Two Services, One Gospel on Wilmington Pike
Emmanuel Lutheran Church sits on a busy stretch of Wilmington Pike in Kettering, just south of Dayton, and has been serving that community for decades. The congregation gathers as families, singles, students, professionals, and retirees united by faith in Jesus Christ. Its mission is summed up in three phrases that appear on the welcome card and on the wall behind the sanctuary: Glorify God. Know God. Share God. Everything from the music to the children's Sunday school to the men's Saturday breakfast flows out of that simple conviction.
What sets Emmanuel apart at first glance is a choice offered every Sunday morning: two services that share the same message and the same Lutheran foundation but speak in very different musical languages. Worshipers can choose the Organ Led Worship with its historic liturgy, beloved hymns, and the majestic sound of the church organ in the sanctuary, or the Band Led Worship with a praise band and a more contemporary song selection in the same welcoming room. Both services center on Word and Sacrament, both are family-friendly, and both are designed to be accessible to someone walking in for the first time.
A First Sunday at Emmanuel
Visitors are encouraged to plan about an hour for each service, with services typically running 60 to 75 minutes. Arriving a few minutes early gives time to find a seat and settle in. There is no dress code: the congregation includes jeans and suits, shorts and dresses, and everything in between. The welcome team meets people at the doors, helps with directions, and answers questions so newcomers feel at home. A Connect Card is available for those who want to share contact information or request a follow-up.
Both Sunday services are livestreamed, so worshipers who are traveling, homebound, or simply exploring faith from a distance can take part in real time. The online bulletin is available as well, making it easy to follow along whether a person is in the pew or on the couch.
Rooted in the Lutheran Confessions
Emmanuel is a member congregation of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, a denomination of nearly two million members in over six thousand congregations across the United States. The word Synod comes from a Greek word meaning "walking together," and while each LCMS congregation is self-governing, Emmanuel walks in shared confession with its sister churches, holding to the historic Christian faith as revealed in Scripture and expressed in the Lutheran Confessions.
The church's teaching rests on the great solas of the Reformation: Scripture Alone, Faith Alone, Grace Alone, and Christ Alone. The Bible is taught as God's inspired and inerrant Word, the sole authority for faith and life, revealing both His Law and His Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. Salvation is received through faith, a gift created by the Holy Spirit, not earned by human effort. Jesus Christ is confessed as true God and true man, whose life, death, and resurrection accomplished salvation for all people; He is the only way to the Father. The congregation confesses one God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and rejoices in the gifts of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion.
Baptism is celebrated for people of all ages, including infants, as a means of grace in which God brings the baptized into His family, washes away sin, and grants new life in Christ. In Holy Communion, Emmanuel teaches that the bread and wine convey the Lord's true Body and Blood for the forgiveness of sins and the strengthening of faith. As part of the LCMS, the congregation practices Close Communion: by communing, worshipers publicly declare their oneness in faith with the church, and visitors who are interested in communing are invited to speak with the pastor.
The Pastoral Team
The day-to-day life of the congregation is shaped by four staff members. Senior Pastor Mark Carlson was ordained on June 12, 1983, and began his pastorate at Emmanuel in November 2011 after serving two previous congregations. He and his wife Carole have been married since 1979, and his personal mission statement is "A Passion for God and His heart for people."
John Cross serves as Director of Operations and is active on the Campus Ministry, Communications, Endowment, Stewardship, and Worship Committees. Randy Holdeman is the Director of Adult Discipleship, Connection Groups, and Worship. He and his wife Karen have been married since 1983, have three married daughters and fifteen grandchildren, and he often cites Psalm 71:17-18 as his life verse: "Proclaiming God's wondrous deeds to the next generation." Elisha Foreman is the Director of Missions, Children, and Youth Discipleship, charged with helping the next generation know and follow Jesus.
Together with a broader circle of ministry leaders, this team keeps Emmanuel's many programs running week after week.
