Three Sunday Gatherings on Jason Avenue in Monticello
Resurrection Lutheran Church meets three times each Sunday morning at 9300 Jason Avenue NE in Monticello, a town on the western edge of the Twin Cities metro area in Wright County. Services run at 8:30, 10:00, and 11:30 a.m., with a livestream at 10:00 a.m. that anyone can join from anywhere. The congregation is best known for what it calls the Faith Triangle: a pattern of worshipping up to God, journeying in with other Christians, and serving out in the community, along with the promise to "meet you where you are and not leave you there."
What a First Visit Looks Like
First-time guests usually arrive through the front doors of the Worship Center, where greeters hand out bulletins and welcome people into the sanctuary. Parking lot attendants help direct traffic on busy Sundays, and a Hospitality and Coffee Counter in the Gathering Place keeps lemonade, coffee, and treats ready before and after each service. A Connect Corner is staffed with volunteers who answer questions and provide welcome gifts for new visitors.
Each service lasts about an hour and includes a live band leading worship, a time for prayer and offering, and a teaching message. Personal prayer time is offered in the Worship Center immediately after the message. There is freedom to participate as much or as little as feels comfortable, and the dress code is "come as you are." Resurrection practices the two Lutheran Sacraments, Holy Baptism and Communion, and extends an open invitation to the communion table. Visitors do not need to be Lutheran or members of the congregation to receive communion or to join any ministry.
The Faith Triangle: Up, In, and Out
The Faith Triangle is the framework that runs through every ministry at Resurrection.
- Worship UP. Growing closer to God through corporate worship, personal prayer, and study of scripture.
- Journey IN. Building community with other Christians through small groups that pray, study, and serve together.
- Serve OUT. Living as the hands and feet of Jesus in Monticello, the wider region, and the world.
"Up" calls believers into prayer, scripture, and Sunday worship. "In" gathers them into Journey Groups, the small groups that sit at the heart of adult discipleship at Resurrection. "Out" sends them into the community, the country, and the world. Most Journey Groups intentionally work all three sides of the triangle at once.
Pathfinders Sunday School for Kids
Children from PreK through fifth grade are welcomed into Pathfinders, Resurrection's Sunday morning children's program, at each worship time. The morning includes lively worship, Bible stories, crafts, games, and small group time led by trained Journey Guides. Online registration for Sunday School is available through the Church Center app, and a friendly Check In Greeter helps parents find the right classroom down the Ministry Center hallway.
A nursery is open during every service for children newborn through age four. The nursery is staffed by trained caregivers who have passed a Minnesota State Background Check and is located on the right as families enter the Ministry Center hallway. The nursery also opens for certain events and groups during the week.
Each summer, from late June through early August, the children's ministry hosts Vacation Bible School, a week-long evening program where kids take over the whole building for crafts, games, and a Jesus-centered experience. Family Fun Team events like the Daddy Daughter Dance, the Fall Family Fun Fest, and Family Movie Night bring in young families year-round. The Family Faith Stepping Stones program marks milestone moments from a baby's baptism to a fifth grader's first communion.
Elevate on Wednesday Nights
Students in sixth through twelfth grade gather on Wednesday evenings for Elevate, the church's student ministry. An optional dinner is served at 5:30 p.m., and the program runs from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. with upbeat worship and small groups split by grade. The ministry describes its culture as "real, relevant, fun, and full of Jesus."
Teenagers with a heart for music can join the Elevate Worship Team, and the Elevate Dinner Team helps cook meals each week for the students who show up. Adult volunteers lead small groups (journey guides must be at least 18), chaperone off-site events, and plan youth outings throughout the year.
Journey Groups and Adult Courses
Resurrection's small group ministry is called Journey Groups, and the congregation considers them the most complete expression of the Faith Triangle in one place. Groups meet at various times during the week in homes and around Monticello to pray, study scripture, and serve together, and many also plan service projects beyond the church. A Journey Director walks alongside anyone considering starting a new group.
