150 Years of Ministry on Harris Street
St. Paul Lutheran Ministries has stood at 225 E. Harris Street in downtown Appleton, Wisconsin, since 1867. What began as a small gathering of believers has grown into a three-part campus that reaches Appleton families with a congregation, a K-8 school, and an Early Childhood Center. The motto Connecting People to Christ ties it all together: more than fifteen decades of proclaiming the good news of Jesus as Savior in the same downtown neighborhood. Today the church family gathers under the same call, supporting one another in the rhythms of weekly worship and the milestones of baptism, marriage, illness, and grief.
One Mission, Three Ministries
The campus on Harris Street houses three ministries under one umbrella. The church gathers the congregation for worship and pastoral care. The school enrolls students from kindergarten through eighth grade in small classes, where caring educators shape both academic growth and spiritual formation through a Christ-centered curriculum. The Early Childhood Center, the third arm of the ministry, cares for infants through preschool-age children in flexible programs led by faith-filled educators in a safe, loving setting.
The ministry is affiliated with WELS - the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod - and that heritage shapes both catechesis and liturgy. The campus is distinctly local, walking alongside the families of downtown Appleton and the wider Fox Valley as it has for over 150 years. Parents whose children attend the school often worship in the same building where their kids learn to read; alumni return for weddings; retired members teach Sunday School alongside the next generation of teachers.
Worship on Sundays and Mondays
Worship lies at the heart of the ministry, and St. Paul offers three weekly opportunities to gather. On Sunday mornings the congregation meets at 8:00 and 10:30 AM, and on Monday evenings at 6:00 PM. During the summer months - between Memorial Day and Labor Day - the Sunday schedule shifts to 8:00 and 9:30 AM, while the Monday evening service continues year-round. The early Sunday service suits those who want to begin the day in prayer; the mid-morning gathering welcomes families with children; and the Monday option gives a second chance for those whose Sundays are claimed by sports, work, or travel.
A Liturgical, Gospel-Centered Service
The worship at St. Paul follows a liturgical style built on a simple, meaningful order of Scripture, prayers, and songs. The church teaches that this order keeps eyes on Jesus, links worshipers to Christians across the centuries, and gathers the congregation around the Word and the means Jesus uses to deliver his love, grace, and forgiveness. Music uses a variety of instruments, and the congregation joins in with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs - the same call Paul gives in Ephesians 5: "Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything."
Because Jesus welcomed little children, services are designed with families in mind. At non-communion services, children are invited forward for a brief children's message. Activity bags stocked with quiet crafts and worship helps sit at the back of the sanctuary for any parent who needs them. A Family Room, just off the fellowship hall and around the corner from the restrooms, offers a quiet retreat for any child who needs to settle down, with books and stuffed animals and a screen so the caregiver can still follow the service.
Streaming and Radio Across the Valley
Worship is not confined to the building. The Sunday 8:00 AM service is broadcast live on the church's YouTube channel, and an archive of past services is available for streaming anytime - a treasure for anyone who wants to revisit a particular sermon or watch one that was missed. Locally, that same Sunday morning service is also broadcast on WOSH 93.9 FM and 1490 AM at 9:00 AM, carrying the service to listeners across the Fox Valley from the radio station's home in nearby Oshkosh. Anyone traveling, homebound, or simply unable to attend in person can worship along.
Growing in the Word
Between Sundays, the church offers a steady diet of Bible study and small groups for every age. Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM host a year-round adult Bible class. On Thursday mornings and Sunday mornings at 9:15 AM, additional adult classes meet during the school year (between Labor Day and Memorial Day). Small-group Bible studies gather in homes and around tables for fellowship and focused study in a supportive setting.
Children have their own weekly classroom during the school year. Sunday School meets at 9:15 AM on Sunday mornings for children from 4K through eighth grade, with age-appropriate Bible lessons and activities on the same Labor Day to Memorial Day calendar. During the summer months, that hour opens up for the whole family to worship together.
For those still exploring what Christianity is all about, the church offers Starting Point classes. These classes address the kinds of questions many adults carry - about identity, meaning, purpose, and God - and also serve as a step toward membership for anyone who decides to call St. Paul home. They are held on a regular basis and open to anyone curious about the Christian faith or about this congregation in particular.
Baptism and Membership
Baptism is central to the church's life and teaching. The pastors baptize both infants and adults, following a pattern they describe as rooted in Scripture: children are baptized first and then taught in God's Word, while adults are taught first and then baptized. The teaching at St. Paul stresses that baptism is more than water - it is "water used with the instruction of Jesus and His promise of blessings," quoting Ephesians 5: "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word." Additional passages cited include Acts 2:38, Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 3:21, and Mark 16:16, all supporting baptism as a means of grace for people of every age.
Pastoral Care and Prayer
Two pastors shepherd the congregation. Pastor Matthew Holtz serves as Coordinating Pastor, overseeing the ministry as a whole. Pastor Philip Birner serves as Visitation Pastor, focused on the care of members who are hospitalized, homebound, or otherwise in need of a pastoral visit. Both can be reached through the church office at 920-733-9061, and anyone can submit a prayer request online to be lifted up by the pastors and the prayer team. Pastoral counseling is also available on request. The church describes the pastoral role in biblical terms, drawing on 1 Peter 5:1-2 (watching over those in your care) and Ephesians 4:11-13 (equipping God's people for works of service).
The K-8 School and the Early Childhood Center
For families with children, the K-8 school is one of the chief reasons many choose St. Paul. Small class sizes mean teachers know their students, and a Christ-centered curriculum weaves academic subjects together with the scriptures, hymns, and devotions that shape a child's view of the world. The school is also a hub for parish life: many Sunday School classrooms, family events, and weekday activities happen in the same building children attend during the week. Teachers and pastors collaborate across the ministries, so a child in third grade on Sunday may see the same caring adult who leads their chapel devotion during the school week.
The Early Childhood Center, also part of the campus, cares for infants through preschool. Flexible programs accommodate working parents, and the staff describes the environment as faith-filled and safe - a place where the youngest members of the parish begin to learn that they are loved by their Creator. Parents drop off their babies knowing that the same Christian mission that runs through the church and the school also shapes the day care experience for the very youngest.
Rhythms of the Church Year
Faith at St. Paul is not limited to Sunday mornings. Each summer the church family gathers for a Summer BBQ and Block Party in late July or early August, with food, games, and time to laugh together and minister to one another. During Advent and Lent the congregation comes to the table for shared meals. Advent meals celebrate Jesus' first coming while looking ahead to his return; Lent meals are an honest, heartfelt reflection on humanity's need for Jesus. Easter brings everyone together for a shared breakfast, celebrating the resurrection that gives the church its reason for existing.
Seven Values
Seven commitments shape the ministry at St. Paul:
- God's Word. Cherish the Bible in its entirety as the inspired Word of God.
- Worship Excellence. Proclaim and glorify God through excellence and variety in worship.
- Welcoming Everyone as Family. Welcome all who come into the church family.
- Intentional Outreach. Share Jesus with as many people as possible with intention and purpose.
- Lifelong Christian Education. Grow spiritually through lifelong education for all ages.
- Use of Spiritual Gifts. Understand and use the gifts God gives to serve him and others.
- Love in Action. Display Christian love to all while keeping Jesus at the center.
Downtown Appleton continues to change around the campus, but the central promise of St. Paul Lutheran Ministries has held for more than 150 years: that the good news of Jesus is worth gathering for, worth teaching to children, and worth passing on to the next generation.