Christ Lutheran Church of Aurora stands on Second Street in the small Willamette Valley town of Aurora, Oregon, where the congregation has gathered for worship and fellowship since 1899. The congregation marked its 125th anniversary with gratitude for the pioneers who founded the town as an intentional Christian community, and the church continues to embrace that hospitality through worship, music, education and outreach.
A Century and a Quarter in Aurora
Christ Lutheran was established in 1899 as a Lutheran congregation serving the farming community of Aurora. The town itself was founded by a colony of seekers intent on building an authentic Christian community, and the congregation has long identified with that pioneer spirit. Christ Lutheran Church is a member congregation of the Oregon Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, with its life shaped by Lutheran heritage while remaining responsive to the needs of its neighbors.
The congregation occupies a single location at 15029 2nd Street NE. Its constitution, most recently revised in 1990 and now undergoing review, frames the church as a worshipping, learning and serving community. More than 90 percent of members volunteer in some capacity beyond Sunday morning, and the church's Time and Talent Fairs - held twice a year - invite new faces to find a place in the congregation's life.
Sunday Worship: A Liturgical Blend
Worship at Christ Lutheran blends traditional and contemporary music and elements within a liturgical framework shaped by Gathering, Word, Meal and Sending. The order of service is rooted in the pattern of the historic church while allowing space for variety in song and prayer.
Two regular Sunday services share that framework. A Traditional Service with liturgical music is held at 9 a.m., and a praise-based Contemporary Service follows at 10 a.m. On the last Sunday of each month the two services are replaced by a single blended gathering called A Place at the Table, held at 11 a.m. This monthly service draws music and prayers from a variety of traditions and is followed by a potluck meal in the fellowship hall.
Communion is celebrated at every service. Worshippers share bread and wine by intinction, with grape juice available in a chalice marked with a ribbon. Gluten-free bread is available with a quiet word to the pastor, and communion is brought to anyone who is unable to come forward. Children are welcome at the table; those too young to receive the bread are offered a blessing.
Music for Every Voice
Music is central to the congregation's life, a legacy traced to Martin Luther and the reformers who set sacred words to tunes that might also be heard in the village square. Christ Lutheran praises God with a variety of instruments and musical styles, from organ and choir to a contemporary praise band.
Kaden Christiansen serves as the church's organist. A 2016 graduate of the University of Oregon, he is also a teacher at North Marion High School where he directs the band and choir. Nancy Beyers leads the praise band. She grew up at Christ Lutheran and has been an active musician all her life; she served as a vocalist in the praise band before becoming its director in 2001.
The congregation believes that every voice contributes to the offering of praise, and visitors are warmly invited to join the singing no matter their skill level.
Children, Youth and Confirmation
Children are a visible and welcome part of Sunday worship. During services, children are invited forward for a special children's message and are then welcomed to participate in childcare offered upstairs. They return to the sanctuary at the close of worship to play alongside the praise band. Quiet bags are available for young worshippers, and nursing mothers are welcome to feed their children anywhere in the building, including a quiet room in the downstairs fellowship space.
Sunday School classes meet for children and youth, and a preschool through fifth grade lesson is offered during the monthly A Place at the Table service. In summer, the church partners with friends at Aurora Presbyterian Church for Adventure Days, a week of Vacation Bible School filled with activity, song, worship and fun. Middle and high school youth serve as mentors and leaders for the younger children during the week.
Middle school students participate in ACMe, a cooperative confirmation program that uses games, music, drama, scripture study and small groups to connect head knowledge with heart faith. ACMe meets on Sunday evenings through the school year. High school members take on adult leadership roles in the congregation, volunteering with the praise band, Sunday School, Vacation Bible School and the church council. The church also encourages its youth to attend Camp Lutherwood near Eugene and can provide scholarships to help with the cost.
Adults in Study and Small Groups
Sunday morning adult education classes meet during the school year, typically working through the week's scripture texts though occasionally taking up a topical subject. Members also lead small groups that meet throughout the week. A women's Bible study gathers on Wednesday evenings at the church, a book study group meets periodically in members' homes, and a men's breakfast Bible study meets on the third Saturday of each month.
The Aurora Transitional Shelter
Since 1990, Christ Lutheran has operated the Aurora Transitional Shelter, a ministry that partners with Clackamas Coordinated Housing Access and the Canby Center to help homeless families return to stable housing. A two-bedroom apartment owned by the church provides up to six months of rent-free respite, giving a family the opportunity to save for rent and a deposit. A caseworker from Clackamas County Human Services, along with church volunteers, supports the family through the transition.
