Ministries & Education
Music Ministry
At Wheat Ridge Lutheran, we believe that music is worship. Our choirs regularly contribute to our worship service and we encourage musicians in our congregation to use their God-given talents in praise as well. Choirs, soloists and instrumentalists regularly enhance our worship services with their musicality.
Opportunities for specific involvement includes:
- Adult Choir: Led by Sheila Fornall, our adult choir participates in worship services almost every Sunday during the regular school year.
- Youth choir: Led by Alison Yox, our youth choir learns how to sing safely, musicality, liturgy, and hymnody. The youth choir leads a Christmas program every year in addition to participating in worship.
- Handbell Choir: Led by Sheila Fornall, our handbell choir learns hymns and worship music set to be played by handbells and chimes.
- Soloists: There are many opportunities for solo singers to contribute to our worship service including leading hymns, solos during offering, and more.
- Instrumentalists: Our choirs love including instrumentalists in their songs such as pipe organ, trumpet, flute, and more! We also encourage instrumentalists to contribute solo pieces to worship as well.
Choir practice is held on Wednesdays at 6:30-8:00 pm.
Handbell Choir Practice is held on Wednesdays at 8:00-9:00 pm.
Youth Choir practice is held during Sunday School on Sundays at 9:00-9:20 am.
For more information about how you can be involved in any of these music programs, contact Sheila Fornall through the church office.
A.C.T.S
The ACTS (Adults, Children, Teens, Seniors) at Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church provides fun activities for the congregation to do together that build our WRELC community. They lead many annual events such as:
Beer, Brats, and Bride: An LCMS tradition that goes back decades that features beer and brats (an homage to our German heritage) as we watch the movie The Princess Bride at the same time as other LCMS congregations throughout the country that participate in this tradition.
Many LCMS church across the U.S. watch the movie on the Third Saturday in September at 4 pm Eastern (2 pm Mountain).
The Chilli Cookoff: Every year on Reformation Sunday, the ACTS group hosts our Chili Cookoff where participants bring their best home made chili to be judged and voted on by the congregation. There are 3 categories: Regular chili, Spicy chili, and Non-chili. Winners receive a small prize.
Lay Conference: Open to everyone who wants to learn how Lutheran theology applies to everyday life. The conference is held every other year on a Saturday. Renowned guest speakers present topics that are relevant to our lives. Past topics include:
- What Makes it Lutheran? – Theology, Doctrine and Worship from the LCMS Perspective (2015)
- Reformation in the Home Confessing Christ in a Hostile World: Lessons from the Early Church (2017)
- Hindsight Isn’t Always 20/20: A look at the state of the Church in the year 2020 (2021)
- Grounding Our Mission in God’s Mission: A Theology of Mission for Unsettling Times (2023)
- Becoming Human: A Theology of the Body for Today (2025)
ADULT BIBLE STUDIES
Led by Pastor Eli Lietzau, adult Bible studies are held in the Fellowship Hall every Sunday morning from 9:00-9:45 am and Tuesdays from 10:00 am.
ALTAR GUILD
In the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS), the Altar Guild is a dedicated group of laypeople (usually women, though men may serve in some congregations) who are responsible for the careful preparation and care of everything directly connected to the Lord’s Supper and the worship space surrounding the altar. Their primary duties include:
- Preparing the altar before each Divine Service (setting out linens, paraments in the correct liturgical color, communion vessels, candles, wine, wafers/host, etc.)
- Filling and lighting candles
- Changing paraments and banners to match the church season (Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, etc.)
- Cleaning and polishing communion ware (chalice, paten, ciborium, flagon, individual cups)
- Laundering and ironing altar linens and pastor’s vestments
- Filling cruets with wine and water, preparing individual cups when used
- Keeping the sacristy organized and supplied
The Altar Guild is considered a high and holy privilege because its members serve “behind the scenes” to ensure that the Sacrament of the Altar is celebrated with reverence, dignity, and beauty. While there is no official synod-wide Altar Guild organization, the work follows consistent LCMS rubrics and a deep respect for the Real Presence of Christ in the Sacrament.
CHILDREN
At Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church, we strongly believe that children should be present and participating in the Divine Service. As Christ our Lord tells us, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them.” It is truly a blessing to see these little ones doing the things that children do: moving around, playing, making noise, and even occasionally crying. For it is here, at the Divine Service, where even these little ones receive the gifts of God. None are too young. And it is a joy to see them learn the liturgy, pick up the hymnal, and even try and sing the hymns. We are grateful to have these children of God in our midst today. In addition to the Divine Service, we also offer many opportunities for children, including:
Sunday School
Starting at 8:45 with an opening for children by Pastor Leitzau, Sunday School also includes Children’s Choir with Alison Yox, and aged based Sunday School rooms that teach children about the Bible in a developmentally appropriate way.
