The First Evangelical Lutheran Synod Mission in Arizona
Our Saviour Evangelical Lutheran Church stands at 3163 Maricopa Avenue on the southeast end of Lake Havasu City, Arizona. It is known as the first Evangelical Lutheran Synod mission in Arizona, a congregation begun in 1979 that has grown into a three-building campus for worship, education, and fellowship. Its identity is especially clear in its liturgical Sunday Divine Service and in teaching that places Jesus Christ, His forgiveness, and His Word at the center.
In 1979, Jack and Suzanne Kreienbrink moved from West Bend, Wisconsin, to Lake Havasu City with their four children. Looking for a conservative confessional Lutheran church, they placed an ad in the local newspaper. Families with similar convictions answered, so the group first met in houses and listened to taped services. The response soon outgrew that arrangement, and worship moved to the local Jaycee building. Retired Pastor G.A.R. Gullixson came for six months to help the group establish itself. In September 1980, Pastor William B. Kessel accepted the call as permanent pastor.
The need for a permanent home became urgent. A 25-by-100-foot building at 3163 Maricopa Avenue was leased with an option to buy. Pastors Orvick and Merseth visited in July 1980 and promised Evangelical Lutheran Synod funds toward the purchase, and Synod President Orvick returned in November to officiate the dedication. Support from ELS members and congregations helped the new church remain active and grow. The early years were shaped by a specific combination: a family's search for a confessional Lutheran congregation, support from a nationwide church body, and the practical work of turning a Jaycee hall into a church.
That history still gives Our Saviour a distinct place in Lake Havasu City. The congregation that began with one newspaper advertisement now serves the community from a campus on Maricopa Avenue, with a sanctuary, fellowship facilities, and educational space.
A School, a Sanctuary, and a Fellowship Hall
Pastor John Moldstad Jr., who succeeded Pastor Kessel in 1984, helped expand the original building. It later became the fellowship hall. Ground was broken on a new church in 1988, and the sanctuary was dedicated on December 4, 1988. Under Pastor Herb Huhnerkoch, who served from 1990 to 2001, the congregation also began a Christian Day School in 1994. Barbara Huhnerkoch taught nine pre-K and kindergarten students in the parsonage. A Christian education and fellowship facility dedicated in 1998 added classrooms and work space, and Jim Schneck was called as full-time principal.
As enrollment and programming continued to grow, a separate school building was constructed and dedicated on August 3, 2003. The 2008 economic downturn then accompanied difficult changes. Three large families left, the graduation of a large eighth-grade class reduced the need for upper grades, and the school moved from kindergarten through eighth grade to kindergarten through second grade. The teaching staff fell from four to two and then one. Enrollment had reached 60 students at its height but fell to six before the school closed at the end of 2015.
The former school facility remains part of the church's campus and, by special arrangement, serves as Calvary Academy. Around the time the school was growing, the congregation also authorized a north-side satellite with a Sunday service and Bible study. Its average attendance was 28, mainly current members, and it produced few new contacts. The active congregation remains based at the Maricopa Avenue campus.
A Long Line of Pastors and Teachers
The pastoral succession has linked Our Saviour to the wider Evangelical Lutheran Synod. After the founding years, Pastor Kessel began a mission congregation in the Phoenix area in 1984. Pastor John Moldstad Jr. served until 1990 and later taught at Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary. Pastor Herb Huhnerkoch led the congregation until 2001, with Vicar Tim Hartwig serving alongside him. Hartwig became pastor in 2001 after completing his vicarate under interim Pastor John Moldstad Sr.
Retired WELS Pastor James Wuebben joined as associate pastor from 2004 to 2010. Vicar Trent Saari, called in 2009, became pastor in 2010 and served until 2015. Pastor Phillip Lepak then served until 2022, when he accepted a call in Minnesota. Pastor Timothy Buelow, who had previously served in Michigan, Sweden, and Missouri, accepted the Lake Havasu City call in February 2022 and arrived in June. He comes from a long line of teachers, and his stated passion is teaching the Word of God.
