Black Forest Lutheran Church sits at 12455 Black Forest Road on the north edge of Colorado Springs, where the city gives way to the pine-dotted community of Black Forest. The congregation serves members and welcomes visitors from across El Paso County, including Black Forest, Peyton, Falcon, Monument, Glen Eagle, Palmer Lake, and northeast Colorado Springs. The church's stated mission is simple and direct: it glorifies God through worship, prayer, education, and service as ambassadors of Christ.
The two Sunday morning services, the Holy Communion offered at every one of them, the year-round Bible studies, the thriving youth ministry, the Vacation Bible School, and the steady stream of mission trips that flow out of Black Forest all grow out of one conviction: people who follow Jesus are called to be hearers of the Gospel, sent by God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to be a community of faith, hope, and love that witnesses to Christ and His coming Kingdom.
Two Sunday Mornings, One Open Communion Table
Worship is at the center of life at Black Forest Lutheran. Two services gather each Sunday morning at 8:00 AM and 10:30 AM, and Holy Communion is offered at both. The rhythm changes with the seasons of the year. From June through August, a single 9:00 AM service fills the summer, alternating between indoor and outdoor settings. The two-service pattern returns each September and runs through the program year, with Sunday School for all ages meeting between services at 9:30 AM.
Communion is celebrated each Sunday as the central act of the gathered community. During the distribution, individuals or families may come forward for prayers for healing offered by prayer ministers stationed at the communion rail. This rhythm of Word, Sacrament, and prayer for those who ask is a defining trait of a Sunday at Black Forest.
For those unable to attend in person, each Sunday's full service is posted as "Online Worship" by 3:00 PM. Bulletins and announcements are also available to download alongside each service, allowing members who were out of town to follow along with the same texts the congregation heard on Sunday morning. A sermon archive with several years of weekly services is maintained online.
Alternating Traditional and Contemporary Worship
The worship is a deliberate blend of traditional and contemporary styles, drawing on resources including the Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW) and With One Voice (WOV) hymnals. The schedule rotates through the month to keep a recognizable pattern:
- 1st Sunday: Contemporary
- 2nd Sunday: Traditional
- 3rd Sunday: Traditional at 8:00 AM, Contemporary at 10:30 AM
- 4th Sunday: Traditional
The rotation means that in any given month, members and visitors experience both the depth of the historic Lutheran liturgy and the freedom of contemporary praise songs. Festival Sundays include the processional cross carried by a youth crucifer in a white robe, acolytes lighting the candles, and assisting ministers in white robes receiving the bread and offering and assisting with the chalices.
Outside the sanctuary, the congregation also worships outdoors in the warmer months. Summer services alternate between indoor and outdoor settings, and the property includes an outdoor baptismal area used for baptisms when weather allows. Outdoor services can also be heard from the car on FM 104.10 by parking in the east lot near the Outdoor Worship area or in the south lot, giving worshipers a way to participate when they prefer to stay in their vehicle.
Music for Every Sunday
The music ministry rests on three groups. The chancel choir is led by Melanie Hohag. A handbell choir is led by Bill Fitzpatrick. A contemporary music group supports the praise-band side of the rotation. Music is "traditional in style, utilizing organ and a blended style using piano and instruments on alternating Sundays."
The Sanctuary Choir sings anthems such as "This Child Shall Be Our Peace" on Palm Sunday, supporting the choir's role in the major festivals of the church year. The handbell choir adds a distinctive voice to festival services and other special occasions. The contemporary ensemble carries the music on contemporary Sundays and at the 10:30 AM service on the third Sunday of each month.
Children and Youth at Every Service
Children are a visible and welcomed part of each service. Wiggle Worship is provided for children ages four to seven during the indoor services. After the Children's Sermon, the children follow a teacher to Wiggle Worship and return to their parents during the offering. The Nursery is staffed for both services and is available for infants and toddlers for the duration of each service, so parents can leave their little ones knowing they are cared for in a dedicated space.
Sunday School for all ages meets at 9:30 AM during the school year, with classes for children, youth, and adults running concurrently. Children's classes use creative, interactive curricula, and the Confirmation track runs in a two-year rotation covering the Bible, the Ten Commandments, the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and Luther's Small Catechism.
Each fall on a Sunday near the start of the program year, the church celebrates the "Third Grade Bibles" presentation during worship, when every third grader receives a Bible from the church. The 2026 celebration was held on September 20.
Confirmation, Vacation Bible School, and the Annual Church Camp
Confirmation is a two-year journey for middle school students. Classes meet Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:00 PM during the program year, with Confirmation Sunday scheduled each fall. A Confirmation Information Meeting is held for parents and students early each fall before classes begin.
Vacation Bible School is a major summer outreach. The 2026 VBS used the theme "Hands Wide Open" with the main Scripture from Philippians 4:6-7 and ran as a morning Day Camp for Pre-K through sixth grade alongside an evening "Night Camp" for middle and high school students. In 2026, 51 kids attended VBS morning camp, supported by 4 RTLC counselors and 24 volunteers including 15 youth, and 17 students attended Night Camp. In the same year, the church added a "Risen King Quest" for Easter Sunday, an interactive experience for kids that drew more than 40 children and was organized by Jess Worrell.
