Our Story

Our Story

On March 13, 1938, a group of disciples organized St. Luke’s Lutheran Church.  The first worship service was held at the old Polfus house, here in New Richmond.  Later, St. Luke’s moved to their first Congregational Church building, which is now a dance studio.  St. Luke’s current facility is on the west side of New Richmond, across the street from Westfield’s Hospital.  We celebrate God’s Word and Sacraments in a sanctuary built by our members in 1986.  In March of 2014, our faith family celebrated 75 years of God’s faithfulness.  To this day, God has certainly led us, forming disciples to be Christ’s healing hands.

God has certainly blessed our growth!  What started as a house church in 1938 moved to two different sites before arriving at our current worship site – and even that facility has sprawled!  What began as a 15 household faith family now boasts 413 households!  As our community has grown, so has our faith family!  Even today, God continues to bless us with more and more fresh faces.

Beyond facility and number, God has walked with St. Luke’s, blessing her with a number of faithful pastors, workers, and staff members, and continues to bring faithful disciples in mission together.  We continue to hear God’s Word, learn it well, discern what He’s doing in our midst, join in His work, and celebrate His promises!     

How does your church view leadership?

Our church leadership is governed in part by the Beliefs and Practices of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.  We are an affiliate congregation of this synod, which means that we call our pastors to serve us according to the mission of our Lord Jesus Christ – to teach the Word of God in its truth and purity, to be living reminders of His mercy and grace, to pronounce His absolution, and to administer His sacraments rightly. 

The balance of our church leadership is governed by our Constitution and Bylaws, a document that outlines how we have organized ourselves in peace and good order.  St. Luke’s senior leadership includes a board of Elders, who oversee the worship life and soul care of the congregation, a Church Council, who oversee all things needed for parish planning, and auxiliary boards, which carry out the programs and service events God has led us to do together.

What is your church’s vision for the future?

We enter the future confident of God’s presence, guidance, and blessing.  We will continue to gather together, worship together, grow spiritually together, and serve together.  We will always point to the cross of Jesus Christ for mercy and forgiveness.  There we will also be reminded that we are children of God – He has made us His people, He gives us hope for eternal life, and He will bind us together until the day we see Him face-to-face.