Messiah Lutheran Church has been a fixture on Oak Street in Lebanon, Pennsylvania for decades, and today it carries that work forward as a congregation of the North American Lutheran Church (NALC). Members gather each Sunday at 1800 Oak Street for an Education Hour and a worship service that centers on Holy Communion, then live out their faith through a network of committees that reach into the Lebanon community and beyond. Pastor Paul Hansen leads the congregation alongside Council President Deborah Lutz, Office Manager Kathaleen Lilley, and a large group of lay volunteers organized into standing committees.
A Sunday Built Around Word, Teaching, and Sacrament
The weekly rhythm at Messiah is simple and consistent. Sunday morning begins with the Living in Faith Education Hour at 9:00 a.m., an hour of Christian learning for all ages described by the congregation as a time to "strengthen your faith and belief in our Savior and His work for us." Following the Education Hour, the Weekly Worship Service gathers in the Sanctuary at 10:30 a.m. and includes Holy Communion every week. The service follows the liturgy of the North American Lutheran Church and is led by the pastor with the assistance of lectors, ushers, worship assistants, and the choir. Each week's bulletins, prayers, and sermons are made available to download, and the calendar can be subscribed to through Google Calendar, iCal, or Outlook so worship times are easy to keep.
Holy Communion Every Sunday
Weekly communion is a hallmark of Lutheran worship, and Messiah celebrates it at every Sunday service. Members and visitors who wish to receive are welcome at the altar rail, and the Altar Guild prepares the sanctuary each week for the celebration.
Education for All Ages
The 9:00 a.m. hour is the congregation's primary setting for Christian formation. The Christian Education Committee, working with the pastor, oversees the learning process within the congregation, and the Education Hour runs in tandem with the worship schedule so families can attend together before the service.
Four Core Values of the NALC
Messiah Lutheran has embraced four core values that shape its common life, all drawn from the wider North American Lutheran Church:
Christ-Centered
The congregation confesses the apostolic faith in Jesus Christ according to the Holy Scriptures. Messiah affirms the authority of Scripture as the source and norm "according to which all doctrines should and must be judged," a phrase drawn from the Formula of Concord, and accepts the ecumenical creeds and the Lutheran Confessions as true witnesses to the Word of God.
Mission-Driven
Messiah believes the mission of the Church is to preach the Gospel and to make disciples for Christ. That conviction is lived out in the Lebanon area, in the wider community, and through partnerships with mission efforts around the world, including the long-running relationship with the Independent Church in India.
Traditionally-Grounded
The congregation affirms the ecumenical creeds and the faithful witness of the Church across time. Messiah endorses the form and practices of the universal Church that are consistent with Scripture, including the office of the ministry and the tradition of worship under Word and Sacrament. The congregation seeks fellowship with other Lutheran churches and faithful Christians of other confessions.
Congregationally-Focused
Messiah strives to be organized in a way that facilitates the ministries of local congregations in a posture of servanthood and partnership, providing resources, connections, and information to support the work of its committees and members.
A Confessional Lutheran Identity
Messiah's statement of faith names what the congregation confesses. It affirms the Triune God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It receives the canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the inspired Word of God and the authoritative source and norm for proclamation, faith, and life. The congregation accepts the Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds as true declarations of the faith, the Unaltered Augsburg Confession as a true witness to the Gospel, and the other confessional writings in the Book of Concord (the Apology, the Smalcald Articles and the Treatise, the Small and Large Catechisms, and the Formula of Concord) as further valid interpretations of the faith of the Church. The congregation also honors and accepts The Common Confession (2005) as a summary of teachings otherwise affirmed in the Lutheran Confessions.
Pastoral Leadership and Staff
Rev. Paul Hansen serves as pastor of Messiah Lutheran. The congregation welcomed his arrival and serves alongside him as he preaches, teaches, and provides pastoral care.
Kathaleen Lilley is the Office Manager, described by the congregation as the person who accomplishes the tasks of parish life faithfully and expertly and is key to the ongoing life and witness of the church. Deborah Lutz serves as Council President, leading the congregation's lay governance after years of faithful service in many other roles.
