Heaven Is Your Home on Arrowhead Road
On a quiet stretch of Arrowhead Road in Grafton, Wisconsin, a Lutheran congregation and a Christian preschool-through-eighth-grade school share a single campus, a single name, and a single short statement of vision: "Heaven is your home - because Jesus is your Savior." Our Savior Lutheran Church and School has lived by that promise since a small group of believers incorporated on Valentine's Day, 1965, and the campus has since grown into a hub of weekday classrooms, three weekly worship services, year-round Bible studies, and a livestream that reaches beyond Ozaukee County.
From a Basement on Valentine's Day to a K-8 Campus
Our Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church was incorporated on February 14, 1965. The first services were held in the basement of a local family, and the mission grew quickly enough that by July of that year the worshiping community had moved into the Grafton American Legion Post. In 1967, ground was broken for the congregation's first dedicated school and chapel building. The current church office building has served the congregation since 1975, and the larger sanctuary and school wing that the community worships in today came online in 1995. The campus has continued to undergo physical changes to accommodate the growing church and school, but the teachings remain firmly rooted in the Word and Sacrament.
Where Heaven Is Your Home
The congregation's vision statement is short enough to memorize and wide enough to live by: "Heaven is your home - because Jesus is your Savior." The mission that flows from it is built around three verbs - KNOW, GROW, and GO:
- KNOW Jesus Christ as Savior.
- GROW in loving service to God and each other.
- GO into our community and the world with the good news of Christ's forgiveness.
The church describes its purpose in the words of 1 Corinthians 10: "To give glory, honor, praise, and worship to our Triune God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - in all that we say and do." Worship is treated as a gift God gives to his people: God comes to his people through the preached Word, through baptism that washes away sin and clothes the believer in Christ's righteousness, and through the Lord's Supper, in which Jesus' body and blood assure his people of his love. In response, the congregation praises God, remembers his faithfulness, and joins together in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
Three Services a Week, One Online
Worship at Our Savior follows a steady weekly rhythm. The weekly schedule is:
- Thursday at 7:00 p.m.
- Sunday at 8:00 a.m.
- Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
The 10:30 a.m. Sunday service is also livestreamed, and recordings remain available on demand. Sermon bulletins are posted as downloadable PDFs each week alongside the audio. Recent preachers appearing in the rotation include Pastor Jonathan Fischer, Senior Vicar Doug Zabel, and Pastoral Assistant Jeff Samelson. The series in late summer 2026 walked through readings from Jonah, Matthew, Galatians, Jeremiah, and Romans under titles like "God's Compassion Continues," "Match God's Mercy," "Restore Those Caught in Sin," "Our Partner in Suffering," and "Uncomplicated Confidence." A regular podcast carries the sermons to those who cannot be on campus.
Sunday Morning Between the Services
Between the 8:00 and 10:30 services at 9:15 a.m., the building hums with a different kind of learning. The Sunday Bible Classes and Sunday School hour is structured to feed every age at once:
- Sunday Morning Bible Study digs deeply into a book of the Bible and applies those truths to life.
- Sunday School gathers school-aged youth and walks them through the history of God's promise to send a Savior.
Children's Chapel, weekly songs, and Bible lessons are part of the rhythm the school carries into the rest of the week.
J.A.M., Catechism, and the Young Disciples
Children are woven into the life of the church, not just the school. J.A.M. (Jesus and Me) is a children's ministry that meets alongside the Thursday evening service and again on a Sunday morning each month. Older students, in seventh and eighth grade, are invited into Catechism Class, an extended course in the teachings of Scripture and the Lutheran church that prepares them for Confirmation and reception of the Lord's Supper. The school itself supplements this work with daily Bible lessons, weekly Children's Chapel, and ongoing devotions that point every subject back to Christ.
Tuesday Mornings, Men's Breakfasts, Women's Studies, and Campus Ministry
Adults looking to grow in the Word find several doors open during the week. Tuesday Morning Bible Study gathers for fellowship and a chapter-by-chapter walk through a book of the Bible with open discussion. The Men's Bible Study meets over breakfast to dig into Scripture together. The Women's Bible Study runs topical studies in the spring and fall. Campus Ministry meets on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 p.m. and has been a regular Wednesday touchstone for years on the church calendar.
Life with Our Savior: A Front Door for the Curious
For anyone wanting to know what the church actually teaches, Life with Our Savior serves as both an instructional class and an open door. The class is an organized study of the teachings of the Bible, from the creation of the world to Jesus' return on Judgment Day, and it is built around the questions seekers have never had a chance to ask. The congregation describes it as a great place to determine whether Our Savior might be a church home.
