On a wide stretch of Port Malabar Boulevard NE in Palm Bay, Florida, a Lutheran congregation has been gathering around Word and Sacrament for more than six decades. Peace Lutheran Church was established in 1965 and grew for most of its history as a classically shaped Lutheran parish. In 1998, the congregation chose to widen its ministry by adding a contemporary worship style and the technology to support it, while still keeping the traditional service strong. Today the church describes itself as a House of Worship and Prayer where all people are welcome, and that welcome shows up in the way the campus is used: a worship center, fellowship hall, meeting room and offices that stay busy seven days a week through services, a large food pantry, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, Meals on Wheels, community clubs and a Christian school.
A Lutheran Presence on Port Malabar Boulevard Since 1965
Peace Lutheran was founded in 1965 and built its original sanctuary the same year. For most of its first three decades the ministry followed a classical Lutheran pattern. The shift came in 1998, when members decided to expand the work by addressing the styles and needs they saw around them in Palm Bay. They kept the traditional service but added a Saturday evening worship with contemporary music, invested in new technology, and broadened the ministries that met on the campus.
More than forty years of pastoral leadership have shaped the church. Long-time interim pastor Paul Rosbury has been connected with the congregation for over four decades and remembers every previous spiritual leader from Charles Schmitts forward, including Pastor David Trexler, who served for roughly seven years before departing due to health reasons. The congregation is currently in a pastoral transition: a Call Committee of six members (Andy Pedersen, Nancy Haton, John Scherer, Faye Schill, Theresa Bradley and Holly Wikoff) is reviewing candidates for the next settled pastor, while Pastor Rosbury continues to serve as Interim Pastor, preaching, visiting shut-ins and providing pastoral care.
Two Worship Styles Around One Cross
Peace offers two very different Sunday-morning-equivalent services that share one focus on the Cross.
Saturday Night Casual Worship at 5:00 p.m. takes place in the Worship Center with a live contemporary band. It is a relaxed service designed for those whose weekend makes Sunday morning difficult.
Sunday Worship at 10:00 a.m. is a traditional service accompanied by the organ and the Chancel Choir. The music draws from 16th- through 20th-century hymns of the church, and the liturgy is a central element of the service. The congregation is described as classical and liturgical in this hour.
Holy Communion is celebrated at both services every week and is open to all who are baptized and believe. The congregation has affirmed open communion as a core practice in its recent pastoral search.
Following the early service, Café Peace gathers in the Fellowship Hall for coffee, juice and conversation; after the later service, Café Peace moves in front of the Worship Center so friends and visitors can stay to talk.
A nursery is available every Sunday morning for children under five.
Lutheran Beliefs at Peace
Peace Lutheran is a member congregation of Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC). The church describes itself as an authentic expression of the historic Christian faith and outlines its beliefs in ten statements. God is the Creator and sustains creation; Jesus is God made flesh who came to proclaim God's Word and save all people; the Spirit of Jesus lives with us, reveals God's truth and leads in holiness. Humanity is in need of salvation because sin infects all people, and salvation is a free gift of God's grace, not something earned. The congregation is called to confess and repent of sin, grow in faith through devotion to Jesus and the study of his Word, proclaim the Gospel freely to all people, and submit to the Bible as the revealed Word of God. The church is described as a divinely led but human institution that must always be reforming itself. Peace is committed to living according to the Great Commandment (love God above all else and love neighbor as self) and to fulfilling the Great Commission.
The Food Pantry: Up to 10,000 Pounds a Month
One of the most visible pieces of Peace's ministry is its Tuesday Food Pantry, open from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The pantry distributes between 6,500 and 10,000 pounds of food each month, serving roughly 400 families. To keep groceries close to home, the pantry is limited to residents of zip codes 32905 and 32907; those outside those zip codes are referred to 211 for the nearest location. First-time visitors need to bring proof of address and a photo ID; afterward they can pick up food every 30 days. The pantry is staffed by volunteers and supported by donations from the congregation.
Meals on Wheels and AA on Campus
The Peace campus hosts two large community-serving operations in addition to its own ministries. Meals on Wheels, run by Aging Matters in Brevard County, meets at the church Monday through Friday to pick up meals that volunteers then deliver to aging seniors across the county. The program is always in need of drivers.
Alcoholics Anonymous meets on the campus daily at noon under the name Brown Bag Bunch, one of the busiest uses of the church's buildings during the week.
A Campus Open Seven Days a Week
Beyond its worship services and pantry, Peace hosts a varied mix of community groups. The Missile Stamp Club meets on the first Thursday of each month at 5:00 p.m. Cribbage Games take place every Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in the Meeting Room. Small groups for Christian study, fellowship and service meet at various times and days throughout the week, and new groups can be started by anyone willing to lead. The campus also partners with Life-Line Academy, a Christian-based high school that brings about 75 students onto the grounds each week, and with Lifetime Academy, which serves middle and senior students. In Season Ministry occupies the remodeled original sanctuary (Peace Place) and contributes to the church's bills. A French-speaking congregation rents the Worship Center and Fellowship Hall all day Saturday. Three other churches share the campus for weekly worship as well, making Peace a working ecumenical hub in northeast Palm Bay.