Children: From the Nursery Through Fifth Grade
Children's ministry at Emmanuel is built around the conviction that every child should feel loved, welcomed, and taught the saving love of Jesus. The ELC Nursery, located on the first floor close to the Worship Center, serves newborns through age three during worship services and Sunday school hours. Every nursery worker completes a background check and is trained in CPR.
Kingdom Kidz Sunday School meets from 9:30 to 10:20 a.m. on Sunday mornings in the lower level and welcomes children from age two through fifth grade. Children's Sunday school staff also complete background checks. Monthly Sunday Bible Nights for grades two through five add an extra evening gathering during the school year.
Seasonal programs round out the year. Kid's Bells and Liturgical Dance run during the school year and give children a chance to serve in worship. Vacation Bible School takes place for one week each summer, and the Christmas Program is a beloved December tradition that brings families together. Contact for Kingdom Kidz is Claire Cuddington; questions about children's ministry overall go to Elisha Foreman.
Youth: Middle School and High School
Emmanuel's youth ministry walks alongside young people as they grow in faith and discover their identity in Jesus Christ. The middle school program, called A2J (Adoration to Jesus), serves students in grades six through eight. A2J meets for Sunday school from 9:30 to 10:20 a.m. in the lower level and adds Bible study, confirmation instruction, fellowship, service projects, music, retreats, and mission trips throughout the year. Youth Night happens twice monthly on Sunday evenings during the school year. Confirmation, a three-year catechism program for grades six through eight, is woven into A2J. Youth Chimes is a seasonal offering for those who want to ring in worship. Kristin and Charlie Blair serve as contacts for A2J.
Beyond Belief is the high school ministry for grades nine through twelve. It also meets for Sunday school from 9:30 to 10:20 a.m. in the lower level and gathers twice monthly for Youth Night on Sunday evenings. Beyond Belief students participate in servant events, mission trips, and retreats, and a mentorship layer connects older students with younger ones. Jackson Hellerman serves as the contact for Beyond Belief. Both A2J and Beyond Belief are anchored in the same Lutheran conviction that faith is God's gift, sustained by Word and Sacrament, and lived out in community.
Engage: Young Adults in College and Beyond
For young adults aged 18 through the completion of their education, Emmanuel offers Engage, a ministry that walks alongside college students during one of the most formative seasons of life. Engage combines personal check-ins with scheduled group gatherings, encouraging Christian students to remain rooted in Jesus as they navigate coursework, friendships, careers, and calling. The aim is simple: to be a welcoming community where young adults build meaningful relationships and grow as disciples through every transition.
Men's Ministry: Saturday Mornings and Campfire Wednesdays
The men of Emmanuel describe their ministry with a line from Proverbs 27:17: "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." The hub of that ministry is the Men's Saturday Bible Breakfast, held every Saturday morning in the Fireside Room. From 7:30 to 8:00 a.m., men share provisions for the body and conversation; from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m., they open Bibles and walk through books of Scripture together. The format is open, casual, and accessible: anyone can facilitate a study, no one has to be a church member or a longtime Christian, and phones go on vibrate. The studies are book-of-the-Bible studies, and additional small casual groups meet several times a month. A free-will offering covers the food and funds service projects.
Men's Campfire Conversations meet every third Wednesday of the month around the firepit by the pavilion. The evening is built for Christian fellowship and connection. Past service projects have included as-needed snow removal for homebound neighbors, church property clean-up, and support for ministries like the Kairos Prison Ministry and the Gideons International Ministry. Emmanuel also has members who serve through the nationwide Stephen Ministry, providing one-to-one Christian care for men and women facing illness, the death of a loved one, divorce, relocation, or financial setback.
The ministry is explicit that no one is required to do anything to belong, and that men are welcomed whether they arrive as seasoned believers, skeptical seekers, or simply hungry for conversation. Dwight Goforth serves as the contact for both the Bible Breakfast and the Campfire Conversations.
