On South Lebanon Road in Loveland, Ohio, just south of the Little Miami River, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America whose mission is to help people live and love like Jesus. The community gathers for weekend worship on Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings, then fans back out through Loveland and across Greater Cincinnati to serve neighbors in need, raise children in faith, and build partnerships that reach as far as Haiti and Tanzania.
Worship on Lebanon Road
Prince of Peace holds two regular weekend services, and both are livestreamed. On Saturday at 5:00 PM the congregation gathers for a blended service that draws on Lutheran liturgy, music, and prayer. On Sunday at 10:00 AM the service takes a more contemporary shape, with a worship ensemble leading songs that are easier to sing along with for the first time. Communion is celebrated at every service, and all who come forward are invited to share in the Lord's Supper - the gifts of God are free.
The congregation describes its purpose plainly: "Our mission at Prince of Peace is to help people live and love like Jesus. Simple? Yes. Easy? Not always." For Pastor Jonathan Eilert and the pastoral team, worship is both a touchpoint with God and a launchpad into daily life. "Worship also reminds us of God's promises for our lives and fuels us to live out our daily calling as followers of Jesus."
What to Expect When You Visit
First-time guests will find a building full of small kindnesses. Friendly greeters stand at the main entrances to point newcomers toward the restrooms and coffee bar. The Welcome Desk in the gathering space is staffed by a volunteer who can answer questions about anything from Sunday School to Stephen Ministry. Dress ranges from jeans and t-shirts to suits and dresses - the congregation's only request is "come as you are."
Children are not only tolerated but celebrated. "We value children of all ages and are excited when they are with us in worship. We like kids in worship and we know they can make noise. That's awesome! It's the kind of noise we like to hear." Young children may remain with their parents in the sanctuary or join a nursery or children's class during worship. Holy Communion is offered to all; new guests are not expected to give financially and need not feel any pressure to do so.
A Church Where All Means All
Prince of Peace is an intentionally inclusive congregation. In its own words, the church is committed to embracing people of every race and ethnicity, honoring people of all ages, affirming people of all sexual orientations, cherishing people of all gender expressions and gender identities, celebrating people of all abilities, respecting people of every socioeconomic class, inviting people of all household structures and marital statuses, welcoming people of all educational backgrounds, and valuing people who feel marginalized or left behind.
"If you have a different faith background, different religious or spiritual experience, or are curious about your spiritual beliefs, we welcome you. We celebrate what makes all of us unique. We believe that God provides grace to all, and we see all people as children of God made in God's image." All are welcome to share in the life, leadership, ministry, fellowship, worship, responsibilities, blessings, and joys of the congregation.
Children and Family Ministry
Faith formation for the youngest disciples runs from POP Kids School - a non-profit Christian preschool for children ages two and a half through pre-kindergarten - all the way up through high school. On Sunday mornings between services, from 9:45 to 10:25 AM, several programs run in parallel.
Spark - the tagline is "Where Faith is Ignited" - is for children entering kindergarten through sixth grade and meets in Room 136. Using music, games, discussion, and hands-on activities, Spark helps kids engage the Bible in age-appropriate ways. Sparklers is the companion class for children at least three years old who are not yet in kindergarten, meeting in Room 313 with parents invited to attend.
For elementary-age singers, Joyful Noise is a vocal choir for grades two through six that rehearses Sundays from 6:00 to 7:30 PM and sings in worship once a month from September through May. The director is Robin Stevenson. Vacation Bible School takes place for four evenings each summer, open to preschoolers (four-year-olds) through sixth graders, with a suggested donation of $15 per child and no one turned away for inability to pay.
Youth and Family Ministry
Pastor Hannah Bockbrader leads Youth and Family Ministry, with the goal of "equipping families to love like Jesus by forming lives of discipleship and mission." The pathway looks different at each age.
For middle schoolers, Firmly Planted is the confirmation program for seventh and eighth graders and their adult guides. Meeting twice monthly on Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, the program weaves together workshops, games, service hours, worship summaries, and an overnight retreat at Hopewood Pines Lutheran Memorial Camp. The year culminates in the Affirmation of Baptism.
For fourth through sixth graders, POP456 gathers on the third Wednesday of each month from 6:00 to 7:00 PM for fellowship, Bible stories, and games. Friends are always welcome.
For senior high students (grades 9 through 12), two weekly rhythms shape the year. Wednesday Friendsday meets in the Youth Room most Wednesday evenings for a relaxed time of connection. On the last Wednesday of the month, Oikos - Greek for "household" - takes the group into a church member's home for dinner, a game, and a devotion. Other annual events include a spring Confirmation Retreat at Hopewood Pines, a High School Retreat, the Discipleship Tour (D-Tour) summer mission trip, the ELCA Youth Gathering, and the MAD Camp musical.
Music at Prince of Peace
Music is woven through worship and through weekly life at the church. Toby Lyke directs worship and music and welcomes instrumentalists and vocalists to join the Worship Ensemble.
For adults and older teens, the Adult Choir rehearses Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 8:45 PM, September through May, and sings in services throughout the year. Deb Heuer directs. Bells of Grace is a rhythm-reading handbell ensemble that meets Tuesday nights from 7:00 to 8:00 PM under Robin Stevenson. Teentinabulation, the youth handbell and handchime ensemble for grades 7 through 12, meets Tuesdays from 6:00 to 7:00 PM in the Sanctuary.
For the youngest singers, the Cherub Choir welcomes children from age three. Throughout the summer, the Summer Music Series brings in guest musicians like My Brother's Keeper - a Cincinnati progressive bluegrass band - for outdoor concerts on church grounds.
Adult Formation and Small Groups
Christian education at Prince of Peace happens in many settings. On Sunday mornings between services, the Engage Class gathers in the Atrium for an adult education hour taught by pastors and congregation members. Topics rotate through books of the Bible, church history, theology, and spiritual practices - recent series have included a study on Richard Rohr's Falling Upward and a class called "Skills for Disagreeing Better" about engaging constructively across political differences.
On Wednesdays at 10:00 AM, a pastor leads an in-person Bible study that moves through books and themes of Scripture. Stephen Ministry pairs trained lay caregivers with individuals who need a confidential Christian listener; Stephen Ministers also facilitate Another New Chapter, a grief book club that meets monthly.
Small groups are central to the church's life. Grace Groups meet in homes and online. Journey Groups launch during Lent for short-term study. Craft groups include Inking of You (cardmaking for birthdays, holidays, and the LIFE Food Pantry) and Pieces for Peace (sewing on the second and fourth Mondays). The Knitting Together group gathers Thursday afternoons. The Senior Connections community meets weekly for Bible study at 10 AM and gathers monthly for lunches and outings. POP Corks is a 21-and-older wine tasting group; Craft Explorers explores local breweries.
For women, the Women's Ministry Steering Team plans opportunities to grow, connect, and serve. MOMCo (Mom Community, formerly MOPS) meets on the second Thursday of each month from 9:15 to 11:30 AM during the school year, with breakfast and childcare provided. Online Daily Disciples is a YouVersion Bible App group that has completed more than sixty devotional plans together.
Service: Here, Near, and Far Away
Prince of Peace organizes its service life around three circles: serve here, serve near, and serve far away. Inside the building, every member is encouraged to join at least one POP Team - the worship volunteers, music leaders, children's ministry helpers, and committee members who keep weekly ministry running.
Near the church, the congregation maintains an active relationship with the Loveland L.I.F.E. Food Pantry. The church hosts the annual Empty Bowls fundraiser - soup, bread, and dessert served in handmade pottery bowls donated by local artists, with proceeds going to the pantry. During Advent, the congregation fills Holiday Meal Bags and donates hams; during God's Work. Our Hands weekend each September, a special food drive tops up the pantry shelves for the fall. Wacky Weeding Wednesday keeps the church landscaping in shape, and a Refugee Resettlement Team has worked with new arrivals to the Cincinnati area. The POP Community Garden, founded in 2022, dedicates 48 feet of raised beds to LIFE Food Pantry produce and asks each gardener to donate 10 percent of what they grow.
Partners across Greater Cincinnati include Tikkun Farm (a multifaith farm whose crockpot meal program reaches 320 families each week), Matthew 25 Ministries (disaster relief and aid for the poorest of the poor), Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati, Clutter2Care (a thrift store whose proceeds support at-risk children locally and in Haiti), NEST Community Learning Center, Queen City Bikes (which repairs and donates bicycles to Mauritanian refugees), Pierstorf College Fund, and Jacob's Porch Cincy (campus ministry). Two weekly recovery meetings use space at POP: Gamblers Anonymous on Mondays at 7:30 PM and the Loveland Gratitude Group (AA) on Tuesdays at 7:30 PM.