For adults looking for focused teaching, Resurrection runs short term Courses, taught in multi-week series, that dig into spiritual foundations and how to live them out in daily life. A separate Connectors team welcomes newcomers to the church, while the Generosity team encourages financial stewardship. A Communications Ministry also recruits photographers, social media contributors, and video producers.
Serving Monticello and the World
The Serve Ministry is where the Faith Triangle gets legs. Family Feast is a free community meal offered four times a year that pulls in neighbors from across the area; the team behind it also runs the Annual Car Show and the Annual Chili Cookoff.
Food SHARE distributes groceries on the first Thursday of every month at 1324 Edmonson Avenue NE in Monticello, starting at 3:00 p.m., in partnership with the Monticello Help Center. A permanent food shelf rack inside the church building collects current needs like coffee, cooking oil, cereal, ramen, macaroni and cheese, diapers, and personal hygiene items for the same local pantry.
Each year Resurrection sends teams to the Dominican Republic to serve alongside Ramas Vivas, distributing water, building homes, and delivering backpacks of school supplies. Closer to home, the Local Serve Team partners with the Monticello Help Center, and the Regional Serve Team is building connections in St. Cloud and the Twin Cities.
Care in Hard Seasons
Resurrection is often called "the church that helps." A prayer team receives requests throughout the week and prays individually over each one, while an Assistance Request form connects neighbors to local resources for financial and material help. A Care and Visitation team visits hospitals, care facilities, and homes, and a Meal Train organizes food for families in transition. Care Groups provide ongoing support for those walking through grief, divorce, recovery, and other significant life changes.
Members of the congregation also regularly share their faith stories as part of a Share Your Story series the church publishes online, offering guidance and hope to others going through similar seasons.
What Resurrection Believes
The congregation holds to a clear set of Christian and Lutheran convictions:
- One Triune God of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- The virgin birth, sinless life, sacrificial death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, offered for the redemption of all who believe.
- The Bible as the Word of God and the norming authority for faith and life.
- The Sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion as means of grace.
- The second coming of Jesus to judge the living and the dead.
- The call for every believer to grow as a new creation in Christ within the wider worldwide Church.
Resurrection identifies with Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC), a Lutheran association that upholds the authority of scripture and the priesthood of all believers while leaving each congregation free to shape its own mission and ministries.
Ways to Get Involved
Sunday morning serving teams welcome new partners across hospitality, tech, worship, ushering, parking, and prayer. A Spiritual Gifts Assessment, available through the Church Center app, helps newcomers identify where they might serve best, followed by one-on-one coaching and the periodic Discover Your Spiritual Gifts class.
Construction and grounds, hospitality cooking for special events, photography, social media, and the tech team are all listed among regular opportunities. Pastoral care is available through the church office and the Assistance Request form, with follow-up on the next business day.
Giving, Streaming, and Staying Connected
Online giving is available through the Church Center app and the church's giving portal, with options for one-time gifts, recurring gifts, stocks, mutual funds, donor advised funds, and IRA gifts. Secure Giving Kiosks sit in the Worship Center and Gathering Place for cash and check gifts, and donations can also be mailed to the church office. Giving statements are mailed in January and July and are available any time through a Church Center account.
Worship is livestreamed on YouTube, Facebook, and the Church Center app at 10:00 a.m. on Sundays, and an archive of past messages is available for catching up later in the week. The Church Center app is also the place to register for Sunday School, register for Wednesday nights at Elevate, submit a prayer request, fill out a Connect Card, or take the Spiritual Gifts Assessment. The church emails a weekly newsletter each Thursday with a preview of the coming Sunday and announcements.
Scholarships for the Next Generation
Each year Resurrection awards post-secondary scholarships for graduating seniors connected to the congregation, along with a separate Ministry Leadership Cohort Scholarship for students pursuing vocational ministry. Reference letters are submitted alongside each application, and the Scholarship Committee reviews packets at the church office.