Luther House Campus Ministry

Luther House Campus Ministry The official page for Luther House at Oregon State University. We are also a registered 501(c)-3 nonprofit. Everyone is welcome!

Since 1926, Luther House has been a cornerstone of spiritual leadership at Oregon State University. We are recognized by the university as an official student organization, and are part of the Spiritual Life at OSU network of faith communities. Our building offers spaces for study, fellowship and prayer, along with affordable student housing. A home-cooked meal is served to students every Sunday d

uring fall, winter and spring terms. Activities and programs are based on student interest and, when possible, led by students. Luther House is a member of the Reconciling Works network, which advocates for the acceptance, full participation, and liberation of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions within the Lutheran Church. We believe that God values and embraces each person as a beloved child, that the Spirit gives a diversity of gifts for the common good, and that Jesus Christ calls us to work for justice. Our staff members are Pastor Hallie Parkins ([email protected]), Lay Minister Kristin Young ([email protected]) and Office Coordinator Melissa Clark ([email protected]). You can find out more about us at www.luther-house.org.

EXPLORATORY--- Alyssa (they/them) is a kind and curious soul who pours out care and excitement with every “Yippi!” that ...
07/02/2026

EXPLORATORY---
Alyssa (they/them) is a kind and curious soul who pours out care and excitement with every “Yippi!” that spills from their lips. Before attending Oregon State University, Alyssa planned to open a boba shop, which is why they decided to major in business administration. However, two years in, after a summer working in special education, Alyssa has found a passion for speech-language pathology and hopes to study it in graduate school.

Before coming to the campus ministry, “I think I was looking for some community,” Alyssa said. “I was trying to give religion a second chance, and I was missing the aspect of having a tight-knit community.” While working on getting out of their comfort zone, maintaining their mental health, and reconnecting with friends, Alyssa was exploratory. They started attending Grace Lutheran Church and heard about the Tuesday night Maker’s Space at the campus ministry. “The people at Grace Lutheran were all very nice, and I felt like this place would be very nice as well,” they shared, “and it is”.

As someone who likes to “do a lot of drawing and artsy things,” Alyssa liked the informal and homey feeling at the Maker’s Space. “It’s just a time to talk with people - it can be talking about religious things or just how your day is going and whatever is happening in your life, and there is usually a fun craft involved and delicious food, and everyone is really welcoming.”

Alyssa points to many small things that made it clear the campus ministry space was one they wanted to be in. “Getting to see how the people here interact with one another, plan for the future of the ministry, and being silly all together really made it feel like a space where I could belong”. Now Alyssa says that they are more confident and sure of themself, and feel fully supported. And other students notice it too. Alyssa is a core community member, creating new space for other students to grow in and cooking up food to share in the kitchen. They are even jokingly asked to turn around whenever others load the dishwasher, because students know Alyssa is the best at it, thanks to their inquisitive nature that makes sure every dish, and every new student, fits.

Thank you for making it possible for students like Alyssa to grow in confidence and belonging, to find a home, and to welcome others into our campus ministry.

Our cooling shelter is up and ready to go for the summer!
06/18/2026

Our cooling shelter is up and ready to go for the summer!

Summer Student Book Club is starting up this next week! Interested in joining? Reach out to the email on the flyer for m...
06/18/2026

Summer Student Book Club is starting up this next week! Interested in joining? Reach out to the email on the flyer for more info!

[P A S S I O N]Carmen (she/her) loves soil—"It deeply connects to who I am, my faith, and I am very passionate about it,...
06/04/2026

[P A S S I O N]

Carmen (she/her) loves soil—"It deeply connects to who I am, my faith, and I am very passionate about it," she says - so it might not be surprising to learn that she studies soil science here at Oregon State University. Even with her schedule filled with marching band and band fraternity commitments, it was important to Carmen to find a faith community in Corvallis, so she started attending Grace Lutheran Church and learned about the Lutheran Episcopal campus ministry. "I started going to events when I could—I went to a couple of weekday events during fall 2024 and the fall retreat".

