Celebration Lutheran Church

Celebration Lutheran Church was officially chartered in 1984 after years of dreaming, planning, and prayerful discernment by families in the Sartell and St. Cloud area. Interest in forming a new Lutheran congregation began in 1982, and by May 1983, approval was granted to establish a mission church in Sartell. On June 10th, 1984, Celebration held its first worship service, drawing 175 attendees. The church quickly grew, moving into its own building on 5th Avenue North in 1986 and surpassing 500 baptized members by the following year.

The 1990s and early 2000s were marked by continued growth and ministry expansion. The church added worship services, staff, and educational space to meet the needs of an increasing number of families. Celebration welcomed multiple pastoral leaders. Membership surpassed 1,000 in 1994 and continued to grow. In 1999, the church purchased a 20-acre property on Morningstar Drive, and by 2008, Celebration had completed and moved into its new church building at 1500 Pinecone Road North. That same year, the congregation celebrated passing the milestone of 2,000 baptized members.

The past decade brought both change and resilience. Longtime leaders like Pastor Elizabeth Strenge retired, and new pastors, including Pastor Jeff Sackett in 2012 and Pastor Russ Britton in 2023, continued the church’s mission. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 challenged the congregation to adapt quickly, transitioning to online worship, upgrading technology, and creatively staying connected. Throughout its history, Celebration Lutheran Church has remained a vibrant community grounded in God’s grace, faithfully gathering around Word and Sacrament and living out its mission through worship, service, and love in daily life.

ABOUT GOD
We believe in a Triune God:
God the Father: The creator and sustainer of the world
Jesus Christ, the Son: The only Son of God, who became human, died for the sins of humanity, and rose again. Jesus reveals that God is love and God is for us.
The Holy Spirit: The one who works God's will in the world, creating and sustaining faith through God's Word and Sacraments.
ABOUT HUMANITY
We believe humans are sinful and broken but we are no lost cause! We simply do not believe that humans can get to God on their own. We believe instead that God comes down to us and meets us where we are in this world. In this, we look to the example of Martin Luther, about whom it is written: “One of Luther’s personal struggles was an obsession with getting life right so we would end up with God rather than be condemned. He tried to find peace in repenting and confessing but, as soon as he was done, he started to notice or remember things he had done but forgotten to confess. This literally drove him crazy and he could not find peace, no matter how he tried. Luther’s great insight discovered this great truth—nothing can get us right with God and no amount of effort on our part can get us to eternity. In this matter we are powerless. God always goes first, always initiates.” (Rev. Dave Daubert, “Lutheran Trump Cards: Playing our Best Hand in the 21st Century.”) For this reason we embrace humility in all things related to God. We all live under grace. We are all still learning.
ABOUT SALVATION
The Greek word that we translate “salvation” is “soteria” which literally means “health, healing and wholeness.” The word connotes deliverance for both body and spirit. The “Good News” we share with the world is that Christ is risen. This is a message that truly saves and sets us free. “Salvation” is not our personal acceptance of Jesus that allows us entrance into heaven. Instead, it is an experience of the crucified and risen Christ through whom our sins are forgiven. This Good News puts our past away and opens our future. This is how Jesus himself used the word “salvation” in Luke 19:9 after meeting a man named Zaccheus, saying “salvation has come to this house.” Salvation—health, healing, and wholeness for body mind and spirit—means we can live in a new way here on earth and look forward to a life to come thanks to the atoning sacrifice of our Lord Jesus. It is a gift. Our concern for the salvation of all people goes beyond heaven. “Salvation” means we seek the health, wellness and wholeness of all both now and in the future.
ABOUT THE CHURCH
We believe the Church is the body of Christ, a community of believers united by faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible and the sacraments (baptism and communion) are means by which God's grace is received. We confess the "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church," signifying our connection to the broader Christian tradition. We embrace the “priesthood of all believers” signifying that, through our baptism, every person of faith is commissioned to be Christ’s presence in the settings where we live. We hold a strong understanding of vocation—namely that God can use all of us in our daily work to be instruments of God’s peace in the world. The work of God’s kingdom is not exclusive to the clergy, but the calling of all the baptized.
ABOUT THE BIBLE
For our understanding of the Bible, we lean on two quotes from Martin Luther: “Holy Scripture is the cradle of Christ.” We read our Bibles looking for encounter with the crucified and risen Christ in its very pages. God who spoke the world into being, who became flesh, continues to speak to us through this living word. The Bible continues to give life and shape it. However we also exercise caution when reading the Bible. Luther also said “Scripture has a wax nose—you can bend it any way you want.” For this reason we believe that scripture opens us up to God and one another rather than ending conversation. The Bible points us to Christ and life in him. With this second quote, Luther was cautioning us against fundamentalist, idolatrous and self-serving understandings of scripture that might be weaponized against others. We urge Bible readers to not merely look to individual verses, but instead explore broader contexts in which those verses appear. Time in scripture is like time with an old friend who knows us well—it can both comfort and challenge us, as it should!
ABOUT SPIRITUALITY
We invite all to a deepened spiritual life. We encourage prayer and reflection before action. Some simple guidelines are:

1. The world belongs to God and the world is GOOD. The world is touched by God’s presence.
2. Christians engage the world from a spiritual foundation.
3. Our spiritual life is based on a sense of call. We like to ask “What is the risen Christ call us to do?”
4. When we act in love on behalf of our neighbor, our work is steadfast and we are in it for the long haul. The late Eugene Peterson called the Christian life “”Long obedience in the same direction.”
5. Our spiritual life of prayer and reflection grants us resilience.
6. The spiritual life detaches us from our own ego.
7. We do not demonize our opponents.
8. We are rooted and grounded in love.

celebrate the good news of jesus christ - grow as faithful disciples - serve in the world

"We, Celebration Lutheran Church, embrace and celebrate the diversity of all people. We are committed to fostering a welcoming and safe space where people of every race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender expression and identity, educational and economic background, relationship status, or physical and mental ability, can experience love, support, and community. We value racial equity and inclusivity, where everyone is worthy of dignity and respect. We invite you to journey with us, as we grow in faith, serve our neighbors, and extend love to all.

Here at Celebration, you are welcome just as you are."