North Waseca Lutheran Church-ELCA

North Waseca Lutheran Church-ELCA Sunday Worship: 8:45am,
Holy Communion on 1st and 3rd Sundays,
Young at Heart Service on 2nd Sundays They felt the need of the Word of God.

North Waseca Lutheran Church was founded by early Norwegian immigrants. History tells us that in the forty years between 1825 and 1865, an average of 2,000 people left Norway each year for America. For the eight years that followed 1865, an average of 13,862 Norwegians came to America each year. By 1855, the first group of Norwegians had come to Waseca County. John Sigurson (Johnson) and his son T

orbjorn, Sjur Olson (Bagne), Aslak Herlaugson (Quitney), Peder Nilsen, Jens Olson, Kristoffer Olson, and Tarald Anonsen (Anderson) were in this first group. Several more Norwegians arrived in 1856 and settled on land in Iosco and Blooming Grove Townships. Since most of the neighbors were Norwegian, they lived much as they did in Norway, clinging to the old customs and especially to the native language. In the midst of adjusting to the new land, new friends and new problems, it did not take them long to realize that “man doth not live on bread alone.” They felt the need of a Church in which they could worship. Pastor Laur Larsen from Rush River, Wisconsin was contacted and asked to come for a visit. He was a Norwegian missionary pastor who traveled throughout this part of the territory. On Sunday, October 17, 1858, some of the settlers gathered at the home of Aslak Herlaugson to organize a Lutheran congregation. Pastor Larsen was with them. He had drafted a constitution. It was read and adopted and the congregation was established. The first pastor called to North Waseca Lutheran Church was Pastor Bernt Julius Muus. He was replaced by Pastor Quammen and later by Pastor Melby. When the church was finally built, a dedication service was held on July 9, 1874. The speaker at this event was Pastor B.J. Muus, who later became the first President of St. Olaf College in Northfield. In 1905, North Waseca Lutheran Church was instrumental in establishing a new church in the city of Waseca. It was first known as First English Lutheran Church, and today is known as Grace Lutheran Church. Four pastors have served at least 20 years at North Waseca Lutheran Church. They are:

Pastor O.A. Melby 1872-1896
Pastor R.P. Wasbotten 1897-1922
Pastor Ivar Ramseth 1926-1947
Pastor Allan Tveite 1972-2006

The spirit that was created in North Waseca Lutheran Church in 1858 still exists today. That spirit shows every Sunday as we gather in our sanctuary to worship and sing hymns that have been sung here for 150 years. That same spirit shows in the smiles from our newest to oldest members. The members of this congregation are the bedrock of this church community. A church built on a foundation of belief in Jesus Christ. We welcome new members and long to make them feel the warmth, camaraderie, friendliness, and spirituality displayed here. There is an abundance of young spirit minded people to establish growth and longevity. This family spirit takes on forms…joy, serenity, peace, and love. All can be found in this place; All are welcome in this place.

Service on Aug 23
08/29/2026

Service on Aug 23

Pastor tells of the story of all the parts of man belong to God. A...

Join Faith and North Waseca for a combined back to school celebration on September 13th at FarmAmerica! Worship begins a...
08/19/2026

Join Faith and North Waseca for a combined back to school celebration on September 13th at FarmAmerica! Worship begins at 9am, with refreshments and activities (such as exploring their corn maze!) to follow. Please note that their historic church is a small distance from the parking lot, so plan to give yourself some time to walk over before worship. The tractor tram will be available for rides back and forth from the parking lot to the church for worship. Don't forget your backpacks for a backpack blessing in worship!

Service for July 5, 2026
08/17/2026

Service for July 5, 2026

Pastor tells of the first sight judgement.

Service on June 28
08/17/2026

Service on June 28

As Jesus tells of acceptance of him, pastor tells of the Shelter Ch...

Service on August 16.
08/17/2026

Service on August 16.

Pastor Sarah tells of the persistent Mother who wants help for her ...

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! July 16, 8:30am-noon (or any part of that). We are a rest stop for riders in the Bike Build Home 500 ...
07/10/2026

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! July 16, 8:30am-noon (or any part of that). We are a rest stop for riders in the Bike Build Home 500 bike ride benefitting Habitat for Humanity, and will need folks to help distribute water and snacks as they stop by to refuel and rehydrate.

(this squirrel will not be participating in this particular leg of the bike ride)

Volunteers from North Waseca serve a meal at Shelter Church every other month, and it has been a meaningful addition to ...
07/07/2026

Volunteers from North Waseca serve a meal at Shelter Church every other month, and it has been a meaningful addition to our church life together!

On Sunday, June 29, the Shelter Church community and friends of the ministry gathered for a special celebration to honor the shared roots of Shelter Church and Connections Shelter. They are now two separate organizations. Shelter Church is a worshipping community gathering every Sunday in the basement of Grace Lutheran in Mankato for a shared meal and worship. Connections Shelter is a shelter and drop-in center in Mankato dedicated to walking with neighbors experiencing homelessness, helping them move from crisis to stability. We give thanks to God for Shelter Church and Connections Shelter! Pastor Sarah Krolak serves as pastor of Shelter Church (in addition to her full-time call serving North Waseca and Faith). At the special service on June 28, the community was joined by Liz Paul, the Development Director of Connections Shelter. Synod staff member, Rev. Emily Carson, who served Shelter Church for about a year during a season of transition, was also present for the service.

Batter up! Our congregations are heading to a Moondogs game on August 2! RSVP to flcsunschool@gmail.com by Sunday July 5...
06/24/2026

Batter up! Our congregations are heading to a Moondogs game on August 2! RSVP to [email protected] by Sunday July 5th to reserve your seat. Tickets are $8, payable to Faith Lutheran Church. Ticket includes premium grandstand seat and meal deal (hot dog, bag of chips, pop).

A group of 10 or more is needed for these ticket reservations, so sign up today!

Service on 5-30
06/01/2026

Service on 5-30

Pastor Peg Marose talks of the number of three(triune) in our church.

Service for 5-17
06/01/2026

Service for 5-17

Honoring Graduates. Pastor Sarah talks of starting new.

Address

40430 120th Street
Waseca, MN
56093

Opening Hours

8am - 11am

Telephone

+15072346463

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when North Waseca Lutheran Church-ELCA posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Place Of Worship

Send a message to North Waseca Lutheran Church-ELCA:

Shortcuts

Share

Category