Calvary Lutheran Church stands at 23 S Prospect St in Verona, New Jersey, where a Lutheran congregation has worshiped, taught children, and served neighbors since 1928. The church is known for its 10:30 a.m. Sunday worship, a blended service that pairs traditional Lutheran worship with contemporary elements, and for a Sunday school program that welcomes children from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Calvary belongs to The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and the threefold confession of its faith runs through everything the congregation does: Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Scripture Alone.
Since 1928 on South Prospect Street
The congregation's history is measured in families and faithful attendance. Andy Wolcott was baptized and confirmed at Calvary and has never attended any other church; he married his wife, Nancy, there in 1979, and their wedding reception was held in the building. Nancy Keltner has been a member for 67 years, was baptized, confirmed, and married in the church, and has served as property manager since 2018, following her father, who held the same role for many years before her. Joanne Arroyo, a Wisconsin native, has attended since 1977 and has served as a Sunday School teacher, Director of the Board of Education, Youth Committee chair, and a member of the Altar Guild. John Ricca has been a member for more than 30 years. Matt Minucci and his family arrived in 2021 and have been attending ever since.
Pastor Anthony Giordano was installed in February 2024. The leadership team describes Calvary as a faith-centered community committed to growing together in Christ, located in the heart of Verona, with a mission to share God's love, serve others, and nurture spiritual growth in a welcoming and inclusive environment. The congregation's own mission, "Connect, Grow, Serve," spells out the same aim: fostering a community of faith, hope, and love through worship, service, and outreach, embracing and celebrating diversity, welcoming individuals from all walks of life, serving the needs of neighbors, advocating for justice, and promoting peace.
Sunday at 10:30: Blended Worship and a Monthly Coffee Hour
Every Sunday at 10:30 a.m., the sanctuary fills for a service the church calls blended-style worship, a traditional service with contemporary elements. The same service is available through a live stream on YouTube for anyone who cannot be in the building.
On the last Sunday of each month, worship is followed by a Coffee Fellowship Hour at 11:30 a.m., with coffee, treats, and conversation. It is an easy way to meet other people in the congregation and to extend a Sunday morning into the church's life together.
Holy Communion is offered at all services. Calvary celebrates it often because the congregation believes in the true presence of Christ in the meal, and Communion is open to all baptized Christians who share that belief. The small cups at the table contain red wine or white grape juice. Anyone who is unsure or chooses not to commune is invited to come forward for a blessing instead, and the church offers to stand with people in prayer.
Sunday School from Kindergarten Through Twelfth Grade
Children's Christian education at Calvary is called "Nurturing Faith, Building Friendships," and it runs from 8:45 to 9:45 a.m. on Sundays during the school year. The program is open to children from kindergarten through 12th grade and uses creative lessons, hands-on activities, and age-appropriate discussions to help children grow in their relationship with God, build friendships, and explore biblical lessons in a fun and interactive setting. The stated aim is a strong foundation in faith, kindness, and Christian values in a supportive and joyful environment. Ruth Bolger, who directs the Board of Education and teaches Sunday School, welcomes families with questions and keeps families connected through a simple information form for each child.
Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Scripture Alone
Calvary holds to the Bible-based teachings of Martin Luther that inspired the Reformation of the Christian Church in the 16th century, and it states plainly what that means. Grace Alone teaches that God loves the people of the world even though they are sinful and do not deserve his love, and that God sent Jesus, his Son, to love the unlovable and save the ungodly. Faith Alone teaches that through Jesus' suffering and death as the substitute for all people, those who hear the Good News and believe it have the eternal life that it offers, receiving forgiveness through him. Scripture Alone teaches that the Bible is God's inerrant and infallible Word, in which he reveals his Law and his Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ, and that it is the sole rule and norm for Christian doctrine.
The confession begins with the person of Christ: Jesus is exactly who he said he is, true God and true man in one person, the Son of God who was crucified and raised from the dead for the salvation of all who trust in him. The Bible is held to be the true and trustworthy Word of God that records God's love for the world through his Son Jesus. The church quotes John 1:1-5 and 14 in its own statement of belief: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."
Calvary celebrates two sacraments, and it calls them the very heart of its community: Baptism and Holy Communion. In Baptism, the church teaches, God has chosen people, and through the waters of Baptism believers receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, which grants faith in Jesus Christ, forgiveness of sin, and a new birth as a child of God. Because Scripture shows entire households baptized, including children, parents are welcomed and encouraged to have their children baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the church considers it a privilege to help families raise their children in faith, beginning with a Sunday School program that helps children grow spiritually.
