Hymn Festival | January 31, 2026 | 4:00 PM
Celebrate 150 years of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church and hear our renovated pipe organ’s debut at the Our Hope for Years to Come hymn festival. Claim your free gift at the festival.
Claim your gift.A Personal Welcome to Our Hope for Years to Come Hymn Festival
As the pastor at Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church, I invite you to “Our Hope for Years to Come.”
This hymn festival celebrates three passings of time:
- 150 Years of Ministry at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church
- The beginning of a new era of church music at St. Peter’s with the public debut of our renovated pipe organ
- The yearly liturgical year, retold in hymnody
To thank you for attending, we would love to give you a small gift. Please claim your gift, so that we can have it ready for you when you attend.
Re-Imaged & Renovated Pipe Organ
Our Hope for Years to Come will publicly debut the re-imaged and renovated pipe organ at St. Peter’s.
A project of Robert D. Hoppe & Associates, it was designed in the Baroque style with state-of-the-art technology. It incorporates elements from the original Wahl Opus 1 organ, built in 1974.
Schedule of Events
2:00 PM: Pop-up Choir Rehearsal
We are assembling a pop-up choir for the hymn festival. More information below.
3:30 PM: Doors Open
Open seating. Pick up your free gift.
4:00 PM: Hymn Festival
Celebrate 150 years, the renovation of the pipe organ, and God’s work of salvation as remembered through the church year.
~ 5:15 PM: Refreshments
Join us in the basement fellowship hall for refreshments.
Ryan Luhrs
Ph.D., Choral Conducting and Music Education, Florida State University
M.A, Sacred Music, Luther Seminary with St. Olaf College
B.A., Music, Luther College
Our Hope for Years to Come is under the leadership of Ryan Luhrs, a son of St. Peter’s with a distinguished career in church music.
Ryan is Associate Professor of Music at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina. He directs the A Cappella Choir, the university’s touring flagship choral ensemble, and also leads the College Singers. In addition, he coordinates the Sacred Music Program and mentors students pursuing choral music education.
Call for Singers
We are assembling a pop-up choir for this event. Rehearsal will be from 2:00 PM to 3:15 PM.
You can expect a warm welcome, reverent and relevant worship, and Christ-focussed, biblical teaching at Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church.
You will arrive at Saint Peter’s in our narthex – a room outside of our worship area (sanctuary.) Our worship services are held in the sanctuary, upstairs, and our fellowship and education events are usually held downstairs in the fellowship hall.
If you are here for a worship service, an usher will hand you a bulletin, and you can find a seat in whatever pew you like. Our pastor will also often greet you before the service.
Our worship services are about an hour long. You will find them to be reverent but also relevant to our greatest struggles.
You can just show up! There is no need to make a reservation or to call beforehand. We have space for you, and we often have people just show up.
However, you might feel more comfortable if you talked with us before arriving.
Even if you don’t talk with us before coming, you are welcome here.
We have long, cushioned benches with backs on them. We call them ‘pews.’
You are welcome to sit in any pew you prefer. On some Sundays, we may have a few pews in the front reserved for groups observing a special occasion like a baptism.
Worship consists of readings from our holy book called the Bible, an explanation of those readings (sermon,) prayers, and singing. At most of our worship services, the congregation confesses its wrongdoings (sin) and receives forgiveness. We also observe a small, ritual meal called Holy Communion at most of our services. At some of our worship services, an individual may receive a ritual application of water called Holy Baptism.
Our worship services follow an ancient and set pattern. We often call this the “Liturgy.” You will find that our worship services are reverent. We believe that God comes to us at worship – that’s a holy thing, so we treat it that way.
Even though our worship services are reverent, you will find that they are also not “stuffy” or irrelevant. Worship is heartfelt and can even be surprising.
Worship services are mostly led by an organ or a keyboard.
You are welcome to participate in the worship service to the extent that you feel comfortable. You do not need to sing any hymns or speak the creed or any other responses.
In general, it is polite to stand when the rest of the congregation stands and to sit when they sit, if you are able. However, if you are unable to stand or feel uncomfortable standing for the portions of the worship service when we stand, you are free to remain seated.
If you are not a communicant member of a Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) congregation, we ask that you speak with the pastor before receiving communion at our altar.
We make this request out of love for you and your spiritual well-being.
If you are unable to receive communion at our altar, simply remain seated during the communion distribution.
We will not call special attention to you as a visitor. You will not be asked to stand up or introduce yourself.
The one exception to this is visiting clergy. We usually ask visiting clergy to be recognized, so that we can pray for your ministry.
Our worship services are provided free-of-cost.
We have an offering plate at the entrance to our sanctuary (worship area). If you wish to contribute to our ministry, you may leave a contribution there.
However, do not feel compelled to leave a contribution.
We welcome communicant members of sister congregations in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) to receive communion at our altar.
If you are not a communicant member of an LCMS congregation, we ask that you speak with the pastor before receiving communion.
We make this request out of love for you and your spiritual well-being.
If you are unable to receive communion at our altar, simply remain seated during the communion distribution.
You will see all types of dress at Saint Peter’s – jeans and hoodies as well as dresses and suits.
Yes, Saint Peter’s welcomes children. We have many child-focussed programs like Sunday School, Catechism Class, and Youth Group.
Children are always welcome in worship at Saint Peter’s. We do not hold a “children’s church,” because we want our children to worship with us, so that we can be blessed by their example of faith.
We understand that children can be restless and noisy. That’s okay!
If you feel like you need to step outside to calm your child, however, there is a convenient area to do so just outside the sanctuary.
Saint Peter’s has an onsite parking lot and ample street parking as well.
We have a small restroom on our sanctuary level and also a men’s and women’s room (with changing table) in the basement.
Address:
316 W. Main St.
Forestville, WI 54213
Phone:
920-856-6420
Email:
[email protected]