Christ Lutheran Church - Aptos

04/13/2026

Christ is risen (indeed)!

Resurrection of Our Lord | Christ Lutheran Church in Aptos, CA | The Rev. Jonas EllisonFor the manuscript and assigned Scripture, go here: https://jonasellis...

04/07/2026

Christ is risen! Happy Easter everyone!

04/05/2026

It is finished! Enjoy the homily from Good Friday at CLC!

Good Friday | Christ Lutheran Church in Aptos, CA | The Rev. Jonas EllisonFor the manuscript and assigned Scripture, go here: To learn more about our church,...

04/04/2026

In case you missed it live, please enjoy the homily from Maundy Thursday. Happy Holy Week, everyone!

Maundy Thursday | Christ Lutheran Church in Aptos, CA | The Rev. Jonas EllisonFor the manuscript and assigned Scripture, go here: https://jonasellison.substa...

10/08/2025

What a joy to have in our sanctuary last night. Songs were sung. Stories were told. Tears fell. Laughs were had. He even got a few Lutherans to sing along. Thank you, Andy!

09/16/2025

Another CLC beach cleanup day is done and dusted! ✅

09/08/2025

✨ Something special is coming to Aptos! ✨

On Tuesday, October 7th (7–9pm, doors at 6:30), we are honored to welcome Andy Squyres into our sanctuary at Christ Lutheran Church for a night of music and storytelling. Andy grew up here in Santa Cruz County, and his songs carry both the ache and the hope of real life.

This will be a truly special evening in our little corner of the world—an experience of hilarity, honesty, and grace. We’d love for you to join us and to invite your friends and neighbors.

🎟 Tickets + details here:

Join us for an up close evening of songs & stories performed by Andy Squyres that will leave you laughing, crying & filled with hope!

07/31/2025

“Lord, teach us to pray.”
In a world where politics demand our allegiance and outrage steals our peace, Jesus offers something better.
This Sunday’s homily explores how prayer—not power—can be our truest form of engagement.
Come rest, reflect, and remember where real hope is found.

📖 Readings: Genesis 18:20–32 | Luke 11:1–13 | Psalm 138
🎥 Watch the homily here:

Seventh Sunday After Pentecost | Christ Lutheran Church in Aptos, CA | The Rev. Jonas EllisonReadings: Genesis 18:20-32 | Psalm 138 | Colossians 2:6-15 | Luk...

07/24/2025

Ever find yourself stress-cleaning baseboards before guests arrive? 😅 In this week's message, Pastor Jonas explores how Martha's kitchen anxiety reveals our deeper struggle with performance vs. presence. What if hospitality isn't about impressing but connecting? What if we're actually the guests at God's table, not the hosts scrambling to prove ourselves? Come for the scruffy wisdom, stay for the permission to put down the cleaning supplies. 🏠✨

Sixth Sunday After Pentecost | Christ Lutheran Church in Aptos, CA | The Rev. Jonas EllisonReadings: Genesis 18:1-10a | Psalm 15 | Colossians 1:15-28 | Luke ...

07/15/2025

🩹 “The One in the Ditch”

This week’s homily is an invitation to see the Good Samaritan story in a new light—not as a call to be spiritual heroes, but as a reminder that Christ meets us right where we’re most broken.

If you’ve ever felt like the one left behind, or wondered how mercy really works in a messy world, I hope these words offer you comfort, challenge, and a sense of home.

Watch and join us in exploring what it means to be a community that knows how to sit in the ditch with each other, trusting that God is there already...

Fifth Sunday After Pentecost | Christ Lutheran Church in Aptos, CA | The Rev. Jonas EllisonReadings: Deuteronomy 30:9-14 | Psalm 25:1-10 | Colossians 1:1-14 ...

07/08/2025

🧳 Sometimes the most radical thing you can do is... let go.

This week we're exploring Jesus's wild instruction to the 72 disciples: "Take nothing. Say 'Peace to this house.' And if they don't welcome you? Shake the dust off your feet."

What if changing the world has less to do with anxious activism and more to do with peaceful presence? What if the most powerful way to show up for justice isn't from burnout and fear... but from the steady, sustainable place of knowing God shines brightly even in the places we deem despicable?

In a time when just existing can feel exhausting, maybe we need permission to travel lighter. To stop carrying the weight of every injustice on our backs and start recognizing that we can act from love instead of panic.

The harvest is plentiful. The work matters. And with God, we can show up without burning out.
Sometimes the most effective way to heal the world is to stop trying to fix it from a place of fear... and start working from the quiet confidence that the kingdom is already breaking through and - although suffering abounds - we're all in very good hands.

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost | Christ Lutheran Church in Aptos, CA | The Rev. Jonas EllisonReadings: Isaiah 66:10-14 | Psalm 66:1-9 | Galatians 6:(1-6), 7-1...