Pastor Anthony Giordano and a Leadership Team of Long-Timers
Pastor Anthony Giordano came to Calvary from a long and varied ministry. Before Verona he served as Director of Lutheran Friends of the Deaf in Mill Neck, New York, and as pastor of Calvary Lutheran Church in East Meadow, New York. He felt a calling to ministry, attended seminary later in life, and was ordained in 2019 after nearly a decade of work at NYU Langone Long Island, formerly Winthrop University Hospital. "It was in the Lutheran Church that I learned about the grace of God," he says, "and I want to share the Good News of that grace with everyone." He emphasizes in many of his sermons that the role of the church is to love its neighbors.
Around the pastor, the church's work is carried by people with decades of familiarity. Edna Messina Giordano, the pastor's wife since January 2024, is Director of Public Relations and volunteers at a local food pantry. Ruth Bolger directs the Board of Education and leads the Music Ministry while teaching Sunday School. Anne Daly oversees the Board of Worship, sings with the contemporary Praise Team, serves on the Altar Guild, and takes part in Bible studies, crafting, rummage sales, and the annual Live Nativity. Matt Minucci serves as Director of Stewardship and works professionally in aviation training, flying and hiking in his spare time. Joanne Arroyo is the congregation's Vice President and a Co-President of Verona's Woman's Club. Andy Wolcott, a CPA and a former first lieutenant in the U.S. Army who served in Vietnam, serves as Treasurer. Nancy Keltner directs the Board of Property. Abbaccus Dokie leads social ministry, Edith Conte and Randi Olsen direct evangelism, and Gbenga Adesokan is an elder of the church.
Baptism, Weddings, and Memorial Services
Calvary describes its ministries as designed to enrich lives, foster connections, and inspire faith, and it invites people to let the church be part of life's moments. Baptism is offered for babies through adults, described as a celebration of the gift of grace, where God offers forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit to all of his children. Weddings are held in the sanctuary, a Christ-centered space for vows that mark the beginning of a lifelong journey together. Funerals and memorial services are planned with compassion and care, honoring a loved one's life and emphasizing God's love and grace and the hope of resurrection through Christ.
The church's shared traditions include an annual Live Nativity, Lenten soup suppers, an Easter pancake breakfast, Advent services, a Christmas decorating party, a Fair in the Square, a Ladies' Tea, and crafting gatherings. Calvary also welcomes pets to its gatherings.
Missions That Reach Verona and Beyond
Although the church is located in Verona, it serves several surrounding communities: Cedar Grove, Montclair, Caldwell, West Caldwell, Roseland, and Glen Ridge. Its mission work stretches further still. Calvary supports Lutheran World Relief, which saves and improves lives in the poorest parts of the world, and the Watoto Childcare Ministry, where the congregation remembers its sponsored child, Naomi, in prayer, collects cards and letters for her, and accepts donations for her contribution box in the narthex. The He Liveth Communication Ministry gathers Bibles and other supplies for distribution in Ibadan, Nigeria, a charity spearheaded by elder Gbenga Adesokan, and member Ken Meyer has described his recent mission work in Vienna, Austria.
The list of projects the church has supported over the years is long and varied: fleece blankets for the homeless through New Jersey Food and Clothing Rescue; hurricane relief with Team Rubicon; breast cancer awareness; back-to-school supplies for Verona Social Service; support for Wings Cancer Support of Verona; toiletries for disabled veterans through the Paying It Forward Foundation; chewable vitamins with iron for Haitian Children's Ministry; Baby Bottle Boomerang drives for First Choice Women's Resource Center of Montclair and Raphael's Life House; pet care supplies for Seer Farms; Play-Doh for The Valerie Fund; a Midnight Run with students from Caldwell University; the Souper Bowl of Caring; a blood drive for the American Red Cross; and a Hunger Project for Feeding Children Everywhere. The congregation has also assembled birthday bags for the food pantry.
Prayer, New Members, and Staying Close
Calvary keeps a prayer team that lifts requests before God, and people may submit a prayer request online, whether they are facing challenges, seeking guidance, or giving thanks. The church points to Philippians 4:6: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." New member classes meet immediately following worship for those who want to learn more about the church and its faith.
People can share a phone number to receive text notifications about events and services, and giving is handled online through Vanco. The church office answers at 973-239-0577 and returns phone messages. These practical channels sit alongside the ordinary rhythm of the congregation: Sunday School at 8:45 a.m., worship at 10:30 a.m., coffee on the last Sunday of the month, and Bible study that meets on Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. and Thursday afternoons at 3 p.m.
At 23 S Prospect St, Calvary Lutheran Church has spent nearly a century making room for people in Verona, teaching faith to children from kindergarten through twelfth grade, teaching the gospel to adults, and sending its people out to serve the Cedar Grove, Montclair, Caldwell, West Caldwell, Roseland, and Glen Ridge communities beyond its own doors.