A Grass-Roots Start in Clearwater
Rejoice Lutheran Church sits on County Road 75 in Clearwater, Minnesota, a small community about an hour northwest of the Twin Cities. The congregation officially began in 1987 when a group of neighbors organized to bring a Lutheran church to the area. Ground was broken on the first sanctuary in the fall of 1990, with two building additions following in 1996 and 2005.
The church is about people, not the building. Members describe themselves as a resilient, deeply empathetic, and hospitable community who love God and seek to share that love. As a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America within the Southwest Minnesota Synod, Rejoice is grounded in the Lutheran conviction that in Christ, people are freed from the things that bind them and freed for service to their neighbors - to all neighbors.
Sunday Worship at 9:30
Regular Sunday worship takes place at 9:30 a.m. and is followed by a time of fellowship. The service includes a variety of traditional and contemporary music, and Holy Communion is celebrated on the second and fourth Sundays of each month and is open to all. Weekly worship is livestreamed on YouTube for those who cannot attend in person.
After worship, an array of treats and beverages are set out during fellowship time. Food Rescue follows Sunday worship as well, and everyone is invited to take items with a short shelf life that they can use.
WOW Wednesdays: The Heart of the Week
Perhaps nothing distinguishes Rejoice more than its midweek program. WOW Wednesdays brings three generations together around tables and in the sanctuary every Wednesday during the school year.
The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with a community meal, where neighbors and church friends connect over a shared dinner. At 6 p.m., faith building begins in two tracks: Funday School for children ages 3 through fifth grade, and Confirmation for youth in sixth through eighth grade. At 6:30 p.m., everyone gathers for a relaxed, family-friendly worship service with Holy Communion. The interactive service is designed to be accessible and engaging for all generations, and the church calls it a CrossGen experience that nourishes both body and spirit.
Forming Faith from Preschoolers to Confirmation
The church considers children and youth a vital part of its family right now, not just in the future. Its ministries for younger members reflect that priority.
Funday School runs every Wednesday from 6 to 6:30 p.m. during the school year. Children from age 3 through fifth grade explore biblical truths through age-appropriate lessons, creative activities, and movement in a high-energy setting designed to help faith stick.
Confirmation is a foundational three-year journey for students in sixth through eighth grade. Working through Luther's Small Catechism and the grand narrative of Scripture, from the early patriarchs to the first apostles, youth build a theological framework and ask big questions in a community of peers and mentors.
Each summer, Vacation Bible School fills the church with energy for a three-day adventure of storytelling, music, and crafts around a new theme. Children can also attend camp programs through the church's sponsorship of Water's Edge Ministries, including "Half Blast" overnights for younger campers and full-week "Base Camp" adventures for older kids, plus family camps that invite whole households to pause and reconnect.
Adult Small Groups Across Clearwater
Rejoice sees small groups as the place where faith is strengthened by relationships. The church offers a wide and varied menu of adult gatherings throughout the week.
Caribou & Conversation meets every Tuesday morning at 11 a.m. (except the third Tuesday) at the Clearwater Caribou Coffee inside Coborn's at 705 County Rd 75 NW. The group practices Dwell in the Word, a spiritual discipline of deep listening to Scripture and one another, focused on the upcoming Sunday's reading.
Women's Bible Study gathers on the third Tuesday of each month at 11 a.m. for an hour of Scripture, conversation, and mutual support.
Slow-and-Steady Yoga offers two Wednesday morning sessions: an Old(er) Men's Yoga at 9 a.m. tailored to men's health and mobility, followed by a gentle, accessible Slow-and-Steady Yoga at 10:15 a.m. for all skill levels.
Stitch & Pray meets every Wednesday from 1 to 3 p.m. in the library, where knitters, crocheters, and quilters craft prayer shawls and handmade items that are shared with people both inside and outside the congregation.
Reel Spirituality Film Group meets online on the fourth Thursday of every month at 6:30 p.m. The group watches a selected film together and then discusses themes of faith, life, and the human experience.
Young @ Heart invites area seniors ages 55 and older to gather on the third Thursday of every month for guest speakers, informational sessions, and live entertainment.
Isaiah 1.17 Justice Group meets on the second Tuesday evening of each month at 6 p.m. to study the justice verbs of Isaiah 1:17 - learn to do good, seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, and plead for the widow - and to live those out through ministry.
The Clearwater-Clear Lake Food Shelf
The Clearwater-Clear Lake Food Shelf is one of the church's signature community ministries. Operating out of a building at 1135 County Road 75 NW in Clearwater, the food shelf distributes thousands of pounds of food each month to families in need across Clearwater and Clear Lake.
