A Lutheran Home on Gage Boulevard
Faith Lutheran Church sits on the corner of 17th and Gage in southwest Topeka, a sanctuary of stained-glass windows and a 21-stop pipe organ that has welcomed Lutherans and neighbors since the late 1940s. The congregation is part of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and lives by a simple motto: "Grow in faith ... Share Christ's love." Its members describe Faith as a family of believers working to share God's saving grace and equip the next generation, and the building itself - with its memorial windows telling the Apostles' Creed in pictures - is a daily witness to that calling along a busy Topeka thoroughfare.
From Twenty-Eight Founders to Three Sunday Mornings
Faith Lutheran Church began on May 11, 1948, when 28 people gathered under the guidance of Rev. Fred Duever to start a congregation. By that summer the group had chosen the name Faith Lutheran Church, and the chapel was dedicated on June 19, 1949. Early in its life Faith joined with three other Topeka Lutheran congregations to form the Topeka Lutheran School Association, a partnership that continued for decades until the school itself closed.
As Topeka grew, so did Faith. An addition added a larger worship space with a pipe organ, fellowship hall, a sizable kitchen, and Sunday school rooms. A 1992-93 expansion added an education wing, enlarged the lobby and narthex, and made the entire facility handicap accessible. In 2004 the chancel area was remodeled with a projector and screen to support both traditional and modern worship. More recent upgrades include new energy-efficient windows in the Fellowship Hall and, in 2024-25, replacement of all hard-surface flooring including the original 1958 sanctuary floor.
Faith's stained-glass windows are a signature feature for anyone driving past the corner of 17th and Gage. Dedicated on June 4, 1978, during the congregation's 30th anniversary, the memorial windows were given over the years by individuals and families and together tell the Apostles' Creed in pictures.
Senior pastors have shaped Faith in turn: Paul Heckmann (1955-1965), John Rath (1965-1995), Peter Tremain (1996-2008), Jim Bender (2009-2018), and Interim Pastor Jeffery Moore in 2019. Jacob Heine was installed as senior pastor in October 2020 and continues to lead the congregation. He holds a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. He is assisted by two others trained through the same seminary system: Martin Albrecht, ordained in 2016 through the Specific Ministry Pastor program, and Jeff Lane, who completed the SMP program in 2026 and was installed as associate pastor in August 2024 after serving as vicar since 2022.
In June 2023, Faith celebrated 75 years of ministry with a three-day event that culminated in a special worship service and banquet, with guest preacher Pastor Jim Bender and current and former staff on hand.
Three Sunday Mornings, Two Ways to Worship
Sunday at Faith offers three worship services plus a between-service education time. At 8:00 and 12:15 the congregation gathers for traditional worship, featuring the liturgy and hymns of the Lutheran Service Book hymnal accompanied by the pipe organ, weekly communion by table, a children's message, and often special music from the Adult Choir or Alleluia Ringers handbell choir. At 10:45 the tone shifts to a relaxed, contemporary setting led by the Praise Team, with communion offered each week in a continuous station. Scripture, prayers, the creed, and a sermon are part of every service, and both Adult Choir and handbell ensembles occasionally enrich the modern service as well.
The 9:30 Education Hour runs between services and includes a study of "Who do we say HE is" through the Gospel of Mark led by Pastor Jeff Lane in the Fellowship Hall, plus a Wired Word class. Sunday School for ages birth through 5th grade meets during the same hour, with confirmation classes for grades 6-8 and Bible study for grades 9-12 happening in their own rooms.
Visitors are welcomed with the words "Come as you are! Everyone welcome!" A staffed nursery is available, large-print bulletins and hearing devices are offered, and words are projected on the screen for everyone to follow. Between services, gourmet coffee and pastries are served in the Fellowship Hall for a free-will donation, giving worshipers a chance to mingle before the next service.
Reaching the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Faith has long ministered to the deaf and hard-of-hearing community in Topeka. Sign language interpretation is offered at various services, with reserved seating on the brick-wall side of the sanctuary; families can coordinate specific services with Deb Hale. A separate deaf worship service, with the entire liturgy signed and voiced, gathers the deaf and hard of hearing along with their families and anyone learning to sing in sign. Facebook Live recordings of these services are offered weekly so the ministry extends beyond the building.
American Sign Language classes are held in the Fellowship Hall for beginners and those with some sign experience, working through the basics and building vocabulary and conversational skills. The classes are free and open to the public. Kansas Seed, a partner ministry connected to Faith, also offers deaf ministry resources, and those who want to learn more can reach Sara Hale directly.
Growing Up at Faith: Children, Youth, and Families
Faith's intentional ministry to children from birth through 5th grade centers on the Word of God mixed with plenty of fun, under the leadership of Director of Family & Youth Ministry Heather McCormick and Sunday School & WOW Coordinator Jessica Atchison. Sunday School meets during the 9:30 education hour in age-appropriate rooms, from a nursery for ages 0-3 through elementary classes on the lower level. Midweek, the WOW (Word On Wednesdays) program gathers families for a meal at 5:15 and classes from 6:00 to 7:30, with preschool through 4th grade enjoying Bible time, crafts, and games, while 5th-6th graders dig into Bible study and 7th-8th graders work on confirmation. Vacation Bible School is offered each summer with grab-and-go or on-site dinner options, serving children ages 3 through 5th grade along with activities for the whole family.
