Salem Lutheran Blends Bluegrass With Tradition This Weekend

Churches these days are looking for interesting and entertaining ways to bring the word of God to their congregations.

Take Salem Lutheran Church on St. Cloud's eastside, for example.

This Sunday morning, they're presenting a bluegrass worship service -- complete with full Lutheran worship liturgy and communion.

Led by a bluegrass band, the service promises to be fun. At the very least, it's NOT the usual Sunday service.

The "Holy Hootenanny" Returns to Salem Lutheran this weekend.

“Bluegrass worship is a fun tradition we have at Salem,” said Pastor Kirsten Nelson Roenfeldt, senior pastor and member of the bluegrass band. “I like to call it a Holy Hootenanny, and it’s a great reminder that there are so many ways to worship.”

The service is based on a special liturgy called "Light Into the World: Hope for a New Day" written by Kent Gustavson.

The service is a sing-along of sorts with the music and lyrics projected on a slideshow and the congregation invited to join in the singing fun.

Salem has held these bluegrass worship services in the past during the summer and they've been well-received.

The bluegrass band consisting of guitar, banjo and fiddle have played previous bluegrass services, so this is old hat for them.

And it's sure to add to the fun.

“We want to make sure everyone feels welcome,” said Pastor Nelson Roenfeldt. “Special services like this help emphasize that church doesn’t have to look like one thing."

IF YOU GO:

The Salem Lutheran bluegrass worship service happens:

Sunday, May 31
9:30 am
Salem Lutheran Church
90 Riverside Drive SE, St. Cloud

The service will also be livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel.