Lord of Life Lutheran Church sits at 13724 West Meeker Boulevard, in the center of Sun City West, Arizona, and has been the spiritual home of this retirement community for more than four decades. The congregation is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, belongs to the Grand Canyon Synod, and currently numbers more than 900 members. From its location on Meeker Boulevard, the church offers traditional Word and Sacrament worship, a flourishing music program, deeply rooted care ministries, and a long list of mission partnerships that reach from the West Valley to Haiti.
Founded in 1981, Growing in Grace
Lord of Life was organized in 1981 with 160 charter members who stepped out in faith to begin a new Lutheran ministry in the growing Sun City West community. The vision that shaped those founding members still guides the congregation today. A founding document reads: Called by God to grow spiritually, welcome graciously, love unconditionally, and serve together faithfully as followers of Christ. The vision statement describes Lord of Life as a people of salt and light, working together to bring hope and wholeness to all as Jesus did, with a posture of rejuvenation and transformation rather than retirement.
The church grounds its identity in classic Lutheran conviction. Holy Scripture is the source and norm of its faith and life, and the congregation proclaims the good news of God's saving love in Jesus Christ for all people. Members are committed to serving in love all people in the community and beyond. As a Reformation church, the congregation sees a special obligation to cooperate with other Christians to promote unity in the family of God.
Worship on Saturdays and Sundays
Worship at Lord of Life is described as alive and engaging, centered on Word and Sacrament and grounded in the Bible and Lutheran teachings. The schedule shifts with the seasons. From November through April, the Saturday service is at 5:00 PM with a fellowship hour at 4:00 PM, and two Sunday services are offered at 8:30 and 10:30 AM, with fellowship between them at 9:30 AM. From May through October, the Saturday service remains at 5:00 PM, and a single Sunday service is offered at 9:30 AM, followed by fellowship at 10:30 AM. All services take place in the sanctuary at 13724 West Meeker Boulevard.
Services are livestreamed, so members who travel, live part-time elsewhere, or are homebound can join from a distance. Visitors who want to know what to expect will find a congregation that welcomes lifelong Lutherans, people from other religious backgrounds, and anyone curious about exploring life from a faith perspective. The staff at the church notes that questions of faith and life deepen the experience with God and with one another.
Music and Choirs
Music is one of the most visible ministries at Lord of Life. The music team, led by Music Director Gloria Lien and Choir Director Dave Lien, oversees several ensembles that rehearse and perform from October through May.
- Worship Choir rehearses Thursday afternoons at 1:30 in the sanctuary and sings at the 8:30 and 10:30 Sunday services, with occasional performances at the Saturday service.
- JuBELLation Bell Choir is a handbell ensemble that contributes to worship and the broader concert series.
- Chamber Singers is an auditioned choir that meets Thursdays at 10:30 AM in the chapel.
- Sing Along Choir gathers the first and third Thursday of each month at 9:40 AM in the parking lot to carpool to assisted living facilities and other locations, bringing music to those who cannot easily come to church.
- Big Band, instrumentalists, and solo vocalists round out the musical offerings.
The church also hosts a community Concert Series in the sanctuary that has featured choirs, soloists, and instrumental ensembles, with plans to resume future seasons.
Care Ministries: Prayer Shawls, Quilts, and Phone Calls
The Congregational Care Ministries exist to care for the whole person, body and spirit. The prayer shawl ministry began in 2004 and has since given shawls to more than 100 people; knitters and crocheters weave prayers for healing into every stitch, and recipients are wrapped in a tangible mantle of love from the congregation. The quilting ministry meets on the second Wednesday of each month from 8:30 AM to noon in the Social Hall and produces quilts for full and single beds, baby and youth sizes, and special pocket quilts for children displaced by traumatic events. Quilts go out through the Christmas Adopt-A-Family program, Habitat for Humanity homes, Clinica Adelante, West Valley Child Crisis Center, New Life Shelter, the Lutheran Navajo Mission at Rock Point, and Agape.
A phone ministry reaches members who are homebound, living in group homes or care centers, lonely, or have lost contact with the church. A prayer ministry accepts requests through the office at 623-584-2000 and circulates them on a telephone prayer chain and a weekly email. A greeting card ministry designs and assembles cards once a month at a member's home to be sent throughout the year in times of need or celebration. A parish nurse, Leoma Lightner, supports the health-related needs of the congregation.
