Holy Cross Lutheran Church sits on North Hayden Road in Scottsdale, where the people of the congregation have gathered around Word and Sacrament since 1960. Pastor Jon Bjorgaard leads a community that describes itself as a family of believers growing in love for God and others, with a stated mission to share the love of their Savior, grow spiritually, and teach what God's Word guides them to do in this life. Affiliated with The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and part of the Pacific Southwest District, Holy Cross is known for its three distinct weekend services, a robust Wednesday-night recovery ministry, and a steady stream of outreach that reaches well beyond its own walls.
Three Services for Saturday and Sunday
Holy Cross offers three weekend worship gatherings, each with its own feel.
- Saturday at 5 p.m. - A casual blended service for those who want to begin the weekend in a relaxed setting.
- Sunday at 9 a.m. - The Traditional Divine Service, rooted in the liturgical patterns Lutherans have practiced for centuries.
- Sunday at 10:45 a.m. - The Journey Service, a contemporary gathering with a different message and space to engage.
The office is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and the building is located at 3110 N Hayden Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85251.
Journey: A Service for the Curious
The Journey Service is especially welcoming to anyone who has never been to church or is new to Lutheran worship. The message each week is different from the other weekend services, with intentional space to engage and see how God's Word connects to everyday life. Come as you are is the standing invitation.
Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Scripture Alone
As an LCMS congregation, Holy Cross confesses the historic Lutheran teaching summarized in three short phrases: Grace alone, Faith alone, Scripture alone. With the universal Christian Church, the Synod teaches and responds to the love of the Triune God - the Father, creator of all that exists; Jesus Christ, the Son, who became human to suffer and die for the sins of all and to rise again in victory over death; and the Holy Spirit, who creates faith through God's Word and Sacraments. The Bible is God's inerrant and infallible Word and the sole rule and norm for Christian doctrine. The congregation also holds to the Lutheran Confessions contained in The Book of Concord, with Luther's Small Catechism and the Augsburg Confession as foundational summaries of what Lutherans believe. The word Synod itself comes from Greek words meaning walking together, and the member congregations of the LCMS voluntarily choose to belong to the body while sharing a common confession of Jesus Christ as taught in Holy Scripture.
Celebrate Recovery on Wednesday Nights
Wednesday evenings at Holy Cross belong to Celebrate Recovery, a twelve-step Christ-centered program the congregation describes as a safe place where people who are hurting can experience hope and healing in a Christian community. The evening flows in three parts: a 5:45 p.m. meal and fellowship, a 6:30 p.m. testimony service, and 7:15 p.m. small groups. The ministry is open to all, whether or not they are members of Holy Cross, and welcomes anyone wrestling with hurts, habits, or hang-ups. The congregation frames the program around four promises - a safe place, hope and healing, Christian community, and the chance to grow through sharing experience, strength, and hope with one another.
Worship Behind Walls and Across Town
Two of Holy Cross's signature ministries take worship and pastoral care out of the building and into places most churches never reach.
Prison Ministry
Josh Blumer directs the congregation's prison ministry, actively serving in both adult and juvenile facilities. After a 20-year career as a correctional officer with the Arizona Department of Corrections, Blumer retired and returned to prisons under a new calling to minister to those within the system. He is currently completing classes to finish his Deacons license through the Pacific Southwest District.
Retirement Home Worship
Each week, teams of Holy Cross volunteers lead worship and build relationships with residents of four retirement communities in Scottsdale.
- Revel Retirement Community - 10 a.m. Thursdays, 8225 E Indian Bend Rd.
- Scottsdale Village Square - 3 p.m. Thursdays, 2620 N 68th St.
- Westminster Village - 10 a.m. Fridays, 12000 North 90th Street.
- Springs of Scottsdale - 1 p.m. Fridays, 3212 North Miller Road.
Quarterly Missions: Four Causes a Year
Each year the members of Holy Cross vote to provide monetary support above their regular giving to four rotating organizations, one per quarter.
- January-March - Adopt a Student. Offerings support three men in the congregation preparing for ministry: a Concordia University, Nebraska seminarian pursuing pastoral ministry, Vicar Mark Kempf working toward his pastoral degree online through Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, and Josh Blumer finishing his Deacons license through the Pacific Southwest District.
- April-June - Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch. A ministry that provides best-in-class psychiatric therapy and trauma-informed care for children who have experienced significant difficulty.
- July-September - Sunshine Acres Children's Home. A Mesa-based Christian home for children separated from their parents, helping them build stable parental figures and prepare for adult life.
- October-December - Member Assistance Fund. An internal Holy Cross fund that helps members of the congregation through hard times, with careful screening and tracking of how dollars are used.
Bible Studies and Resources to Grow On
Two weekly Bible studies meet in the Conference Room, both led by Dennis Marten. On Saturdays at 4 p.m., the group walks through the book of 2 Corinthians, and on Sundays at 10:30 a.m., the study turns to the Gospel of John. The Resources page points members and seekers toward a 45-page downloadable book by Pastor Jon titled What If You Are Wrong?, the God Connects video series, Project Connect, The Bible Project, and a year-long reading plan called Through the Bible in a Year. Sermons are archived on Pastor Jon's YouTube channel.
Meet the Team
Pastor Jon Bjorgaard shepherds the parish and preaches at the weekend services. Vicar Mark Kempf is preparing to become a pastor through the Specific Ministry Pastor program at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis; under Pastor Jon's mentorship he leads the retirement home ministry, assists in worship, and visits the homebound and hospitalized. Josh Blumer serves as Director of Prison Ministry, working in adult and juvenile facilities across the Valley. Together with the support staff who keep the office running, this team anchors a congregation that has welcomed new neighbors in Scottsdale for more than six decades and shows no sign of slowing down.