Our Saviour Lutheran Church (OSLC) has lived on Fowler Avenue at the edge of the Purdue University campus in West Lafayette, Indiana, since it was planted as a mission congregation in 1958. The building at 300 W Fowler Ave. has served as both a parish home and a 'home away from home' for the Lutheran student community through a continuous partnership with Purdue Lutheran Ministry (PLM). The congregation's tagline, 'Reflecting God's Love,' matches the welcome printed on its doors: all people of faith and doubt, all people of any origin, race, ability, sexual orientation, or gender expression, and all people who seek a compassionate community. Simply curious or seriously committed, blessed or broken, loved or lonely, all are welcome here.
Liturgical Worship with Communion Every Sunday
Worship at OSLC is rooted in how God's grace comes through Word and Sacrament, and the Sunday morning liturgy is described as liturgical, scriptural, and inclusive. During the academic year, the main service begins at 9:00 a.m. (Eastern) with vibrant traditional Lutheran music led by organ or clavinova and a full celebration of Holy Communion every Sunday. The service follows the seasons of the Church Year, with different styles appropriate to each season. Worshipers may attend in person at 300 W Fowler Ave. or follow the livestream on Facebook and YouTube, where recordings remain available afterward. A fellowship hour always follows the 9:00 a.m. service.
During the summer, mid-May through mid-August, the schedule simplifies to a single 9:00 a.m. Sunday service. The summer style shifts across the weeks from traditional to contemporary, giving the congregation a chance to vary its worship voice across the season.
Wednesday Breaking Bread
On Wednesday evenings during the academic year, OSLC hosts Breaking Bread, an experiential worship service at 6:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall downstairs. Worshipers gather around a shared meal, read and discuss scripture together, and bless one another with prayer and song. It is an intentionally relational service, organized around the essence of building community within the body of Christ. Breaking Bread is offered in person.
Children and Youth Faith Formation
Faith formation for young people runs alongside the academic-year Sunday schedule, beginning with fellowship and food in the Fellowship Hall after the 9:00 a.m. service and moving into classrooms at 10:15 a.m. Teachers escort children to their classrooms.
The youngest children have a paid nursery staffed by a team member trained in Child and Baby First Aid, CPR, and AED. The nursery is open from 8:45 to 11:15 a.m., and parents sign children in and out in person. Children ages 2 through pre-kindergarten gather for a playful Sunday School experience using the Sparkhouse curriculum, with hands-on, Bible-centered lessons, singing, crafts, and age-appropriate activities.
Elementary-aged children are split into two classes, kindergarten through second grade and grades 3 through 6, and use a Montessori-style play-based curriculum. Each session begins with a Bible story and an invitation for children to ask questions about how the story connects to their own lives, followed by arts, crafts, and play around the story elements.
Middle and high school students, grades 7 through 12, meet weekly during the school year, with Pastor Randy Schroeder leading confirmation. Older youth serve as acolytes, ushers, readers, and assistant ministers during worship. The youth ministry sends students to the ELCA Youth Gathering every three years and encourages participation in the congregation's Mission Guatemala trips, alongside monthly fellowship activities and service projects. Children and family resources recommended by the faith formation director include books like Sing Wrestle Spin Prayers for Active Kids by Jennifer Grant and Faithful Families by Traci Smith, Taking Faith Home videos and cards from Milestones Ministry, and Augsburg Fortress children's books.
Adult Forum and Learning
Adult Forum meets on Sundays from 10:20 to 11:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall, and virtually, during the academic year. Recent guest speakers have come from LUM Immigration Services, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Bread for the World, Habitat for Humanity, and Gateway to Hope for Narcan training. The forum is a place to learn about community organizations, hear different perspectives, and find ways to serve.
Around other tables, members gather for Pints with a Pastor at a local restaurant, winery, or pub to talk about faith, philosophy, ethics, and current issues over a beverage; college and high school students are welcome. A casual Book Club meets on Zoom to discuss what members are reading. Hearts and Crafts gathers monthly in the Fellowship Hall with a small make-and-take project and time for individual crafting, alternating between Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. A Dinner Group takes turns hosting one another for shared meals, with the host providing a main dish and guests bringing the rest.
