ABOUT US

WHO WE ARE

Founded in 1866, St. Paul Lutheran Church is a place where you will always be welcomed. By serving through relationships and love, St. Paul is a place where everyone can grow spiritually.

WHAT WE DO

Our mission is “To know and serve Christ by reaching out in love to all” and we believe in the importance of involving and experiencing God in all areas of your life. There are countless ways to grow in your involvement and your faith at St. Paul; regardless of where you are in your journey, there is a place for you here.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Members and first time guests alike, we invite you to get connected to the community. Whether you're attending service on a Sunday, dropping in on a small group meeting, or stopping by to chat with Pastor Dan, you can anticipate a positive, encouraging experience.

PASTOR SKILLMAN

"We love the God we cannot see by loving and serving our neighbor, who we can see."

The Church Seeks and Saves the Lost

Lost sheep. Lost coins. Lost sons.
What do they all have in common?
They’re lost.
The sheep wandered away through ignorance.
The coin was dropped and fell through the cracks.
The young son has more culpability than the older, perhaps.
But he just wanted to see the world.
Not an uncommon thing for a young man to want.
In fact, one might just say that, far from being a sin, leaving the nest is necessary.
Yes, he was reckless, and squandered his father’s wealth.
But he didn’t cause the famine.
And he didn’t create the uncaring society that neglected him in his need.
This younger, “prodigal” son, is not so much a nefarious sinner as he is simply lost.
The only disturbing character in Luke 15 is the older son.
The one who refuses to welcome the young, wandering lad back home.
But even the older son, the true sinner, receives an invitation from the father to the feast.

A great many churches and church goers seem to be obsessed with sin and purity.
They see it as their job to keep the community clean by shaming, and, if necessary, ostracizing those they deem to be sinners. Sure, they give the invitation to repent, but they provide little power to do so.

I can’t say that I’ve ever seen the policing of sin make anyone a substantially better person. The sin police become cruel and hypocritical. And the sinners become either depressed, disaffected, or disaffiliated.

The Church shouldn’t get so hung up on purifying or pushing out sinners. It should focus on simply seeking out the lost, and welcoming them unconditionally, like Jesus did.

The Church’s mission, like Jesus’ own mission, is to seek and save the lost. To close the distance. To be the shepherd who seeks out the sheep. To be the woman who searches for the coin. To be the Father who runs out to his son. To be the community that loves and accepts those who were otherwise distant and alone. In this way, the Church saves the lost.