A Half-Century on Del Webb Boulevard
American Lutheran Church has stood on the corner of Del Webb Boulevard in Sun City, Arizona since 1977, but the congregation itself is older than its sanctuary. On the first Sunday in 1975, 187 people gathered for worship at the Sun Dial Recreation Center, and from that borrowed room grew one of the larger Lutheran congregations in the Phoenix region. Today worshippers fill a building known for its Casavant-Frères pipe organ and a 50-plus-voice choir, walk through an enclosed columbarium on the north side of the campus, and gather Wednesday evenings each fall and winter for a program called Wednesday Night Alive that has run for more than twenty-five years.
The church's stated mission is to share God's love by inviting all people to know Christ, grow in faith, and serve others. Its working motto, drawn from Matthew's gospel, is to proclaim the love of Jesus Christ, invite others to participate in the faith community, and be a blessing to all in word and deed. American Lutheran is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), part of the Grand Canyon Synod.
A Sanctuary Built for Lutheran Worship
Worship at American Lutheran follows the Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW) setting, the same hymnal used across most ELCA congregations. Services are liturgical, with spoken prayers, a sung liturgy, readings from scripture, a sermon, and Holy Communion celebrated every weekend. The music program that surrounds those words has been the congregation's signature for decades.
The Casavant-Frères Pipe Organ
The pipe organ was installed in 2001 and dedicated in 2002 with guest organist Michael Burkhardt. Built by the Canadian firm Casavant-Frères of Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, the three-manual instrument has 55 ranks of pipes and is described locally as among the finest organs in the greater Phoenix area. It supports congregational singing, accompanies the choirs, and provides instrumental music before, during, and following the service, and is played for organ concerts that draw audiences from across the West Valley. The organist and worship coordinator is Dr. James Gerber, DMA, who joined the congregation in 2020. He is an active member of the American Guild of Organists and has served congregations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Arizona, and in 2014 was the organist for Trinity Episcopal Cathedral's choir summer residency in the United Kingdom.
The Choirs
The ALC Choir rehearses Thursdays from 2:30 to 4:15 in the afternoon and sings in worship each Sunday. It is directed by Janet MacDonald, who came to American Lutheran in 2019 after a thirty-seven-year teaching career and previous service as choir director and organist in Iowa and Minnesota congregations. MacDonald earned a Bachelor of Music from Cornell College as a Horace Alden Miller Scholar and completed graduate work through St. Catherine University, and remains active with the American Choral Directors Association.
The Christo Handbell Choir owns five octaves of handbells and five octaves of hand chimes. The bells rehearse Tuesday afternoons from 3:30 to 5:00 and ring in worship once each month from October through May, plus festival services. The director is George Zoske, a former music educator who has led the Christo bells for more than twenty-five years. A select men's ensemble called the Ah-Men Singers rehearses Thursdays at 1:30 and presents men's choir selections during worship. The music program also welcomes instrumentalists who wish to play solos, duets, or accompany the choirs.
Sun City Sings!
Outside the church walls, the music ministry sponsors Sun City Sings!, a community choir open to friends and neighbors in the West Valley. The choir rehearses Tuesdays from 9:00 to 11:00 in the ALC choir room, just next to the church office, and presents several concerts each year. There is a $50 annual participation fee, and all are invited.
Worship Schedule and What to Expect
American Lutheran Church follows a seasonal schedule that reflects Sun City's rhythm of returning snowbirds.
- November through April: Saturday at 4:00 PM; Sunday at 8:30 and 10:30 AM; coffee hour at 9:30 AM.
- May through October: Saturday at 4:00 PM; Sunday at 9:30 AM; coffee hour at 10:30 AM.
Each service runs about sixty to seventy-five minutes and includes Holy Communion. The church's teaching on the sacrament is open and inclusive: the table is not the church's table or a Lutheran table; it is Christ's table, and all are invited.
First-time visitors are asked to look for the bell tower when they arrive. The doors to the sanctuary are located directly underneath it, opening into the narthex. A Welcome Center sits in the narthex with information about the church, and greeters or ushers will help visitors find a seat and offer a small gift of thanks for coming. There is no dress code; jeans and suits are both seen on Sunday mornings.
Children in Worship
Children of every age are welcome in worship. If a young one grows restless, parents are invited to take them to the narthex, outside, or the fellowship hall to settle down, or to use quiet activity packets at their seats. Sunday Church School is offered on the second and fourth Sundays of each month, following worship in the fellowship hall area, and uses a Godly Play approach with Bible stories, music, crafts, and hands-on learning.
