Welcome
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church is a community of disciples, forgiven and set free by Christ for witness and service. Centered in the heart of Oconomowoc and deeply invested in our community for nearly 160 years, we are a growing congregation, not just numerically, but—more importantly—in faith and knowledge, witness and service. We pray that you find the information that you need here at our site. If not, please call or email our office. The Lord be with you.
Worship
Worship is the center of Christian life because we are designed for communion with God and with one another. In worship we receive Christ’s forgiveness in Word and Sacrament, and we respond with thanks and praise and lives of love. St. Paul’s worship space is not an auditorium designed for entertainment, it is a sanctuary designed to facilitate communion with God. There are multiple weekly opportunities to receive God’s gifts in the company of others, as God designed it, for you and for all.
Saturdays 5:00 pm | Sundays 8:00 am
At these services, congregational singing is led with the organ. Depending on the day and season, the organ may be supplemented with brass, percussion, vocal solos, choirs, handbells, woodwinds, and other instruments. The liturgies and hymns are from Lutheran Service Book.
Sundays 10:30 am
Congregational singing during this service is accompanied primarily by piano and guitar, with support from vocalists. Other instruments are also used. The order of service maintains key elements of the historic service, and the atmosphere is slightly less formal.
Wednesdays 6:30 pm
Our Lakeside Summer worship services will run Memorial Day—Labor Day in our backyard. Please bring a chair. If there is inclement weather the service will be moved to the church nave.
Listen to our worship service live!
Our Sunday 8:00 am service is broadcast live on 1540 AM and 104.9 FM. The mission of St. Paul’s Radio Broadcast Ministry is to provide church services for shut-ins, disabled, sick, or for those who cannot attend regular church services but want to be a part of the congregation. Special broadcasts are done on events such as Good Friday, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Not able to make it to church today? Join the live stream of our 8:00am service.
The Lord’s Supper is celebrated at this congregation in the confession and glad confidence that, as he says, our Lord gives into our mouths not only bread and wine but his very body and blood to eat and to drink for the forgiveness of sins and to strengthen our union with him and with one another. Our Lord invites to his table those who trust his words, repent of all sin, and set aside any refusal to forgive and love as he forgives and loves us, that they may show forth his death until he comes.
Because those who eat and drink our Lord’s body and blood unworthily do so to their great harm and because Holy Communion is a confession of the faith which is confessed at this altar, any who are not yet instructed, in doubt, or who hold a confession differing from that of this congregation and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, and yet desire to receive the sacrament, are asked first to speak with a pastor. (See Matthew 5:23f.; 10:32f.; 18:15-35; 26:26-29; 1 Cor. 11:17- 34.) (Model communion statement of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod)
Those communing today are encouraged to prepare by reviewing Martin Luther’s “Christian Questions with Their Answers” on pp. 329-330 of our hymnal.
Events
Visiting St. Paul's Lutheran Church
Guest Information
Welcome to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church! We are so happy that you will be visiting us. Below is some information that may be helpful for you.
For additional information, check out these episodes of our podcast, “Christ In All Things.”
Christ In All Things
At St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Christ is in all things. He is the center of worship and every act of service. We are a member congregation of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). As such, we accept without reservation:
- The Scriptures of the Old and the New Testament as the written Word of God and the only rule and norm of faith and practice; and
Because they are a true and unadulterated statement and exposition of the Word of God, we accept the Lutheran Confessions as articulated in the Book of Concord of 1580. - Lutheran theology is historic, beautiful, and deeply practical. Check out the links above for more information, or—better yet—make an appointment with one of our pastors to talk about who we are and what we believe.
 Rev. Lance Armstrong O’Donnell, Senior Pastor |
Rev. Jason Shockman, Associate Pastor |
Worship services are Saturday at 5:00 pm and Sunday at 8:00 or 10:30 am. We have special mid-week services during Advent and Lent.
In the summer months, we have Lakeside Worship, which is a midweek worship service. The sermon is the same as the previous weekend.
Our services are approximately one hour. Sometimes they are a bit shorter; occasionally, they may run longer, due to baptisms, special announcements, etc.
There are two entrances to St. Paul’s. The main entrance to the church is on Pleasant Street. You may also enter through our school. This entrance is handicapped accessible. Once inside, there are signs that will direct you to the church sanctuary. If you need assistance, our elevator is nearby this entrance.
