St. Lorenz Lutheran Church & School sits at the heart of Frankenmuth, Michigan, a story that begins in 1845 when fifteen Franconian settlers landed on the banks of the Cass River with a single mission: to show others how beautiful it is to live with Jesus. Today the congregation has grown to more than 4,000 members, anchored by a Lutheran school serving more than 600 students and a portfolio of outreach, music, and care ministries that reach far beyond Saginaw County. From its traditional Sanctuary on Tuscola Street to its contemporary Worship & Event Center on Genesee, St. Lorenz has shaped the religious life of this German-heritage community for nearly two centuries.
Two Worship Styles, Two Campuses in Frankenmuth
St. Lorenz offers worship in two distinct settings, and newcomers are welcome to sample either freely. In the Sanctuary at 1030 West Tuscola Street, services follow a formal Lutheran liturgy shaped by hymns, choirs, and the pipe organ. Saturday worship begins at 6:30 PM; Sunday services follow at 8:00 and 9:30 AM. A monthly German service takes place at 11:00 AM on the second Sunday of each month, a tradition that keeps the congregation's Franconian heritage alive for those who wish to worship in the language of the founders.
Across town at the Worship & Event Center, 850 West Genesee Street, a less formal gathering at 10:45 AM on Sunday blends modern praise music with the same Lutheran foundation. A worship band with singers, drums, and guitars lifts the songs alongside the pastors, drawing families who prefer a relaxed setting. On selected July Sundays the 10:45 service moves outdoors to Churchgrove Park. Each weekend service is livestreamed online, with separate feeds for the Sanctuary and Worship Center services.
The Lord's Supper is celebrated on the 2nd and 4th weekends of each month and is shared with those who confess their baptism, repent of sin, and trust in Christ's real presence in the sacrament. Ushers or a pastor can answer questions for anyone wondering whether to come forward.
From a Franconian Mission Colony to a 4,000-Member Congregation
The St. Lorenz story began in the Franconian village of Neuendettelsau, Germany, where Pastor Johann Konrad Wilhelm Loehe answered a missionary plea from the American Midwest in 1844. The first volunteer was a young man named Lorenz Loesel, who became the namesake for the mission church. Loehe's plan was to send a dedicated colony of men and women to demonstrate "wie gut und schoen es ist bei Jesu sein" - how wonderful it is to live with Jesus - to the Native Americans and settlers of the Michigan wilderness.
On April 20, 1845, fifteen settlers including Pastor Friedrich August Craemer, a Franconian who had taught at Oxford University; Lorenz Loesel; and the families of John List, John G. Pickelmann, John C. Weber, Martin Haspel, John Bierlein, and J. Leonhard Bernthal embarked from the seaport of Bremen on the sailing vessel Caroline. They endured a 50-day crossing of icebergs, storms, seasickness, and a smallpox outbreak that claimed two-year-old Margaretha Haspel. They reached New York on June 8 and proceeded to their final destination: a 680-acre tract of virgin forest on the banks of the Cass River. On August 18, the women who had remained in Saginaw joined the men, and the mission colony was complete.
The town was named Frankenmuth by Loehe - "Franconia" for the homeland and "muth" (courage) for the mission that lay ahead. Pastor Craemer made mission trips by canoe to area Chippewa villages, and Mrs. Craemer taught Chippewa children in their Christian faith. In June 1846, nearly 100 more immigrants arrived from the Rosstal-Gunzenhausen-Nürnberg area, and the expanded congregation dedicated a larger "church-school-parsonage" on Christmas Day of that year. A replica of that modest structure stands in its original location as a tribute to those first members.
Two years after its founding, St. Lorenz became one of the 14 charter congregations of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and a participant in its worldwide mission program. Today the congregation's footprint spans two campuses. The South Campus at 1030 West Tuscola Street holds the Sanctuary, the Church Museum at 1035 West Tuscola, and the Cemetery. The North Campus at 850 West Genesee Street includes the Worship & Event Center, church offices, the School and Early Childhood Center at 140 Churchgrove Road, The Rock youth center at 163 Churchgrove Road, and Churchgrove Park at 324 Churchgrove Road with its prayer trail.
Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Scripture Alone
St. Lorenz teaches from the Bible as God's inspired and inerrant Word and finds its teaching summarized in three Reformation phrases that came out of the Protestant Reformation:
- Grace Alone: God loves the world even though we are sinful, and sent His Son to sacrifice Himself for us so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
- Faith Alone: Through Jesus' suffering and death as the substitute for all people of all time, forgiveness and eternal life are won. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, God creates faith in Christ and gives people forgiveness through Him.
- Scripture Alone: The Bible is God's inspired and inerrant Word, in which He reveals who He is and the nature of our relationship with Him. It is the source and standard for faith and life.
Baptism is taught as a means of grace that, along with God's Word, creates and strengthens faith - including in infancy, since the Bible indicates that infants can believe and experience regeneration through Baptism. Membership is open through transfer (from another LCMS congregation), reaffirmation of faith (for those returning after a time away, including a meeting with a pastor to review the basic teachings of the Bible), or Adult Confirmation, which includes a 10-12 hour Christianity 101 class for those who have never been members of a Lutheran church.
A Whole-Family Ministry from Infants to Seniors
St. Lorenz treats children as full members of the worshiping community. Wiggles, giggles, and dropped markers are welcomed in every service, and the congregation rejoices for every child who comes through the doors. Comfort rooms are available in the lower level of the Sanctuary and in the Worship & Event Center lobby for parents who need a quieter moment.
Programs for children include Vacation Bible School (preschool through fifth grade, with Bible study, crafts, snacks, physical activity, and the nature trail), Girls of Grace (a Christian dance ministry begun in 2002 with more than ninety dancers from grade 4 through college, drawing its inspiration from Psalm 149:3 and performing an annual community concert each spring; the dancers also volunteer at the Saginaw Rescue Mission), Guys for God (a companion Christian dance ministry for boys grade 4 and up), and Puppets for Christ (a puppet ministry since 1981 that has logged more than 1,450 presentations across Michigan and welcomes 7th graders and older as puppeteers).
St. Lorenz Lutheran School, located at 140 Churchgrove Road, offers Christian education from preschool through junior high, with more than 600 students enrolled. The school shares the campus with an Early Childhood Center that includes childcare for children from six weeks through school age, along with a Childcare program that employs part-time teacher aides in afternoon hours.
REVIVE, The Rock, and Growing Up at St. Lorenz
Confirmation at St. Lorenz is a season in which students learn the core beliefs of the Christian faith, profess their personal belief in Jesus as Savior, and become full communing members. It is treated as a beginning rather than an end - a commitment to follow Christ and remain faithful to the church.
Junior High Youth Ministry (grades 6-8) meets Sunday afternoons from 4:00 to 5:30 PM for Bible study, games, and small-group time. Senior High Youth Ministry (grades 9-12) gathers Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 PM at The Rock, 163 Churchgrove Road, for fellowship, Bible study, and small groups. A Parents of Youth Bible Study gives parents their own parallel ministry, and the Youth Ministry is open to anyone in the community, not just St. Lorenz members. Youth Ministry Director Ben Sievert leads both groups with a team of small-group leaders.
REVIVE is the young adults ministry for ages 18-31, meeting Thursdays from 7:00 to 10:00 PM at The Rock for Bible study, Q&A discussions, guest speakers, social events, worship, and food. The group focuses on building a Christ-centered community of young adults learning to live like Jesus, asking honest questions and forming friendships that last.
Adults, Care, and the Special Needs Community
Women's Ministry offers prayer, Bible study, fellowship, service projects, and special events, and the annual White As Snow Women's Conference is held at the Worship & Event Center. Men's Ministry includes fellowship, service projects, and spiritual development. Both groups meet on a regular cadence with seasonal special events.
