Calvary Lutheran Church has called the small community of Rio Linda - just north of Sacramento - home since 1923. The congregation at 515 L Street gathers under the motto "Open Arms, Open Hearts, Sharing the Good News of God's Grace," and that welcome shows up everywhere from the greeters at the door to the recovery groups that meet in the Social Hall seven days a week. As an ELCA congregation, Calvary belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the largest Lutheran body in the country.
Liturgical Worship on Sunday Mornings
The main weekly gathering is Sunday worship at 10:30 a.m., held in person and livestreamed on YouTube. The bulletin is printed and projected on a large screen at the front of the sanctuary, so visitors can follow the order of service without prior knowledge of the liturgy. Music from the Worship Team runs throughout.
The pattern of the service is straightforward: corporate confession, scripture reading, sermon, prayers, the Passing of the Peace, offering, Holy Communion, announcements, benediction, and sending. A brief Children's Time invites young worshipers forward before they head out for a craft tied to the day's Gospel reading; they return in time for the peace. "We are a liturgical church which means that all participate," the congregation explains. "All are invited to sing along, to pray, to dance if you are so moved." Communion is shared by the whole assembly.
What Visitors See When They Arrive
Most people park in the lot off 5th Avenue and walk in through the doors there. A greeter typically points them down the hall. Those who come through the gate and courtyard on L Street can sign the guest book just inside. A few stairs lead up to the sanctuary, and an elevator is available for those who prefer not to climb them.
Inside, "music will be playing, some people will be dressed in their Sunday best and others may be wearing an old t-shirt and sweatpants, there will be laughter and conversation, children will be acting like they own the place. We don't mind. They are supposed to feel at home. This is the House of God and a Home to all of God's People." Worshipers are invited to make facial expressions during the sermon "so Pastor Kirsten knows you're listening."
The congregation has published a widely-shared welcome that ends: "We welcome tourists, seekers and doubters, bleeding hearts ... and you!" It explicitly names single, married, divorced, gay, rich, poor, child, teen, sixty-something, immigrant, recovering, doubting, inked, pierced, and "just got out of jail" - to name only some.
Children, Youth, and Music
Sunday School runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. alongside the worship service, so families can attend together. Children's Time and a craft activity tailored to the Gospel reading give younger children a worship experience of their own.
Confirmation-age youth, 7th through 12th graders, meet as "The Legend of Calvary" on Sundays from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Music lessons are offered after worship each Sunday for students who want to learn or keep up an instrument. Each summer, Vacation Bible School fills the Social Hall for a week of Bible stories, games, and crafts, capped by a worship service in the Social Hall.
Adults in Conversation
An Adult Bible Study gathers on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m. The Prayer Chain carries requests between meetings by email and phone. On Tuesday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon, the Quilting Group cuts and sews quilts for people in need. A Craft Class on the second Saturday of each month, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., makes items for the Country Faire; bring a glue gun and a sack lunch.
On the last Saturday of each month at 4 p.m., volunteers assemble Free Care Bags that are then handed out to anyone in the neighborhood who needs them. The committee that organizes outreach efforts meets on the first Sunday of each month in the library after worship.
A Building That Hosts the Whole Community
The Social Hall at 515 L Street is one of the busiest rooms in Rio Linda. Alcoholics Anonymous meets there every day of the week - mornings, afternoons, and evenings - and Narcotics Anonymous gathers there as well, with both men's and women's groups and meetings at a range of times.
On Thursdays, a Senior Citizen Lunch brings neighbors together; volunteers are welcome to help with the meal. The Rio Linda/Elverta Historical Society uses the Social Hall on the third Sunday of each month at 2 p.m. For those who need a larger room, the building is available for weddings and funerals according to the congregation's published policies, and the office can help schedule other community events.
Pastor Kirsten Moore
Pastor Kirsten Moore began life in a Chicago suburb, where she was baptized into a Lutheran congregation, attended Sunday school, and received her first communion. When she was 11, her family moved to Walnut Creek, and she was confirmed at Saint Matthew Lutheran Church, where she became deeply involved with the youth group.
She went on to California Lutheran University, where she majored in Religion and minored in Psychology and met her husband, Matt. After college she spent nearly 17 years as a Youth and Family Minister at four California congregations, most recently Lutheran Church of the Incarnation in Davis. In December 2013 she completed her Master of Divinity at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley. She and Matt have two daughters, and she has served Calvary since 2014.
The Lutheran "Four Onlies"
Calvary teaches the central pillars of Lutheran theology, first set out by Martin Luther in 1520 and known as the "four onlys":
- Only Grace - salvation is God's gift, not anything we can earn.
- Only Faith - faith is the trust that brings us to God's grace.
- Only Scripture - doctrine conforms to God's Word as it comes through the Bible.
- Only Christ - Jesus Christ is the Living Word and the object of our faith.
The congregation's own values spell out the local application: Jesus is Lord and Savior; unity and inclusion; praying and worshiping together; showing Christ's grace; salvation is for everyone; and leading by example.