A Church, a School, and a Food Pantry on Salisbury Street
Bethlehem Lutheran Church and School sits at 2153 Salisbury Street in North St. Louis, a 19th century stone and brick congregation that today runs far more than a Sunday service. Around the parish the church operates a three-campus early-childhood and elementary school, a weekly food pantry that serves more than 125 individuals and supports over 500 families, a year-round youth athletics program, and a creative print and sticker shop called Bethlehem Lutheran Creations. The Lead Pastor, Rev. Dr. Gerard Bolling, often reminds newcomers that the building he grew up around is the same one members have worshipped in for over 130 years, and that the work spilling out of its doors into the neighborhood is meant to be a continuation of that long presence.
Members and visitors are welcomed to worship on Sunday mornings at 10:30, in person and online through Facebook, and the service runs about an hour and a half. The congregation is a member of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS), and the building itself is a designated St. Louis City Landmark, recognized in 1976.
A Parish Organized in 1849, a Building from 1895
The Bethlehem Lutheran parish was organized in 1849. The current church building on Salisbury Avenue was constructed in 1895 and originally featured two spires that rose above the roofline. Those spires were lost in the 1927 tornado that cut across the city, and the building has stood without them ever since. In 1976, the City of St. Louis designated Bethlehem Lutheran Church a City Landmark, recognizing both its architectural presence and its long history in the neighborhood.
Across more than 175 years the parish has moved from a single downtown congregation to a multi-site ministry that includes a school, food pantry, athletics league, and a creative print business. The same address that anchors the historic building, 2153 Salisbury Street, also houses the Hyde Park campus of Bethlehem Lutheran School, the food pantry, and the offices where staff coordinate the wider ministry.
Sunday Worship with Gospel Roots and Contemporary Song
Sunday worship at Bethlehem is built around music. The worship team and band lead a service that draws heavily on gospel and contemporary song forms, and the two children's choirs join the adults on Sunday mornings throughout the year. BLC also incorporates praise dance into special services across the church year, and uses art in many different forms as a way to bring praise to God.
The congregation practices close(d) communion, welcoming fellow believers who share the LCMS confession of faith to partake in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper together. American Sign Language interpretation is offered during the 10:30 service so that Deaf members and visitors can worship alongside everyone else, and the service is livestreamed on Facebook for those who cannot attend in person.
Wednesday evenings at Bethlehem take on a different rhythm. From 5:30 to 7:30 the church hosts Bethlehem Family, a gathering the pastor describes as fun and God's Word for all ages. Children, youth, and adults meet at the same time on the church campus for shared teaching, meals, and ministry programming that has become a regular midweek anchor for many families.
What Bethlehem Believes
Bethlehem Lutheran Church teaches from the LCMS confession. Members affirm the authority of Scripture as the inspired and inerrant Word of God, the doctrine of justification by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, and the importance of carrying out the Great Commission to share the Gospel and make disciples of all nations. The church confesses belief in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as the Triune God who connects believers to one another in faith.
The congregation's approach to worship is described by its staff as God-honoring and detail-oriented, with a desire to bring the best before the Lord. In keeping with Lutheran practice, the church practices close(d) communion, welcoming to the Lord's Table those who share the same confession of faith.
Bethlehem Lutheran School Across Three Campuses
Bethlehem Lutheran School is one of the most visible arms of the ministry. The school serves children from six weeks through fifth grade and operates on three campuses in the St. Louis area, all sharing the same curriculum, pricing, and faith-shaped environment. Families can move their child between campuses as their age and needs change.
The Hyde Park campus shares the Salisbury Street address with the church and serves children from two years old through fifth grade. It is also home to the Bethlehem Micro School, a K to 5 program inspired by the classic one-room schoolhouse, with small class sizes, individualized learning plans, and multi-grade classrooms where older and younger students learn side by side.
Chapel of the Cross, located at 11645 Benham Road in North County, offers care for children six weeks through five years, plus an after-school program for K through 5th grade students that runs Monday through Friday from 3:30 to 6:00 pm. Each afternoon includes a hot meal, homework support, structured activities, creative play, and outdoor time.
All Nations, at 7860 Olive Boulevard in University City, is a small infant classroom serving children six weeks to one year, in partnership with Mount Calvary Lutheran Church. When those babies turn one, families can transition to the Chapel of the Cross or Hyde Park campus for the next stage of care.
Weekly tuition runs from $160 for Pre-K to $325 for infants, with toddler care at $185 per week and K-5 at $230 per week. The school accepts state subsidy at all locations and offers transportation between campuses for $35 per week. Nutritious breakfasts, lunches, and after-school dinners are provided Monday through Friday at every site. For the 2025-2026 school year, the theme is Rooted and Growing, with a different Fruit of the Spirit highlighted each month.
Deaconess Dr. Janine Bolling, who joined as Senior Director of Educational Services in June 2025, oversees Bethlehem Lutheran Childcare, Bethlehem Lutheran School, and the Ephrathah Activity Center (EAC) for summer and after-school programming.
