Who We Are!

Holy  Love Lutheran Church was started as a neighborhood church with the  intention of sharing God's unending love with all neighbors. The first  worship service was held on Thanksgiving in 1973 in one of the model  homes of the new subdivision, Mission Viejo. Rev. Don Henderschedt led  the service and the congregation in this time. 

The  congregation officially incorporated in March 1974. During this time,  it met in the Mission Viejo Elementary School gymnasium. The church's  first building was completed and dedicated April 1976, giving the  community a worship home. We welcomed Rev. Darrel Peterson in 1977 and  began sharing our congregational space with other community  organizations. 

The  members of Holy Love Lutheran Church recognized the need for a quality,  Christian-based early education program for the area's young kids. The  congregation raised funds to build an education wing, and in 1984 Holy  Love Lutheran Preschool & Kindergarten welcomed its first class of  students. The Preschool and Kindergarten remain a ministry of Holy  Love's congregation, welcoming all families and students into its  quality, state-licensed educational program. 

Holy  Love welcomed Rev. Charles Harman in 1987, one year before the  Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) formed from the merging of  its two predecessor denominations. To this day, Holy Love Lutheran  remains a congregation of the ELCA, the largest Lutheran denomination in  America. 

In  1991, the congregation welcomed Rev. Roger Rapp. Holy Love hosted  Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp for our first Day Camp experience in 1992.  Under Rev. Rapp's leadership, the current sanctuary was built and  dedicated in March 1997. 

Beginning  in 1999, Holy Love partnered with other Denver-metro area congregations  to form the Holy Hammers Coalition. This group supports Habitat for  Humanity financially and with their building support. Holy Hammers  remains active and currently supports the Augustana Homes of Denver's  Habitat branch. 

Also  in 1999, Rev. Joseph Holub began his ministry with Holy Love. James  Hersch visited for the first time (of over 20 annual visits), bringing a  gift of song and love. Members of the congregation traveled overseas  for mission trips to Tanzania (2004) and Mexico (2005). The youth  program continued to expand. 

In  2007, Rev. Matthew Weber was welcomed by the congregation. Holy Love continued in its ministries, and financially helped start the  Denver-area ELCA congregation, House for All Sinners & Saints. 

With  the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Holy Love began offering an  online worship experience in 2020. We continue to offer an online  worship option, knowing that even though the pandemic is over, our lives  have shifted significantly. We want to meet people where they are at.  So whether Sunday morning finds you working or hiking one of Colorado's  beautiful mountains, you are not excluded from God's of love, grace, and  community. 

In  2021, Holy Love embarked on an intentional, three-year discernment  process with the Rocky Mountain Synod known as Vital, Right-Shaped  Ministries (VRSM) and called Rev. Brittany Kooi as its pastor. During  this period, the congregation worked to identify its Core Values,  Vision, and Mission Statements. Though the VRSM program has now ended,  we continue to look to re-evaluate our ministries and reach out to our  neighbors. 

Holy  Love celebrated its 50th anniversary in ministry with a special service  in May 2024. We welcomed members throughout its long history and  ministries, while celebrating our newest partnerships with Halo Girls'  Corp (started in 2020) and All-Stars Club (started in 2022). Our  congregation has sponsored four individuals into ordained ministerial  leadership within the ELCA and six ministry interns. 

We continue to explore and live out God's love for neighbor, and eagerly look forward to what God has in store for us next. 

Throughout our existence, Holy Love has met the needs of its community through various ministries.