A Lutheran Congregation on Portland Avenue
Set into the residential blocks between Portland, 10th, and Holley in Saint Paul Park, St. Andrew's Lutheran Church has shared the gospel of Jesus with this small Minnesota city and the surrounding communities for nearly eighty years. The congregation is a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), the third-largest Lutheran church body in America, and gathers twice a week for worship. Its mission is stated plainly: to reach out with the gospel of Jesus in its truth and purity to all people and to provide ongoing Christian education to all members.
From a Basement on Holley Avenue
The story of St. Andrew's begins on June 1, 1947, when eleven adults held the very first worship service in a home basement at 800 Holley Avenue. Three weeks later, on June 22, 1947, those founders formally organized the congregation.
The next milestones of the church shaped its identity. On March 28, 1948, Easter Sunday, the basement church was used for worship for the first time. The cornerstone was laid on August 11, 1955, and the building was dedicated on September 30, 1956. As the congregation grew, additional classrooms and a fellowship hall were dedicated on June 9, 1991. In the summer of 2020, the stained glass window coverings were replaced, refreshing one of the building's most distinctive features.
The congregation marked its seventy-fifth anniversary in 2022 with a special worship service and a commemorative booklet. Through the decades, the church has continued to bring Jesus to its community and to provide ongoing Christian education.
Sunday and Wednesday Worship
Worship is at the center of life at St. Andrew's. Services are held on Sundays at 9:00 AM and Wednesdays at 7:00 PM. The Sunday gathering has been the congregation's anchor for generations, and the midweek service offers an additional opportunity for prayer, preaching, and fellowship. Both services are open to visitors.
Pastor Jim Roecker preaches regularly and is the called pastor of the congregation. A sermon archive going back to August 2020 is available online, with messages drawn from across the Bible, from 1 Kings and the Psalms to Romans, Colossians, and the Gospels. Sermon series have walked through books such as 1 Peter, 1 John, Mark, and Isaiah, with topics ranging from joining Jesus through Baptism to reflections for Advent, Lent, and Easter.
Christian, Lutheran, Biblical, Confessional, Gospel-Centered
St. Andrew's describes its own identity with five words: Christian, Lutheran, Biblical, Confessional, and Gospel-Centered.
As a Christian church, the congregation teaches that no amount of human effort can earn God's favor or lead to heaven. God's love moved him to send his Son Jesus to live and die for us, and forgiveness and eternal life are free gifts. Everyone who trusts in Christ as Savior will be saved.
As Lutherans, the congregation confesses the Reformation truths summarized in the Latin phrases sola gratia, sola fide, and sola scriptura: salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, on the basis of Scripture alone.
As a Biblical church, St. Andrew's teaches that every word of the Bible is God's Word, that the Bible is its own interpreter, and that it should be allowed to speak for itself.
As a Confessional church, the congregation subscribes to the Book of Concord of 1580, the collection of Lutheran statements of faith that unites them with all Christians and summarizes what Lutherans specifically believe.
As a Gospel-Centered church, St. Andrew's holds that the gospel is the only way of salvation, and the gospel shapes both the message and the ministry of the congregation because it is the message God uses to work faith and transform lives.
Little Lambs Preschool
Christian education at St. Andrew's begins early. The church operates Little Lambs Preschool, a Christ-centered program that prepares children for kindergarten by supporting the development of the whole child. The curriculum is aligned with the Minnesota Early Learning Standards, and the preschool is licensed by the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
Every day, children grow in their faith through Bible stories, songs, plays, activities, and memory verses, and they gather once a month for chapel with the pastor of St. Andrew's. The preschool meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8:45 to 11:45 AM and serves children ages three to five. The program runs from Labor Day through Memorial Day, and tuition is $215 per month. The preschool has its own entrance at 1001 Holley Avenue in Saint Paul Park and is directed by Elizabeth Roecker, who serves as both director and lead teacher. Registration applications are accepted each year for the upcoming school year.
Growing in Grace
For adults who want to learn more about the Christian faith, St. Andrew's offers Growing in Grace, a free Bible information course. The course walks through the overarching story of God's Word, his plan to rescue sinners and bring them to heaven, and can be taken individually or in a group, at the church, in a coffee shop, at home, or wherever works best for the learner. Each session lasts about an hour. There is no cost and no obligation, and questions are welcomed.
Connected to a Wider Fellowship
St. Andrew's is part of a much larger network of WELS schools, colleges, and ministries that share its confession. The congregation points visitors to several partner organizations, including Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota, which prepares pastors, teachers, and staff ministers for WELS; Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, Wisconsin, which trains men for the pastoral ministry; St. Croix Lutheran Academy, a culturally diverse WELS high school and middle school in the Twin Cities; the Lutheran Women's Missionary Society; Jesus Cares Ministries, which serves children and adults with special needs and their families; Christian Family Solutions, which offers spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical support through trained counselors; Conquerors Through Christ, a resource for those struggling with pornography; and Time of Grace, a media ministry that shares God's grace through television, print, and digital channels.
Through these partnerships and its own ministry of Word and Sacrament, St. Andrew's Lutheran Church continues its work of bringing Jesus to Saint Paul Park and the surrounding communities, one Sunday at a time.