St. Michael's Lutheran Church has stood on Kings Highway North in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, since 1958, when a generation of Lutheran families in southern New Jersey came together to form a congregation rooted in God's grace and devoted to sharing Christ's love in word and service. Almost seventy years later, the church continues to gather people of all ages, backgrounds, and identities around Word and Sacrament, sustained by a steady rhythm of worship, learning, music, and outreach.
Six Decades on Kings Highway
Founded in 1958, St. Michael's is a congregation of the New Jersey Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The congregation marked its 60th anniversary in November 2018 with a celebration that drew together longtime members and newer arrivals alike. Across those decades the church has grown from a single worshiping community into a parish that also supports a food pantry, hosts confirmation classes, and sends people out into the wider Cherry Hill area for service projects through the ELCA's "God's Work. Our Hands." initiative.
The congregation's identity is grounded in a simple statement of faith: that every person is created in the image of God and deserves to be treated with dignity, respect, and love. Members are welcomed whether they are exploring Christianity for the first time, returning after years away, or looking for a new spiritual home. Questions are encouraged, and curiosity is treated as part of the journey rather than an obstacle to it.
Gathering, Word, Meal, and Sending
Worship is the heart of life at St. Michael's, and it follows the classic Lutheran shape of Gathering, Word, Meal, and Sending. Each Sunday the assembly moves through Scripture, prayer, preaching, music, and Holy Communion, encountering God's presence and being renewed for daily life. The bulletin follows the church year, drawing prayers, hymns, and liturgical texts from Sundays and Seasons.
Two Sunday services are offered each week:
- 8:15 a.m. - In-person worship with Holy Communion.
- 11:00 a.m. - In-person worship with Holy Communion, also livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook.
Most services last about an hour. Holy Communion is celebrated at both services, and all who seek God's grace are welcome at Christ's table. The sacrament is understood as a gift of grace, forgiveness, and nourishment for the journey of faith.
Worship is rooted in Lutheran tradition while speaking to everyday life. The music crosses eras and styles, the preaching connects Scripture to lived experience, and the assembly includes people from many backgrounds, family structures, and stages of life. Children are always welcome; wiggles, whispers, and curious questions are part of the congregation's normal rhythm, and activity kits are available in the "Little Lutheran Lair" in the narthex.
A Monthly Prayer Gathering Before Dawn
Beyond the two Sunday services, members and friends of St. Michael's gather for prayer on the first Wednesday of each month from September through June at 7:00 a.m. Held both in person and on Zoom, the early morning prayer time gives thanks for the congregation's life, lifts up the needs of the community and the world, and offers a quieter counterpoint to the busier Sunday rhythm.
Music that Tells the Story of God's Grace
Music is woven through every part of worship at St. Michael's, and the music ministry invites participation from singers, ringers, and instrumentalists of all ages. Director of Music Mark P. Dishong leads the program, drawing on more than two decades of congregational music experience and a career teaching elementary music in nearby Medford Township.
Several ensembles enrich worship throughout the year:
- Sanctuary Choir - Leads worship through a variety of musical styles and seasonal offerings. No audition is required, and singers of every experience level are welcome.
- Bell Choir - The handbell choir brings energy and beauty to worship and welcomes ringers of all ages and backgrounds.
- Instrumental Music - Musicians who play band, orchestra, folk, or contemporary instruments are invited to share their gifts in worship and at special services.
- Children, Youth, and Families - Young musicians and intergenerational groups are encouraged to lift their voices and instruments alongside the rest of the congregation.
Musicians are not cast as performers but as partners in proclaiming God's Word through song.
Rooted in Faith, Growing in Grace
Faith formation at St. Michael's has been gathered under a new banner: "Rooted in Faith, Growing in Grace." The intergenerational Christian education program is designed to meet learners where they are and to weave faith into everyday life through flexible formats that combine learning, conversation, and hands-on service.
On Sunday mornings, age-specific groups run side by side with adult learning:
- Birth through age 4 - Children and their grown-ups spend an hour together in community through music and movement, playful learning, family-life conversation, and stories of faith.
- Kindergarten through 5th grade - The "Pray and Grow" hour gathers elementary-aged children for music, crafts, Bible stories, and games rooted in faith and friendship.
- Adults of all ages - Adult learners meet for an hour of thoughtful conversation and study led by a rotating group of facilitators. Topics range from theology and Scripture to spiritual practices and everyday faith.
- Middle and high school youth - A youth group that shapes its own ministry, planning service projects, social events, and faith-based activities.
Confirmation is offered to young people typically in seventh and eighth grade. After two years of instruction, students stand before the congregation and confirm their faith through the Rite of Affirmation of Baptism.
Adult Bible Study gathers on Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. and again at 6:00 p.m., both in person and on Zoom. Groups sometimes spend several weeks working through a single book of the Bible, sometimes focus on biblical characters, and sometimes branch out into other topics. A church-wide "Read the Bible in a Year" plan is also offered for those who want to move through Scripture cover to cover.
Sent to Serve
St. Michael's takes seriously the call to follow Christ beyond the sanctuary walls. Inspired by the ELCA's "God's Work. Our Hands." theme, the congregation supports several ongoing ministries and partnerships:
- A food pantry that serves local families experiencing food insecurity.
- ELCA World Hunger and other ELCA relief efforts, addressing hunger and disaster response around the world.
- Local partnerships with area ministries that serve people experiencing housing insecurity and other needs in southern New Jersey.
- Service days such as the annual "God's Work, Our Hands" Sunday, when members step out of the building to serve neighbors in the wider community.
Acts of service are understood to range from everyday kindnesses to organized outreach, all flowing from the conviction that faith is lived in relationship with neighbors near and far.
Pastoral Leadership and Generosity
The congregation is served by the Rev. Christopher Bruesehoff, a second-generation Lutheran pastor ordained in 2003. Pastor Chris began his ministry at St. Michael's in September 2020 and brings a passion for worship and the Gospel's call to work for justice and peace. He is joined by Director of Music Mark P. Dishong, who joined the staff in March 2013 after seventeen years at Holy Communion Lutheran Church in Berlin, New Jersey.
Stewardship at St. Michael's is shaped by a simple conviction expressed in Ephesians 2:8-10: that salvation is a gift of grace received through faith, and that good works are the response of a people already loved. Members are invited to share their time, abilities, and financial resources as an act of worship, with giving made easy through online donations, recurring gifts, in-person offerings, and mailed checks. A Time and Talent survey helps members find the ministries where their gifts intersect with the congregation's needs.
Visiting St. Michael's
St. Michael's sits at 601 Kings Highway North in Cherry Hill, with ample on-site parking accessible from either Chapel Avenue or Forest Road. The building is wheelchair accessible, and the staff is happy to work with visitors who have specific needs. Worshipers come in everything from jeans and sneakers to business casual attire; there is no dress code.
Visitors are never singled out or asked to stand and introduce themselves. Greeters are on hand to help with directions, and after worship many people stay for coffee, conversation, and fellowship. A "Plan Your Visit" form lets newcomers request a friendly face to greet them at the door and arrange a follow-up conversation with a pastor.
Those unable to attend in person are invited to join the 11:00 a.m. service online each Sunday on Facebook or YouTube, where the full liturgy, music, and preaching are streamed live. Worship bulletins are posted online so that online participants can follow along and participate at their own comfort level.
St. Michael's Lutheran Church remains, after nearly seventy years, a congregation that takes seriously its calling to celebrate and share God's love in Jesus Christ through worship, learning, friendship, service, compassion, and justice.