On a quiet stretch of Brambleton Avenue in southwest Roanoke, St. John Lutheran Church has gathered as a Lutheran congregation rooted in the historic creeds and in the conviction that the Bible is the authoritative Word of God. The church belongs to the North American Lutheran Church (NALC), a Lutheran body formed in 2010 that now numbers more than 400 congregations across North America and describes itself as Christ-Centered, Mission-Driven, Traditionally-Grounded, and Congregationally-Focused. St. John carries that identity into its Roanoke neighborhood through a single Sunday morning worship service, a full week of Bible studies and small groups, and an unusually broad network of local and global mission partnerships.
Worship on Sunday Morning at 10:00
The whole congregation gathers for one Sunday service at 10:00 am. The service follows a liturgical shape rooted in the Lutheran Confessions and affirms the Triune God as expressed in the Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds. Holy Communion is offered as a second sacrament alongside Baptism, and all baptized Christians walking with Jesus are welcome to receive the bread and wine, which the congregation confesses as the real presence of Christ's body and blood "in, with, and under" the elements.
Children are woven into the service from the start. A newly renovated nursery down the hall cares for children ages six weeks through age three during both Sunday School and the worship hour; every nursery staff member has undergone a background check and pediatric first aid/CPR/AED training. Children ages three through third grade are dismissed during the sermon for Children's Chapel, where they work their way chronologically through the Bible using the kid's Bible The Biggest Story, learning through games, puppets, drama, craft, and songs that every Old and New Testament story points to Jesus.
Each Sunday sermon is recorded and posted online, so anyone who misses a service can catch up later in the week.
What St. John Believes
St. John describes itself as an apostolic church that bears witness to the love and truth of the Word of God as proclaimed by the apostles and affirmed by fellow believers for two thousand years. The congregation teaches that God is One in Three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and that the sixty-six books of the Bible are the inspired, infallible Word of God and the authoritative source and norm for proclamation, faith, and life.
The church confesses that Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, and died in the place of sinners to save them, sanctify them, and bring them to heaven. The Holy Spirit is taught as the presence and power of God at work in the world, convincing sinners of their need for grace, showing them the beauty of Christ, and empowering transformed Christian lives.
Baptism is practiced for both believers and the children of believers as a means of rebirth through water and the Spirit, with an expectation that baptized children will come to personal faith in Christ for the promises of baptism to take hold. Holy Communion is offered as a strengthening second sacrament of forgiveness and fellowship. On marriage, the church holds to the two-thousand-year orthodox Christian tradition, defining marriage as the lifelong union of one man and one woman.
The mission of the church, as St. John states it, is to attend to and serve others: gathering for worship, learning, and fellowship, and then being sent out to take the Good News of Christ to the world in both word and deed.
Children and Youth
Children's ministry at St. John is led by Christine Saunders, the Children's Coordinator, who lives in the Hollins area with her family and helps parents connect with the week's Bible lesson at home through Facebook and a weekly Wednesday email. Beyond the nursery and Children's Chapel on Sunday mornings, families are encouraged to read or watch the week's Biggest Story chapter together during the week. Children, teens, and adults are also invited to a unique Sunday School class called Reflective Creations, which meets upstairs in room 212 from 9:00 to 9:45 am and practices listening to the Lord through hands-on, often artistic, expression.
The church's grounds include a covered picnic area and a playground near the upper parking lot off Merriman Road, open during daylight hours for any family that wants to stop by.
For students in grades 6 through 12, Sunday Youth Group meets from 5:00 to 7:00 pm during the school year, with food offered at 5:00. The evening combines worship, community, and Bible teaching, walking students through the storyline of Scripture and the essential doctrines of the Christian faith and equipping them with a Christian worldview. Will O'Brien serves as the Youth and Young Adult Coordinator, and Lilly O'Brien as the Assistant Youth Coordinator. Each summer the youth ministry mobilizes a team for a service-focused mission trip; recent summers have taken students to Elliott County, Kentucky through Next Step Ministries, and past teams have served in Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Minnesota, West Virginia, Alaska, South Carolina, Kentucky, and other parts of Virginia.
