The ministries and life of Augustana Lutheran Church are open to all. There is no prior knowledge, attitude, disposition, status, or orientation required. We like having a congregation open to all people. It's the way Jesus did it.

Augustana's building is one of our most valuable tools for ministry and as such is extremely busy. On a limited basis we may have space for non-profit, non-commercial groups in our community for occasional use. More regular, longer term use may also be available. Fees for use are based on the actual expenses the congregation incurs due to building use. Mary Ann Shippey (shippey@augustandenver.org) can go over availability, terms, and contracts with you. Please give us a call. Maybe we can help!

Augustana's Early Learning Center is an outreach program to the community of Augustana Lutheran Church. For over twenty-five years the Early Learning Center has been providing quality care and nurture in the development of children age eighteen months to five years. The program addresses the emotional, social, physical, aesthetic, language, and intellectual growth of children. The Center is under the direction of Center Administrator Paula Keller and Director Diane DeRose. You can learn much more about the Augustana Early Learning Center here, or by giving the Center a call at 303 388-7012.

Baptism is God's action by which God's promises are graciously given to the baptized. Baptism is for all ages of people, and one of the most wonderful gifts in life. Please contact a pastor (pederson@augustanadenver.org; bengston@augustanadenver.org) and he will make about a half hour appointment with you. That meeting is a good opportunity to ask questions and prayerfully to prepare for baptism. At that time your baptism may be scheduled. Normally baptism is best done when the whole congregation is present - e.g., at a regularly scheduled worship service of the congregation. Occasionally allowance can be made for special circumstances. We look forward to talking with you about baptism!

Augustana Lutheran Church congregation invites all persons into membership. The congregation takes seriously its mission guided by the Holy Spirit, to gather in Christian community, reach out and invite, offer hope and healing in Jesus Christ, and walk humbly with God. Our policy statement describes what membership in the congregation means for both the congregation and the persons who join.

What members can expect from the Augustana congregation:

Through the Word and Sacrament, a Christian congregation upholds and strengthens the baptized in the promises God has made to its members. In all its life together the congregation announces the Gospel, the good news of God in Jesus Christ. This means that members can expect the congregation to . . .

• provide a vigorous and faithful ministry in Word and Sacrament. Worship is the primary activity in which God creates and nourishes faith. The Augustana congregation intends to provide excellent worship according to this standard.
• hold its members and mission in prayer. Guided by the Holy Spirit, the congregation actively prays for God’s grace for its members as they experience joy and loss, and struggle in the circumstances of life.
• support and encourage its members’ vocation and ministry. Vocation happens when one’s passion meets the world’s needs and God’s gracious response. The responsibility for ministry of a congregation is carried out by its members. The Augustana congregation provides resources to nurture and encourage members as they identify and train for ministry in their daily lives.
• provide opportunities for members through various groups to relate to one another and to their Christian faith. A relational group is one in which God is present when members meet in his name, and one in which members notice and respond when one of their number is absent.
• include faithful giving to the ministries of the congregation, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and to specific ministries and agencies with which the congregation relates in outreach partnerships. The congregation gives in a planned and proportionate manner that reflects its commitment to God’s work throughout the neighborhood, region, and world.

What the Augustana congregation can expect from its members:

As parts of the body of Christ, members of the congregation contribute to the “Building up of the Whole.” Members are called to consistent, faithful and grateful response to God’s grace. Membership is the disciplined embodiment of that response. This means that the Augustana congregation expects its members to . . .

• . . participate regularly in the ministry of Word and Sacrament. One worships where God’s promises are proclaimed. God creates and nourishes faith through worship, and regular participation in worship is essential to sustenance of a Christian’s life.
• hold the mission of the congregation in regular and fervent prayer.
• view daily life as an opportunity for faithful discipleship and ministry. A member’s passions in life can be opportunities that God can use in ministry to meet the needs of the world. Members are open to God’s leading in daily life, and are ready to risk energy, time, talent, and treasure for God’s purposes.
• meet and befriend other members, friends, and guests of the congregation. Members extend friendship to others by listening, supporting, and helping others as fellow members of the body of Christ.
• give faithfully and in good measure to the ministries of Augustana. Learning to be a better giver is one of the ways God nourishes faith. A Christian’s need to learn to be a better giver is greater than the congregation’s need to receive gifts. With energy, time, talent, and treasure, every member gives based on three biblical principles:
• Planned, intentional giving. Giving needs to be directed by prayer, discipleship, and joyful response to God’s grace.
• Proportionate. To understand one’s giving as a percentage, a proportion, of what God has entrusted to one is crucial to becoming a better giver.
• Growth giving. Knowing my current gift as a proportion of what God has entrusted allows one to decide to grow in one’s gift. One biblical standard is the tithe (10%), and we believe a half-tithe (5%) is a reasonable place from which to start.

Nothing is more contemporary than God's address of grace to you that comes through the message, prayers, music, and people gathered for worship. Rather than organizing our worship around styles, we prefer to do it around to the gospel. Music and idioms from many cultures and many times in history can faithfully bear the gospel. Augustana uses many of them. At various times at Augustana you can hear Bach, Dave Brubeck, African rhythms, gospel songs, Duke Ellington, Buxtehude, and many more. Come share in the variety!

Augustana has two wonderful indoor venues for weddings: the Sanctuary and Christ Chapel, and we would be happy to work with you in planning your wedding. Please call a pastor (pederson@augustanadenver.org; bengston@augustanadenver.org) to see about available times. The pastor can then direct you to church administrators who will explain the appropriate fees and contracts. We want you to be clear about what you can expect from the congregation and what the congregation can expect from you. The pastor may also schedule some pre-marriage appointments to reflect on your relationship and plan your wedding. You will also learn of the services of the wedding coordinator and church musicians. Weddings are scheduled quite a ways in advance, so it's not too early to call and begin the process at Augustana.

We are glad you are here! We extend a special welcome to those who are single, married, divorced, gay, filthy rich, twice-divorced, and can’t drive a stick shift.

We extend a welcome to those who are new-born, poor as dirt, skinny as a rail, can’t sing, older than God, “just browsing,” just woke up, just got out of jail, more Lutheran than Luther, more Catholic than the pope, y no habla Ingles.

We extend a special welcome to those who are over forty but not yet grown up, starving artists, just plain orney, folks who blew their offering money at Black Hawk, set in their ways, tree-huggers, vegetarians, preganant, NRA members, junk-food eaters, those having problems, down in the dumps, and don’t like “organized religion.”

We extend a special welcome to those who could lose a few pounds, think the earth is flat, got drug here by their wife/husband, are workaholics, bad spellers, could use a prayer right now, bad tippers, those who came because grandma’s in town and wanted to go to church, are three-times divorced, had religion shoved down their throats when they were a kid, got lost in traffic and wound up here by mistake, are tourists, seekers, doubters, cultured despisers, bleeding hearts . . . and you!