WHAT TO EXPECT

Worship + Grow + Serve

These three words make up the mission of Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church.
    
Established in December 1858, Kountze Memorial has faithfully shared the good news of Jesus Christ, while carrying out its mission as a center for worship, growth, and service for more than 150 years in Omaha. Kountze is a congregation of the Nebraska Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
    
As Lutherans, we believe that we are saved by the grace of God alone. Our salvation is through faith alone, and our sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake, who died to redeem us. 
    
We hold four weekly worship services. Our 5 p.m. Saturday service is set in a more casual atmosphere with piano accompaniment. On Sunday, our worship services at 9 and 11 a.m. are a mix of traditional and contemporary services with a variety of musical selections. The 9 a.m. Sunday service is also televised live on Cox Cable Ch. 13 in Omaha and online on our church website. Kountze Memorial has been televising our worship services since 1962. Communion is offered weekly at all three services. We also offer a weekly Wednesday Communion Service from 12:15-12:45 p.m. in the Rotunda. A hot breakfast is served every Sunday in our Fellowship Hall from 8-11 a.m.

Our ministry team includes Pastor Jeffery Alvestad, who began serving July 1, 2013. Associate Pastor of Faith Formation Ashley Hall began in the Fall of 2011. Pastor Inba Inbarasu serves as Visitation Pastor. 

The music ministry at Kountze Memorial has a long tradition of being a vital and vibrant aspect of our worship services. Our adult choir, two children’s choirs, a high school and middle school choir, and a bell choir provide opportunities for all age groups to utilize their talents to enhance our worship. 

Kountze Memorial has vibrant Children, Youth, Family and Adult Ministries. Our Sunday School program uses an innovative lectionary model for children in kindergarten through the 6th grade. The lessons incorporate videos, music, storytelling, computers, games and puppets, to create excitement and interest in the students.

An active Youth Ministry (Jr. High, Sr. High, and Young Adult) participates in Bible Study, community service and fellowship activities, including an annual summer service trip. In 2015, 42 youth and adult leaders traveled to the ELCA National Youth Gathering in Detroit, Michigan for service, fellowship, learning, worship, and fun!

For adults, Bible Study classes are offered throughout the year, as well as a weekly Heritage Series led by Pr. H. Ashley Hall. A monthly Prayer Group for all ages helps members learn and grow in prayer life. Our weekly Adult Forum time between the services on Sunday also features timely topics.

A Congregational Picnic and a Neighborhood Gathering, in which we invite our Park East neighbors for lunch and games on our front lawn, are among the many social opportunities for our members.

Kountze Memorial also has an active Women of the ELCA group, which provides many social and service activities for the women of Kountze.

Kountze Memorial also sponsors Lutheran Campus Ministry at Creighton University. We are building our core group through student dinners, service activities, discussion forums and on-campus worship services. A weekly Protestant Worship service is held on Sundays at 9 p.m. in the chapel of Lower St. John’s during the academic year.

While Kountze Memorial is among the largest ELCA churches in Nebraska, it maintains a family-like atmosphere among its members. Our members come from all over the city and surrounding communities, from various social and economic backgrounds. Whether you have belonged to Kountze Memorial for generations or just joined last week, we take pride in providing a welcoming community to everyone.

Kountze Memorial is a caring congregation. Our Stephen Ministers provide a haven where those in need of compassionate listening can receive it in a confidential way. Kountze operates a free medical clinic called Healing Gift Free Clinic, LLC. The clinic is open from 4-6 p.m. every Thursday. The clinic is an all-volunteer, free health clinic serving those in need of medical care, empowering them towards health of the body, mind and spirit.

Kountze Memorial has always been known as a “city-wide church with a world-wide mission.” We serve our community and the world in a variety of ways. Our Food Pantry serves more than 1,500 guests a month. More than 50 volunteers pack and prepare grocery sacks of food and supplies, all generously donated by the members of Kountze and other contributors, which is then distributed once a week on Mondays to the hungry families of our local community. Kountze Memorial also supports mission projects in Hong Kong, Bolivia, Mexico and Tanzania. We also have a sister congregation, the American Church in Berlin, Germany. In addition, our members participate in a number of community service projects, including serving meals at the Stephen Center in Omaha and participating in the Interfaith Coalition of Habitat for Humanity.

This is just a small sample of what Kountze Memorial is all about. We invite you to learn more about our programs and ministries. We also invite you to attend any of our four weekly services and hope you will join us as we worship, grow and serve in the heart of Omaha.