At the Corner of 68th and Forest Home
St. John's Lutheran sits at the corner of South 68th Street and West Forest Home Avenue on Milwaukee's south side, where a Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod congregation and a K4 through eighth grade school share a single campus at 6802 West Forest Home Avenue. The building's worship entrance, Door #5, opens off the parking lot on Forest Home Avenue; school families and office visitors enter through Door #1. The mailing address, used for some correspondence, is 4001 South 68th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53220.
The church's mission is short and direct: "Proclaiming security and significance in Jesus." Around that mission the congregation has organized four core values: committed to the good news of Jesus, love in action, community focused, and striving for excellence.
Saturday Evenings, Sunday Mornings
Worship at St. John's happens three times a week. A Saturday service is held at 5:00 p.m., and two Sunday services follow at 8:15 and 10:45 a.m. The Sunday services are also streamed online for members who travel, are homebound, or prefer to participate from a distance, and recordings of past services are posted to a YouTube playlist for later viewing.
Holy Communion is celebrated at almost every service. Because the congregation practices member communion, visitors who wish to receive the sacrament are asked to speak with a pastor first. The order of service, sometimes called the liturgy, moves worshipers from confession of sin through the announcement of forgiveness, then through prayer, song, Scripture reading, sermon, and benediction. Members follow along either in a printed service booklet or on screens at the front of the sanctuary.
Hymnals, Handbells, and Modern Songs
Music at St. John's draws on the long Lutheran tradition while making room for newer styles. Congregational singing, led from the organ and accompanied at times by the handbell choir and vocal choir, anchors the liturgy. On other weeks a contemporary Christian music ensemble leads the same worshipers through the same liturgy. The music team describes the variety as deliberate: the goal is to honor God through music, whether that means an anthem sung by the choir, a handbell arrangement, or a modern praise song. Members are invited but not required to sing along, and visitors who would rather listen and follow the printed words are welcome to do so.
First-Time Visitors and Families
The congregation welcomes anyone, regardless of language, ethnicity, or background. Dress ranges from suits and dresses to jeans and t-shirts; what matters is being present. There is no expectation that visitors put anything in the offering plate, though members give to support the church's ministry. Visitors who want to connect are asked to fill out a Connect Card found in the pew and to place it in the offering plate as it passes.
Families with young children are encouraged to sit together in the sanctuary. Activity bags for young worshipers are available in the back of the church. Parents who need to step out with an infant or toddler can use the Parents Room, accessed through the church library, or the Welcome Center; both have a TV monitor so they can follow the service. Changing tables are available in the Parents Room and in the women's and men's restrooms.
A K4 Through 8th Grade School on the Same Campus
Sharing the campus with the church is St. John's Lutheran School, a WELS school serving children from four-year-old kindergarten through eighth grade. The school's mission echoes the church's: "Preparing children of our church and community for life and eternity through Jesus."
In the principal's words, the school exists to educate the whole child at a high academic level - the school reports being consistently ranked among the top schools in Milwaukee in math and reading - while teaching every subject, from language arts to physical education, through a Biblical lens. Daily religion classes are part of the curriculum, and the pastor serves as school chaplain.
The school offers art, music, and physical education on top of the core academic subjects, along with extended learning support, a music instruction program, a breakfast and lunch program, summer meals, and a variety of extracurricular activities. Athletics, including basketball, wrestling, and dance, are available to students in the appropriate seasons.
St. John's Lutheran School participates in both the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program and the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program and admits students of any race, color, or national and ethnic origin to all of its rights, programs, and activities. Families interested in enrolling are invited to schedule a personalized tour through the school office at (414) 541-5881.
Christian, Biblical, Lutheran, Evangelical
The congregation describes itself under four headings: Christian, Biblical, Lutheran, and Evangelical.
As a Christian church, St. John's confesses the Triune God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - as the creator of the universe and the source of salvation. Adam and Eve's fall brought sin into the world, and the price of sin is death. God answered by sending Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, who kept the law perfectly, died in the place of all people, and rose again to confirm that the payment for sin was complete. Forgiveness is received as a free gift through faith in Jesus, worked by the Holy Spirit through the gospel. Jesus will return on the Last Day to judge all people; those with saving faith will live with God in heaven, and those without it will be eternally separated from God.
As a Biblical church, the congregation holds that the Bible in its entirety is the true and inspired Word of God, without error in everything it says, unified in its message, sufficient for salvation, and the only standard for Christian teaching and living.
As a Lutheran church, St. John's adheres to the historic confessions recorded in the Book of Concord, teaches that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone as Scripture alone teaches, and gathers around Holy Baptism, Holy Communion, and the preaching of God's Word.
As an evangelical church - the word "evangelical" comes from the Greek word for gospel - the congregation and school are committed to sharing the good news about Jesus with the surrounding community. Through the generosity of its members, the church also supports mission work beyond Milwaukee. The church is a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, a network of WELS congregations across North America and around the world that share a common confession of faith.
Bible Information Class and Weekly Bible Studies
Growth in faith is a regular theme at St. John's. A Bible Information Class meets on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. in the Welcome Center and runs in eight-week sessions. The current series, "Coming Home - Receiving Rest for Our Restless Hearts," walks through the Biblical themes of God restoring creation to flourish in his peace and presence and how those themes connect to participation in a local congregation. Anyone interested can contact the office or Pastor Peter Walther.
Sunday morning Bible study meets at 9:30 a.m. in the Community Room, between the two Sunday services. A summer series walks through Martin Luther's Small Catechism, covering topics like the knowledge of God, the Apostles' Creed, the Gospel and nature of God, and Holy Baptism.
The Lamplighters Women's Bible Study meets at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Room during the fall and spring. A Thursday morning Bible study meets at 10:00 a.m. in the Welcome Center during the same months. Topical Bible studies round out the week at 6:30 p.m. in the Welcome Center. A Bible study archive is available online for anyone who has missed a session.
Answers Bible Study
In addition to the regular Bible studies, St. John's runs a long-running study built around the Answers Bible curriculum. The lessons work through creation, Genesis, the historicity of Adam and Eve, the biblical timeline, dinosaurs and the Bible, and the structure and canon of Scripture. Each lesson comes with a recap document and short companion videos; both are linked from the church's resources page. The series is open to anyone interested in exploring the Biblical roots of the Christian faith.
Care in Hard Seasons
St. John's hosts a GriefShare support group for those walking through the loss of a loved one; current meeting dates are available through the church office. For those struggling with depression, chronic illness, family tension, job loss, or other difficulties, Stephen Ministers are trained laypeople who provide one-on-one, Christ-centered care; the pastors can connect members with a Stephen Minister upon request.
Christian counseling through Christian Family Solutions is also available to members through St. John's; CFS counselors can be reached by contacting one of the pastors. The church also recommends WELS Lutherans for Life, which operates a pregnancy medical center in greater Milwaukee and offers parenting classes and other resources.
The Pastoral Team and the Overflowing Initiative
The pastoral team is led by Pastor Peter Walther and includes Staff Ministers Levi Nagel and Kevin Renner and Visitation Pastor David Kuehl. Charles Galecki serves as principal of St. John's Lutheran School.
An initiative called Overflowing frames the congregation's life together. Drawing on 1 Thessalonians 3:12 - "May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else" - the program calls the whole congregation to grow not only in knowledge of salvation but in how their lives express God's grace. Stewardship, in this framing, is about more than money; it is about the whole life. A commitment card and supporting Bible studies help members put the initiative into practice, with the goal of increasing participation across the entire congregation.