Our Savior Lutheran Church
	Who Does What
Our Savior Lutheran -- where God is seen, love is felt; lives are changed.	Our Savior Lutheran Church is a vibrant place where visions can become reality.   Ours is a diverse, warm and caring church.  We have a sense of community, with members who gather regularly in and out of church.   The people of Our Savior are willing and able to give time and talents back to our church and community. Enriching the lives of God's children with grace, Enlightening all with the word of God, Encouraging all to be servants of the living Christ, so that in loving one another as Christ first loved us, we are united in our mission to spread the good news of Jesus Christ, joyfully sharing the gift of God's grace with our community, our nation and our world. The ministry of this congregation expresses it three-fold mission in the following ways: Worship: We call and support a pastor to preach and teach God's holy, inspired Word in all its truth and purity and to administer the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion in accord with our Lord's command.   We respond to the Word and Sacraments with prayer, praise and thanksgiving. Nurture: We carry out an educational ministry for children and adults in which faith and knowledge of God's will are strengthened. Fellowship: We provide for fellowship between people of faith and commitment, since we are a people bound together as brothers and sisters of Christ (the family of God). Witness: We reach out to those who do not know Jesus Christ through direct contacts in our local community and through support of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Southwestern Texas Synod. Service: We provide an opportunity for each believer to serve God with the time, talents, and treasure which God has so graciously given.   We also seek to be a good neighbor to the people of the community in which we live. What We Believe Evangelical Lutheran Church in America OSLC Prayer Chain Bible Study Contact Us Our Savior Lutheran has 330 Regular Members who form the core of all that the church is and accomplishes and hopes to be. Added to them are the Associate Members, who hold membership in other Christian congregations and want to keep such membership but wish to participate in the life and mission of Our Savior Lutheran's congregation.   During the winter months, our numbers increase as our Winter Texans arrive to worship, volunteer and participate in ministries. Our Savior Lutheran began in 1948 with a small groups meeting in the home of Hazel Foreman.   The congregation grew, moving to the old Kreidler building, to a building on 12th and Gumwood.   On Pentecost Sunday in 1948, the congregation organized and affiliated with the Augustana Lutheran church.   Plans began for our present location at Fern between Eleventh and Twelfth Streets, purchased in 1960.   In May 1964, the new structure was completed.   During the 60's and 70's, more and more Winter Texans took up part time residence here in the Valley and our winter ministry programs grew in importance with their numbers.   Construction was started on a new worship area and Parish Hall in the spring of 1981, which was dedicated on All Saint's Day, November 1, 1981.   In 1994 it was decided to again build to fill the growing needs of the immediate church family, the Winter Texan ministry, and the church's outreach in the community.   Construction began on June 24, 1996, and the building, which consisted of two floors, a gym and kitchen was dedicated on February 9, 1997.   This is our Living Faith Center. The pastors that have served since the organization of the congregation are Pastor Lorenze Larson, 1948-53; Pastor Howard Youngbloom, 1954-57; Pastor Peter Nelson, 1958-66; Nathanthiel Kern, 1966-69; Pastor Peter Manfred, 1970-78; Pastor Michael Leppick, 1978-85; Dr Grant Shealy served as associate pastor for Winter Ministry 1978-85 and as interim pastor in 1985; Pastor Alan Wicks, 1985-91; Pastor Bobby Leggett, 1992-2000; Pastor Randy Conley, 2000-04; Interim Pastor Alan Watt, 2004-05; Pastor Steve Herzberg, 2005 to present.