On the southern stretch of Front Street in historic downtown Issaquah, a one-story church building with a wheelchair-accessible entrance has become the steady gathering place for a congregation that calls itself, plainly, Our Savior Lutheran Church. Members and visitors come on Sunday mornings to a sanctuary where a chancel choir, Memorial Bells, and rotating soloists lead music, where Holy Communion is celebrated at every service, and where two pastors who happen to be married to one another trade the roles of presider and preacher from week to week. The church is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, part of the NW-WA Synod of the ELCA, and the present-day congregation was formed in February 2022 through the merger of Shepherd of the Hills and Our Savior Lutheran Church.
Sunday Morning at Ten
Worship at Our Savior begins at 10:00 AM every Sunday in the sanctuary at 745 Front Street South. The service is also livestreamed on YouTube on the church's channel, so members who are traveling, homebound, or simply prefer to worship from a distance can follow along. The same sermon is preached in both settings, and bulletins with the hymn list and scripture readings are posted in advance. A live YouTube feed, called Worship With Us Live, is available each Sunday morning.
The order of worship is intentionally described as "dynamic and evolving." Old and new music sit side by side, and drama, art, and creativity are woven into the liturgy from time to time. Pastors Kristin-Luana and Olaf Baumann write a weekly Sermon News note that introduces the lectionary texts, gives background on the gospel or epistle, and previews the angle the preacher will take. Holy Communion is offered every Sunday, year-round, and a children's space just outside the worship area lets little ones play and read while still hearing the service. A separate, unstaffed nursery is also available, and any greeter can point families to it. The sanctuary is wheelchair accessible, and hearing-assist devices are available for those who need them.
Greeters, ushers, assisting ministers, communion assistants, acolytes, sound and videography volunteers, and the Altar Guild all play a role in the Sunday service, and the church regularly invites new faces into these roles.
Two Pastors, One Pulpit
Our Savior is unusual in that it is served by a married co-pastorate. Pr. Kristin-Luana Baumann and Pr. Olaf Baumann share the work of preaching, presiding at worship, pastoral care, and administration, and they trade the duties of presider and preacher most Sundays. They also share a YouTube sermon channel, Revs. Baumann Sermons, where their recorded sermons are kept for later listening.
Pastor Kristin-Luana Baumann was born in Hawai'i and partly raised in Germany. Before being called to ministry, she worked as a stage director and a hula practitioner. She is fluent in English and German, holds a master's degree in cultural anthropology and art history from the Freie Universität Berlin, and earned her Master of Divinity at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, California. She writes at betwixt-between.com.
Pastor Olaf Baumann was born in Bochum, Germany, and came to ministry through a career in theater, film, and writing. He studied theater in Vienna and Salzburg, digital film production in Berlin, and screenwriting in Los Angeles, and was ordained into the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. Before coming to Issaquah, he served congregations in Sudbury, Ontario, and Port Angeles, Washington. He also holds an MDiv from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and writes at olaf-baumann.com.
The pastors can be reached directly for pastoral care. Pr. Kristin-Luana can be reached at 360-912-1245 or Pr.KL@oslcissaquah.org, and Pr. Olaf at 360-912-1830 or Pr.O@oslcissaquah.org. For after-hours emergencies, the same numbers apply.
What the Church Believes
Our Savior's vision statement reads: "Burning with the Spirit of Christ in us we are called to serve our neighbors. In following Jesus's teaching and example, we at Our Savior Lutheran Church will feed souls through worship, word and witness while feeding our neighbor with our hands and actions." Five core values flow from that vision, each tied to a biblical text and to a practical posture in the life of the church.
- Be Accessible. Drawing on Jesus' practice of eating with crowds, tax collectors, and sinners, OSLC works to be approachable in how it greets newcomers, how it worships, and how it teaches.
- Be Faithful to God's Word. The congregation holds to the prophet Isaiah's claim that the word of God endures forever, while acknowledging with Paul that all fall short and are justified by grace.
- Be Responsive to God's Call. Following Jesus' commission and the letter of James, the church tries not just to know what it believes but to act on it.
- Be Open to and Inconvenienced by the Holy Spirit. Drawing on John 14:26 and the example of Moses, the congregation names the difficulty of being led somewhere it did not plan to go.
- Trusting Relationships. Borrowing Paul's image of the church as the body of Christ from 1 Thessalonians, OSLC puts weight on the formation of trust, knowing that broken trust keeps many people from joining a church community.
The vision and values were developed in February 2022, immediately after the merger that created the present congregation.
Music Ministries
Music is a thread that runs through almost everything at Our Savior. Three regular groups lift up the congregation's song: the Chancel Choir, the Memorial Bells handbell choir, and a rotating roster of special soloists. The bells are part of a combined bell choir shared with the Eastside Lutheran Church Community, and they play in worship on occasional Sundays.