Far away, the church has committed itself to two long-standing global partnerships. Through the Haitian Timoun Foundation (HTF), Prince of Peace supports Chemen Lavi Miyo (CLM), an 18-month program that walks women out of ultra poverty in rural Haiti - more than 95 percent of CLM members graduate with a home, clean water, the ability to feed their families, and a plan for the future. Each year the congregation also raises money through Hoops for Haiti, a March Madness bracket challenge that has outfitted classrooms at the Centre d'Education Integree in LaMontagne. Adult members travel to Haiti for relationship-building immersion trips; young adults travel in the summer to help lead a camp for hundreds of children in Jacmel.
In 2025, International Health Partners of Tanzania became a new global mission partner. IHP is building a full-service hospital in Chihoni, an underserved area of Tanzania, that will eventually serve as a training facility for professional development across East Africa. Back home in Ohio, an annual Adult Service Week takes a group to Lutheridge in Arden, North Carolina, to serve with Lutheran Disaster Response in the Asheville and Hendersonville communities - rebuilding, cleaning up, organizing food banks, and more.
Baptism and Membership
Baptism at Prince of Peace is described as "a beautiful life-changing event" in which God is active in cleansing from sin, claiming the baptized as a child of God, and bestowing the free gift of grace. The church baptizes both infants and adults, recognizing Christian baptism from other denominations. Parents of children meet with a pastor to review Lutheran theology of baptism and the logistics of the service; adults preparing for baptism also meet with a pastor.
Lutheran practice baptizes infants because, as Martin Luther argued, baptism is a gift of God's grace rather than a reward for our faith. Sponsors (the Lutheran equivalent of godparents) are practicing Christians who promise to walk alongside the baptized; the pastors are happy to help find a sponsor from the congregation if needed. Baptisms are scheduled seasonally on select weekends during worship.
For those ready to make Prince of Peace their church home, Discover Prince of Peace is the next step. The class meets periodically after worship for a meal and a conversation with pastors and staff about the congregation's mission, vision, and ministry. New members are officially welcomed into the community several times throughout the year.
Endowment, Giving, and Stewardship
The Prince of Peace Endowment Fund was established in 2018 to create perpetual funding for ministry projects beyond the annual budget. Each year the Endowment Committee reviews applications from congregation members and distributes grants - up to $3,000 in total - to organizations whose work aligns with the congregation's mission.
Weekly giving flows through Realm, the church's online portal. Members can give online, set up recurring gifts, make stock gifts through a Charles Schwab brokerage account, or use an IRA Charitable Rollover (a Qualified Charitable Distribution for those 70 and a half or older). Kroger Plus Card holders can enroll in the Kroger Community Rewards program and link their card to Prince of Peace to benefit the church while they shop. Each fall the Stewardship Campaign invites members to pledge to the Operating Fund; the 2026 campaign is underway under the theme "Rooted in Grace, Growing in Hope."
Staying Connected
Worship is livestreamed each week and archived on YouTube. The Prince of Peace Podcast carries weekly sermons to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, and other podcast apps. A blog-style devotional series called Gather & Grow posts monthly conversation-based Bible studies that can be used by individuals, families, or small groups - recent topics have included Heaven's Earthly Life, an Advent devotional built around the poetry of Wendell Berry.
Realm serves as the church's online community platform, handling directory information, event registration, small group sign-ups, and giving. Worship volunteers and youth ministry registrations both run through Realm. For quick updates, the church posts on Facebook and Instagram under @popluther and @pop_lutheran.
The Building and the Building Use
The Loveland campus includes a Sanctuary, a Parish Life Center with a gym, classrooms, and gathering spaces, and the POP Kids School wing. Members and non-members can reserve rooms for meetings; the Sanctuary ($100 for two hours with a $200 security deposit) and the Parish Life Center are available for larger events, and the church hosts weddings and funerals for members. The full Building Use Guidelines and Room Reservation form are available online, and requests are reviewed Monday through Thursday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
A Community on Mission
Prince of Peace describes itself not as a building or program but as a community on mission. The four ministry pillars - Worship, Grow in Faith, Connect in Community, and Serve the World - organize everything the congregation does. "Faith is a dynamic force in our lives. As disciples of Jesus, we are invited and challenged to grow and change as we embrace our identity as children of God." Authentic relationships are the heart of Christian community. "Faith in Jesus calls us to live as servants of all. We actively seek ways to love and serve our neighbors, our community, and the world."
The community's three commitments - that love and life win, that all means all, and that generosity is contagious - hold the four pillars together. Whether someone arrives at the church doors on a Saturday evening looking for quiet prayer, brings a family on Sunday morning to have their kindergartner light the Advent wreath, joins a Monday night Stephen Ministry training, or signs up for the next trip to Haiti, the invitation is the same: to discover who God is, draw closer with others, and live into a greater purpose for the world.