Expect to hear a lot about Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen savior of the world!
Seriously. Christ is in all things at St. Paul’s. Stick around for a while and you’ll discover why.
Expect to be greeted. Near the entrance door a greeter will be there and hand you a bulletin for announcements. At 5:00 pm and 8:00 am the order of worship is in the hymnal with great and beautiful ceremony. At 10:30 am we have a brief printed order that retains the key elements of the historic service but is slightly less ceremonial.
Please introduce yourself! If you’re not familiar with the Lutheran order of service, ask an usher or elder for a little help. We’ll get you started. Lutheran worship is very participatory. It’s not like a concert or a speech where you just kind of sit back. You can do that, of course, but Lutheran worship is designed for activity, not passivity. It’s designed for a lot of back-and-forth between the pastor and the congregation and the musicians and the congregation. Generally speaking, once you get started on the right page, things flow, but—again—if this is new to you, just ask someone for help.
Jesus welcomes all to sit at His feet and learn from him, so if you’re on this site and you need to get to a church right away: come as you are. You’ll be welcomed. If you have a little more time to plan, we recommend dressing like you would if you’re going to meet someone important. (You are. You’re going to meet Jesus and His family.) Most of our members wear business casual attire. Some people will wear nice jeans with a nice sweater or blouse while others will wear dresses and suits and ties.
Absolutely! We love to have children at our services. Your child will receive his/her own bulletin that contains activities and coloring pages that reinforce the weekly Gospel reading. The research is clear that the fewer distractions kids have, the better they are able to learn. Therefore, we encourage families with young children to sit as close to the front as possible. This seems counterintuitive, but when your up close your child can focus on what’s going on with the pastors. So, sit closer to the front, and by a side aisle. That way, if your little one gets a bit too rambunctious, you can duck out if you need to. (See “simulcast” below.)
If your little one has a fit, or his big brother needs a little correction, just head down the steps in the back of the worship area. A simulcast of the service is broadcast downstairs in our Fellowship Hall. Our wives were single mothers in the pew while we were serving upstairs doing our pastor thing. There’s no shame in ducking out for a bit to give a child the chance to settle down. We’ve all been there. We’re thankful you’re here with your child. They’re challenging, but Jesus says, “Let the little children come to me.” (Luke 18:16)
Yes, if you’re a member in good standing of an LCMS congregation. If you believe a different Christian confession, when the time for the distribution of The Lord’s Supper comes, you may come forward and cross your hands in front of you to indicate you wish to receive a blessing.
We encourage you to read our communion statement and make an appointment with one of us to discuss what The Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion) is and why use the historic practice of closed communion.
If you are physically unable to come to the table, please let an usher know and the pastor will come to you and give you communion.
No, you won’t have to stand up and introduce yourself. However, you will be greeted. We try to be hospitable people. We try to welcome people.
We do ask you to fill out the attendance card and place it in the offering plate. If you have a question or prayer request, you can let us know there. Don’t worry, we don’t sell your data. You won’t be spammed. The card helps us know who was there and follow-up for pastoral care.
God loves to hear our voices, so—no—you don’t have to sing, but we encourage you to try. Most people, even if they’re tone deaf, learn to be decent singers over time. At the 5:00 pm and 8:00 am services congregational singing is accompanied primarily by the organ. At the 10:30 service singing is accompanied primarily by piano and guitar.
No, we’re not going to attempt to sell you a diversified investment portfolio… but giving is good for the soul. That’s part of why we pass an offering plate. Do you have to give? No. Church is not a dues-paying club. That said, God expects our members to contribute to the His work. If you’re visiting and you want to give thanks to God for His work at St. Paul’s, you’re free to do so; if not, no problem.
We are located on Fowler Lake, in downtown Oconomowoc, behind City Hall. From either direction on Wisconsin Avenue, turn on St. Paul Street (City Hall is on the corner). From Oakwood Avenue, turn right on Pleasant Street. We are on the corner of St. Paul and Pleasant Streets.
Parking is available in the St. Paul’s parking lot. This lot is the closest to the school entrance, which is handicap accessible. There is a public parking lot adjacent to the St. Paul’s lot. Both parking lots are located on the corner of St. Paul and Pleasant Streets. You may also park on Pleasant Street.