Before she was part of the campus ministry community, Carmen had never been part of a faith community of people her age, and she wrestled with finding places where her expressions of faith and her personal beliefs could coexist. "Before I became more involved," she shares, "a lot of the conversations I would have about my faith were internal". Connecting faith with "my beliefs about social justice, that immigrants should be welcome, that q***r people deserve to exist—I love that it is affirmed in our campus ministry, so I feel a lot more comfortable talking about it—and I get to talk about my faith more now too."

Attending the winter retreat last year, in the terrible January weather, is what solidified Carmen's place in the community. "We did reflections and discussions about creation and our connection to nature, which is something I really care about, and standing there on the coast, with the wind just attacking you, being able to have those conversations, where I didn't need answers—I could just share my feelings, I felt vulnerable but also protected." Through both lighthearted and meaningful moments, Carmen found a sense of belonging. "I knew this was a space I could come back to, that I have this connection with my friends who I'm going to talk to no matter what."

Now, Carmen has a strong community where she can share her passion for active faith and soil science. "Everything we are is connected to the Earth, no matter what form of creation you believe, we are all made of the same things, we are all connected through elements, we are all star stuff, we are all soil," she says. "I love that, and I think it is so beautiful. Everything in the soil God put there for a reason. We are part of it, and that is so important to me.”

Your support makes it possible to provide retreats for students. Thank you for making good soil for students to grow in passion and love.

As the days grow longer, the buds on the trees are blooming, and the afternoon sunshine feels warmer and warmer, I am re...
05/28/2026

As the days grow longer, the buds on the trees are blooming, and the afternoon sunshine feels warmer and warmer, I am reminded that spring is a time of great transition. A season where we cross the threshold of winter into a new chapter. New seasons can be exciting- in spring we see the green of the world bursting forth! But the changing of the year can also take some time getting used to the new rhythms.

And spring is also a time of big transition for the lives of our students here at the Lutheran-Episcopal Campus Ministry at OSU. Through finals and essays, classes come to an end. Some in our community will graduate and figure out where their vocation calls them next. It can be both a moment of exploration and of uncertainty.

But the students do not venture forth alone into this new season. They are supported and buoyed by their community here at the campus ministry. The touchpoints they relied upon the whole semester going with them into the next steps. From the tables bursting with food and conversation on Sunday evenings, to the laughter and joy found in community building, and even in the thoughtful silence during difficult conversations. These are the guiding lights that moor the ministry and students during transition and uncertainty.

I am so thankful that I can be a part of the supportive community that helps foster these touchpoints throughout the year. And your generosity can continue to provide a place where the uneasiness of springtime transitions is against the backdrop of a loving and caring environment found at Lutheran-Episcopal Campus Ministry at OSU.

We read in Psalm 119:105 “ Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” We feel God’s presence guiding our path through this sunny springtime. May we live out our lives as disciples fully into that comforting light.

Blessings and thank you,
Deacon Andrew Larsen
Vice-Chair, Luther House Board

[ E C O S Y S T E M ]Ellrya, a third year pre-vet biology student at Oregon State University, is an artist and scientist...
05/07/2026

[ E C O S Y S T E M ]

Ellrya, a third year pre-vet biology student at Oregon State University, is an artist and scientist.

Growing up on the Oregon coast, Ellrya blended her love of science and art to paint public murals that painted a story of ecological restoration. With particular attention to the relationship of birds, sea urchins, and kelp, the murals picture the possibility of rebalancing ecosystems with keystone species.

Although she attended a Mormon youth group as a child, Ellrya stepped away in high school and didn’t expect to find home in another faith community in college. That changed when she began attending the neighboring campus ministry, West M, and soon learned about the Lutheran Epsicopal campus ministry next door. “Pr. Rob made a post about the Luther House Tuesday dinner and craft night. I like free dinner, and like crafts, and if Pr. Rob recommends it, it’s a safe place to go.”