The congregation's story therefore includes not only buildings and classes but a succession of pastors, teachers, principals, and families. Its identity remains rooted in the same goals named in 1979: a church faithful to all the Word of God, where people worship, learn, serve one another, and serve their community.
Sunday Worship Is a Conversation Between God and His People
The Sunday Divine Service begins at 9:00 a.m. and lasts about an hour. Its order follows the ancient Christian liturgy, which the congregation describes as a conversation between God and His people. God speaks through Scripture, shows people their sins, leads them to Christ, forgives their sins, and guides them into life set apart for Him. The people respond with prayer, praise, and thanksgiving. Repeating that pattern each week gives worshippers a continuing reminder of sin and grace, the two central themes named in the church's teaching.
The service is more formal than some worship services and may be called traditional or old-fashioned, though visitors are invited to take a few Sundays to become familiar with it. Lots of Scripture is heard, hymns include both old and new songs, and the weekly message emphasizes forgiveness of sins and eternal life. The predictable order helps longtime members follow along, and the congregation notes that many people with memory challenges can still recite the Lord's Prayer from years of weekly repetition.
Children are treated as full participants in worship rather than as people to be removed from it. Their noises, singing, and learning are welcomed as families worship together. During some services, the congregation also observes Holy Communion. The service is followed by refreshments and Bible study in the fellowship building.
What a First Sunday Looks Like
Visitors are greeted at the front door and given worship materials to follow. They may choose their own seat, including the very back, and are free during their first visits simply to watch, listen, and observe. Visitors who are unfamiliar with the order can take a couple of Sundays to become familiar with it. The congregation describes its worshippers as ordinary people who gather to hear God's message, pray to Him, and sing His praise together.
Dress is deliberately broad: running shoes and heels, jeans and suits, open collars, and ties may all be seen. Whether a visitor chooses casual or formal clothing, the standard described is clothing worn out of love for the Lord. Guests are not expected to make an offering, although an optional contribution box stands in the middle of the entryway for those who wish to give.
The practical rhythm continues after worship. Refreshments provide a relaxed transition, and Bible study begins at 10:30 a.m. in the fellowship building. For those who cannot attend in person, the congregation broadcasts the service from 8:55 to 10:05 a.m. MST, and recorded services remain available. Taken together, the service offers a set worship rhythm, freedom for newcomers to observe, and specific times for learning afterward.
Children Belong in Worship and Christian Education
Christian education is a significant part of Our Saviour's life. The congregation sees the learning of children as part of the church's life together rather than an activity separate from worship.
- Sunday School begins at 10:30 a.m., after the Divine Service and refreshments. Children of all ages gather in age-appropriate classes and use the ChristLight curriculum to learn more from the Bible.
- Confirmation Class meets Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. for seventh- and eighth-grade students. They study the basics of Christianity through Dr. Martin Luther's Small Catechism.
- Religion Class meets Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. for younger students. The classes are designed to supplement public and charter school curricula rather than simply repeat schoolwork.
The range of ages, from Sunday School through confirmation instruction, reflects the congregation's conviction that children should learn to worship with parents and grandparents and should be formed in biblical teaching alongside the rest of the congregation. Christian education also helped drive the expansion of the campus. The original 25-by-100-foot structure became the fellowship hall, the 1988 sanctuary created a distinct place for Divine Service, and the educational buildings supported classrooms for a school that once reached 60 students.
Luther's Small Catechism as a Household Guide
The congregation's Christian education is anchored in Dr. Martin Luther's Small Catechism. Luther completed it in January 1529 with the instruction that the head of a household should teach it “in all simplicity” to the household. From the beginning, it was meant not only as preparation for communicant membership but as a teaching tool for parents and pastors. Its questions point to clear Scripture passages, distinguish the Law from the Gospel, and identify the Word and sacraments as the means of spiritual life. Its brevity also makes it suited to memorization.