The annual BFLC Church Camp is held each spring at Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp in Colorado. The second annual gathering drew 30 campers who explored the theme "Finding Joy in Christ When Life Is Hard." Each spring, plans for the next year's camp are announced.
Each fall on the Wednesday before the national day of prayer for students, the youth group takes part in "See You at the Pole" prayer gatherings at local schools. The youth group also gathers weekly on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 PM during the school year, with regular fellowship activities like trips to Elitch Gardens, Main Event, and other community outings.
Mission Trips Near and Far
The Youth and Family Ministries program runs two annual mission trips. The high school and young adult team travels to El Paso, Texas in mid-June each year to serve alongside Iglesia Luterana Cristo Rey, the North American Lutheran Church congregation across the Rio Grande. The middle school and high school team then heads to La Puente in Alamosa, Colorado the first full week of July to serve in the meal program and other ministries of that community.
The 2026 La Puente team included 15 middle school and high school students and five adults. Before and after each trip, the team is commissioned in Sunday worship and presents its work to the congregation. The VBS curriculum is intentionally chosen each summer so that the same lessons taught by the youth at Cristo Rey earlier in June are then taught by BFLC volunteers to local kids in July.
Beyond the youth trips, BFLC members support a wider circle of mission partners. About 83% of the congregation participates, supports, and reaches out locally to the Marian House Soup Kitchen, Habitat for Humanity, and Mosaic. The church also supports the Cristo Rey congregation in El Paso, La Puente in Alamosa, and mission work in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Compassionate Outreach Committee coordinates this broader benevolence work, providing financial and volunteer support for causes related to Christ's mission locally, regionally, and worldwide. The Mission Endowment Fund, managed by a separate committee, invests and distributes funds to extend the church's mission and benevolence work over the long term.
Adult Bible Studies and Sunday School
Faith formation for adults runs through several pathways. Sunday morning adult electives at 9:30 AM rotate through studies led by the pastor and lay ministers. Recent offerings have included the Gospel of John study led by Pastor Ken, the three-week Augsburg Confession study led by Lyle Belleque, a Q&A with Jeff Morlock from the North American Lutheran Seminary, a Spiritual Gifts workshop, and the New Member Class held in the sanctuary.
Two weekday Bible studies meet year-round:
- Men's Bible Study: 1st and 3rd Saturday mornings at 7:00 AM, led by George Kerstein.
- Women's Bible Study: Mondays at 1:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall, led by Roxie Larson.
A seasonal elective called "Life to Life Discipleship" meets Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 PM and focuses on practical ways to live out faith in everyday life, deepen prayer, grow more comfortable with faith conversations, and encourage others. Financial Peace University also runs on Wednesday evenings during the program year.
For first-time visitors wanting to learn more about the church, the New Member Class meets on Sundays at 9:30 AM in the sanctuary during the program year. Any adult can join by contacting the church office.
Beliefs: Confessing the Lutheran Faith
Black Forest Lutheran Church is a member congregation of the North American Lutheran Church and embraces the four core values that shape the life of that church body. The church honors and accepts "The Common Confession" (2005) as a summary of the teachings otherwise affirmed in the Lutheran Confessions.
The four values that shape BFLC are:
- Christ-Centered: Confessing the apostolic faith in Jesus Christ according to the Holy Scriptures and affirming the authority of Scripture as the authoritative source and norm "according to which all doctrines should and must be judged" (Formula of Concord).
- Mission-Driven: Believing that the mission of the Church is to preach the Gospel and to make disciples for Christ in congregations, communities, nations, and the world.
- Traditionally-Grounded: Affirming the ecumenical creeds and the faithful witness of the Church across time and space, endorsing the universal Church's form and practices where they are consistent with Scripture, including the office of the ministry and the tradition of worship under Word and Sacrament.
- Congregationally-Focused: Striving to be a church organized to facilitate the ministries of local congregations in a posture of servanthood and partnership.
The church confesses the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and the Gospel as the power of God for the salvation of all who believe. The canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are received as the written Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit speaking through their authors. The Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds are received as true declarations of the faith of the Church. The Unaltered Augsburg Confession is received as a true witness to the Gospel, along with the other confessional writings in the Book of Concord: the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, the Smalcald Articles and the Treatise, the Small and Large Catechisms, and the Formula of Concord.
Black Forest Lutheran also partners with Lutheran CORE (Coalition for Renewal and Edification) and other confessional Lutheran ministries, and supports North American Lutheran ministries and the seminary of the North American Lutheran Church.