At the Lutheran-Episcopal campus ministry, she found free dinner, art, and so much more. “It was nice to sit down and draw a physical piece of media and draw, and fun to do little random things like rock painting and sewing.” Before long, she became a regular at the Lutheran-Episcopal campus ministry. “I enjoyed having things to do and get out more. I like having a schedule, instead of sitting in my room.”

More than a craft night, Ellrya realized how invested she was in the Lutheran-Episcopal ministry when the campus pastor shared that she was pregnant. “I had no idea… zero hint until then. It struck me that as I had been milling about that I am actually invested in everyone else’s lives now.” Now, Ellyra says the craft night space “fills the art club shaped hole in my heart.” Ellrya regularly invites her friends to join, and the craft night continues to grow. The friendships continue to deepen, too. One new friend recently crocheted two floral headbands for Ellrya, and she gifted an octopus necklace in return.

Your support makes it possible to provide a second free meal for students. With gratitude, thank you for also making creativity, friendship, and balance in the ecosystem of campus life possible for students like Ellrya.

04/22/2026

Father David serving looks and the Eucharist 💁✝️

[ C O N N E C T I O N ]Julia (she/they) dreams of becoming a book editor. As an English major at Oregon State University...
04/02/2026

[ C O N N E C T I O N ]

Julia (she/they) dreams of becoming a book editor. As an English major at Oregon State University, she also finds joy in playing the clarinet and crocheting.

Growing up in Episcopal tradition, Julia instantly found a church connection in Corvallis by attending services with her grandparents, who are longtime members of the local Episcopal church. Both her grandparents and the Episcopal priest repeatedly encouraged her to explore the Lutheran–Episcopal campus ministry. Her grandma was especially persistent, and Julia smiled, saying, “she was asking me every time I saw her, “have you gone yet? Are you still going?”

Eventually, Julia gathered the courage to attend one Sunday dinner. “I don’t know that I would have actively sought it out on my own. I might have later,” she shared. “The main thing I was nervous about was whether people would be nice.” Her first impressions were simple but meaningful: the food was good, and the people were kind. She found a warm and inviting space with lots of plants, banned books on the shelves, and a pride flag on the wall- all sorts of things that made her feel comfortable. “Even on the first day,” Julia said, “it didn’t feel like I was an outsider coming in. I felt like I was part of it immediately.”

For Julia, the campus ministry has become a place of connection. “It helped me feel like I was having more social time with people, more connected to different people,” she reflected. “Now I know people from all around and in different grades.” More than that, the community helped Julia feel at home at OSU. “It made me feel like I belong here, that I’m not just taking classes.”

In the week to week of academic life, Julia looks forward to craft nights, yummy food, and staying to talk to people. “It’s nice,” she said, “that if I have a bad day, there’s something to look forward to on Sunday and Tuesday, even just chicken nuggets. They’re a wonderful comfort food.”

Thank you for supporting a campus ministry that offers connection and comfort to students like Julia, one meal and one moment at a time.

While the students were away for Spring Break, we scrubbed, organized and decluttered Luther House! With the help of stu...
04/02/2026

While the students were away for Spring Break, we scrubbed, organized and decluttered Luther House! With the help of students we have made a list of needed supplies that will help keep our kitchen clean and usable — not only for Sunday Night Dinners but also for everyday student cooking and baking.

You can access our wish list at the link below or by scanning the QR code on the flyer in the comment section.
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2GF0W6VBA9182?ref_=wl_share

Thank you so much for providing us the tools we need to continue having the Lutheran Episcopalian Campus Ministry be a welcoming and nourishing place!

If you need support or have questions, contact intern Julia!

Address

211 NW 23rd Street
Corvallis, OR
97330

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 2pm
Tuesday 10am - 2pm
Wednesday 10am - 2pm
Thursday 10am - 2pm
Friday 10am - 2pm
Sunday 6pm - 8pm

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