K-8 on the Same Campus as the Church
Sharing the Arrowhead Road campus is Our Savior Lutheran School, a Christ-centered school for students in preschool (3K and 4K) through eighth grade. The school partners with Christian parents in the God-given directive to "bring [children] up in the training and instruction of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4). Faculty and staff are committed to helping each student hear God's Word every day - in daily Bible lessons, in songs and hymns, in weekly Children's Chapel, and in the way every subject is taught. Each faculty member is expected to model servant leadership and to help children learn to love like Christ and serve others with their God-given gifts.
Preschool and K-8 Programs
Preschool is offered for three- and four-year-olds in both half-day and full-day formats. Half-day PreK runs from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Full-day PreK runs from 8:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Children must be three by September 1 to attend preschool and must be potty trained. Kindergarteners must be five by September 1. After care is available from 3:15 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. at $4.50 per hour per child.
Tuition and the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program
Tuition is subsidized for members of Our Savior. For the 2026-2027 school year, K-8 tuition is $2,600 for member families and $4,100 for nonmember families. Flexible monthly and other payment plans are available, as is financial aid for those in need. Our Savior Lutheran School is part of the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program (WPCP), which allows families who meet state income guidelines to receive a voucher toward tuition. Residents of Wisconsin (excluding those living in the cities of Milwaukee or Racine) whose adjusted gross income falls below the DPI's posted limits may apply. Applications are accepted online through the WI DPI from the 1st through the 20th of each month, February through September.
Athletics, Fine Arts, and the Kettle Moraine Band
Beyond the classroom, students are given regular opportunities to use their gifts in competition and in the arts. Athletics include volleyball, cross country, and the wider Kettle Moraine Lutheran Elementary School sports leagues. Fine arts are encouraged through choir, piano and instrument lessons, annual theater productions, forensics, and participation in the Kettle Moraine Lutheran Elementary School Band Program. Recent productions have included the school musical Alice @ Wonderland. School portraits are arranged through VIP Photography, and supply lists are published before the school year begins.
Vacation Bible School and Easter for Kids
The congregation opens its doors to the wider community every summer for Vacation Bible School. VBS is a free, day-camp-style program held in July, presented by Camp Phillip, and geared toward children going into kindergarten through fifth grade. Each year's program carries a distinct theme - "Yee-Haw!" (2024), "Up In The Air" (2023), "Faith Ninjas" (2022), "Follow the Clues" (2025), and "Ride the Wave" (2026, on Isaiah 43:2). Mornings include a daily themed snack, and families send a sack lunch. Volunteers are recruited from sixth graders through adults, with roles for cabin leaders, activity area support, setup and cleanup, dinner providers, and registration. Easter for Kids is the springtime counterpart, a half-day event designed to walk children through the events of Holy Week. Throughout the year, additional events like the church picnic, Trunk or Treat, bake sales, and the annual golf outing at West Bend Lakes Golf Club bring the broader community together with the school and congregation.
Online Worship, Podcast, and Giving
Our Savior extends its ministry beyond the Arrowhead Road campus through several digital doors. The 10:30 a.m. Sunday service is livestreamed, and an archive of bulletins, recordings, and podcasts is available on the church's posts page. The congregation's Online Worship page hosts the most recent service and links to past services and podcasts. Giving is supported online through a Vanco-powered giving page and the free Vanco Mobile app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
The Pastoral Team
The ministry of Our Savior is led by:
- Pastor Jonathan Fischer - Pastor and Interim Principal
- Doug Zabel - Senior Vicar
- Jeff Samelson - Pastoral Assistant
The school faculty includes Annmarie DiGangi (Preschool), Katie Raddatz (Kindergarten-2nd Grade), Kira Mittelstadt (3rd-5th Grade), Melissa Fischer (6th-8th Grade), and Ben Raddatz (Departmental).
The Campus at 1332 Arrowhead Road
Our Savior Lutheran Church and School is located at 1332 Arrowhead Road, Grafton, WI 53024. The church office can be reached at 262-377-6363 and the school office at 262-377-7780, with a shared fax line at 262-377-9045. The congregation can also be found on Facebook and YouTube. Free-will offerings, volunteer signups, and registration for school, VBS, and special events are all available through the church's online forms and SignUpGenius pages. The church and school do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national, or ethnic origin in the administration of their educational policies, admissions policies, or school-administered programs, and their doors are open to students of every race, sex, national, and ethnic origin for all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities made available at the school.