Worship is also broadcast live on YouTube each Sunday at 9:30 AM, and replays of past services are available there as well. The livestream is available at alcsuncity.org/watch-live.
Stephen Ministry, a Congregation-Wide Commitment
American Lutheran describes itself as a Stephen Ministry congregation and counts itself among the top three churches in the world in terms of the size of its Stephen Minister program. Stephen Ministry has been part of the congregation since 1982, when the program was launched locally, and the congregation formally expanded its outreach under that banner in 1986 when Rev. Otto Wedul joined as associate pastor.
The premise is straightforward and Lutheran in spirit: trained lay members of the congregation meet one-on-one each week with someone going through a difficult time, including grief, isolation, illness, a broken relationship, job loss, or a medical crisis, and provide a caring presence, a listening ear, and Christian encouragement. The training is offered annually at the church for members who feel called to serve. Stephen Ministers meet their care receivers for as long as the need remains, with strict confidentiality. The local leadership chair is Jay Johnson, who can be reached through the church office at 623-974-2512.
Wednesday Night Alive
For more than twenty-five years, Wednesday Night Alive has been the congregation's midweek gathering place during the cooler months. The season opens the first Wednesday in November and continues until Holy Week in the spring. Each evening is built around a 4:00 PM program, a 5:00 PM catered dinner, and a 6:00 PM program, with the 6:00 PM slot replaced by an Advent or Lenten church service during those liturgical seasons.
The 4:00 PM hour is usually a presentation by a guest speaker on an inspirational or educational topic. The 6:00 PM hour is usually musical entertainment provided by local musicians. The dinner is catered and costs $12 per ticket (the season-ending Gala is $15), with tickets sold online the week before each Wednesday and in person after weekend services. Programs are free, and the doors are open to members and non-members alike. The church encourages members to bring their friends and neighbors as an introduction to American Lutheran.
The WNA Committee is co-chaired by Donna Borden and Debra Hjortland, supported by a long list of volunteers from the congregation. The brochure for the season is available on the church's online resources page.
Bible Study, Sunday Church School, and Lifelong Learning
American Lutheran runs a constellation of Bible studies and book groups throughout the week. The Pastor's Bible Study meets Wednesdays at 10:30 AM in the Fellowship Hall and is led by Senior Pastor Scott Klimke. A Women's Bible Study meets Fridays at 10:00 AM in Education Rooms A and B from October through April. The Ragamuffin Gospel Book Study, led by Pastoral Associate Julia Sprenkle, meets Thursdays at 10:30 AM in the Fellowship Hall.
Sunday Church School is offered on the second and fourth Sundays of each month, following worship, in the vicinity of the Fellowship Hall. Children experience Bible stories through Godly Play, music, crafts, and hands-on learning. Parents or volunteers who want to learn more can contact Pastor Julia at j.sprenkle@alcsuncity.org.
Two seasonal Bible studies round out the year: an Advent Bible Study and a Lent Bible Study, with dates that vary each year.
Women's Ministry and Hands-On Service
The Women's Ministry at American Lutheran offers a long menu of activities, all organized by a Women's Ministries Board that includes the chairs of several sub-groups.
Connecting Threads is a quilting and prayer-shawl group that meets every Monday morning year-round in the Multi-Purpose Room. Members make quilts that are sold for missions and crochet or knit shawls that are shared with people in crisis to remind them of God's presence. The Good Book Club gathers at 10:30 AM in Education A and B on the second Monday of each month to discuss a book selected several months in advance. Global Health Ministries meets on the fourth Monday of the month from 1:00 to 3:00 PM to spin bandages in the Fellowship Hall; the bandages support Lutheran hospitals in the developing world.
The Holiday Bazaar, held each November, is a major fundraiser and includes a raffle, a Holiday Boutique, plants, boxed cookies, quilts and crafts, lefse, and a Café au Lait corner where visitors can enjoy a cup of coffee and a treat. The Women's Ministry also organizes Operation Christmas Child shoebox distributions each fall, supports Memorial Receptions for bereaved families, and collects items for partner charities: white cotton t-shirts and diapers for Global Health Ministries, cancelled stamps for Sons of Norway, pull-tabs for the Ronald McDonald House, hotel-size toiletries for various ministries, and eyeglasses and hearing aids for the Sun City Host Lions Club.