For singers who are traveling, new to the choir, or simply want a lighter commitment, OSLC has introduced what it calls a "monthly melody." Each month the choir focuses on a single piece, drawing from old favorites and new additions. Rehearsals are concentrated in the weeks leading up to the Sunday the piece is sung, and recordings are provided for those who do not read music. Members are paired with a singing buddy so no one has to learn alone. The Memorial Bells, by contrast, require a steadier rhythm, and their rehearsals run on a more traditional schedule.
Music at Our Savior is led by Parish Musician David Liu, and the monthly melody is coordinated by a member of the choir named Nora T., who introduces each piece in worship and arranges the rehearsal dates.
Stephen Ministry: One-to-One Lay Caring
Our Savior identifies itself as a Stephen Ministry congregation, meaning it has trained a group of laypeople to walk alongside members of the church and wider community who are going through difficult seasons. Stephen Ministry is a program of one-to-one lay caring in which people experiencing grief, job loss, divorce, illness, caregiver stress, infertility, spiritual crisis, financial pressure, relocation, parenting struggles, or retirement are matched with a Stephen Minister who has completed 50 hours of training.
Stephen Ministers commit to confidentiality, show up weekly in person, offer grace-based acceptance, and provide spiritual and emotional care. They also meet regularly for peer supervision and continuing education, and they typically serve a two- to three-year term before taking a break.
The church offers a Stephen Minister Training Course of at least 20 classes, 2.5 hours each, with pre-class readings and in-class exercises. Materials cost $50, with a possible subsidy, and the training itself is free. Graduates who choose to serve are commissioned by the congregation and matched with care receivers in the church or community. Anyone who would like to be connected with a Stephen Minister, or who is interested in the training course, can email the OSLC Stephen Leader, Jen W., through the church office.
Mission Quilters and Prayer Shawls
Two long-running hands-on ministries give members a way to serve that does not require a stage or a podium. The Mission Quilters meet on Thursday mornings from 9:30 AM to noon in Anderson Hall, the church's fellowship hall, and they make simple patchwork quilts that are donated to people in need. Most of the quilts are sent through Lutheran World Relief, where they are distributed around the world, often to communities recovering from earthquakes, hurricanes, and other disasters. Local quilts are also given to Compass Housing Alliance, to graduating seniors of the congregation, and to residents at the Issaquah Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The group welcomes quilters and non-quilters alike. No sewing experience is required, and donations of cotton fabric, clean used sheets, and shipping funds are all appreciated.
The Prayer Shawl Ministry offers knitted and crocheted shawls to people who are hospitalized, sick, or simply need a hug. Yarn and patterns are available, and a member of the church, Wendy Winslow, is happy to teach anyone who wants to learn.
Reaching Out into Issaquah
Our Savior's Community Outreach Committee coordinates designated funds and donations to a list of nonprofit partners that work on the front lines of local need. Those partners include Compass Housing Alliance, Issaquah Community Services, the Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank, the Issaquah Schools Foundation, and Congregations for the Homeless. In addition, the church hosts a regular food drive for the Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank, which provides case management, school supplies, toiletries, youth feeding, and Groceries to Go to local families.
Twice a month, a team of OSLC volunteers helps prepare and serve an evening meal through the Issaquah Meals Program, a coalition of more than 25 faith communities, businesses, and civic groups that share the work of feeding neighbors during the week. The Community Clothing Closet of Issaquah, a free clothing distribution, sets up at the church about once a month, and dates are listed in the church calendar.
The Eastside Lutheran Church Community
Our Savior is part of a wider cluster of ELCA congregations on the east side of Seattle known as the Eastside Lutheran Church Community, or ELCC. The cluster includes St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Bellevue, St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Bellevue, Mt. Si Lutheran Church in North Bend, Sammamish Hills Lutheran Church, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church on Mercer Island, and Spirit of Peace UCC. Together the churches collaborate on a number of shared ministries, including a joint bell choir, a Confirmation class for youth, a cluster-wide Vacation Bible School, monthly Community Game Nights, and occasional outdoor community worship services held at parks such as Ebright Creek Park in Sammamish. When OSLC participates in one of these joint services, members are invited to join a sister congregation's livestream or in-person worship that Sunday instead.
The cluster has also organized a mission trip to Belize scheduled for February 2027 in partnership with Sammamish Hills Lutheran Church. Information about that trip is available through the church office.
Learning Together
Christian education at OSLC takes many shapes, and the church's teaching ministry is built around a lifelong commitment to grow deeper in relationship with God and with one another. Pastor-led Bible studies run throughout the year, and a study of the book Tending the Wild Garden: Growing in the Fruit of the Spirit by Eugenia Anne Gamble is facilitated by Pr. Kristin-Luana on Thursdays at 12:15 PM in Anderson Hall, with a parallel session on Sundays at 8:30 AM led by Pr. Randy Webb.