Wednesday Nights Around the Table
Beginning in October each year, the church's rhythm shifts into Wednesday nights. A simple, welcoming dinner is served in the Great Room from 5:30 to 6:30 pm, where everyone is invited to share food and fellowship. At 6:30, the room empties into age-appropriate Bible studies: an elementary children's class, middle and high school youth classes, and an adult study that starts together in the Great Room and then breaks into separate men's and women's groups. Nursery care is available throughout the evening. The Wednesday night rhythm has become one of the easiest entry points for newcomers who want to meet people before committing to a Sunday morning.
Women, Men, and Seniors
Women's ministry at St. John centers on a Tuesday morning Bible study called Psalms: Verse by Verse, which meets from 9:30 to 11:30 am in the Community Room and walks slowly through the song book of the Bible. Summer studies in recent years have included a verse-by-verse look at the book of Ruth. A women's ministry coordinator connects anyone wanting more information.
Men's ministry gathers in two rhythms. On Saturday mornings at 7:30, a small group called HE BREWS meets in the St. John Library for coffee, fellowship, and study of Christ. On the third Saturday of each month at 8:00 am, the men move to the Chapel for a hearty Men's Breakfast of food, conversation, and community.
Seniors at St. John are organized under the name Seasoned Adults Living Triumphantly (S.A.L.T.). The group meets on the third Thursday of each month for an afternoon of fellowship that might be a potluck at the church, a low-key lunch out, or an excursion to places like the D-Day Memorial, Peaks of Otter, Mabry Mill, or local wineries. Deacon Nancy coordinates the group. Three mornings a week - Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:00 to 10:00 am - the Sonshine Room fills with seniors for the "Easy Does It" exercise class.
A Wide Network of Local and Global Missions
Mission work is a defining mark of St. John. On the church's own grounds, the Garden for the Unborn offers a quiet space for anyone with a heart for unborn children or who has lost a little one. Beyond that, the church supports a long list of local partners serving the Roanoke Valley.
Blue Ridge Women's Center has served more than 18,000 women since 1984 with pregnancy testing, ultrasound dating, consultations, and support services. Feeding Southwest Virginia, the largest charitable food distributor in the region, partners with the church to nourish neighbors across twenty-six counties and nine cities. Friendship House brings gospel-centered mercy ministries to Roanoke through refugee housing, emergency food, and children's after-school care. The Lampstand provides holistic, trauma-informed support for juvenile victims of sex trafficking. The Rescue Mission of Roanoke runs a comprehensive crisis intervention center for men, women, and children. Shield Chaplaincy places full-time chaplains with Roanoke City, Roanoke County, Salem, and Franklin County law enforcement officers. Straight Street offers a positive Christian environment and mentoring for at-risk youth and teen parents.
Globally, St. John underwrites OMNI, a ministry that provides food, clothing, education, and medical and dental care to orphans in its village in Zambia through financial support and sponsorships each year. The church also partners with Global Partners in Peace and Development, a nonprofit working in the United States, Haiti, Jordan, Slovakia, India, and Uganda to bring help and hope to the orphaned, widowed, hungry, homeless, refugee, suffering, and oppressed. Closer to home, the congregation is part of the Kairos Men's Prison Ministry, sending teams behind bars to walk alongside incarcerated men seeking support, guidance, and spiritual growth.
Drew Hodges leads the Missions Committee and connects anyone interested in either local or worldwide outreach.
The Staff and the Building
Pastor Matthew Kolden serves as Head Pastor and preaches most Sundays. Deacon Nancy James assists in ministry across the congregation. Carolyn Miller serves as Administrator, Will O'Brien as Music and Tech Coordinator, Christine Saunders as Children's and Social Media Coordinator, and Lilly O'Brien as Assistant Youth Coordinator. The building itself includes a Great Room that anchors fellowship meals, a Community Room, a Library, a Sonshine Room, a Chapel, a nursery, and Children's Chapel space, along with the upstairs room 212 where Sunday School gathers. Worship services are livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, giving those at home a way to follow along with the same sermons heard in the sanctuary. Giving is available online through Tithe.ly, by mail, or in person at the church.