Mount Calvary Lutheran sits on a rise on the west side of Waukesha, Wisconsin, where the congregation and its school share a single campus at 1941 Madison Street. Since 1941, the same hilltop has anchored a Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) church that pairs liturgical, Bible-centered worship with a fully accredited preschool-through-eighth-grade school. Three weekend worship services, a full week of Bible studies, more than a dozen ministries, and a thriving athletic and fine-arts program make Mount Calvary a place where whole families grow up together in the Lutheran confessions.
A Hilltop Congregation Since 1941
Mount Calvary's story begins in the spring of 1940, when Pastor J. de Galley canvassed the South and West sides of Waukesha at the direction of the Synod Mission Board. Sixteen people gathered for the first worship service on September 8, 1940, on the second floor of the Supreme Bottling Works warehouse. With a $1,200 grant from the Synod and a handful of determined members, the young congregation purchased six lots in the Westowne area and moved a surplus World War I barracks building from a barn near Brown Deer to serve as its first church. That building, set on what would become the present campus at 1941 Madison Street, marks the founding moment of a congregation that has remained in Waukesha ever since.
The 1941 founding date is woven into the congregation's identity. Eight decades later, the church's mission statement still reads, "Serving the Lord by loving each other, building each other up, and reaching out with the gospel." A history bulletin, anniversary booklets from 1991 and 2002, and a slate of core values - Mission Minded, Together, Christ-Centered, Assured, Loving, Victorious, Attending, Redeemed, and Yearning - keep that founding purpose in front of every member.
Three Weekend Services, Two Musical Styles
Mount Calvary gathers for worship three times each weekend. Saturday worship at 5:00 p.m. uses a contemporary sound with guitar, piano, and other instruments. Sunday services at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. follow a more traditional pattern built around the organ and piano. The liturgical core is the same in every service: a set of hymns, confession and forgiveness, prayers, Scripture readings, and a sermon that runs about twenty minutes. The services move through the Christian church calendar - Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost - and follow a lectionary of readings that ties the preaching to the wider church year.
One practical detail matters especially for deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors: the 8:00 a.m. Sunday service is sign interpreted every week, as are the 6:30 p.m. services during Lent and Advent. Sign language interpretation at Mount Calvary dates back to 1997, when the congregation first began offering interpreted services for a small group of regular attendees.
Holy Communion is celebrated twice a month. Because the congregation practices close communion, members of other WELS and like-minded congregations are invited to speak with a pastor before partaking. Baptisms are usually scheduled at the beginning of a service, and the pastors welcome conversations with any family preparing for that sacrament.
What Visitors Notice Right Away
Visitors are greeted as family. The "For Visitors" page sets the tone plainly: "We are ordinary people, just like you. We recognize that we are sinners, and we confess it every week. More importantly, we confess that we are saints of God, who have been saved by God's undeserved love to us in the work of his son, Jesus Christ." Ushers help newcomers find seats, and an online Friendship Register lets worshipers let the church know they came.
Children are expected and welcomed. Worship at Mount Calvary is for the whole family, and restless little ones are part of the picture. For parents who need a quieter space, an entryway and a Cry Room sit just to the left of the sanctuary past the elevator. Both rooms are speaker-equipped with a view of the sanctuary, and the Cry Room bathroom and women's bathroom each have a changing station. During the school year, the 9:15 a.m. Sunday hour offers age-appropriate programming - Mount Calvary Kids for preschool through fifth grade, a Middle School Bible Study for grades 6 through 8, a High School Bible Study for grades 9 through 12, an adult Bible study in the fellowship hall, and a sign-language Bible study in the Upper Conference Room.
A School Built Around the Word
Mount Calvary Lutheran School is a WELSSA-accredited program serving 3K through Grade 8 on the same campus. Each school day opens with devotions and a Bible lesson, and a weekly chapel service gathers the whole student body for worship. Students sing and serve in church services, take part in service projects at home, school, church, and in the community, and study a curriculum in which faith is integrated across every subject.
Preschool runs Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in mixed-age 3K and 4K classrooms. Preschool director Sandy Sebald, who has served at Mount Calvary since 2003, leads a team of aides through a curriculum that includes reading and math readiness, language, music and rhythm, arts and crafts, science and social studies, learning games, creative activities, storytime and dramatics, and social skills. The program keeps a 10:1 student-teacher ratio or better and offers before- and after-care. A child must be three years old by September 1 of the current school year and be potty trained to enroll.
