A Parish Born in 1872 on the East Bethel Prairie
Our Saviour's Lutheran Church sits on 53 acres just south of Viking Boulevard in East Bethel, Minnesota, at 19001 Jackson Street NE. The congregation traces its life to 1872, when a small band of charter members organized what was then called the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ham Lake. The name later became Our Saviour's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ham Lake, and is now officially Our Saviour's Evangelical Lutheran Church of East Bethel. The church is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and a member of the ELCA's Minneapolis Area Synod.
The original church was erected on the Johan P. Magnuson homestead, a building members still call Our Saviour's Chapel on Swedish Drive in Ham Lake. Worship continues there several times throughout the year. The bell that hung in that first sanctuary moved with the congregation to a 5.9-acre site on County Road 22, donated in 1964 by Eddie and Martha Pearson. By the late 1990s the building had overflowed, and in 2002 the congregation purchased 53 acres of farmland south of Viking Boulevard from Earl "Bud" and LaVerne Anderson, descendants of the very Magnuson family that had hosted the first worship space. The new sanctuary on Jackson Street was dedicated on July 18, 2004, and the bell followed the people to its present home.
Two Sunday Services, One Sermon
The Sunday schedule centers on two services that share the same sermon. At 8:30 a.m., a Traditional service follows a liturgical order built on the Evangelical Lutheran Worship hymnal. The congregation prays together, recites the Apostles' Creed and the Lord's Prayer, hears the Gospel, and responds to chanted liturgy. Organ music leads congregational singing, the Celebration Choir, and the handbell choirs. Copies of the ELW hymnal sit in the pews.
At 10:15 a.m., the Contemporary service fills the same space with the Cornerstone band. Music leans toward current Christian songs and modern arrangements of well-known hymns, in a relaxed and family-friendly setting. Both services celebrate the Eucharist each Sunday, and all who come are welcome at the table. Bibles sit in the pew racks, and guests are invited to take one home as a gift.
Both services stream on YouTube through the church's channel, and a sermon audio archive stretches back through prior years.
Children are welcome in worship. A Prayground tucked into the sanctuary gives the youngest worshipers a space to keep busy while staying in the room. A children's message is offered at each service. After that message at the 10:15 service, kids age 3 through grade 5 head out to their own programming: Faith Circle for ages 3 to 4, Godly Play for kindergarten through first grade, Bible Live! for second and third graders, and Young Samaritans for fourth and fifth graders. Lighthouse Ministries gathers high schoolers at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays for fellowship, Bible study, and worship in the Youth Room.
After the 10:15 service, a Zoom Coffee Hour opens online. A host greets participants and, depending on numbers, splits the group into smaller rooms for conversation.
Music from Organ Hymns to Bluegrass Three-Part Harmony
Music is central to who the congregation is. Director of Music and Worship Arts Jennifer Thurman leads the program, joined by Handbell Director Amanda Heywood, Organist and Celebration Choir Director Max Trochlil, and Production Lead Owen Tracy. Thurman is a professional pianist, worship leader, and arranger who holds a double major in Piano Performance and Bible from the University of Northwestern. Max Trochlil holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Music Education from Concordia-Moorhead and a Master of Sacred Music from the University of Notre Dame. Amanda Heywood grew up watching her stepfather ring the bass bells in the Carillon Bell Choir, joined the handbells in elementary school, and rang all the way through college.
The traditional service uses organ-led liturgy with the Celebration Choir and handbell choirs. The contemporary service is led by the Cornerstone band. A Vocal and Instrumental Worship Team leads music at Sunday services, the Wednesday evening IGNITE service, and special events, with auditions and an application required for those who want to join.
A few Sundays each year, the regular services give way to Bluegrass Worship. Old-time gospel hymns are sung to fiddle, banjo, mandolin, and three-part harmony. The handbell tradition runs deep at the church and remains a defining part of the music ministry.
Children, Youth, and Confirmation at Every Stage
The CYF (Children, Youth, and Family) ministry, directed by Liv Guse, covers the full arc from birth through high school. Along with Sunday morning programs, a Tuesday Kidz Connection runs on Tuesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. for a time of games, activities, and shared faith formation. Bible Live! walks second and third graders through the Bible through skits in which children can serve as actors, directors, or stagehands, with caring adults leading every step of the way. Faith Circle introduces preschoolers to faith through music, play, and Bible stories. Godly Play offers a worshipful approach for K-1, and Young Samaritans engages fourth and fifth graders in their own ministry.
Confirmation runs through the Here We Stand ministry, with Confirmation Worship as the milestone where confirmands declare for themselves the promises made for them at baptism. Communion Instruction is offered as part of this faith formation. Lighthouse Ministries gathers youth in grades 9 through 12 on Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m. for fellowship, Bible study, and worship.
The wider community gathers each year for Trunk n' Treat, a Sunday afternoon of family-friendly costumes, decorated trunks, games, and treats in early November. Roughly 350 to 400 children typically attend, with nonperishable donations going to the local food shelf. A Fall Fest caps the season with food, games, and family welcome.
Adults: Books, Crafts, and Conversation
Two monthly book groups anchor a long list of adult small groups. Faith & Fiction meets on the second Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. at the church, and Fiction Addiction meets on the second Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in a member's home. Both follow a planned reading calendar.