The Special Needs Ministry is anchored by Breakthrough Bible Class, which meets Tuesdays from 5:00 to 6:00 PM at the school for adults with special needs, with singing, prayer, lessons, and crafts running September through May. Every February the congregation hosts Night to Shine, a global prom sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation that celebrates people with special needs on a night centered on God's love.
Stephen Minister, coordinated through Christ Gives Hope, provides one-to-one Christian care for people in crisis. GriefShare and other classes are offered periodically, and professional counseling is available through Crossroads Counseling Ministries. Music and worship arts are led by Director of Music Ministries Myles Hayden and Director of Worship Arts Thomas Winterstein; the music program includes choirs and ensembles in the Sanctuary and the band that leads the Worship Center service. Girls of Grace and Guys for God also share their worship through dance throughout the year.
The School, the Museum, and Churchgrove Park
Beyond its worship and ministry spaces, St. Lorenz maintains Churchgrove Park, just north of the school at 324 Churchgrove Road. The almost half-mile prayer trail offers a quiet path with stations designed for reflection and prayer, walkable in less than 10 minutes. The trail is meant to be a place of solitude where visitors can experience the presence of God, listen for His voice, and lift up their concerns to Him.
Across from the Sanctuary at 1035 West Tuscola Street stands the St. Lorenz Church Museum and Log Cabin, a replica of the original 1846 church-school-parsonage built by the settlers. The Museum holds artifacts, displays, and stories of the early settlers and the Chippewa missions, and open houses are held several times a year. Tours of both the Sanctuary and Museum can be scheduled through the church office.
The Worship & Event Center at 850 West Genesee Street is also the home of the church offices and doubles as a venue for concerts, conferences, and ministry events. The cemetery at 1030 West Tuscola Street serves the congregation's families and is maintained as part of the South Campus. St. Lorenz is currently undertaking a school expansion campaign called Together We Build.
Concerts, Blood Drives, and Reaching the Wider Community
St. Lorenz maintains an active outreach footprint. The congregation hosts Red Cross Blood Drives in the Worship & Event Center lobby several times a year. The Women in Mission Ministry organizes the annual Fall Bazaar, Cookie Sale, and Vendor Showcase at the school, supporting local missions.
The Worship & Event Center also serves as a venue for Christian concerts. The Sidewalk Prophets' Great Big Family Christmas Tour and Tenth Avenue North's Broken People Tour have both made Frankenmuth a stop, with a portion of each concert supporting local charities and families in need. The Legacy Grandparenting Summit brings grandparents and "grandfriends" together for a one-day simulcast on passing faith to the next generation.
Giving to St. Lorenz is accepted in person, by mail, or online through Church Center, with a separate St. Lorenz Foundation channel for endowment support. A Church Center app lets members keep up with events, registrations, and group communications, and a Prayer & Support page accepts prayer requests online.
What to Expect on a First Visit
There is no dress code at St. Lorenz; jeans and T-shirts sit alongside dresses and suits. Greeters and volunteers at the Front Desk of the Worship & Event Center and at the Sanctuary doors welcome newcomers and answer questions. Parking is plentiful at both campuses: the Sanctuary lot is reached off W Tuscola and Mayer Road, and the Worship & Event Center has lots off W Genesee and Churchgrove Road. Arriving a few minutes before the service gives time to settle in and meet a greeter.
Leadership
St. Lorenz is served by four pastors: Lead Pastor Rev. Brad Hubbard, Associate Pastor of Care Rev. Joel Kaiser (who has served the congregation since 1998 and brings a perspective shaped by his own visual impairment to his ministry of care), Associate Pastor of Faith Formation Rev. Joel Eden, and Associate Pastor of Outreach Rev. Eddie Krez. Jeremy Frank serves as Executive Director. Ben Sievert directs youth ministry, Myles Hayden directs music ministries, and Thomas Winterstein directs worship arts. The church offices are at 850 West Genesee Street; the phone is 989-652-6141 and the email is church@stlorenz.org.