The Work of the Congregation: Committees and the Altar Guild
Messiah Lutheran's ministry is carried out largely through its standing committees, each chaired by a member of the congregation and supported by volunteers.
Christian Education Committee
Working with the pastor, this committee oversees Christian learning within the congregation, including the Sunday morning Living in Faith Education Hour. Nicholas Adams chairs the committee.
Evangelism Committee
This committee sees every member of Messiah as called to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Members are empowered by the Holy Spirit to share the Gospel both within and beyond the community of faith, and the committee helps the congregation realize God's vision as His disciples.
Fellowship Committee
The Fellowship Committee provides the congregation with opportunities to gather. It sponsors a Freezer Food Bank of meals for shut-ins, those who have been hospitalized, or those recovering from illness. The committee also hosts Welcome Time, the Easter breakfast, bread and soup suppers during Lent, a reception for confirmands, Covenant Day, and a picnic supporting the Independent Church in India.
Social Ministry Committee
Co-chaired by Carol Anspach and Rita Savant, this committee fosters the extension of Christian compassion. Activities include periodic visits to Messiah's shut-ins, a mail ministry of cards at Easter, Christmas, and birthdays, an annual collection for the Independent Church in India in support of orphaned children, abandoned lepers, and Bible distribution, recruitment of walkers and pledgers for the annual CROP Walk, a Tree of Giving to support the Rescue Mission and Agape House, and a Christmas party for Agape House residents featuring a presentation of the story of Jesus' birth, refreshments, activity bags for the children, and needed items for their mothers.
Property Committee
Dave Machamer chairs the Property Committee, which maintains Messiah's structures and grounds. The committee works on landscape maintenance and trimming, interior painting, and electrical and other general repairs, while pursuing a long-range plan that has replaced iron pipes with copper, controlled humidity and temperature, installed insulating windows, and converted from flat to pitched roofing wherever practical.
Worship & Music Committee
Karen Fox chairs this committee, which plans worship in accordance with the liturgy of the North American Lutheran Church. It supervises the choir, oversees lectors, ushers, worship assistants, and the Altar Guild, cares for hymnals, paraments, vestments, and instruments, and provides music supplies in consultation with the pastor, organist, and choir director.
Other Standing Committees
Messiah also maintains a Finance Committee chaired by Larry Watkins, which handles fiscal planning, investments, insurance, and audits; a Personnel Committee; a Publicity Committee; a Stewardship Committee co-chaired by Michael Ernst and Kathaleen Lilley; and a Volunteer Resources Committee that recruits members for the Congregation Council and for service on the standing committees.
The Altar Guild
A dedicated group of more than 20 men and women make up Messiah Lutheran Altar Guild, which prepares and maintains the Sanctuary for use by God's family. The Guild prepares for regular Sunday worship services (with Communion every week), as well as for Lent, Easter, Christmas, baptisms, weddings, and funeral services. Coordinating altar flowers for weekly worship and special occasions is one of its ongoing tasks. Deborah Lutz serves as the Altar Guild President.
Serving the Lebanon Community and the World
Messiah Lutheran's outreach stretches from the homes of its shut-in members to the streets of Lebanon to the villages of India. The Social Ministry Committee coordinates the Tree of Giving each Christmas season to meet the needs of people served by the Rescue Mission and Agape House. Members walk and pledge in the annual CROP Walk. A long-standing relationship with the Independent Church in India supports orphaned children, abandoned lepers, and Bible distribution. The Fellowship Committee maintains the Freezer Food Bank so members can bring a meal to someone who has been hospitalized, sick, or homebound.
Visiting Messiah Lutheran
Messiah Lutheran Church is located at 1800 Oak Street, Lebanon, Pennsylvania 17042, with the phone number (717) 272-2922. Visitors are greeted at the narthex, where a guest register is kept near the greeter, and are encouraged to introduce themselves to the pastor. Anyone interested in a tour of the facility can ask the pastor to arrange for a guide.
Sunday mornings begin with the Living in Faith Education Hour at 9:00 a.m., followed by the Weekly Worship Service with Holy Communion at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary. Members and visitors are welcome to remain for fellowship afterwards. Bulletins, newsletters, and the calendar are available to read or download from the church.