St. Paul Lutheran Church sits on East Lake Lansing Road in East Lansing, Michigan, between US-127/Abbot Road and Hagadorn Road, in a single-story building with automatic front doors and a flat parking lot close to the entrance. The congregation belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and gathers each Sunday morning to share Word and Sacrament in a worship setting that blends contemporary and traditional elements. As the congregation describes itself, it is "a community of students, families, and neighbors gathered around Word and Sacrament, welcoming all whom God brings." Its main mission is "feeding God's people both inside and outside, both physically and spiritually, while listening to what the people need," and that work is lived out through a food pantry, a community garden, a children's ministry, a choir and praise team, and a steady rhythm of Bible studies and fellowship meals.
Longtime members describe the parish in family terms. "Honestly this is my family, both my parents are deceased, so St. Paul IS my family," says Randy, a member baptized as an infant here who has been attending for more than 50 years. Newer arrivals echo the same warmth. A couple who joined two years ago says the Bible study "goes very deep into the bible" and that the people are "a very friendly community which I find very welcoming." A family of four who have attended for 21 years and volunteer at the food pantry adds simply: "We love the people, and all the friends we've made at St. Paul." A mother and daughter who have been attending for 45 years note that they "really enjoy the services here at St. Paul Lutheran as well as the people, and the fellowship after."
Sunday Worship at 10:00 a.m.
Worship is held every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. and runs about an hour. The service is blended, with elements that rotate between traditional and contemporary music on alternating weeks. Holy Communion is celebrated every Sunday, and the table is open: all who wish to come forward are welcome to receive. The congregation teaches that communion is "a means of grace in the real presence of Christ in the bread and wine," and grape juice is offered alongside the wine for those who prefer it.
The pattern of the liturgy leads worshipers through gathering, hearing the Word, sharing the meal, and being sent. Many volunteers make the service happen. Lectors read the first two scripture lessons, the Altar Guild prepares the communion elements, ushers hand out bulletins, take up the offering, and direct the communion flow, and gift bearers from the congregation bring the bread and wine forward. Acolytes light and extinguish the candles and assist with serving communion, and a PowerPoint operator advances the projected slides. Members who would like to serve in any of these roles can speak to the office.
Children are always welcome in worship. A children's message is offered partway through the service, after which children are invited to Sunday School (except on the last Sunday of the month and during the summer months). A nursery is available for younger children, and the choir room off the sanctuary can be used as a cry room with a sound system so parents can continue to follow the service. Clipboards with children's activities and crayons are available from the ushers.
A Congregation That Welcomes Everyone
St. Paul is intentional about welcome. "We welcome you as a beloved child of God. It doesn't matter what your age, race, ethnicity, faith, gender identity or expression, marital status, political leanings, neurodivergent status or mental, intellectual or physical ability, in other words, everyone is welcomed just as you are," the congregation writes. Members, guests, and seekers are not singled out or asked to stand; the only "welcome" comes in a generic greeting from the front, so visitors can settle in without pressure.
Since 1974 the congregation has been associated with ReconcilingWorks: Lutherans for Full Participation, an organization that advocates for the full welcome, inclusion, and equity of LGBTQIA+ Lutherans in the life of the church. Worshipers who arrive uncertain of where they fit find that the congregation makes space for questions as well as convictions, and Pastor Carl is glad to meet with anyone thinking about membership at their convenience. The church's working definition of fellowship comes from Acts 2:42: "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers," with fellowship understood as something that goes beyond meeting together to caring for others, sharing resources, and creating a safe space.
What We Believe
St. Paul's teachings follow the ELCA and the Lutheran Confessions. The congregation holds that baptism is "a gift from God and a means of grace" and that infants may be baptized. Communion is celebrated every Sunday, and the table is open to all. The community holds up Holy Scripture as central to faith and life, prays the historic creeds, and uses the patterns of the liturgy to gather God's people around Word and Sacrament.
That shared pattern is more than routine. As the church describes it, "regular worship forms Lutherans to see all of life as lived before God's face, sending us out from the sanctuary as forgiven and renewed people, ready to love and serve our neighbors in Christ's name." The congregation lives out this sending through its food pantry, its community garden, its visits to those in need, and its partnerships with neighbors across the Greater Lansing area.
Bible Study, Sunday School, and Confirmation
Christian formation at St. Paul happens on several levels. Adult Bible Study meets on Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m., one hour before worship, and is led by a member of the faith community who teaches religion at Michigan State University. No prior Bible knowledge is required, and the study includes Scripture, conversation, prayer, and fellowship. Membership classes are held separately as needed.
Children ages 4 through fifth grade are invited to Sunday School, which runs during the worship service from about 10:15 to 10:45 a.m. after the children's message. The program aims "to equip our children with the Word of God, to teach them to know and love God and our neighbors, to learn and follow Jesus with their hearts and minds, and to reach out to others in service and God's embrace."
Confirmation is a two-year course of study for youth who have completed seventh or eighth grade and have not yet been confirmed. The first year focuses on the Bible, including the history of the Bible, the life and teachings of Jesus, the letters of Paul, the rest of the New Testament, and the Old Testament. The second year turns to the Lutheran Catechism, covering Martin Luther's life, the Ten Commandments, the Apostles' Creed, the sacraments of Holy Communion and Baptism, the Office of the Keys, and Confession. Classes meet on the first and third Sundays of the month at 7:00 p.m. and are taught by Lay Ministers Kathy G. and Craig A. First Communion classes are also offered for children preparing to come to the Lord's Table.
For women in the congregation, the Gather Women's Bible Study meets on the third Wednesday of the month at 11:00 a.m. The group uses the study in the Gather magazine, published by the Women of the ELCA, as the basis for discussion and sharing, and it does not meet during the summer months.