Care Ministries
A second set of caring ministries sits alongside Stephen Ministry and the Women's Ministry. The Grief Journey Group is co-facilitated by Associate Pastor Lisa Hackler and Susan Beach, both of whom have extensive experience in grief counseling. The group combines sharing with educational sessions on topics such as understanding grief, self-care, emotional reactions, sorting through possessions, and coping with the holidays.
A Card Making Class meets Mondays at 9:30 AM in Education C. Members make cards for homebound members, those in the hospital, families of the recently bereaved, and to sell for Women's Ministry fundraisers. No prior skill is required.
The Prayer Shawl Ministry knits and crochets shawls at home or during the Monday Sewing and Crafts gatherings; shawls are distributed by the pastors to those who are hospitalized.
Rev. Julia Sprenkle is the contact for prayer requests, and the Card Making and Prayer Shawl ministries are part of a broader Care Ministries effort that also includes the Memory Caregiver Support Group, which meets Tuesdays at 9:30 AM in Education Rooms A and B for those caring for someone with memory loss.
Social Ministry and Outreach
The Social Ministry Committee oversees American Lutheran's giving to local, regional, national, and global ministry partners. The congregation is an I-HELP partner with Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest, joining other congregations to provide overnight shelter, meals, and hospitality to people experiencing homelessness in the Phoenix area.
The church also maintains an ongoing relationship with Pan de Vida Lutheran Church in Surprise, Arizona, supporting after-school tutoring, summer Bible camp, and food and financial assistance. Since 2019, members have walked and raised money for the Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission at Rock Point on the Navajo Nation, supporting water projects, clothing, food, and supplies. In 2019, the Navajo Mission Walk for Water raised more than $50,000 to help build a new well on the Navajo Nation.
In 1992, members Malcolm and Maybelle Estrem gifted the Grand Canyon Synod with the Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center near Carefree. In 2016, the congregation was designated Sun City's "Best Places to Worship" and received the "Servant of Christ" award from Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest.
Friendship Groups and Fellowship
Several small groups meet once a month for breakfast, dinner, or fellowship in members' homes and local restaurants:
- 1st Thursday at 9:00 AM: George's Lakeview Cafe, 10502 W. Thunderbird Boulevard, Sun City. Contact Olga Redstrom.
- 3rd Wednesday from 8:00 to 9:00 AM: Mercer's Restaurant, 9720 W. Peoria Avenue, unit 101, Peoria. Contact Terri Polk.
- 1st Saturday at 8:30 AM: The Royal Cafe. Contact Terri.
- 2nd Saturday at 9:00 AM: ALC Fellowship Hall or a member's home, breakfast potluck style. Contact Sharon Grambow.
- 3rd Friday: A member's home. Contact Deb Hjortland.
In addition, the Second Saturday Fellowship gathers at 5:00 PM in Education A and B at the church on the second Saturday of each month for coffee and conversation.
Worship Assistants and Congregational Involvement
Visitors who return may find themselves drawn into one of the visible roles that make worship happen. Greeters welcome everyone at the door, with two volunteers at each service and special events. Ushers distribute bulletins, seat worshippers, and take the offering. Lay Readers read the scripture lessons during services. Altar Guild members prepare the communion elements and care for the altar and chancel, with three persons serving each month. Communion Assistants distribute the bread and wine at the Lord's Table alongside the pastors, and also bring communion to those unable to come forward. Worship is also supported by greeters, ushers, lay readers, and the choir and instrumentalists.
The Columbarium and the ALC Trusts
In 1994, the congregation voted to build a columbarium on the church grounds as an alternative, church-affiliated, perpetual home for members' cremated remains. It was built and dedicated on October 2, 1995, with 288 double niches. In 2011, members voted to enlarge the columbarium by 144 more niches and to add a roof and seating in the area not already covered by the original gazebo.
A whole niche is available to members for $1,800 and includes space for two bronze containers and two plaques, with only a name, dates of birth and death, and a middle initial allowed on the plaque. Plaques are placed after cremation, with delivery typically six to nine weeks after the order.