Two groups meet on the first Saturday of the month. The Men's Breakfast Group gathers at 8:30 a.m. at Literato for conversation; the group has been meeting for many years, and the format has simplified over time to simply enjoying whatever comes up. The Working Mom's Group meets from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. at The Lobby by Greyhouse on Main Street in Lafayette to support mothers balancing work and family.
Ministry Beyond the Walls
OSLC's mission reaches well beyond Fowler Avenue. The congregation is one of more than 50 Christian churches in Lafayette Urban Ministry (LUM), a social safety net for children and families in need. OSLC provides direct financial support to LUM, hosts Jubilee Christmas annually, and members volunteer with LUM's after-school program and the St. John's/LUM Food Pantry.
OSLC was a founding member of Family Promise of Greater Lafayette, which transitioned in 2024 into the Greater Lafayette Family Shelter. Members supply ready-to-eat meals and pantry items for families in transition.
Across the hemisphere, OSLC joins Mission Guatemala, sending teams every one to two years to support health, education, and nutrition initiatives. Each year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the congregation leads a Pack Away Hunger meal-packing event whose output is split between local needs and Mission Guatemala. The OSLC Quilting Ministry works year-round to make quilts that Lutheran World Relief distributes as warm bedding, simple tents, and floor coverings around the world.
Music and the Visual Arts
Music holds a central place at OSLC, echoing Martin Luther's conviction that 'next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world.' The Adult Choir sings at the first worship service from time to time during the Purdue academic year, and the church welcomes new singers at any skill level.
The sanctuary carries its theology in wood and canvas. Behind the altar stands the Tree of Life, designed by Charles Pohlmann and constructed by Ted Marshall, representing the tree of life in Genesis and the everlasting life granted to those who display fruits of the spirit. The chancel also holds a series of carved panels in traditional Yoruba dress by Nigerian master sculptor Lamidi Olonade Fakeye (1928 - 2009), depicting scenes in the life of Jesus and carved of African Cordia wood while he was artist-in-residence at Hope College. A painting of The Last Supper hangs in the church as well, acquired by OSLC members while on mission work in Guatemala.
Mission, Vision, and Values
In February 2025 the congregation adopted a new framework. The Mission: 'Embraced by God's Love to honor all people, share Christ's compassion, and serve the world.' The Vision: 'Make Christ's love known to all - meet people where they are, accompany and encourage one another along the way, nurture our roots and foster new growth.' The Values are empathy, growth, generosity, belonging, tradition, and caring.
A Congregation Since 1958
OSLC was founded as a mission church in 1958 in partnership with Purdue Lutheran Ministry, providing a congregational home for the Lutheran student community at Purdue. The congregation's first place of worship was the old West Lafayette Junior High School on the site of the current building. The present church was dedicated in 1966 and expanded in 1994. The blend of town and gown that defines Greater Lafayette shapes OSLC's identity, and members describe the community as a delightful mix of individuals seeking to faithfully and creatively bear witness to the Gospel.
Visiting OSLC
First-time guests are welcomed with the line 'Come as you are. Jeans or dress, collar or t-shirt, all are celebrated.' Worship is described as inclusive and rooted in grace, with questions and complexities welcome. The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 - 3:00 p.m., and the main number is 765-743-2931. Worshipers who wish to attend online can join the 9:00 a.m. Sunday service on Facebook and YouTube. The monthly newsletter, The Evangel, and weekly bulletins are downloadable, and giving is available online or by mail.
Leadership
Pastor Randy Schroeder has served OSLC since December 2019. Erin Thompson serves as Faith Formation Director and oversees the church's programs for children, youth, and adults. The rotation of preachers in recent seasons includes Pastor Randy Schroeder, Pastor Kristin Rice, Pastor Libby Manning, Rev. Peter Bunder, Rev. Dr. Derek Nelson, Seminarian Justin Marquis, Adrianne Meier, and Josiah Black, reflecting a community that opens its pulpit to a broad circle of Lutheran voices.
Lay leaders serve across every aspect of OSLC ministry, from the Altar team that prepares the eucharist and seasonal paraments to Care, Evangelism, Faith Formation, Property, Worship and Music, and the Greater Lafayette Family Shelter liaison. The OSLC Quilters, the Adult Choir, and the many hands that pour coffee after Sunday worship are part of the same web.