The Food Pantry at the Mission House
The food pantry is the most visible expression of St. Paul's mission to "feed the community." It is housed at the congregation's mission house at 3407 E. Lake Lansing Road, just down the street from the church building, and it operates in partnership with the Greater Lansing Food Bank, from which it buys food in bulk. Clients are served by appointment, with appointments scheduled every fifteen minutes.
Distribution happens twice a week. On the first and third Wednesdays of the month, the pantry is open from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. for in-person shopping. On the second and fourth Thursdays, it is open from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. for pre-packaged pickup, with appointments scheduled every ten minutes. The pantry is handicapped accessible, with free parking and a CATA bus stop on Lake Lansing Road, and it serves clients who find the ministry through partnerships with 211 and Christian Services as well as through word of mouth.
On the first Sunday of every month, the congregation collects pantry donations during worship. Members bring non-perishable food and personal items that the pantry cannot get from the Greater Lansing Food Bank: flour, sugar, oil, condiments, toilet paper, facial tissue, paper towels, feminine hygiene supplies, toothpaste, soap, laundry detergent, and similar items. Cash donations are also accepted, and the pantry is supported by grants and the ongoing generosity of the congregation and the wider community. As a long-tenured member puts it, "we volunteer at the food pantry and we love sharing the good news."
Appointments can be scheduled by calling the church office at (517) 351-8541, Tuesday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and clients are encouraged to call 10 to 14 days ahead of time when possible.
The Community Garden
Each spring, members of all ages gather with shovels, seed packets, and trays of seedlings to plant the congregation's community garden. Rows of tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, and greens go into the ground, and throughout the growing season volunteers return to water, weed, and harvest at the peak of ripeness. The garden exists for one purpose: every tomato, pepper, squash, and head of lettuce is donated to the St. Paul Food Pantry, where it reaches families who need fresh, healthy food the most.
No gardening experience is required to help. Volunteers are needed for planting and harvest days, weekly watering and weeding shifts, deliveries to the pantry, and donations of seeds, seedlings, and tools. For many families the garden has become a way to serve together across generations, with children who once splashed in the watering cans now the ones reminding the grown-ups when it is time to weed. "What makes the garden special isn't just the harvest - it's the people who show up to make it happen," the church writes.
Music at St. Paul
Music is a central part of worship at St. Paul, blending traditional Lutheran hymnody with contemporary songs. Hymnals include Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW), With One Voice, and other newer collections, and the church's blended style is shaped by a Praise Team for contemporary weeks and a choir that sings on traditional weeks. Members who would like to share a solo or play during the offering are encouraged to speak with the accompanist.
The accompanist, Elene Kobulashvili, is a native of Tbilisi, Georgia, who made her orchestral debut at the age of six and went on to win national and international piano and chamber music competitions in Yugoslavia, Germany, and Russia. She holds a master's degree in Collaborative Piano from Michigan State University and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance at MSU. The church describes itself as "extremely blessed" to have her on the bench.
Choir members don't have to be professional singers or read music perfectly. "You don't have to be a professional singer or read music perfectly - just a willingness to show up and be part of something meaningful." In the Lutheran tradition, music is a gift that helps worshipers carry God's Word with them, and being part of the choir is a chance to connect, serve, and experience worship in a deeper, more personal way. Choir sings occasionally, the Praise Team leads contemporary services, and additional soloists or instrumentalists regularly share their gifts during the offering.
Pastor Carl Ballard and the Leadership Team
St. Paul is served by Pastor Carl Ballard, who was ordained in 2014 after a long career in banking, marketing, and the Michigan Court of Appeals and a process of formation that included training as a Synodically Authorized Minister, service as a Hospice Chaplain, and theological education for emerging ministry. He served St. John Lutheran Church in Saginaw before being called to St. Paul, where he now lives out what he describes as a passion "to let others know about the love of Jesus through my actions and words."
Mary Ballard, a lifelong Lutheran and Lay Minister, serves alongside her husband. She has worked in youth, family, and intergenerational ministry at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Lansing and Holt United Methodist Church, and she helps enhance the worship experience with plants and flowers as a way of appreciating "God's amazing and beautiful creation." Elene Kobulashvili serves as the church's accompanist, and Lay Ministers Kathy G. and Craig A. lead the Confirmation program.
The church office is staffed Tuesday through Thursday and can be reached by phone at (517) 351-8541 or by email at officemanager@stpaul-el.org. Prayer requests, donations, and event submissions can be sent through the church's online forms.
Planning a First Visit
Visitors are warmly welcomed and not put on the spot. Parking is available in the lot in front of the church, with handicap parking closest to the front doors and automatic doors for accessibility. The single-story building is wheelchair accessible throughout. Worship begins at 10:00 a.m. and runs about an hour, followed by a coffee hour with a generous spread of snacks and refreshments - a gathering the congregation describes as "a great opportunity to meet people, talk, and have fellowship."
Those who can't attend in person can watch recordings of worship, which are posted on the church's YouTube channel and made available under the worship section of stpaul-el.org. Newsletters, including the Spirit of St. Paul, are published regularly and keep members and friends informed of events, volunteer opportunities, and activities in the greater Lansing Lutheran community.
For those ready to support the work, donations can be directed online to the church's general fund, the food pantry, or other ministries. The calendar lists Bible studies, fellowship gatherings, volunteer opportunities, and special events in one place.
There is a place for you here, and you can make a difference. At St. Paul Lutheran Church in East Lansing, that welcome is lived out around the table, in the garden, at the food pantry, and in the music that carries God's Word out the door and into the week.