A Weekly Food Pantry and the Pocket Pantry Initiative
On the same block as the church building, the Bethlehem Lutheran Food Pantry opens three afternoons a week. Anyone in need of food support can walk in on Wednesdays from 3:00 to 6:00 pm, Fridays from 3:00 to 6:00 pm, or Sundays from 12:30 to 2:30 pm. A photo ID is required to receive food.
The pantry is staffed largely by volunteers and depends entirely on donations from churches and individuals. Each week it serves more than 125 individuals and supports more than 500 families, distributing over $30,000 worth of food annually. Donors who want to stay connected to the work can join the Pocket Pantry initiative, which provides an updated list of current needs, accepts drop-off donations in person, and offers a keychain that keeps the Pocket Pantry with supporters wherever they go.
Volunteers are also needed beyond the pantry itself. Bethlehem's volunteer page lists openings for Food Pantry Prep, Building Work, Childcare Help, and Sunday Van Drivers. The church runs Sunday van routes that bring members and visitors to the 10:30 worship service.
Student Ministry, Athletics, and the Bethlehem Family
Bethlehem's student ministry is shared between Rev. Chris Knepper, the Pastor of Community Engagement, and Sherri Bass, who serves in a dual role as Executive Director of Finance and Human Resources and as a leader in the Senior and Junior Youth Ministry teams. Cherelle Hamilton also works with the youth, and the church's athletics program offers basketball and other sports for elementary through high school students. Coaches lead teams at the junior high and high school level, and the program has produced a generation of Bethlehem kids who grew up on the same courts.
The Wednesday Bethlehem Family gathering from 5:30 to 7:30 pm serves as another touchpoint for the wider congregation. Children, youth, and adults meet on the church campus at the same time, and programming for every age runs in parallel so that families can attend together.
Bethlehem Lutheran Creations: Stickers, Signs, and Print
Bethlehem Lutheran Creations is the church's in-house design and print shop, producing custom stickers, yard signs, banners, window clings, vinyl wall decals, ID badges, and basic printing such as bulletins, flyers, letterhead, and envelopes. Work is available to other churches, schools, and community organizations, and orders are placed by emailing the design to the Creations team. Pricing for banners runs about $7 per square foot, removable wall decals about $8 per square foot, and yard signs are quoted per project.
Creations also runs a Sticker Club. Subscribers pay $5 a month and receive five to seven custom stickers each month, picked up at Bethlehem or mailed via USPS. Individual stickers, including designs like Trust in the Lord, The Lord is My Shepherd, Walk By Faith, and GRACE ALONE. PERIOD., are sold at $3 each, with bundles of two for $4 and ten for $15.
The Build, Grow, GO Capital Campaign
Bethlehem is in the middle of a $5 million capital campaign to build a new worship center on the Salisbury Street campus. The planned space is a movable worship center that can seat up to 500 people and can also be used for community events across the city. The two buildings will be connected by a skyway linking the new center to the existing Lutheran School and former worship space.
The campaign, called Build, Grow, GO, received an early $500,000 commitment from Christian rapper and artist FLAME, the first major gift toward the goal. Gifts to the campaign can be made online through the church's giving page.
Leadership at Bethlehem
Rev. Dr. Gerard Bolling serves as Lead Pastor. A former van driver, vicar, deaf ministry coordinator, community outreach minister, and Associate Pastor at Bethlehem, he became Lead Pastor after the passing of Pastor John Schmidtke in May 2022. He holds a BA in Theatre from Concordia University Chicago, a Master of Divinity from Concordia Seminary St. Louis, and a Doctorate of Education from Concordia University Wisconsin, and he also teaches leadership and theology online for Concordia University Texas and hosts The (Im)partial Church podcast for Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Rev. Chris Knepper serves as Pastor of Community Engagement. Sherri Bass serves as Executive Director of Finance and Human Resources. Deaconess Dr. Janine Bolling serves as Executive Director of Educational Services. Katrina Wallace leads the Worship Arts team as Director of Worship Arts, joined by staff accompanist Pete Ruthenburg, staff percussionist Austin Betts, and Technical Arts Coordinator Vicar Luke Symmank. Dan Schmidtke serves as Athletic Director, Board President, and a deacon, and a board of deacons including Darrell Rogers Sr., Ronald Mack, Montez Pruitt, Clark Walker, and Terence Nash supports the ministry of the church.
Online Bible Study and Staying Connected
Beyond the Sunday service, Bethlehem publishes an Online Bible Study, recorded as a podcast and released every Monday at 6:00 pm. Each session looks at the Gospel reading from the previous Sunday. Episodes are available wherever podcasts are streamed, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Visitors who want to follow along with the church's life can subscribe to the Bethlehem newsletter, follow the church on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok, or watch the livestreamed Sunday service on Facebook. Giving to the ministry and to the Build, Grow, GO campaign can be done online through the church's secure giving page.
Plan a Visit
Worship gathers at 10:30 am on Sunday mornings at 2153 Salisbury Street, with ASL interpretation provided and the service livestreamed on Facebook. The food pantry is open Wednesday and Friday afternoons from 3:00 to 6:00 and Sunday afternoons from 12:30 to 2:30. The main church office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, and a Sunday van service helps bring people to and from the service. For school tours, the enrollment team can be reached by phone, text, or email, and tours can be scheduled for any of the three campuses.