Rooted in the Lectionary, Open to the Neighborhood
On Whitnall Highway in Burbank, a modest building with the ELCA logo on its facade opens its doors each Sunday morning for a congregation that describes itself in three ways at once: progressive, Reconciling in Christ, and spiritually curious. American Lutheran Church of Burbank (often shortened to ALC Burbank) gathers at 10:00 a.m. for a worship service that is collaborative, rooted, liturgical, and relevant, the congregation says, and that, since the move to hybrid gatherings, reaches both the people in the pews and those joining by Zoom from their homes.
The worship life of ALC Burbank follows the Revised Common Lectionary, a three-year cycle of readings shared across Protestant and Catholic traditions worldwide. Minister Chelsea Kadovitz Gallen, the congregation's Bridge Pastor, has written that she has never preached the same sermon twice on the same lectionary texts, because, as she frames it, God keeps inviting the community to turn the readings over in their hands and notice what is being said in the here and now. The congregation has also adopted the provisional updates to the lectionary that address anti-Jewish language in Holy Week and Easter texts, beginning in Advent 2025, as a way to live more fully into solidarity with interfaith neighbors.
A Church That Names Who It Welcomes
ALC Burbank has chosen to be explicit about welcome. The congregation identifies as queer affirming, neurodivergent affirming, and committed to ongoing work to be anti-ableist and anti-racist. It holds the Reconciling in Christ designation through ReconcilingWorks, a program within the ELCA that recognizes congregations publicly affirming of LGBTQ+ people. The congregation's vision statement reads: "We are called to be a nurturing community practicing acceptance, hope, love, and service." Its mission, adopted by vote and debuted the spring of 2025, frames members as "a shepherding force by accepting, embracing, and nurturing all of creation."
An adapted "Church Ethos" poem, used with permission from Mark Tidd, captures that posture in plain language:
Married, divorced and single here, it's one community that thrives here. Conservative and liberal here, we've all gotta give a little here. Big and small here, there's room for us all here. Doubt and believe here, we all can receive here. LGBTQ+ and straight here, there's no hate here. Nonbinary, woman and man here, everyone can here. Neurodiverse, allistic and autistic here, all of our abilities matter here. Whatever your race here, for all of us grace here. Abled and disabled, all are welcome here. In the sanctuary of ALC Burbank or the sanctuaries of our homes, all are in-person here.
The line about "sanctuaries of our homes" is not just a poetic gesture: ALC Burbank built its life around hybrid participation long before the pandemic forced the issue, and it continues to value both the in-person community and those who can only join by Zoom. The "roomers and zoomers" language used by the staff is meant to honor both.
Sundays for the Whole Household
Sunday morning is the heart of the congregation's rhythm. Worship begins at 10:00 a.m. in the sanctuary and runs with the order found across ELCA liturgical settings: readings from the lectionary, a children's message, a sermon, congregational song led by the choir and pianist, prayers, and Communion on most Sundays.
Children are fully welcomed into the worship gathering rather than separated from it. About midway through the service, they are invited forward for a brief children's message, then led to the conference room and classroom for a 20 to 25 minute Sunday School program. They are walked back into the sanctuary in time to participate in Communion with their families. The arrangement reflects the congregation's preference for keeping families together as much as possible while still offering children their own formation.
The ALC Choir sings most Sundays, skipping only the first Sunday of each month. Music is shaped by Vocal Music Director Seth Bowser and Pianist and Band Leader Ulf Anneken, and the style fits the congregation's blended identity, drawing from the ELCA's liturgical song traditions while staying accessible.
Worship recordings are posted online so that anyone who missed a Sunday, whether due to travel, illness, or simple distance, can catch up later. For those who want to give in person, there are giving envelopes in the pews; for those online, the Church Center app and the congregation's online giving page accept recurring and one-time gifts.
Wednesdays of Study and Song
The middle of the week is for going deeper. On Wednesday evenings at 6:00 p.m., Minister Chelsea hosts a midweek Bible study focused on the upcoming Sunday's Gospel reading from the lectionary, with occasional book studies woven in. The gathering meets on Zoom, which has made it a popular entry point for people who live outside Burbank or whose schedules make evening drives difficult. Fellowship is part of the experience as much as the reading itself.
At 7:00 p.m., the ALC Choir gathers for rehearsal, in person and with a Zoom option for anyone who cannot make it on a given week. Reading ability is described as helpful but not required, and the choir welcomes singers who simply want to be part of the music that shapes Sunday worship. Choir members interested in more information can write to choir@alcburbank.org.