Junior and senior high youth stay busy year-round. Junior high (grades 6-8) and senior high (grades 9-12) meet on Sunday mornings for their own education, on Wednesdays for Bible study and confirmation, and on select evenings for chaperoned social events like Nerf Nights and mystery adventure nights. Annual retreats take them to places such as Timber Lakes Camp & Retreat Center, and senior highs travel to district youth gatherings. The young-adult Breakfast Club, open to anyone 16 and older, gathers at Hanover Pancake House in downtown Topeka on Saturdays at 9:00.
Family Life Ministry plans activities across the year - a Trunk-or-Treat in the church parking lot with hotdogs and a bonfire, Zoo Lights at the Topeka Zoo, and an evening at Gary's Berries near Grantville with reserved space for hotdogs and s'mores. The MomCo (formerly MOPS) gathers moms with children from birth through kindergarten every other Tuesday morning for teaching, conversation, and food, with on-site childcare provided by mentor moms who have completed Protect My Ministry training and background checks.
Wednesday Nights, Bible Studies, and Small Groups
Faith takes seriously that Christians are not meant to grow in isolation. Adults can study the Bible on Sunday mornings at 9:30, on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 during WOW, or on Saturday mornings at 8:00 in a men's Bible study led by Pastor Martin Albrecht. A fall congregational study is offered each year, and small Faith Groups of 6 to 12 people meet in homes or at the church at times that fit their members, providing a place to connect, study, pray, and serve.
Lutheran Women in Mission
Faith's LWML (Lutheran Women in Mission) is part of the Kansas District and Topeka Zone and welcomes women to four monthly Circles: Hannah (first Monday at 5:30 p.m.), Eve (second Monday at 7:00 p.m.), Ruth (second Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.), and Deborah (third Wednesday at 1:00 p.m.). Each Circle takes on service projects such as preparing meals for families with new babies, assisting with funeral meals, and coordinating the Prayer Ministry. Women at Faith also tie quilts for Orphan Grain Train and gather loose-change Mite offerings on the first Sunday of each month to support national mission grants. Spring Salad Suppers, a Ladies' Fall Tea, and a fall Noodle Dinner give the women opportunities to fellowship across the wider congregation.
Music for Every Service
Music is woven through every part of Faith's ministry under the direction of Linda Meyer, Director of Music & Worship Arts since 2022 and a longtime Faith member since 1987. The Adult Choir, an SATB ensemble, sings in most Sunday services from fall through spring, drawing on classic sacred music, gospel, multicultural selections, and traditional favorites. Rehearsals are Thursday evenings in the balcony choir loft. The Alleluia Ringers, a handbell and handchime choir ringing a five-octave set of Schulmerich bells (plus five octaves of chimes), usually offers a piece once a month in all services and at special services. The Praise Team & Band leads the contemporary Sunday worship with vocalists, keyboard, guitars, bass, and drums, rehearsing Wednesday evenings. The musical inventory includes a Baldwin grand piano, a Roland digital grand, a quality drum set, and a 2007 pipe organ built by Mid-States Organ Company with three manuals, 21 stops, and 24 ranks.
Serving Topeka and the World
Faith's outreach reaches from its own parking lot to the ends of the earth. Members serve in the church as greeters, readers, ushers, communion assistants, acolytes, altar guild, media and tech teams, choir and bell ringers, praise band members, banner makers, Bible study leaders, Sunday School teachers, money counters, and facility volunteers. Lay Leadership Council, the Prayer Chain, Caring Ministry, Stephen Ministry, and MOST Men's Ministry organize the work.
In Topeka, Faith partners with Big Brothers Big Sisters, CASA of Shawnee County, Doorstep (food, clothing, shelter, and family support), Topeka Habitat for Humanity, Let's Help (which breaks cycles of poverty through food, clothing, education, and counseling), Meals on Wheels, Sunshine Connection (run by mental-health consumers), and the Topeka Rescue Mission (a Christian-based organization serving those experiencing homelessness). An annual Community Service Day sends members out together to local projects.
Worldwide, Faith supports T.I.M. Missionary Benjamin Helge, Feed My Starving Children, LEADaChILD (Christian education for children around the world), Lutheran World Relief, Enrich Missions (which supports schools in Nicaragua), and Lutheran Bible Translators. Missionaries Wayne & Megan Tingel visit the congregation to share about their ministry in Nicaragua and to invite others on a mission trip.
Becoming Part of the Faith Family
Those new to Lutheran Christianity can begin with Doorway, a no-strings-attached membership class exploring the basic teachings of Christianity from a Lutheran perspective, offered at various times during the year. Members transferring from another Lutheran congregation can usually transfer directly through their current church, and out-of-town members can request a transfer with Faith's assistance.
What a First-Time Visitor Should Know
Faith Lutheran Church is located at 1716 SW Gage Blvd. in Topeka, close to a Topeka Metro bus stop. The facility is fully handicap accessible, with reserved parking, accessible door openers, wheelchair-accessible seating on the west side of the worship space, large-print bulletins, and hearing devices. A staffed nursery is available, and large-print bulletins and projected words make it easy to follow along. Fellowship between services features free-will-donation coffee and donuts in the Fellowship Hall.
A Three-Octave Gift That Grew to Five
In 2003 Faith was given a three-octave set of Schulmerich handbells, beginning the Alleluia Ringers the year after. Thanks to generous donations the set grew to five octaves of handbells plus five octaves of hand chimes, giving the handbell choir a wide musical range for its monthly offerings in worship. Linda Meyer, who directs the group, is AEGHR Level 1 certified through the Handbell Musicians organization.