Backpack Buddies and Hunger Relief
Hunger relief is woven through several of the congregation's ministries. The North Marion Backpack Buddies program, coordinated by Christ Lutheran, partners with other local faith communities and the Aurora American Legion Auxiliary to provide two complete heat-and-eat meals each weekend to students at North Marion Primary and Intermediate Schools who receive free or reduced-price lunches. Volunteers purchase food, assemble bags and deliver meals to the school, where counselors and teachers place them discreetly in children's backpacks. The program currently supports more than 100 children each weekend through the school year.
The Backpack Buddies ministry is funded in part by an annual dessert auction held during the church's summer picnic, as well as by a winter fundraiser at the Aurora Pancakepalooza. The congregation also donates nearly a ton of nonperishable food each year to local food banks, primarily the Jubilee Food Pantry in Hubbard, where volunteers serve a monthly meal. A donation station at the front door of the church accepts nonperishable items during church hours. Each winter, the youth lead the congregation's participation in the national Souper Bowl of Caring, taking a special collection of cash and food on the day of the big football game.
Quilts, Giving Trees and Other Outreach
Christ Lutheran's Quilters Group carries on a long Lutheran tradition of sewing to the glory of God. The group's quilts have found their way to homeless shelters, Lutheran World Relief kits, nursing homes, hospitals, hospices and the laps of members and friends of the congregation.
Each Christmas the congregation adopts families in need through the Giving Tree ministry. Members choose gift tags from a tree in the church and purchase the requested gifts, while others sign up to provide items for a holiday meal. Electronic gifts of any size can be made through the church's online giving page.
Seasonal Rhythms: Advent, Lent and a Park Picnic
The church year brings its own rhythm to Aurora. During Advent and Lent, Christ Lutheran sets aside Wednesday evenings for a simple soup and bread supper followed by a brief prayer service. Advent calendars and family devotions help households mark the season of preparation, and Lent is observed with self-reflection and repentance from Ash Wednesday through Easter. The congregation occasionally partners with neighboring churches for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services.
On the last Sunday of August the congregation gathers with friends from Aurora Presbyterian Church for Worship in the Park, a single outdoor service in the Aurora City Park that gives thanks for God's creation. The service is followed by a church potluck picnic and the annual dessert auction to benefit Backpack Buddies. In October, Pastor Craig leads a pet blessing ceremony in the park in recognition of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.
What to Expect on a First Visit
Visitors are greeted at the door by a volunteer from the congregation, and ushers inside the sanctuary hand out bulletins and answer questions. Seating is open, and dress is casual - jeans and business casual attire are both at home in the pews.
Children of all ages are welcome in worship. Quiet bags are available, childcare is provided during the contemporary service, and the cries of babies and the whispers of toddlers are understood as part of the community's life. Following worship, coffee and light refreshments are served in the narthex, and on the last Sunday of the month the congregation shares a meal together. Visitors are always welcome at the table.
Free parking is available at the church, which is located in the heart of Aurora, a short drive from the surrounding North Marion County communities. Online giving is available through the church's electronic giving portal, and a monthly newsletter called the Courier keeps members and friends connected throughout the year.
Pastor Craig Johnson and Leadership
Pastor Craig Johnson, a native of the Pacific Northwest, serves Christ Lutheran as its pastor. He is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, and holds a master of divinity from Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa. He and his wife Karen, a registered nurse with a passion for hospice and palliative care, have two adult daughters and a Great Pyrenees named Izzy.
His ministry at Christ Lutheran is shaped by several core convictions: that the Church is about the Holy Spirit working through people and relationships; that preaching should be approachable and relevant; that Lutheran Christians bring unique gifts to the larger community of Christ; and that hospitality to neighbors is at the heart of evangelism and outreach. He also believes, he notes, that weak coffee is a waste of perfectly good water.
Music leadership is shared by Organist Kaden Christiansen and Praise Band Leader Nancy Beyers. Kaden Christiansen brings his experience as a music educator at North Marion High School, while Nancy Beyers leads a talented group of volunteer musicians each week.
Christ Lutheran Church of Aurora continues to live out its calling in the same town it has served for more than a century - gathering around Word and Sacrament, walking with children and youth, and opening its doors and its resources to neighbors in need.