Thursday Nights for Teens
High schoolers have a regular place at ALC Burbank. On the second and fourth Thursdays of each month, the youth group meets from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in Grace Hall. The format is intentionally low-key: hanging out, games, snacks, and a brief lesson that draws from life and faith. The evening gives teens in Burbank and the surrounding neighborhoods a built-in rhythm for community with peers and trusted adults.
Once a month, rotating between the first and third Thursdays, the same group of teens shifts into homework help, tutoring, and resume assistance. That tutoring time is a practical extension of the congregation's commitment to walking alongside young people not only spiritually but in the everyday work of school and early employment. Current dates appear in the weekly newsletter.
A Staff and Leadership in a Time of Transition
ALC Burbank describes itself as being in a current season of transition and discernment, and the language it uses ("Bridge Pastor") reflects that. Minister Chelsea Kadovitz Gallen serves as a Synodically Authorized Minister bridging the congregation through this period. She is the primary teaching voice on Sundays and at the Wednesday Bible study, and she is the main pastoral contact for the community. Those wishing to meet with her can book a time through the Church Center app.
Music leadership is shared between Seth Bowser, who directs the choir's vocal work, and Ulf Anneken, who leads the band and piano. Together they shape the sound of Sunday worship and rehearse with the choir each Wednesday evening.
Governance of the congregation rests with an Executive Committee that has been renewed in recent years. E.L. Ric Hauck serves as President, Mark Baker as Vice President, Alynn Singleton Garcia as Secretary, and Sue Christensen as Treasurer. The congregation also adopted an updated Constitution and Bylaws in February 2026, reflecting the formal organization of its current life.
The church office, located at 755 N Whitnall Hwy, is open Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Thursdays from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. The staff is off site or by appointment only on Wednesdays, and the office is closed on Mondays and Fridays. The phone number, (818) 846-0295, reaches the office, and email inquiries can be sent to office@alcburbank.org.
Sharing the Building Beyond Sunday
ALC Burbank's facility is more than a Sunday morning home. The congregation rents its spaces, including Grace Hall, the conference room and classroom, and other meeting areas, to community groups and event hosts, both for one-time gatherings and for ongoing recurring use. Rentals are scheduled around the congregation's own calendar. Inquiries go to the facilities coordinator at facilities@alcburbank.org.
This sharing of space is part of how the congregation lives out its mission "in Burbank and beyond." It is also a practical support for the building's upkeep, and it opens the door to partnerships with groups who might not otherwise cross paths with a progressive Lutheran congregation.
Giving in Many Forms
The congregation describes its offerings as a form of "mutual aid, directly supporting one another and our mission of transforming lives in Burbank and beyond," and it offers several ways to give. The primary online option is through the Church Center giving platform, accessible both online and through a mobile app for Apple and Android devices. Cash and checks in giving envelopes are welcomed at any service. For those who want to give through older recurring giving setups that need to be cancelled, there are legacy portals on EasyTithe and SimplyGiving/Vanco, with the treasurer (treasurer@alcburbank.org) available to help navigate the transition.
Two community programs extend the reach of each gift. Shoppers who sign up for Ralphs Community Contributions route a portion of their grocery purchases to ALC Burbank at no extra cost. eScrip works in a similar way with participating merchants. Both are passive giving options that turn ordinary shopping into ongoing support.
A weekly newsletter keeps the wider circle of friends and members connected between Sundays. It carries reflections from Minister Chelsea, schedule updates, and announcements about Bible study texts, youth group dates, and congregational life.
A House with Room for Many
What stands out at American Lutheran Church of Burbank is the deliberate pairing of rootedness and openness. Theologically, the congregation is grounded in ELCA Lutheran identity, in the lectionary, in Communion every week, and in a tradition of liturgy and song. Socially, it is a community that names who it welcomes (across sexuality, gender identity, race, ability, and neurotype) and it backs that naming up with the language of its mission and the practice of its programs. Practically, it has built the kind of hybrid rhythm that lets someone in Burbank and someone across the country both count as present, and it has opened its building to groups beyond its own walls.
For a first-time visitor, the Sunday rhythm is simple to step into: show up at 755 N Whitnall Hwy around 10:00 a.m., or click the Zoom link from home. There is room in the sanctuary, room in the children's program, and room at the table for Communion. Wednesday evenings offer a second door in, through study or song. Thursdays, for those with teenagers, offer a third. And the building itself, through its rentals and its partnerships, keeps the wider neighborhood moving through its doors all week long.