Stewards of God's Influence
The Stewardship Committee frames its work around the question: "Am I a 'giver' or a 'keeper' with my time, talents, treasure, and testimony?" Drawing on Martin Luther's words, "I have held many things in my hand, and have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that, I still possess," the church teaches that stewardship touches every aspect of life and ministry, not just money. About 83% of the members participate, support, and reach out locally to the Marian House Soup Kitchen, Habitat for Humanity, and Mosaic, and globally to mission partners in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Each fall, members are invited to fill out an "Estimate of Giving" card for the coming year, with the 2026 card including the encouragement to "stretch and grow your faithful giving by one percent." Giving options include electronic transfer through the Simply Giving program, bill pay through a personal financial institution, online giving, the offering box during services, and gifts of time and talent through volunteering.
The Mission Endowment Fund, managed by a separate committee, invests contributions and distributes grants to a wide range of charitable causes aligned with the congregation's calling. The Mission Endowment brochure outlines how the fund has supported local, regional, and global ministry partners over the years.
The BFLC Jubilee Directory is the church's private, members-only online directory, operated by the BFLC Jubilee Team through the NALCNetwork Jubilee platform. It is built around the people, families, leaders, and groups that make up the congregation, and includes group management and targeted member communications. The directory is private, and the information is never open to the public or sold to outside parties.
The Scribe Newsletter and Online Sermons
The Scribe is the congregation's monthly newsletter, written largely by Pastor Ken and Andrew Koetsier, with announcements, ministry updates, and a calendar of upcoming events. Recent issues have announced the Confirmation Camp, One Big Wednesday youth gathering, Senior Sunday, the Family Fall Festival, and the planned Holy Land Trip scheduled for 2027. Recent issues are published as downloadable PDFs online.
A complete sermon archive is maintained online, with each weekly service posted by 3:00 PM Sunday afternoon. Recent sermon titles have included "When It All Seems to Fall Apart," "Forgive or Not Forgive?," "Not Fair!," "Follow Me," "Who Do You Say I Am?," "Lord, Have Mercy," "Keep Your Eyes on Jesus," "Feeding the 5000," "Hidden Treasure," "In Everything, God Works for Good," "Rest for the Weary," "His Only Son," "Pick Up Your Cross," "Jesus the Healer," "He Eats With Nothing But Sinners," "To Know Christ and Make Him Known," "Pentecost - Filled with His Life," "Knowing Christ IS Eternal Life," "I Will Not Leave You As Orphans," "I Am the Way, Truth, and Life," "Over My Dead Body," "Were Not Our Hearts Burning?," "Through Locked Doors," and "Do Not Be Afraid. He Has Been Raised."
Driving In and Parking
The church sits at 12455 Black Forest Road on the north edge of Colorado Springs. Visitors from three directions can follow these directions:
- From Monument: Take Highway 83 or Baptist Road to Hodgen, go east to Black Forest Road, then south just past Shoup Road.
- From Falcon: Take Meridian Road north, go west on Rex Road, then north on Goodson Road, then west on Burgess Road, then north on Black Forest Road.
- From Colorado Springs: Take Woodman east, then north on Black Forest Road.
Parking is available on the west, south, and east sides of the church, with reserved spaces for handicapped visitors and staff. Visitors attending the outdoor service can park in the east lot near the Outdoor Worship area or in the south lot, then tune their radio to FM 104.10 to listen from their car.
The church office is open Tuesday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM and on Friday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The office is closed on Mondays. Visitors and members can reach the office at (719) 495-2221 or by email.
The People Who Lead the Church
Pastor Ken Hohag is the church's pastor. Melanie Hohag leads the chancel choir, and Bill Fitzpatrick leads the handbell choir.
Andrew Koetsier is the Youth and Family Ministries Director. Andrew, his three kids, and the wider BFLC community have shared ministry together since Andrew joined the staff in May 2023. Under his leadership the program has grown to include Confirmation, Vacation Bible School, the Day and Night Camps, the El Paso and La Puente mission trips, and the annual BFLC Church Camp at Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp.
Lisa Regennitter serves as the Director of Ministries, working with the committees of the church and supporting ministries across the congregation. She previously served as the church's Administrative Assistant for more than thirteen years.
A dozen committees shape the life of the congregation: Congregational Life, Education, Evangelism, Finance, Long-Range Planning, Mission Endowment, Mutual Ministry, Property, Compassionate Outreach, Stewardship, Worship, and Youth. The church's governance is laid out in the BFLC Constitution and Bylaws, which are kept current through a Constitution Review Committee. The church is supported by its worship assistants, including acolytes, crucifers, assisting ministers, altar guild members, greeters, prayer ministers, scripture readers, and ushers. Ushers greet everyone warmly when they arrive, provide each person with a bulletin, escort people to their seats if they need extra assistance, take a count of those present during worship, and collect the offering for presentation at the altar.
Members are encouraged to keep the church informed whenever significant life events happen: a hospital admission or health concern, a new address, an expected or new baby, a family member leaving for college, or a separation or divorce. Members can call the church office or send an email to share these moments so the pastors and lay ministers can walk with them through life's joys and challenges.