The American Lutheran Church of Sun City Trusts was created by congregational action on April 27, 1981, and revised January 31, 1991, to provide a method of making gifts in perpetuity. Money received by the Trusts is retained, invested, and administered by a Trust Committee elected by the church membership and supervised by the Congregation Council. Gifts may be made in several forms: as outright gifts during life, as testamentary bequests through a will, by naming the ALC Trusts as a beneficiary of life insurance, or through a donative sale of property at less than market value. The Trust Committee Brochure is available online.
Concerts at American Lutheran
The American Lutheran sanctuary is regularly shared with West Valley choral and instrumental ensembles. Recent and upcoming seasons have featured the Sounds of the Southwest Singers and Chorale, the Tremble Clefs Arizona, the ProMusica Arizona Chorale and Orchestra, the Orpheus Male Chorus of Phoenix, and Sun City Ringers, among others. Most concerts are free with donations accepted; tickets for some are sold at the door or through partner organizations.
The Pastoral Team and Staff
The senior pastor is the Rev. Scott Klimke. He came to American Lutheran Church after more than twenty years of ministry in central and southwestern Pennsylvania. A graduate of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pastor Scott served three Pennsylvania congregations with his wife, Julia, before the two moved to Arizona after an anniversary visit. Before seminary, he served in the United States military during Operation Desert Storm and worked as a fundraising executive in Wisconsin. His pastoral identity centers on meaningful worship, sustained pastoral care, and walking alongside members as they discern where God is calling them.
The Rev. Lisa Hackler is the associate pastor. She co-facilitates the Grief Journey Group and serves alongside the other pastors in preaching, hospital and home visits, and pastoral care.
The Rev. Julia Sprenkle serves as pastoral associate. She coordinates Sunday Church School, leads the Ragamuffin Gospel Book Study, and is the point of contact for prayer requests.
The music staff includes Dr. James Gerber, Janet MacDonald, and George Zoske. The rest of the staff includes Amelia Clarke (executive assistant for administration), Nicole Jones (administrative assistant), Dave Tigges (property and grounds manager), Ray Roman (digital communications and marketing coordinator), and Andy Le (worship technology assistant).
A Walk Through the History
American Lutheran Church's first service was held at Sun Dial Recreation Center on the first Sunday in 1975, with 187 people in attendance. A year later, in 1976, the congregation built a chapel in what had been the choir room and narthex. In 1977, the congregation worshiped for the first time in its new sanctuary at 17200 N. Del Webb Boulevard, by then with 632 members.
The campus grew over the next decade: in 1982, an administration building was added and the Fellowship Hall was enlarged. In 1994, the congregation voted to build the columbarium, which was dedicated a year later.
Music has been a hallmark of the place since the beginning. Carillon bells were installed in the domed tower in 1999. Work to modify the sanctuary for a new pipe organ began in 2000, and the Casavant-Frères pipe organ was delivered from Quebec in 2001 and dedicated with a guest recital by organist Michael Burkhardt in 2002.
Other milestones include the burning of the mortgage at the 25th anniversary celebration in 2000, the purchase of a 32-passenger bus in 2007 (with the former bus gifted to Martin Luther School), the expansion of the columbarium to 432 niches in 2011, the "Moving Forward in Faith" capital campaign in 2015, the $4 million renovation of the campus and parking lot in 2017, and the "Sparked by the Spirit" stewardship campaign that began in 2020.
Senior pastors since 1975 have included Rev. Elmer H. Hjortland (1975 to 1979), Rev. Grant V. Sorenson (1979 to 1982), Rev. Lloyd R. Wallace (1982 to 1998), Rev. Ellis "Bud" Eskritt (interim, 1998 to 1999), Rev. Mark G. Huggenvik (1999 to 2007), Rev. Rick Alpers (interim, 2007 to 2008), Rev. Gary E. Benson (2008 to 2018), Rev. Lowell D. Nelson (2018 to 2022), Rev. Paul Campbell (interim, 2022 to 2023), and the current senior pastor, Rev. Scott Klimke, who began in 2023. Associate pastors of outreach have included Rev. Otto Wedul and Rev. Charles Paulson.
Visiting American Lutheran
The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Friday from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Visitors who want to plan ahead can call 623-974-2512 or email info@alcsuncity.org. Online giving is available through the congregation's Realm giving page, accessible at alcsuncity.org/give. A Plan Your Visit page lays out what to expect, with seasonal service times, directions, and answers to common questions.
The church is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Grand Canyon Synod, and is located at 17200 N. Del Webb Boulevard in Sun City, Arizona.