I'm thinking of visiting a worship service at Calvary -
what should I know?
First, know that we're happy to have you as our guest! It's our goal as a Lutheran church to share God's good news with you. We pray that your visit with us leaves you comforted by the message of God's love for you, strengthened in your faith, and encouraged to face the challenges of daily life. Visitors are always welcome! Below is a little information to help walk you through your first visit, and make it as comfortable as possible as you get to know us.

Where is Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church?
Calvary is located on Main Street in downtown Thiensville, just north of the public library and swimming pool. Entrance to our parking lot is from Division Street, immediately to the south of our church building. Click here for a map of our location.

What should I expect from the worship service?
At Calvary, we strive for confessional Lutheran worship. We seek to preserve the best of classic hymns, while also blending more contemporary accompaniments with some of our songs. On any given Sunday, you're likely to experience a choir, a hand bell selection, or hear anything from a violin to a trumpet to a soloist accompanying our wonderful pipe organ.

We follow a structured pattern of worship (a liturgy), both giving confession of what we believe and allowing visitors to see what's ahead. Our order of worship is found in the red hymnals located in every pew; an usher will also hand you a "worship card" to help you follow the outline of the service.

In our church setting, our worship service and our sermons, we strive for both reverence and relevance, communicating the timely and timeless truth of a holy God who restored his relationship with sinful man through the life and death of his Son, Jesus Christ.

What will my visit cost me?
Our goal is to give you something when you visit, not take something from you. Although you will see an offering gathered during the worship service, it's done as an opportunity for our members to express their faith and thankfulness for what God has done and support the ministry of our church as we reach out to others. Visitors need not feel obligated to contribute, and aren't expected to do so.

What is the length of a typical worship service?
Our worship services usually last about one hour.

Should I come up for communion?
At Calvary, we desire to have everyone commune with us at the Lord’s Table. However, guided by our Lord’s words in Scripture, congregations of our Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) practice close communion, celebrating communion with those who have expressed their agreement with the teachings of our church through their membership. God's Word tells us that when we gather together at the communion rail, we're confessing to this world that we stand united in faith. As our guest, we don't want to put you in a position of confessing unity with us until you know what we believe. Before communing with us, please talk with one of our pastors and allow us to share our beliefs with you. Thank you!

Will I be "put on the spot" at all as a visitor?
We want our worship services to be a welcoming and comfortable way for our guests to get to know who we are and what we teach. Aside from a friendly welcome from our greeters and our pastors, and an usher who hands you a worship service guide, we'll let you become comfortable with our worship service without being too noticed. We invite you to sign our guest register near our doorway to let us know who you are, and if there are any ways we can continue to serve you!