Children’s Choir
Led by Alison Yox, a former Elementary teacher and Vocal Music Major, the Children’s Choir learns about liturgy and hymnody, sings in our worship services on a regular basis, and lead a Christmas program during Advent.
Vacation Bible School (VBS)
For a week during summer vacation, WRELC hosts children for VBS. We encourage children ages 4-12 to attend and bring their friends for some fun activities and to learn about Jesus.
MEN
Gentlemen's Darts Night
On a quarterly basis, all adult men are invited to throw some darts, engage in conversation, and enjoy some libations. It doesn’t matter if you can throw a bullseye or can’t even hit board, come and join us for food and drink and an opportunity to get to know your fellow brothers in Christ.
TEENS
Here, at Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran church, we encourage our teens to stay in the Word and invite their friends to church sponsored activities such as:
Youth Group
Every Wednesday night from 6:30-8:30 pm, we invite our 6th grade-high school youth to bring their friends for food and fellowship as they come and learn about Christ Jesus for them. Each night includes time for fun and games and also a deep study into God’s Word.
We also offer a Youth Bible Study on Sunday mornings from 8:45 am to 9:45 am.
Confirmation
Within the LCMS Lutheran church, confirmation is a class typically taken starting in 6th grade and ending in 8th grade (it’s determined by discussions between pastor, parents and the students on their readyness). This class is where our youth learn about the doctrine and beliefs of the LCMS church and how it relates to the Bible. Once graduated, the students become confirmed in their faith, in a public, special church service where they declare their beliefs and take their first communion, becoming individual members of the church.
Higher Things Conferences
Happening once a year, Higher Things is a youth conference.
From the Higher Things website:
…to make the Gifts of Christ Jesus known to youth and young adults.
Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, was crucified for your sins and raised for your forgiveness, and the forgiveness, life, and salvation He won for you on Good Friday and Easter are delivered right to you in His Holy Spirit-filled Word and Sacraments. This is the heart and soul of our preaching, teaching, and worship because this is the full substance of the entire Christian faith. Jesus died, Jesus rose, Jesus delivers FOR YOU.
Jesus’ salvation, won and delivered, is for all people of all nations, and Higher Things believes that this is regardless of age group. For over 20 years, we have been blessed by God to assist in delivering Jesus’ cross-won, empty-tomb-certain salvation to thousands of youth and young adults through our summer conferences, regional retreats, and digital resources. We are humbled to assist the local congregations, their pastors, parents, and youth leaders as we do the same thing they do: delivering Jesus through His Word and Gifts.
By the Spirit’s working upon us, we rejoice wholeheartedly in the completely free salvation and forgiveness that Jesus won for us, delivers to us and also delivers through us to others. By the Holy Spirit’s working upon us through Christ’s Word and Gifts, He enlivens us to go about our work of passing on to the next generation what we believe, teach, and confess about Jesus and what He has done for each of us and for all.
Learn more about Higher Things from their website – https://higherthings.org
WOMEN
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) gathers together for study, prayer and mission projects. The third Sunday of each month is designated as Mite Sunday. Mites are offerings that our LWML collects to fund mission projects in the Rocky Mountain District and across the world. You can bring your mites any time and put them in the mite box in the narthex.
The Lutheran Women in Mission meet at 9:15 am the 2nd Saturday of September, November, January, March and May, with Bible Study at 8:30am prior to each meeting.
LIFE MINISTRY
The Life Ministry Committee exists to contribute time and talent to our congregation and community for impacting spiritual and physical life issues from conception to natural death. Our activities include:
Mental Health Presentations
We invite speakers in various topics around mental health issues.
Past topics include:
- When Your Loved Ones Has Dimentia
- Jesus Loves Me... Why Am I Anxious?
- Gaslighting
These presentations are held quarterly on Sundays immediately after worship. Lunch is provided and it is open to anyone. Check the Church Calendar for the next event.
40 Days of Life
Join us as we spend about an hour reading scripture, praying and singing hymns at the location of the Denver Planned Parenthood, 7155 E 38th Ave, Denver, CO 80207. We do this on a Saturday in March. Watch the bulletin for the date.
This is a peaceful, reverent presence. We stand either across the street from the entrance or down the street a little. The volume of our speaking and singing is only loud enough for anyone walking close by to hear. We are not confrontational.
This is part of the 40 Days for Life campaign. We have participated in this several times in the past few years.
Contact Sara Smith if you would like to participate.
Colorado March for Life
Supporters gather every year in April for Colorado March for Life at the State Capitol. The Rocky Mountain District organizes a group and we have a prayer service then rally at the Capitol. We march because we envision a future world where the beauty and dignity of every human life are valued and protected. Visit Rocky Mountain District website to register and for more information.
Birthday Celebrations
Life Committee celebrates life! We recognize and celebrate our church members’ birthdays and baptismal birthdays (switch it each year) by cake, birthday hats & fellowship every quarter after worship.
For more information about the Life Ministry, please contact Sara Smith through the church office