The Companions in Christ Bible Study meets on Mondays from 3:00 to 4:30 PM via Zoom, using the magazine The Gather as its base text. To receive the Zoom link, members and friends can contact Jen W. through the church office.
Each summer the cluster holds Vacation Bible School under the theme "At the Table," exploring five biblical stories that involve bread and God's word. The week-long program rotates among the ELCC churches and includes crafts, baking bread, and a shared meal. In recent years, VBS has been held at Mt. Si Lutheran, Sammamish Hills Lutheran, and St. Luke's Lutheran.
For youth, the cluster offers a joint Confirmation class that meets every second Sunday of the month from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Bellevue. The class takes a break over the summer and resumes in the fall.
The Women's Retreat at Rainbow Lodge
Each year, the women of Our Savior gather with women from several other Eastside ELCA congregations for a three-day retreat at Rainbow Lodge in North Bend, usually the first weekend in March. The retreat is held on a chosen theme. A guest speaker leads the program, and the weekend includes great food, conversation, and the chance to connect with other women in the wider cluster. Recent retreats have drawn attendees from St. Andrew's and St. Luke's in Bellevue, Shepherd of the Valley in Black Diamond, Trinity Lutheran in Mercer Island, and several other churches, and all are made welcome.
The retreat is organized locally by the women's ministry at OSLC, and a chapter of the women's organization of the ELCA, WELCA, supports the work. The Northwest Washington Synodical Women's Organization also hosts a fall retreat each year that OSLC women are invited to attend.
Fellowship for All Ages
Fellowship at OSLC is intentionally intergenerational. After Sunday worship, the congregation gathers in Anderson Hall for a coffee and fellowship hour, with photo sessions for the pictorial directory held in the library on designated Sundays.
The Men's Group meets for casual fellowship and camaraderie, and recent evenings have included poker nights at the Myrtle Masonic Lodge in downtown Issaquah, where men from the church play for bragging rights only, share a snack, and get a look at one of the city's historic buildings. Community Game Night, held monthly at a rotating ELCC church, brings together members of all ages for card and board games and a shared dinner, with snacks to share and a warm welcome for newcomers, friends, and neighbors.
Monthly Communion at Timber Ridge
Many OSLC members live at Timber Ridge, a senior living community at 100 Timber Ridge Way NW in Issaquah, and the church partners with St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Bellevue to lead a monthly Communion service for residents, family, and staff. The service is held on the first Thursday of each month at 2:00 PM. St. Andrew's leads on odd-numbered months, and the Baumann pastors from Our Savior lead on even-numbered months. The service is open to all who live and work at Timber Ridge.
The Mission Endowment Fund
The OSLC Mission Endowment Fund makes grants that support youth programs, scholarships, leadership training, outreach to the larger community, and other ministry initiatives that fall outside the congregation's general operating budget. The fund has been built up over many years through donor gifts, and grants between $250 and $2,000 are currently available for distribution. Application forms are available from the church office.
Plan a Visit
Our Savior welcomes all comers. The congregation's own welcome statement reads, in part: "Welcome to longtime Lutherans, Christians from other traditions and people new to the faith. Welcome to all who have no church home, want to follow Christ, have doubts, or do not believe. Welcome to new visitors and old friends. Welcome to people of every age and size, color and culture, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, and ability. This is a place where you are welcome to celebrate and sorrow, rejoice and recover. This is a place where lives are made new."
Sunday worship begins at 10:00 AM at 745 Front Street South in Issaquah. The service lasts about an hour, after which visitors are invited to stay for coffee and conversation in Anderson Hall. The dress code is informal: most people wear tee shirts and jeans. Holy Communion is offered at every service, and all are welcome at the table. The facilities are wheelchair accessible, and hearing-assist devices are available in the sanctuary. A small play and reading area sits just outside the worship space for young children, and a full unstaffed nursery is available for use during worship; a greeter can show families the way.
For those who prefer to worship from home, the service is livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, and recordings remain available afterward. The Focus, the church's monthly newsletter, is published in electronic form and can be read online.
The church office is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, except for holidays, and can be reached at (425) 392-4169 or office@oslcissaquah.org. Parish Administrator Cynthia Delaney staffs the office. Giving is available online through the Vanco Mobile app, which can be downloaded free from the Apple App Store or Google Play; one-time and recurring gifts can be set up in just a few steps, and a step-by-step guide is available in PDF form for those who need a hand.
For newcomers ready to get involved, the church points to a long list of possibilities: weekly Bible studies, small groups, Mission Quilters, Prayer Shawl knitters and crocheters, the Chancel Choir, the Memorial Bells, community meals preparation, global missions, Stephen Ministry, and a number of other ministries that change with the seasons. Anyone who is curious can introduce themselves to a pastor after worship on Sunday, send a note to the church office, or simply come along and see what the next chapter brings.