A Pastoral-Led Bible Study convenes on the first Wednesday of each month at 10:00 a.m., and a Tuesday morning Bible Study on 1 Corinthians runs from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. The Wednesday Hard Hat Team gathers at 8:30 a.m. for devotions, fellowship, and maintenance work on the church facilities.
Crafting Ministries bring people together for mission. The Prayer Bead Ministry meets the last Thursday of most months from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. to make prayer beads for those in need. The Stamping Ministry designs cards used by staff, confirmation and first communion students, and others, and runs a self-serve greeting card stand whose proceeds go to the general fund. Quilting Blocks in Stages meets the first and third Tuesdays from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. and partners with groups like the Linus Project, Habitat for Humanity, the North Anoka County Emergency Food Shelf, and Alexandra House. Little Dresses for Africa gathers every other month on the second Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Shawls and other crafted items are made and given with love.
Fellowship finds expression in Dinners at 6:30, which meets the third Thursday of each month at a local restaurant; a Mixed Golf League that tees off Tuesdays from May through September at Hidden Haven; a Motorcycle Ministry that rolls out May through September; and SAM (Seasoned Adult Ministry), which plans trips and events for older adults. Women's Ministry offers the Women's Connection Group on the third Thursday at 10:00 a.m., and Align & Shine, a faith-based conversation group for moms of high schoolers, empty nesters, and women seeking connection, meeting the first and third Mondays from November through January. Pub Theology rounds out the adult offerings.
Reaching Out: NACE, Cedar Creek, and the Dominican Republic
Service to the wider community is a defining mark of the congregation. Our Saviour's has been connected to the North Anoka County Emergency Food Shelf (NACE) since the food shelf's founding. NACE distributes balanced nutrition to families in the north Anoka County area from its location at 18511 Hwy 65 NE, Suite 200, East Bethel. A Clothing Closet sits next to it, and every dollar raised there goes back into the food shelf and closet. Nonperishable donations can be dropped in the collection box at the church, and financial gifts leverage Second Harvest Heartland's bulk purchasing power at sixteen cents per pound.
Faith Partner volunteers from Our Saviour's serve at Cedar Creek Elementary School in East Bethel, providing individualized help in reading and math to students from kindergarten through fifth grade. The 2025-26 school year saw 265 hours of service from the congregation, the equivalent of 35 full days of support for students and staff.
Internationally, a team travels each year to build a home through Casas por Cristo, having worked over the years in Mexico, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic. The next trip is planned for January 17 to 23, 2027, in the Dominican Republic, led by members Jason and Karen Moehring. The team partners with a local pastor's committee, works together for several days to construct a complete house, and presents the family with a Bible and prayer over their new home.
Local service continues through a Prayer Ministry that receives prayer requests from members and the wider community, with team members lifting prayers by email and reaching out personally by note or phone. A Prayer Ideas Booklet and a Prayer Team Registration form are available for those who want to join.
Spiritual Care, Weddings, and Funerals
Spiritual care is offered to members and the wider community in times of crisis, illness, hospitalization, or loss. Pastoral staff are available for prayer, hospital visits, and confidential conversation; the church office number routes emergency calls to a pastor at any hour.
Weddings take place in the sanctuary as a worship service. The Wedding Handbook outlines preparation, the wedding team coordinates music with the Director of Music and Worship Arts, and respect for the sanctuary and church building is expected. Inquiries go to admin@oursaviourslc.org or 763-434-6117.
Funerals are also presided by the pastors. Hospitality and Connections Coordinator Virginia Hammon oversees funeral planning alongside the pastoral team.
Stewardship, Endowment, and a Building Under Renovation
Members sustain the work through tithes and offerings given online through Vanco, in person, or by mail. An Endowment Fund, established on January 26, 1986, supports capital improvements at the church, scholarships and grants for further education of members, local outreach, and home and overseas missions. Donations are accepted as cash, securities, life insurance, real estate, bequests, charitable remainder trusts, and engraved garden pavers placed along the path to the Meditation Garden.
A 2026 building campaign, the Making Room Building Fund, accompanies a renovation of the Kids' Ministry space and other areas of the church. Sermon series during the renovation have used the building project as a metaphor for spiritual growth.
Leadership and Daily Life
Senior Pastor Kiri Solberg joined the staff in November 2020. She previously served congregations in Coon Rapids and Oakdale, Minnesota, and in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and spent several years in the corporate world as a business analyst in the medical device industry. Associate Pastor Matt Polsdofer and his wife Jen relocated to the East Bethel area from northwest Iowa, where he served his first pastoral call. He works with congregational and pastoral care, children, youth and family ministry, and community partnerships.
The Church Council includes a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, the pastors, and ten elected members serving three-year terms, with general oversight of the life and activities of the congregation in accordance with the Word of God and the faith and practice of the ELCA.
The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A preschool shares the campus with the church. Daily Devotions, the Friday E-News, the monthly Seeds of Faith newsletter, the Weekly Announcements, and a sermon series archive keep members and friends connected between Sundays. A Prayer Ministry, a Prayer Ideas Booklet, and an Online Connection Form offer ways to step into the life of the congregation at any pace.
On 53 acres between Viking Boulevard and Jackson Street, the same community of faith that gathered on the Magnuson homestead in 1872 still meets for Word, Sacrament, and service in the same corner of Anoka County.