Founded in 1954 on Thelma Street
St. Timothy Lutheran Church sits at 1 Thelma Street in Hudson, a small town in Black Hawk County in northeast Iowa. The congregation was organized in 1954, and for three decades its families met in other spaces before the current church building was constructed from 1984 to 1985 and dedicated in the fall of 1985. A major renovation refreshed the building in 2018. Members describe themselves as "a welcoming and affirming congregation where everyone is encouraged to be who they are." Their motto, "All in God's name: Loving, Serving, Welcoming," sets the tone for both worship and outreach.
Sunday Mornings at Nine
Sunday worship begins at 9:00 a.m. and includes Holy Communion each week. A livestream of the service is shared on the church's Facebook page for those who cannot attend in person. After worship the community gathers at 10:00 a.m. for coffee, treats, and conversation, and visitors are warmly invited to stay. The office is open 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Children are welcomed right into the sanctuary. The congregation puts it plainly: "God put the wiggle and the giggle in your children," and members embrace the noise and movement that come with young families. Children have their own table in the worship space for coloring, reading, or quiet play, and activity bags are available. Most services include a children's time at the front for a short lesson just for them. Youth are invited to take part as readers, musicians, acolytes, or with the technology team, in whatever roles feel right.
A Licensed Preschool and Childcare on Site
One of the largest ministries of St. Timothy is its Preschool and Childcare, established in 1994 and expanded in 2019 to include full childcare. The center is licensed by the Iowa Department of Human Services and serves children from 30 months old through age 10. Year-round programming runs Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., closed on major holidays and during spring break. Offerings include morning preschool for ages three through five (8:05 to 11:05 a.m. during the school year), full- and part-time childcare for early-childhood ages, and before- and after-school care and no-school-day care for kindergarten through age 10. School-age children attending Hudson CSD are transported to and from the center by the district.
The curriculum balances vocabulary and phonics, arts and crafts, numbers and counting, physical development, music, games, and science, with attention to social-emotional growth alongside cognitive skills. The Hudson Public Library reads to preschoolers each month, and the school-age program joins the weekly Hudson Summer Library Program. During summer the center collaborates with Hudson Parks and Recreation and the Kids Adventure program for field trips to places such as Hudson City Park and Pirates Cove Splash Pad. A new playground opened on the church grounds in the summer of 2023.
HudCare at the Elementary Gym
St. Timothy extends care to children in 1st through 5th grades through HudCare, a before- and after-school program that meets at the Hudson Elementary Small Gym. Mornings run 6:45 to 7:50 a.m.; afternoons run from school dismissal until 6:00 p.m. Transportation is arranged through Hudson CSD.
Faith Formation Beyond Sunday
Family Faith Night brings all ages together on the first Wednesday of each month, September through April, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Each gathering begins with a light meal, followed by a Bible lesson and a hands-on activity. Confirmation classes for youth in 6th through 8th grade meet each Wednesday from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. The two-year program introduces participants to the Bible and to what makes Lutherans distinct, and it culminates in an Affirmation of Baptism celebrated during a Sunday service. Younger children are reached through 2nd Sunday Stories, a once-a-month gathering right after worship that introduces a children's book and sends each family home with a copy. Groups are split by age: Baby Book Club for infants through PreK, and Big Kid Book Club for kindergarten through third grade.
Adults in Fellowship
Adults gather in several smaller settings throughout the week. A Bible Study meets on the second Sunday of each month from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., September through May. Ruth Circle, a women's Bible study, meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 10:00 a.m. in the St. Timothy Fireside Room; new participants are always welcome. The men of the congregation meet for breakfast and conversation on the first Monday of each month at 8:00 a.m. at the Village Inn in Waterloo. A quilting group meets most Friday mornings, producing quilts for local causes; in a recent year, dozens of quilts went to foster-care graduates, the Ronald McDonald House, Hospice, Camp Courageous, Americans for Independent Living (serving veterans), the Salvation Army, and the Camp EWALU quilt auction.
Serving the Wider Community
Community engagement is central to life at St. Timothy. The congregation is a longtime supporter of the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, contributing financially, donating food, and volunteering on site. Twice a year the church hosts the Hudson Lions Club for a can and bottle drive, opening its parking lot for sorting and boxing. Members stay connected through the Hudson Chamber of Commerce, and each fall they prepare chili for the Chamber's appreciation dinner. Volunteers take turns helping residents from New Aldaya, including those using wheelchairs, get to and from worship on Sundays in September and October.
Lutheran Beliefs
St. Timothy is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Northeastern Iowa Synod. The church teaches that God is the creator of the world, the giver of life, the source of wholeness, healing and forgiveness, the champion of the poor and oppressed, and the power of new life and resurrection. Christians know God as the Holy Trinity, one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Lutherans hold that all people are imperfect and are saved by God's grace alone, through Christ, received by faith; nothing we can do earns the gift. Members live "in the tension of still being sinful but trusting that we are forgiven and that God is at work in us," responding to that unconditional love by living gratefully and working for justice and peace.
Leadership and Contact
The congregation is served by Pastor the Rev. Dena Gable. The Preschool and Childcare program is directed by Abbi Gregory, with Abby Johanningmeier as assistant director. The church office can be reached at 319-988-3571 or by emailing secretary@sttimothyhudson.org. Online giving is available through the church's online giving page. The mailing address is PO Box 567, Hudson, IA 50643.