A Church Built on Faith, Growing Since 1963
Faith Lutheran Church sits on Portsmouth Drive in Menifee, California, in a quiet residential corner of the city that grew up around it. The congregation was formally organized on October 6, 1963, when a small group of believers held their first service at Town Hall and adopted a Constitution and Bylaws. Within a few years they had purchased land, broken ground, raised a tall cross outside, and watched their numbers climb from 58 charter members to 187 by the end of 1969.
The name "Faith" was chosen because the founders knew that starting a church with such a small group took "courage, perseverance and deep-rooted faith." That beginning still shapes the congregation, which describes itself as "an energetic, fun-loving and faithful congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America."
Sunday Mornings at 9:30
Worship at Faith Lutheran is a traditional service that gathers each Sunday at 9:30 a.m. The liturgy includes a Liturgy of Praise, congregational hymns, scripture readings, a sermon, and the sharing of the Sacrament of Holy Communion, which is open to all believers in Christ. Music blends traditional hymns with newer pieces, and members of the congregation serve as assisting ministers, lectors, and PowerPoint operators, as visible in the weekly worship bulletins and service videos.
Children are an active part of the Sunday morning. From September through May, Sunday School meets in tandem with school schedules and welcomes kids who can make friends, grow in faith, and have fun. Each fall the ministry kicks off with a Blessing of the Backpacks. Little ones are also welcome in the nursery. After worship, everyone gathers in the Fellowship Hall for cookies, coffee, and conversation.
Services are livestreamed each Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on YouTube, and recordings are kept in a service video archive that stretches back to late 2025 and forward through the current season.
Midweek Worship in the Seasons
The rhythm of the church year shapes life at Faith beyond Sunday mornings. During the Season of Lent, the church gathers every Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. for Soup and Study, a midweek service of reflection, Bible study, homemade soup, and fellowship. Ash Wednesday opens the season with the Imposition of Ashes, and Holy Week includes its own full set of services for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.
Advent brings its own Wednesday Soup Supper and Prayer Service at 5:00 p.m. On Christmas Eve, the congregation gathers at 5:00 p.m. for a Candlelight Service that ends with everyone singing "Silent Night" in the glow of the candles.
Once or twice a year, the Blessing of the Animals moves the service outdoors. Pet parents bring their animals (and even stuffed animals) to the parking lot, where chairs are set up and every creature, large and small, receives a blessing.
Bible Study for Every Schedule
Bible study at Faith runs in many shapes. Pr. Ken Puccio leads a Zoom Bible Study on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month at 7:00 p.m. The WELCA Mary Circle meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 10:00 a.m. in the Faith Lutheran Library. The WELCA Lydia Circle is currently on break but will return on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 6:00 p.m. when it resumes. The congregation is part of the ELCA, so the broader church's Bible studies and study materials shape these gatherings.
W-ELCA: Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Faith's WELCA chapter gathers women for Bible study, quilting, special events, and service projects. The group's purpose is to mobilize women to act boldly on their faith in Jesus Christ, and the women active in WELCA also serve throughout the rest of the church as council members, worship helpers, and committee leaders.
Fellowship, Food, and Fun
The Fellowship Team plans the social life of the congregation. After each Sunday service, members host a coffee hour in the Fellowship Hall with light breakfast foods. On the 3rd Wednesday of each month, the team hosts Food with Friends at 5:00 p.m., with menus that range from taco bars to casserole potlucks to summer grilling. Quarterly BINGO afternoons (and the occasional Saturday evening game) draw an enthusiastic crowd, and during the summer the team holds weekly ice cream socials. Each year the team organizes a group outing to a Lake Elsinore Storm Faith & Family Night, and a Happy Un-Birthday Party celebrates the whole congregation at once with cake.
Cheer Ministry: Care for the Homebound
The Cheer Ministry keeps the congregation connected to members who cannot attend worship. Volunteers visit homebound members, bring communion, read devotions, drive them to appointments, run errands, send cards, and make phone calls. Kandie Hulme coordinates the team, and new volunteers are always welcome.
Outreach in Menifee and Beyond
The Outreach Team, working from Matthew 25:31-40, partners with a number of community organizations:
- Menifee Valley Community Cupboard, providing food assistance locally
- Soles4Souls, donating shoes to classrooms in need around the world
- Project Linus, supplying blankets to children who need comfort
- Battered women and children facilities, with practical support
- MilVet, a nonprofit serving veterans, seniors, and families; Faith collects donations each quarter that are then distributed by MilVet
Faith also takes part in "God's work. Our hands.", the ELCA's annual day of service each September, and supports missionaries and Lutheran World Relief through quilting, lap blankets, and other gifts.
The Building and Its People
Faith Lutheran has continued to expand its campus over six decades. The sanctuary, with its tall exterior cross and stained glass windows, has been added to over the years. The Fellowship Hall was built in the early 1980s, the Narthex was added in the 1990s, and the Faith Library (originally the Faith Library, later renamed Luther Library) holds resources for Bible study and reading. A digital organ and chimes support worship music, and the choir loft features risers gifted by Fred and Ruth Ditsch in 1979.
The church is led by a Church Council elected by the congregation: Bea Olsen serves as President, Linda Blanche as Vice-President, Madeline Puccio as Treasurer, and Diane Molina as Secretary, with Pat Adams and Marlene Rosselli also on the council.
Pastor Transitions and Guest Preachers
Pr. John Barton served Faith from May 1, 2019 until November 2023, when he accepted a call to a church in Oregon to be near family. Since then, Faith has been served by a rotation of guest pastors who lead Sunday and special services and provide pastoral care. Pr. Shane Freiberg, Pr. Rex Wignall, and Pr. Ken Puccio are among those who preach regularly, joined by lay preachers and members of the congregation. A permanent pastoral search continues, with the congregation expressing faith that God will provide for their needs in the meantime.
Beliefs and Mission
Faith Lutheran proclaims God's grace and forgiveness through faith in Christ and practices it through loving community, living faithfully, and serving neighbors according to God's Word. The congregation confesses belief in the Holy Trinity, the divinity of Jesus Christ, and the authority of the Bible, along with the power of prayer and the importance of living out faith in daily life.
Their stated mission is simple: "Enriching lives through faith and God's grace."
Giving, Prayer, and Staying Connected
Giving to Faith can be done online as a one-time or recurring donation. The church also publishes a monthly newsletter, The Forecaster, which members can subscribe to by email and which carries articles, event listings, and the calendar. The Prayer Wall invites anyone to submit prayer requests, anonymously or publicly, to be prayed over by the church family. A calendar lists upcoming worship services, ministry gatherings, and fellowship events, and weekly bulletins and children's bulletins are posted online.
Visiting Faith Lutheran
First-time visitors are welcomed at the door and invited to stay for coffee after the service. The congregation is open about its history, its beliefs, and its work in the community, and a frequent refrain is "all are welcome." Sunday worship begins at 9:30 a.m. and is followed by fellowship in the Fellowship Hall. For those who cannot attend in person, the service is livestreamed on YouTube each Sunday at the same hour.