Site Profile: Lord of Life Lutheran

At first glance, Lord of Life Lutheran Church does not look like it has 8,000 members. At 11 AM on Sunday morning, cars dot the parking lot. More seem to be leaving then arriving. But in the foyer, the size of Lord of Life becomes clear. Hundreds of congregants fill a spacious welcoming hall where tables advertise youth groups and the “OWL: Older Wiser Lutherans” group. As chimes sound, the hoards file into the sanctuary, a sun-lit space with pews for 500. The praise band, which includes a drum-set, electric guitar, piano and organ, starts up. But after a song, the service proceeds with a traditional Lutheran liturgy. There are scripture readings, salutations, gospel responses and communion. Near the beginning of this elaborate ritual, Pastor Peter Geisendorfer-Lindgren gives a brief sermon. Although heavy on biblical verses, the senior pastor elicits chuckles with carefully placed puns. The woman next to me reads the announcements in the Order of Service during the sermon while others seem enraptured by the pastor’s words. Couples with babies fill the sanctuary. There are a few older people in the group as well, many accompanied by middle-aged children—there’s a large nursing home right across the street. Lord of Life has 8000 “baptized members.” But, as Lutherans baptize at birth, most of them are young children. One third of the congregation is under 20. On the other hand, because the founding members of the church are rapidly aging, 60-70 year olds are the fastest growing group. Lord of Life is the tenth largest member church of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States).

As the sermon ends, congregants offer “peace” to each other, or shake hands saying "May peace be with you." As the congregation stands to shake hands, the people surrounding me greet each other by name. The two pastors move quickly, shaking hands with most of the congregation before the offertory, an opportunity to give money to the church during the service. As the service ends, both pastors again walk quickly to the sanctuary exits to shake hands with every congregant as they depart.

Staff
Senior Pastor Peter Geisendorfer-Lindgren joined Lord of Life in 1983. Hear more about him and about what he thinks is unique about Lord of Life...Lord of Life lists 48 other staff members on their website. Only five are pastors. The rest fill a variety of roles, largely related to ongoing church operations. There are a few communications staff, but they are far outnumbered by youth program coordinators and music coordinators.

History
Lord of Life was founded in 1878 as a small mission church, meeting in a local elementary school. When the church was officially chartered, it already had 400 members. The church grew slowly throughout the early- and mid-1900s, paralleling the growth of the City of Maple Grove. After moving to a new building in 1982, the church continued to grow and quickly added new sanctuaries, an education wing and outreach facilities. But even with continuous remodeling, Lord of Life outgrew their worship space in 1996 and began holding services in another local elementary school gymnasium. In 1998, the church purchased 100 acres on the edge of Maple Grove and built anew. Much to the leadership’s surprise, the congregation has continued to grow, despite its rural location.