Our Saviour presents the catechism section by section: the Holy Bible and God's Law, the Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, Baptism, Confession and Absolution, and the Lord's Supper. It also includes prayers for daily use, a table of duties, Christian Questions and Answers, the creeds and confessions of the Lutheran Church, and appendices on the church year, emergency baptism, private confession, and a glossary. This material supports the same formation at different stages of life, from a child in Religion Class or Confirmation Class to an adult in Sunday or midweek study.
The church's pastoral practice also uses Christian Questions and Answers before Communion. These questions ask about sin, repentance, trust in Christ, the meaning of the sacraments, and gratitude for Christ's death. Used as a disciplined review of faith, the catechism keeps the central claims of the gospel connected to worship and daily Christian living.
Bible Study on Sundays and Wednesdays
Bible study takes place at several points in the week. Sunday Bible study at 10:30 a.m. follows worship and refreshments, and the congregation describes it as a time to explore the depths of God's Word and the doctrines of the Bible. Midweek Bible Study convenes Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m. for coffee, fellowship, discussion, and study. The schedule combines the settled rhythm of Sunday morning with a smaller midweek gathering for conversation and teaching.
Questions are welcomed in this setting, especially during the time after the Sunday service. The Small Catechism also provides a structured guide: it distinguishes the Law, which shows sin, from the Gospel, which reveals what God has done for salvation, and it uses the Word and sacraments as the means of spiritual life. Adults can therefore pursue both explanation and memorization within the same biblical framework the confirmation class uses.
Jesus, Grace, and the Means of Grace
Our Saviour states that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, without error, and the only source of faith and teaching. The church understands Scripture as the written revelation of the triune God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and holds that creation and the Fall are truthfully presented in its pages. Human beings are made in God's image, but the Fall leaves them sinful, unable to earn favor with God, and subject to death.
At the center is Jesus Christ, true God and true man, whom the church names as the only Savior. He lived a perfect life, died on the cross for the forgiveness of sins, and rose again. Through His completed work, God declares the world righteous in Christ; that declaration becomes a person's possession through faith in Jesus. The church summarizes this teaching as justification by grace alone. Faith in Jesus is necessary for salvation, and the Holy Spirit works through God's Word and Baptism to bring a sinner to faith.
Our Saviour identifies three Means of Grace: the Word of the Gospel, Holy Baptism, and the Lord's Supper. It teaches that Christ's body and blood are truly present, distributed, and received in Holy Communion under the forms of bread and wine. Confession and absolution are also taught as a renewal of Baptism and a declaration of forgiveness. Good works are described as necessary fruits of faith and evidence of a renewed heart, but never as contributions that earn salvation.
Public ministry is important because the church believes the means of grace are to be administered publicly and that those who preach or administer the sacraments must hold a proper call. The congregation also holds to close communion and regards agreement in Scripture's teaching as the basis of church fellowship. Its confession rejects union with churches or organizations whose teachings conflict with God's Word.
Prayer, daily Bible reading, and Christian education are woven into this teaching rather than separated from it. The congregation provides a daily reading, audio devotional thoughts, a handbook of brief morning and evening devotions, and an explanation of Luther's Small Catechism. The theology is deliberately fixed on the cross: the forgiveness Jesus won is offered freely, and those who trust Him belong to the Christian Church and are promised eternal life.
The confession also addresses assurance of salvation, life after death, Christ's return, judgment, the proper use of prayer, the relation of church and state, sanctity of human life, marriage, and church fellowship. It holds that believers are assured of salvation by God's grace, that Jesus will return visibly and raise the dead, and that the church has responsibilities to preach repentance and forgiveness while remaining within its God-given sphere.
The confession also takes positions on moral and public questions. It teaches a literal six-day creation, rejects evolutionary accounts, describes marriage as the proper context for sexual intimacy and childbearing, holds human life to be intrinsically valuable, and regards abortion as unjustified except where continuing a pregnancy clearly threatens the mother's life. It states that people who repent of sexual sin are still to receive the Gospel's forgiveness. In its view of church and state, the church is responsible for preaching repentance and forgiveness while the state bears civil responsibilities that do not include becoming a messenger of the Gospel.