Kindergarten through eighth grade adds the rest of the academic program. The elementary team includes Carrie Henning (kindergarten), Mrs. Liepert (first grade), Veronica Broekema (second grade), Katie Dellar (third grade), Sarah Horn (fourth grade), and Faith Gnewuch (fifth grade). In the middle school, Matt Lange teaches sixth grade and serves as athletic director; Evan Willick teaches seventh grade; Carey Stark teaches eighth grade. Specialty teachers include Jodi Gilbert in exceptional education, Jessica Fehl in middle school reading and upper math, and Nancy Lehman in middle school art. A Bible Passage Memory Challenge is built into the school year.
Cardinal Athletics fill out the school week with volleyball, soccer, cross-country, cheerleading, wrestling, basketball, softball, and track. Fine arts and extracurriculars include band, Future City and Future City Jr., piano lessons, school play, handchime choir, geography and spelling bees, math meet, and junior choir. The school's stated sports philosophy is plain: "While we strive to do our very best, the focus is on teamwork and positive Christian attitudes in all our sports. All our success is to God's glory."
Cardinal Care, the before- and after-school child care program, opens at 7:00 a.m. and runs until 6:00 p.m. on school days. Elementary students are released to their classrooms at 7:30, preschoolers at 8:00, and afternoon care begins again at 11:30 for preschoolers and at 3:00 for elementary students. Cardinal Care also runs on some non-school days, with an annual non-school-day calendar published each summer. Director Heather Lecher oversees the program at $7 per hour per child, with minutes tracked to the minute and a $1-per-minute charge after 6:00 p.m.
Tuition support comes in part through the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program (WPCP), which Mount Calvary has been approved to participate in for the 2026-2027 school year. Students entering 4K, 5K, first grade, or transferring from a public school or homeschool can qualify for tuition-free seats if they live outside the Milwaukee Public and Racine Unified School Districts and meet income eligibility. The school also publishes a busing zone map for families living two or more miles away in approved parts of Waukesha.
Bible Studies for Every Age and Stage
Mount Calvary's Bible study menu reaches well beyond Sunday morning. The Bible Information Class meets on Tuesday evenings at 6:00 p.m. in the Upper Conference Room for a fifteen-week walk through what the Bible teaches and what Lutherans believe. The class is open to anyone curious about Christianity, helpful for school parents wanting to understand what their children are learning, and serves as the on-ramp to membership at Mount Calvary. Personal study options and one-on-one classes are available for those who can't make the Tuesday evening sessions.
Beyond the Bible Information Class, the congregation offers a steady cadence of small groups. Brothers in Christ gathers on the second and fourth Saturday mornings at 7:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall for breakfast and a men's Bible study. A Ladies' / Moms' Bible Study meets off campus two Tuesdays a month at 9:00 a.m. and is currently working through Joshua. On Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m., ladies meet in the conference room for the Beatitudes Applied to the 21st Century study, and a parallel Thursday night study at the Schultz home meets on the second and fourth Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. for the same material.
Sunday morning stays busy in the between-services hour. The Adult Bible Study, led by Pastor Timothy Westendorf, meets in the downstairs fellowship hall. Mount Calvary Kids fills the preschool and K-5 rooms. Middle schoolers gather in the concessions area across from the gym for a Bible study and a game, and high schoolers meet in the fifth-grade classroom. A separate Bible Study for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing runs in the Upper Conference Room.
Music That Lifts the Service
Mount Calvary is blessed with a long list of musical groups that share their gifts during the church year. The Adult Choir, a mixed men's and women's ensemble of confirmed members with no auditions required, rehearses Monday nights from mid-September through May. The choir sings a blend of two- to four-part harmonies drawn from both traditional and contemporary literature, and they take the congregation through festival services as well as regular Sundays.
The Handbells Choir is a ten-member ensemble whose season runs roughly from September through spring. Isaiah 62 is the contemporary-style praise band that leads more upbeat selections, drawing on classic gospel influences. The Mount Calvary Musicians play for special worship services and welcome other musician members from sister congregations. Mount Calvary's preschool director Sandy Sebald sings with both the Adult Choir and a contemporary group called Reflections.