Music at Peace
Music is woven through both services. The Chancel Choir leads the 10:00 a.m. traditional service and is open to anyone who loves to sing, with no audition and on-the-job training provided. The Bells of Peace handbell choir plays at various services through the year and needs four to eight players who can read music; the commitment is one month at a time. Sally Cook serves as organist and pianist for the traditional liturgy, and Cindy Wagman directs both the Chancel Choir and the Bells of Peace.
Children, Vacation Bible School and Confirmation
Children are cared for in a Sunday morning nursery for those under five. Each summer the church plans a week of Vacation Bible School that includes Bible study, worship, crafts, games and snacks. First Communion classes are offered for six weeks each spring to children in 3rd through 5th grade, with a private family meeting with the pastor available for younger children whose parents affirm their readiness. A two-year Confirmation program has historically served 7th through 9th graders, with teens learning God's Word, becoming familiar with the Bible, memorizing verses and journaling their reflections, and affirming their faith in front of the congregation at the end of their instruction. The Confirmation program is not currently meeting; the congregation is in a season of evaluating its youth and family ministries as part of its wider look toward the future. A Trail Life troop (Troop 9613) has recently begun meeting on the campus as a church-sponsored scouting program for boys.
Sacraments, Weddings and Pastoral Care
Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, weddings and home or hospital visits are part of the pastoral work at Peace. Baptism is offered to all, including infants; the church teaches that in Baptism people become members of Christ's Body on earth. Holy matrimony is celebrated as a union between a man and a woman with marriage classes that address the Word, the Church, the family and the couple's relationship. Caring & Sharing teams visit members who are homebound or in the hospital, bringing communion and arranging practical help. Members and visitors are encouraged to let the church know if a hospital, rehab or extended home stay is planned so a visit can be arranged.
Reflections and Looking Ahead
Interim Pastor Paul Rosbury writes regular reflections on the congregation's history, its strengths, and its call to share the Good News. A recent series of posts has invited members to think about who they would like to invite to share their church family, what they love about Peace, and what additional ministries they would like to see. The Council has voted unanimously to focus on building a church with young people for the future, and the pastor has spoken about purpose, vision, mission and value as the congregation prepares to welcome its next settled pastor. A new men's fellowship, women's fellowship, Sunday School and a fall festival have been highlighted as part of that next chapter.
What to Know Before Your First Visit
The church sits at 1801 Port Malabar Boulevard NE in Palm Bay, Florida, with office hours Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The office phone is (321) 727-3131, and the office email is office@peacelutheranpb.org. Saturday worship is at 5:00 p.m. in a casual style with live contemporary music; Sunday worship is at 10:00 a.m. in a traditional liturgical style with organ, choir and a sermon by Pastor Rosbury. Communion is offered at both services. Dress is generally casual to business-casual; the Saturday service leans more relaxed. A nursery is available on Sunday mornings for children under five, and Café Peace offers coffee and conversation after each service. Giving is available online and through the VANCO Mobile App under Peace Lutheran Church of Palm Bay (invite code 9BQ5T2); checks can also be mailed to the church office. The Tuesday Food Pantry runs 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. and is open to residents of zip codes 32905 and 32907.
Giving and Supporting Peace
Peace offers two electronic giving options: the VANCO Mobile App (search for Peace Lutheran Church of Palm Bay, invite code 9BQ5T2) or an online donate button. Checks may be mailed to Peace Lutheran Church, 1801 Port Malabar Blvd NE, Palm Bay, FL 32905. Beyond financial giving, the church welcomes volunteers in worship (ushers, greeters, readers, acolytes, communion servers, altar guild, sound and projection), in Christian education (Sunday School, VBS, Confirmation, First Communion), in church maintenance and office help, and in music ministry. As the church writes, volunteering is a good way to earn school community service hours while helping the community.
The Mission Beyond the Campus
As an LCMC congregation, Peace supports missions directly rather than channeling support through a mission organization. The church builds one-on-one relationships with the ministries it backs and looks for partners with a high ratio of donations reaching the need. Food for the Poor (with $.96 of every dollar reaching the need) and Reach Out Grand Bahamas Youth Ministry are among those highlighted. Special offerings are taken throughout the year rather than through a single budget line, so that what is received can go directly to the ministry being supported.
Peace Lutheran Church has spent sixty years learning what it means to be a house of worship and prayer in northeast Palm Bay. With two distinct worship styles, a large weekly food pantry, a campus that hosts Meals on Wheels and AA every weekday, a church-sponsored scouting program, a music ministry anchored by choir and bells, and a Call Committee prayerfully working to call the congregation's next settled pastor, the church's focus remains, as its members describe it, on the Cross.