and church members serve meals there on Mondays.
Every Meal is the parish's weekend food partnership. A team of All Saints volunteers packs and delivers weekend food into the backpacks of children at local schools, and the Every Meal Development Director has spoken at the church about the program. The Connect Center, a Washington County nonprofit serving low-income families, homeless youth, and those experiencing housing instability, is another close partner. Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota and Luther Crest Bible Camp round out the parish's list of long-standing community ties.
Blessing Bags, gathered through an Amazon wish list and assembled on campus, equip congregation members with care packages to hand to unhoused neighbors across the Twin Cities year-round. The Immigration Task Force in Support of Immigrant Families educates the congregation on current events and immigration policy, advocating for social justice in keeping with All Saints' Reconciling in Christ commitments.
Bega Kwa Bega: Walking With Kipaduka, Tanzania
All Saints' oldest international partnership is Bega Kwa Bega - Shoulder to Shoulder - with a parish in Kipaduka, Tanzania. The relationship is one of mutual sharing: exchanging resources, learning about each other's cultures and worship life, and supporting student scholarships through the Kipaduka parish. Member Faith Anderson traveled to Kipaduka in 2024 to deepen the connection and serves as the congregation's primary liaison with the parish.
A joint trip from All Saints and Zion to Kipaduka is in the works for 2026. Turkey dinners, breakfast fundraisers, and other parish events raise travel funds and ongoing support for projects in Kipaduka. Congregants interested in joining the trip can reach out to Faith Anderson.
Care for the Whole Community
All Saints extends its campus to several community support groups. An Al-Anon group meets every Wednesday from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., offering help for those affected by someone else's drinking. NAMI Minnesota's Family Support Group - facilitated by a parent with lived experience - meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. for parents and caregivers of children under 21 living with mental illness.
Behind those meetings, a confidential Prayer Chain carries the prayer requests of members and visitors into the daily prayer lives of the congregation. Hospitals do not automatically notify churches of admissions, so the parish asks families to call the church directly when a loved one is hospitalized; the prayer line is staffed by extension 5 at the main number.
Baptisms, Weddings, and Funerals
Pastors Wes and Jules walk with families through every chapter of congregational life. Baptisms take place in a public gathering at the font, recognizing God's claim upon a life and a lifelong journey of the Spirit in mission for the world; families can submit a baptism request online at any time.
Weddings can be held at All Saints, with Pastor Wes and Pastor Jules available to officiate. Couples can use the church's facility for both ceremony and reception and can request information about officiants or facility use through the office. Funeral planning resources are posted online, including a curated hymn list drawn from Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW): The King of Love My Shepherd Is, Lift High the Cross, Borning Cry, What A Friend We Have in Jesus, Precious Lord, Take My Hand, Amazing Grace, Children of the Heavenly Father, Eagle's Wings, Day by Day, Be Thou My Vision, Lord, You Have Come Down to the Lakeshore, Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee, Beautiful Savior, How Great Thou Art, and Praise to the Lord. Suggested psalms include 23, 27, 42, 84, and 121. A columbarium on the campus - tucked near the rain garden on the south side of the property - is available for members wishing to reserve a niche.
Getting Connected
All Saints funds its ministry through the generosity of its members and friends. Giving options include: giving in the offering plate during worship, texting AllSaintsCG to 73256 with a dollar amount, online giving through Realm as a one-time gift or recurring tithe, Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs for those 70½ and older, stock donations, and memorial gifts. Gifts of time are equally valued; sign-up sheets on the table outside the sanctuary list openings for readers, communion assistants, Coffee Corner hosts, and building projects small and large (giving page).
The parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and the phone number is (651) 459-1117. The address is 8100 Belden Boulevard, Cottage Grove, MN 55016. Newcomers can fill out a contact form to learn about membership and subscribe to Planting Seeds, the weekly email newsletter that keeps the congregation informed about worship, classes, and the steady work of Showing Up, Doing Good, and Being Kind.