1975
In the early 1970’s the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod was following the Great Commission to bring the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ by starting mission congregations throughout the nation.
Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church (COS) is one of those “mission starts.” In January of 1975 what was then the Colorado District asked the members of Messiah Lutheran Church in Longmont to consider starting a new congregation on land the district had purchased at the corner of Longs Peak Avenue and Alpine Street. After numerous meetings, seven families who were members of Messiah, stepped forward to start the new congregation. There is a story that one man stood, called his wife and children forward and stated that his family would begin this mission and asked who would join them.
The first Christ Our Savior worship service was held on June 1, 1975, at the Soil Conservation Office on North Main Street. The congregation did not stay in the Soil Conservation facility for long—on November 23, 1975, they dedicated their new building on the Alpine Street site! It was a modular building that served the congregation well for a couple of years.
During those first months, various guest and retired Pastors led COS worship. The first Pastor, Paul Graff, was called to the congregation in November of 1975. Pastor Graff was installed in February of 1976. He and his wife and four daughters came from a parish in Canada.
1978
The growing congregation soon formed a Building Committee to make plans for a permanent facility. The current church building was built in 1978 and 1979 and was dedicated in October of 1979. Pastor Graff told a story of sitting in his office in the new church building and hearing a strange noise which turned out to be sheep grazing in the field next to the church. Paul Graff served Christ Our Savior for 21 years. After Pastor Paul departed, COS was served by Dr. Norbert Kleidon as Interim Pastor for two years.
1999
The second Pastor to lead COS is John Thieme who accepted the call to serve COS in May of 1999 and was installed in July of that year. Pastor and Judy Thieme came to COS from Lafayette, Louisiana where he had served in his first parish. Judy is a musician who has headed up the COS Praise Team for many years. Pastor and Judy are known for their beautiful Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs and for hundreds of miles running the streets of Longmont each year. Both have run ultramarathons and marathons, as well as “shorter” distance races.
Christ Our Savior still serves not only the southeast area of Longmont as originally conceived but draws members from the entire community and from the nearby Tri-Towns area.
The congregation is known for the large and fun-filled Vacation Bible School held each summer. COS has mission partners in Cambodia and Guatemala and is active with our local Longmont service agencies such as the OUR Center and Round Pantry.
The COVID pandemic of 2020/2021 has given the church new opportunities to add online worship. The congregation has always known that a church is not the building but is the people in mission.
2022 – 2023
Christ Our Savior called Solomona Rakotonirina to be a vicar for the year. Solomana and his wife, Mihoby, were from Madagascar.
You may join Christ Our Savior in worship at the 640 Alpine Street facility or online on the Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church YouTube channel.