A Fellowship Measured by Shared Faith
Our Saviour observes Holy Communion during some services and practices close communion. In this practice, admission to Communion is extended to Christians who are members in good standing of Lutheran congregations in fellowship with Our Saviour. Communion is presented as an especially intimate expression of unity, with participating churches sharing faith, teaching, and practice. Participation is not described as a right that can be demanded; it is tied to repentance, faith in Christ, and acknowledgment of the church's teaching.
This practice connects close communion to faithfulness to Scripture and to love for those who receive the sacrament. It also makes clear that the church's welcome is not meant as indifference toward doctrine. The Savior-centered grace celebrated at the altar is administered within the fellowship the congregation has chosen.
Part of a Confessional Lutheran Family
Our Saviour is a member congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, a conservative and confessional national church body headquartered in Mankato, Minnesota, on the campus of Bethany Lutheran College and Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary. The church is also in fellowship with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Although “Wisconsin” records where that body began, the congregation describes it as a national church body rather than a regional organization.
Both memberships sit within the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference, a worldwide fellowship of more than 30 national church bodies on every continent except Antarctica. The ELS connection is visible in the congregation's history: ELS funds helped purchase the first building, ELS members and congregations gave toward later growth, and the church was the body's first mission in Arizona. Affiliation is therefore part of the practical history, not just a label.
At the synod level, missionaries teach and preach in Peru, Chile, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, and Australia, while home missionaries begin new congregations in the United States. At the local level, Our Saviour describes itself as an organized community that hears and shares God's Word, worships, serves one another, and serves its community.
Hymns, Devotions, and Recorded Sermons
Music is part of both worship and the church's wider teaching life. The Sunday service includes hymns old and new, and Music Making is another part of the congregation's musical life. Beyond Sunday, the church provides a daily devotional thought, a Bible-reading schedule, Bishop Laache's Handbook of short morning and evening devotions, and video devotions. These resources are built around regular attention to the Bible rather than a single seasonal theme.
The recorded sermon collection reaches back to July 2015, with entries organized by topic, biblical book, series, speaker, and date. The recorded sermon archive and the Sunday livestream make the liturgical service available to people who cannot be in the sanctuary.
Bishop Laache's Handbook follows the Christian Church Year through Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, Pentecost, Trinity, and All Saints Day. Its brief devotions are arranged for morning and evening, with additional selections for the major days in the church calendar. The daily devotional and Bible-reading rhythm offers a way to continue the same attention to Scripture throughout the week.
Serving the Community and Supporting Ministry
Serving the community is one of five purposes the congregation names alongside hearing God's Word, worshiping, and sharing God's Word. Its specific expression at the Maricopa Avenue campus is communal: worship, classes, coffee, fellowship, and discussion take place in the sanctuary, fellowship hall, and former school building. The congregation also identifies itself as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies on the generosity of donors for keeping its work active and operational.
Monetary gifts are freely given, and the Church Council examines donations offered with conditions as well as proposed material donations. Online giving includes one-time and recurring gifts, with examples of supporting the lights, workers, Gospel outreach, congregation, and missionaries. The teaching on mission reaches beyond local programming: the church's confession points to worldwide proclamation, home missions, and the education of children in the faith.
A Church on Maricopa Avenue
On a typical Sunday, the rhythm is deliberate: Divine Service at 9:00 a.m., refreshments in the fellowship building, and Sunday School and Bible study at 10:30. Wednesday morning adds Bible study, while Saturday and Tuesday classes extend the educational life of the congregation. The live broadcast carries the Sunday service from 8:55 to 10:05 a.m. MST, and the church office can be reached at 928-855-8811 or office@havasulutherans.com.
At 3163 Maricopa Avenue on Lake Havasu City's southeast end, Our Saviour remains a church shaped by a clear center: Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The history stretches from taped services in Lake Havasu houses to three buildings, several generations of Christian education, and decades of pastoral service. The worship remains liturgical, the teaching remains anchored in the Bible, and the community continues to gather around Word, sacrament, learning, fellowship, and service.