Ebenezer Lutheran Church in Lake Stevens, Washington, is known for Sunday and Wednesday worship, a Christian preschool, and a free community supper served every Thursday. Located at 2111 117th Ave NE near downtown Lake Stevens, the congregation describes itself as a nonprofit community of faith that supports neighbors through worship, prayer, education, and service.
Faith and Community on 117th Avenue
At Ebenezer, the mission is to make disciples through the Holy Spirit's power by seeking God's word, sharing Christ's love, and serving God and the world. The church seeks to foster faith, community, and prayer through Lutheran teachings and outreach programs. Its community work includes projects for local families and youth programs designed to nurture faith and leadership. The preschool, free community supper, and Lutheran World Relief are also expressions of the church's wider service to Lake Stevens and surrounding communities.
Pastor Lewis Benson welcomes people at every point in their faith journey. His description of Ebenezer emphasizes a congregation ready to welcome newcomers, a place for children and adults to learn, and worship as the church's main activity. That welcome is joined with an expectation that faith is lived through service to others.
Sunday at 9:30 and Wednesday at 7:00
Worship is held every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. The congregation describes these times as opportunities for gratitude for God's grace in Jesus Christ, fellowship, and becoming faithful followers of Jesus. The worship life of this ELCA congregation includes hearing God's word, prayer, and the Lord's Table. Fresh bread and gluten free communion wafers are available as part of the church's welcome to those who gather for worship.
Both worship times are also available through the congregation's YouTube and Facebook streams, giving people who cannot attend in person a way to share in the services. The YouTube worship stream carries Ebenezer's Sunday and Wednesday services.
What Ebenezer Confesses
As part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Ebenezer confesses the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It proclaims Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and trusts the Gospel as God's power for the salvation of all who believe. The teaching foundation includes the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, the Apostles, the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds, and the Lutheran confessional writings in the Book of Concord.
The church also emphasizes the Holy Spirit's work to call, gather, enlighten, and sanctify the Christian church and sustain it in union with Jesus Christ. Ebenezer connects worship and teaching with life in the world: people are called to live by faith, serve others freely and generously, and carry their faith into small groups, private devotion, daily work, and acts of care.
A Free Community Supper Every Thursday
Every Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m., rain or shine, Ebenezer hosts the Lake Stevens Community Supper. The meal is free to the community and is provided by the community. The weekly menu is shared through the Lake Stevens Community Supper account on Facebook by Wednesday. For visitors, the supper is an immediate way to encounter the church's mission of sharing Christ's love and serving God and the world through hospitality.
Learning Through Play at the Ebenezer Preschool
The Ebenezer Lutheran Church Preschool offers a Christian preschool experience for children ages 2 to 5. Children are welcome regardless of religious affiliation, gender, race, or ethnicity, and Director Lisa Curtis leads the program. The preschool is centered on play as an integral part of learning. Through hands-on activities, themed discussions, books, finger plays, songs, games, and projects, children build a positive attitude about themselves, develop basic concepts and skills, and gain readiness for kindergarten. Each child is treated as a unique child of God, cherished and valued.
The curriculum combines the Second Step social and emotional development program for every age group with Washington State Common Core Standards for preschool and multicultural education. The school day also includes age appropriate field trips, chapel time, indoor and outdoor recess, morning classes, small class sizes, and Lunch Buddies. The preschool's purpose is to provide Christian nurture in a safe, secure, and caring setting that helps children grow physically, socially, emotionally, cognitively, and spiritually.
Preschool class days and times
- For children who are 2 by August 31 before the school year, the two-day TOTS class meets from 9:55 to 11:55 a.m. and includes some parent participation.
- For children who are 3 by August 31 before the school year, New Beginnings meets Thursday and Friday from 9:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
- For children who are 4 by August 31 before the school year, Pre-Kindergarten meets Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 9:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The school serves families in Lake Stevens, Marysville, Granite Falls, Machias, and Snohomish. Its location near downtown Lake Stevens places it within the daily reach of those communities.
Children and Youth Join the Life of the Church
Godly Play is Ebenezer's children's formation program during the 9:30 Sunday service. Open from September through May and following the school holiday schedule, it serves children from age 3 through fifth grade. Classes begin in worship and rejoin their families before Communion on Communion Sundays. The program also joins the larger congregation for a Big Church Sunday once each quarter. Volunteers receive training, and all must complete a background check.
Children and youth also have places in Sunday School, Confirmation Class, and Vacation Bible School. Vacation Bible School operates for one week each summer with Bible stories, crafts, music, games, and snacks, and volunteers are welcome for activities and supervision. Youth of Ebenezer, or YOE, is designed for young people in grades 6 through 12.
Adults Gather for Bible Study and Daily Reading
Ebenezer offers several regular Bible study gatherings in the Fireside Room. Women's Bible Study meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 10:30 a.m. and follows the topic in Gather, the ELCA magazine. Pastor Benson's Bible Study meets every Thursday at 10:00 a.m. to dig into the Scripture lessons that will be read the following Sunday. The Mar-Cilla Circle meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 10:30 a.m. The church also identifies Adult Forums as another way for adults to grow in faith.
A simple daily reading practice complements the groups. The church reads one chapter a day and listens for God's word to speak. Each session takes about five minutes on weekdays, while weekends are left for reflection. Bible Gateway provides an electronic searchable Bible with more than 150 versions for readers who want another translation or to revisit a passage.
A Building Designed for Participation
Accessibility is built into several parts of Ebenezer's physical plant. The main entrance has electronically controlled doors, and ramps allow visitors to bypass the stairs from the parking lot. A north side entrance places parking within a few feet of an electronically controlled doorway for people using wheelchairs or walkers. An elevator reaches the upstairs and downstairs restrooms, and a flat entrance leads directly from the parking lot into the fellowship hall and kitchen.
- Plenty of easy parking is available.
- Wheelchair accessible seating is located near the front of the sanctuary.
- A hearing assistance loop and Auracast systems support listeners.
- Words are displayed on a large screen, and large print bulletins are available.
- Fresh bread and gluten free communion wafers are provided.
Together, these features support worship, education, meals, and community activities for a wide range of participants.
Activities, Fellowship, and Local Outreach
Ebenezer also makes room for recreation and fellowship. Members and guests take part in hiking, kayaking, quilting, camping, painting, and card games such as pinochle and dominoes. Activities rotate at different times during the year, bringing people together for outdoor adventure, creative interests, conversation, and good food.
The Norwegian Pancake Breakfast is a monthly fundraising tradition. From September through June, the third Saturday gathering runs from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. The all you can eat meal includes thin rolled pancakes with strawberries and syrup, along with ham, orange juice, coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. Each bite supports local charities. Lutheran World Relief is another avenue of outreach. Secure individual and recurring gifts can also be made through Vanco Payment Solutions.
Prayer, Welcome, and a Continuing Mission
Prayer is woven through the church's life, with the mission naming prayer alongside worship and service. Ebenezer welcomes people for prayer, community support, education, and fellowship. Pastor Lewis Benson and Preschool Director Lisa Curtis are among the ministry leaders connected to that work, and the church office telephone is 425-334-0421. Office hours are 9 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, noon to 7 p.m. Wednesday; the office is closed Monday and Friday.
The rhythm of Ebenezer brings worship, learning, hospitality, and service together. At 2111 117th Ave NE in Lake Stevens, the church remains centered on seeking God's word, sharing Christ's love, and serving God and the world through a community that learns, gathers, eats, and gives together.