A Welcome on Viola Road
Our Savior's Lutheran Church sits at 2124 Viola Road NE on the east side of Rochester, Minnesota, where half of the building tucks underground and the parking lot loops counter-clockwise around it. The congregation lives by its motto - "Come a stranger, leave a friend" - and members will tell you that the people, the music, and the warmth are what keep them coming back. Long-time member Diana Martens has worshipped here since the 1970s. Kari Wright and the Minton family joined because of the welcoming congregation. Marti sums up her favorite thing simply: the people - and Pastor Ben and his sermons.
The church is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States, and falls within the Southeastern Minnesota Synod. Its mission is to share God's unbounded love with neighbors near and far - a calling that comes alive through a two-decade partnership with a palliative care program in Tanzania.
Sunday Worship at 9 AM
Worship happens every Sunday at 9:00 AM, in person and via livestream on YouTube. The service uses traditional elements - Bible readings, prayers, a sermon, congregational singing - but, in the church's own words, "doesn't get stuck in traditionalism." The congregation describes itself as lo-tech: no giant screens, no smoke machines, just insightful sermons, beautiful music, and traditional liturgy with a relaxed feel. Services typically run 45 to 60 minutes.
Senior Pastor Ben Loven preaches most Sundays. He is passionate about helping God's people live into the mission given through baptism and about teaching. Congregational singing is led by organ or piano, often both, with the chancel choir, bell choir, and orchestra adding their voices regularly throughout the program year.
All are welcome at the Lord's Supper. The congregation extends communion to "all people regardless of background, age, sense of worthiness, or any other factors." Cups of red wine and white grape juice are offered, along with a gluten-free option.
Chancel Choir, Grace Bells, and a Motley Orchestra
If music is the heart of worship at Our Savior's, it beats loud. The church fields three ensembles, all open to new members.
The Chancel Choir, directed by Greg Henderson, performs a mix of classic and modern choral music roughly twice a month from September through May. Rehearsals are Wednesday evenings at 7:00 PM. Singers from high school through adult are welcome.
The Grace Bell Choir, directed by Bev Gronvold, gathers adults and high school students on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 PM. The ringers use traditional Schulmerich handbells and Malmark handchimes and play at least once a month plus special services. There are no auditions, and new players are always welcome.
The Orchestra brings together strings, winds, and other instruments under Greg Henderson's direction. The church calls it a "motley crew," and new players of any instrument can join at any time. Rehearsals typically happen after Sunday worship a few weeks before the orchestra plays; anyone interested can get on the email list by talking to Greg.
Rehearsal times may shift during Advent and Lent.
Sunday School, Confirmation, and the Funky Bunch
Our Savior's has tried many approaches to children's ministry over the years and settled, for now, on a hybrid model. Several times a month, a leader gives a Children's Sermon in worship. Afterward, kids either bring a quiet craft back to their seats or head to the Narthex - the glass-walled space just outside the Sanctuary - for a noisier activity. The Narthex also holds a fidget table for any child who needs something to do during the service.
Confirmation at Our Savior's is intentionally intergenerational: the church believes that engaging youth and their parents in learning together is a healthier way to pass on the faith than separating them by age.
Middle and high school youth meet after worship with Pastor Ben to "roll through the Bible" using the structure of Dungeons and Dragons. Throughout the year the group takes day trips to the Twin Cities for youth service projects, and a summer mission trip is a yearly highlight. The youth also look forward to the National ELCA Youth Gathering, held every three years.
The Funky Bunch Bible Study is a family affair. What started as a Bible study on the Gospel of Mark (the pun is intentional) has turned into a group of families who meet to let the kids run while the adults discuss books of the Bible. The group nearly always shares a meal together, sometimes at church, sometimes at parks or breweries around Rochester.
Thursday Mornings, Circles, and Quilting
Thursday mornings belong to Imposter Syndrome Bible Study, led by Pastor Ben. The name says it all: anyone who has ever felt like they didn't know enough to join a Bible study is exactly who the group is for. There is no homework and no expertise required. The group meets most Thursday mornings at 10:30, September through May.
Media that Moves Us gathers every few months to discuss a podcast, book, movie, or other piece of media through a faithful lens.
Women of the church have several options through Women of the ELCA (WELCA) Circles, each of which includes a Bible study and is open to all women of the congregation:
- Martha Circle, second Wednesday at 10:00 AM
- Naomi Circle, second Monday at 9:30 AM
- Priscilla Circle, second Wednesday at 9:00 AM
- Sarah Circle, third Tuesday at 1:00 PM
A Quilting Group meets the third Tuesday of each month at 9:00 AM in the Fellowship Hall. No sewing skills are required, and the group meets year-round.
Twenty Years with Iambi Lutheran Hospital in Tanzania
Our Savior's long-standing global partner is the Palliative Care Program at Iambi Lutheran Hospital (ILH) in Tanzania. The relationship started when Joyce Mtinda, RN, completed her advanced Diploma in Palliative Care in 2004; in 2007 the program received additional support through USAID funding channeled through the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania. Staff from the hospital and 44 trained community volunteers serve patients in their homes across 22 villages, the majority of whom live with HIV/AIDS, with growing numbers facing cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
On May 15, 2012, ILH and Our Savior's signed a covenant promising to pray for one another, stay in regular communication, and tell the story of each other's ministries. The covenant was signed by Joyce Mtinda, ILH Medical Director Dr. L.A.H. Ngowi, and Pastor Fred Rengstorf of OSLC.
Since then, OSLC members and friends have made trips to Tanzania to visit the program, most recently in 2018. Women of OSLC have assembled and shipped Hospice Kits, and baskets sewn by community women in Tanzania have come back to Rochester for the church's Fair Trade Market. The congregation now pledges $4,000 annually to the volunteer Palliative Care Program, disbursed through the Southeastern Minnesota Synod's Global Ministry.
Church Teams and a Podcast Called Roll for Discipleship
Members serve on teams that keep the congregation running. The Leadership Team meets monthly to guide the ministry; Business and Finance handles finances; Properties cares for the building and grounds; Music and Worship shapes weekly services; and the Fellowship Team makes sure there is food. Other teams include Altar Guild (preparing for communion and baptism), the Funeral Committee, Sound Board and Live Streaming, Ushers, Lay Worship Assistants, Offering Counters, Coffee Fellowship Hosts, and the Congregational Care Team, which visits homebound members.
Pastor Ben is one of five ministry leaders from southeastern Minnesota who co-host The Lore of Jesus: Roll for Discipleship, a weekly podcast that follows four ordinary members of a Lutheran church council who get pulled through a portal into a fantasy world that does not know Jesus. New episodes drop on Sundays on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
Coming for the First Time
Sunday worship begins at 9:00 AM. Visitors enter from Viola Road NE and turn right into the one-way parking lot. Doors 2 and 3 lead straight into the Sanctuary; Door 1 is the music entrance; Door 4 leads to the office and Fellowship Hall. Members greet visitors warmly, and dress runs the full spectrum from suits to jeans.
Kids are welcomed in worship. The Narthex just outside the Sanctuary offers quiet toys and fidgets and has a glass wall so parents can step out with a wiggly child without missing the service. After worship, follow two lefts out of the Sanctuary to find the kitchen and Fellowship Hall, where coffee, treats, and a craft table await.
The office is open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Samantha, the Office and Membership Manager, can be reached at office@rochesteroslc.org or (507) 289-3021. Baptisms, weddings, and funerals are arranged through the office as well. Online giving is available through the church's giving portal, and services are livestreamed each Sunday on YouTube.