Education, Bible Study, and Learning
Christian education is described as a fundamental element of life at Lord of Life. The Eye Opener Bible Study meets Thursday mornings at 7:30 AM and digs into the theological concepts of the current sermon series, so what is heard on Sunday can be discussed in depth during the week. A separate Bible study series offers multi-week explorations of books of the Bible and topics in theology. Theological Conversations gathers people for discussion of Jesus, Scripture, and the women and men who shaped Christianity. Health and wellness seminars appear on the calendar periodically.
For those who want to learn what Lutherans actually believe, the church provides a Lutheranism 101 resource.
Men's, Women's, and Special Interest Groups
The Men's Caring & Sharing group meets every Monday at 9:00 AM in a small-group format for conversation, mutual support, and a topic of the day. A men's book discussion group chooses a new book each month and gathers for lively conversation.
Women's ministry at Lord of Life includes a vibrant and diverse mix of Bible study, community projects, and fellowship, as well as the Women of the ELCA, whose purpose is to mobilize women to act boldly on their faith in Jesus Christ through growth, community, and action.
Special interest groups reflect the active life of the congregation. Cardio Drumming, Chair Exercise, and Mobility Classes are taught on campus by certified instructors. Two book discussion groups meet during the fall and winter. Mahjong gathers Fridays at 1:00 PM, with supplies provided and beginners to experts welcome. SOS, for widowed men and women, meets monthly for fellowship and special events.
Mission and Outreach Beyond Sun City West
Lord of Life's mission statement - transformed to serve - is lived out through a wide network of benevolence partners. Locally, the congregation supports Benevilla, the Community Fund of Sun City West, Valley View Food Bank, Grace Lutheran Homeless Program, Eve's Place, Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest, Pan de Vida, Native American Urban Ministries, and the Barbell Saves Project. It serves neighborhood schools including Nadaburg Elementary and Thompson Ranch Elementary.
Across the ELCA, Lord of Life supports ELCA World Hunger, ELCA Disaster Relief, ELCA Good Gifts, ELCA Global Missionaries, ELCA Fund for Leaders, ELCA Campus Ministries at ASU, NAU, and UA, and the Grand Canyon Synod. It supports Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and California Lutheran University, and partners with the Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center.
Internationally, the church supports the Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission at Rock Point, Friends of St. Joseph's Family in Haiti, and Feed My Starving Children. In 2024, the Mission Endowment Fund distributed $101,155, including $51,000 in scholarships for three incoming Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary students.
Membership and Becoming Part of the Congregation
Anyone interested in joining Lord of Life is asked to attend two short evening orientation sessions before the formal reception of new members. Members come in by Letter of Transfer from another congregation, by Reaffirmation of Faith for those whose membership has lapsed, or by Profession of Faith, which includes baptism for those not previously baptized. Persons who live part-time in the area may become Associate members, counted statistically at their home congregation while enjoying all the privileges of membership at Lord of Life. The office can be reached at 623-584-2000 or info@lolaz.org for more information.
The Mission Endowment Fund and Planned Giving
The Mission Endowment Fund, established in 2004, provides grants and benevolence gifts for mission work beyond regular giving. Priorities are Lutheran, then faith-based, then charitable organizations that serve human needs. Gifts can be made through bequests or trust distributions, life insurance proceeds, CDs, bonds, bank account assignments, charitable gift annuities, and qualified charitable distributions from IRAs. The church's planned giving materials walk members through wills, life insurance gifts, IRA gifts, charitable gift annuities, and both remainder and lead trusts. Lisa Marie Higginbotham, Regional Gift Planner for the ELCA Foundation, is available as a resource person.
The Building: Weddings, Funerals, and a Columbarium
The Lord of Life campus hosts weddings, funerals and memorials, and is available for community use with a campus use application. A columbarium on site offers single and double niches for inurnment, and the church provides a Columbarium Brochure and niche documents for members who wish to plan ahead. Memorial and funeral planning brochures and forms are available, as are wedding planning brochures and forms. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM in winter and 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM in summer. Two small pets named Mr. Banks and Isabella round out the community as part of the Pawfessional Support Team.