Hours of operation, with no appointment needed, are Monday from 5 to 7 p.m., Tuesday from 9 to 11 a.m. and 6 to 8 p.m., and Wednesday from 3 to 5 p.m. Volunteers are invited to help with sorting donations, stocking shelves, and assisting during distribution hours, and can call 320-558-2954 to sign up.
Justice, Mission, and Service Beyond the Doors
For more than 25 years, the Mexico Mission Team has partnered with Children's Haven International to serve an orphanage in Mexico. Each February, a team travels south to maintain facilities, build relationships with the children, and serve as the hands and feet of Christ. The trip is a cornerstone of Rejoice's global outreach, and the church invites others to join the travel team, give financially, or hold the mission in prayer.
Closer to home, the Isaiah 1.17 Justice Group embodies the church's commitment to seeking the well-being of the community and joining the Spirit's work for the common good.
Water's Edge Ministries and the Fall Festival
Rejoice is a sponsor congregation of Water's Edge Ministries, a camp and retreat ministry with sites at Green Lake, Shores of St. Andrew, and Camp House. The partnership offers families a direct connection to summer camp experiences for children and youth, plus intergenerational retreats, men's and women's retreats, quilting weekends, and senior adult "Days Away."
Each July, the Annual Quilt Auction at Green Lake draws hundreds of handmade quilts, the camp's famous homemade doughnuts, and lively bidding that supports camp scholarships. Each fall, the church holds its Fall Festival, a Lutefisk and Swedish Meatball Dinner paired with Granny's Attic, a silent auction, a kids' zone with games and a petting zoo, Ole's Grill, a bake sale, and a farmer's market. Together, the events reflect the church's love of food, fellowship, and the wider community.
Pastoral Care, Weddings, Funerals, and Baptisms
Rejoice's pastoral team is committed to walking alongside members through the transitions of life. Pastoral Care offers spiritual support, a listening ear, and prayer, including hospital visits, home communion, and conversations during grief. Members can add loved ones to the church's prayer list.
The church celebrates baptisms at all ages, walking with families and individuals through the baptismal liturgy and the promises to live among God's faithful people, hear the Word, share the Lord's Supper, proclaim the good news, serve all people, and strive for justice and peace.
For couples preparing for marriage, Rejoice offers a Wedding Handbook and premarital counseling with the pastor, supporting couples not just for the ceremony but for a shared life ahead.
When a member dies, the church provides a Funeral Policy and a Funeral Pre-Planning Guide. Rejoice keeps completed plans on file for members, easing the burden on surviving family members. The church draws on an ELCA understanding of the funeral as a witness to hope in a new life beginning.
Beliefs and Core Values
Rejoice's mission is to grow in faith, love, and service in response to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to extend God's welcome to all. The congregation's life is shaped by six commitments drawn from its core values: Courageous Service (Matthew 20:28), Extravagant Hospitality (Matthew 11:19), Transformational Worship (Romans 12:1), Compassionate Justice (Micah 6:8), Joyful Generosity (John 1:16), and Purposeful Community (Hebrews 10:24-25).
As a congregation of the ELCA, Rejoice is grounded in God's promise in Scripture to comfort, accompany, and redeem. Lutherans at Rejoice believe God works through both law and gospel, calling people to serve their neighbors and providing mercy, hope, and joy through Jesus Christ in modern, often unsettling times.
Visiting Rejoice
The church invites visitors to come as they are. Worship on Sunday morning and the family-friendly service on Wednesday evenings are both designed to be accessible to all generations.
Children are always welcome in worship, but families with little ones have options: activity bags for worship, a family area with couches and a table in the sanctuary, a nursery with livestream worship, a changing area, and toys.
The building is wheelchair accessible, with complimentary assistive devices available. Assistive listening devices are available for worship; visitors can stop at the sound booth to request one.
Visitors enter through Door 2 or Door 3 for parking. The church office is open Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and closed on Friday. The phone number is 320-558-6851. Online giving is available, and a ChurchTrac app keeps the calendar, directory, and communications within reach.
Leadership and Staff
The church is led by a Church Council headed by Council President Susan Chwalek, with Lindsey Sands as Vice President, Linnea Lindquist as Secretary, and Mark Ahrenholz as Treasurer. Council members include Danielle Sand (Education), Paul Amundson (Property), Sue Heinstein (Finance/Stewardship), Kent Asheim (Social Concerns), Mary Wilson (Worship/Music), Schott Scharmer (Personnel), and Sue Severson (Outreach).
Sue Oelke serves as Worship & Music Coordinator, joined on staff by Church Administrator Kris Maehren and Office Coordinator Heather Conklin.