Women's Ministry: A Place at Every Age and Stage
Emmanuel's women's ministry exists to connect women to one another and, more importantly, to Christ. Its tagline is simple: "Connected to each other. Connected to Christ." Bible studies, retreats, and gatherings create space for authentic friendship, spiritual growth, and mutual encouragement. Whether a woman is twenty-five or eighty-five, single or married, new to faith or a lifelong believer, the ministry is designed to meet her where she is.
The Women's Bible Study explores Scripture and applies it to the realities of daily life. Kim Merritt and Joyce Stapleton serve as contacts. Second Act is the ministry for women in the second half of life, focused on the unique joys and challenges of retirement, grandparenting, and changing health. Contacts are Barb Keelor and Joyce Stapleton. Women's Events range from clothing swaps to craft nights to special speakers; contacts are Laura Latessa and Michelle Prausa. A Women's Retreat offers a weekend of rest, renewal, deeper connection, meaningful worship, and great teaching. Laura Deisher leads the Women's Ministry Team.
Prayer as the Breath of the Congregation
Prayer is woven into the fabric of Emmanuel. The congregation prays together in worship, in the home, in Bible study, and in times of need, and offers two ways to submit prayer requests online. The Congregational Prayer Group lifts up requests shared within the broader church family and posts them to a prayer feed for ongoing encouragement. The Simply Pray group is for personal, sensitive, or private matters: those requests go only to a small, trusted group and to the pastor, and are handled with discretion and compassion. Both options can be submitted anonymously.
In the Lutheran understanding shaped at Emmanuel, prayer is not a last resort but one of the gracious gifts God gives His people. Prayer begins with God's invitation, asking the Father with the confidence of children. It includes every part of life, from forgiveness and daily bread to healing, protection, and thanksgiving. It is offered through Jesus Christ, who has reconciled believers to the Father. And it is nourished by God's promises: Lutherans pray because God commands it, welcomes it, and promises to hear for the sake of Jesus.
Joining the Mission: Giving, Livestream, and Going Out
Generosity at Emmanuel is taught as a joyful response to God's grace, a spiritual discipline that frees the giver from the grip of materialism and draws the giver closer to God. Gifts support weekly worship, pastoral care, the music ministry, Sunday school, youth programs, Bible studies, benevolence, local outreach, and global missions. Giving can be done online through the church's secure giving platform, by mail, or in person by placing a gift in the offering plate during worship.
Mission is not a department but a posture. Emmanuel supports local outreach, community connection groups, and missionaries around the world, and members of the congregation have served on trips such as a recent mission journey to Japan. Stephen Ministers walk with people in crisis. Members participate in the Kairos Prison Ministry and the Gideons International Ministry. The church's teaching is that good works do not earn salvation but are the natural fruit of a life transformed by grace.
Gathering and Scattering
Two sermon series have shaped recent life at Emmanuel. The Gathering Places series, drawn from the letter of 1 Peter, walked through the places where God gathers His people: in the living hope of heaven, around the imperishable Word, in the joy of confirmation, in corporate worship as a royal priesthood, in the daily rhythms of homes and families, and finally as a scattered people sent into neighborhoods and workplaces with the hospitality of Christ. The Unashamed series, which runs through Paul's letter to the Romans, has traced the power of the gospel, the depth of God's grace, and the hope found in Jesus Christ, exploring themes like Radical Love, Living Sacrifices, Remorseless Mercy, God's Election, Spirit to Spirit, Grounded in God's Word, Reckoning on God's Reckoning, Heirs by Faith, and One Way. Messages from both series remain available online.
Across all of it runs a consistent thread: the church is not a building but a people who gather and scatter, who come together to be renewed and go out to renew the world. Emmanuel Lutheran Church invites anyone in Kettering or the greater Dayton area who is curious about Jesus, looking for a church home, or simply hungry for a community shaped by grace to come as they are, join the worship, sit down at a Bible study, and find a next step. The doors on Wilmington Pike, and the livestream that reaches beyond them, are open.