Groups for Every Season of Life
The ministry list at Mount Calvary reflects a congregation that takes Luther's doctrine of vocation seriously - that is, that every Christian's daily work and relationships are places to serve God. Wauk with Jesus gathers young adults in their 18-to-30s for weekly Bible study and regular hangouts, hikes, and game nights. The Teen Group, led by Pastor Westendorf, meets monthly for high school students who attend many different local high schools and often bring friends; activities have included cooking on campus, bowling, laser tag, escape rooms, and skating. The group coordinates with other area WELS congregations through a private Discord server to expand the pool of friends and activities.
Ladies REJOICE is the umbrella for women's ministry at Mount Calvary, offering Bible studies, guest speakers, group trips, the J.O.Y. (Jesus. Others. Yourself.) circle focused on prayer and encouragement, and the Advent by Candlelight evening each November. The Mount Calvary Explorers host outdoor and family events - ice fishing, hikes, and seasonal outings designed to get kids and parents outside together. The Church Library, located off the stairwell across from the restrooms nearest the sanctuary, supports spiritual growth with a curated selection of resources.
For those who cannot easily leave home, the Nursing Home and Shut-In Visits ministry keeps members connected to the congregation. The Usher Crew welcomes worshipers each weekend. Thrivent Action Teams helps members apply for Thrivent grants to fund service projects and fundraisers in the church, school, and Waukesha community. Dinner for Eight rotates adult members through one another's homes for casual meals and conversation.
Serving the Wider Waukesha Community
Mount Calvary partners with Tomorrow's Choice Family Resource Center, an affiliated ministry that provides pregnancy and family support in the Waukesha area. The Home & School Society - Mount Calvary's version of a parent-teacher association - plans family events, runs fundraisers like the annual Domino's partnership, Box Tops for Education, and RaiseRight gift card program, and supports teachers throughout the year with appreciation activities, classroom wish lists, and coordination of family events such as the Back to School Bash, Trunk-or-Treat, and the Teacher Appreciation Week.
Volunteers keep the building humming. Members help serve hot lunch on school days, clean the church building in rotating pairs, operate the worship screens, play in worship bands, photograph events, write stories, and coach Cardinals athletics. Most sign-ups run through Signup.com, and a member planning page collects event details, branding guidelines, and volunteer codes in one place.
What Mount Calvary Believes
Mount Calvary Lutheran Church is a member congregation of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) and subscribes to the Lutheran Confessions found in the Christian Book of Concord of 1580. The church's statement of faith is brief and direct: "We teach God's Word as the absolute truth. In a world where everything is questioned and doubted, we have one thing that never changes: the Bible." Scripture is described as God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Worship is liturgical and follows the historic church year. Baptism and Holy Communion are celebrated as sacraments, with close communion practiced to honor what the congregation believes the Bible teaches about that meal. The core values that shape the congregation - Mission Minded, Together, Christ-Centered, Assured, Loving, Victorious, Attending, Redeemed, Yearning - are paired with Scripture passages and explained on the church's Core Values page.
Pastors and Leadership
Pastor Robert Frick is the lead pastor. After growing up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, he attended Martin Luther Prep School, Northwestern College, and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. He served a first call in Sterling Heights, Michigan, before joining Mount Calvary as associate pastor in July 2012. He now serves as lead pastor, leads adult education, and is currently serving as the principal of Mount Calvary Lutheran School. He and his wife Amy have six children and two grandchildren.
Pastor Timothy Westendorf grew up in Mequon, graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 2000 after a vicar year in Puerto Rico, and served two years as a tutor at Martin Luther College before team-ministry work at Redeemer in Tucson and a call to Abiding Word in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. He joined the Mount Calvary pastoral team with his wife Kelly and their four children - John, Micah, Ben, and Makenna.
The Church Council includes Josh Kozinski (President), Joe Rogers (Secretary), Randy Brinkmann (Treasurer), Ty Taylor (Councilman at Large), Jason Dellar (Property), Jeff Rogers (School Board Chairman), and Rick Kneser (Administrator).
Joining In
Visitors can attend worship any weekend without registering in advance. The Saturday 5:00 p.m. service offers a contemporary feel; the Sunday 8:00 a.m. service includes sign interpretation; the Sunday 10:30 a.m. service offers a traditional setting. Between Sunday services, the 9:15 a.m. hour is open to every age group. A Bible Information Class in the fall is the formal pathway for adults considering membership, and a Membership Covenant is available for those who want to read what membership at Mount Calvary involves. Offerings can be placed in the plate during worship or given online through Vanco, and prayer requests can be sent to the pastors confidentially at any time.