9:30am Sunday Worship Come as you are to worship! This is the day the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it!!
Sunday worship is followed by coffee, juice, and treats for everyone in the basement. An elevator is located at the back of the sanctuary for anyone needing it's use.
Any children pre-k through 6th grade are welcome at Sunday School released from worship after Holy Communion ending at 11:15am
We are a community of people who want to know and follow Jesus. Whoever you are and wherever you come from, we'd love to have you come and be among us.
Here's some helpful information about us:
What to expect during worship services? Our services are usually 60-75 minutes in length with the sermon being about 10 minutes. Our services follow the liturgical order of: Greeting, Word, Meal, and Sending. A bulletin will be provided with the order of worship and hymn numbers which you will find in the hymn books in your pew. Our worship is interspersed with communal spoken responses, song and hymns, scripture, and preaching. Holy Communion is part of our worship every week.
Our musical style is traditional and yet unique for a northern MN small town Lutheran church: We have both traditional organ hymn music and country-gospel style music and hymns.
"Classic" Worship (organ led music) on the 1st and 4th Sundays of the month
"Hoots" Worship (music led by Holy Hootenanners - country-gospel band) on the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th Sundays of the month
(*subject to the rare change)
When do worship services happen? Sundays 10:00 am Wednesday Evenings during Lent (the 6 weeks before Easter, this year: 2/14/2018-3/21/2018)
Entering the Sanctuary There are the main entrance doors at the top of the front stairs that you see from the road or driving up the driveway. There is also the side door on the south side of the building (off the parking lot between the church and the hall): this door is our handicap accessible entrance into the sanctuary and building. How do people dress for Sunday morning? Salem is a pretty casual community where folks are invited to "come as you are." You will find that some people come dressed in jeans and sweatshirts while others prefer to dress up in dress pants or skirts, you will find the occasional tie but rarely a suit. Dress as you feel comfortable.
Christmas Eve Worship The candle light service will be full. Plan to arrive 15 to 30 minutes in advance to find seating for large families. Holy Communion will be served during worship, as always at Salem. This year: December 24th, 2017 at 4pm.
Easter Sunday Worship The worship space will be full, but large families should still be able to find seating together about 10 minutes before the service begins. Open communion will be available to all during the service. Please contact the church or Barnum band director Jeff Gilbertson if you are a student in band and want to be part of the youth band that assembles to lead music for our Easter Worship Service!
Who Can Receive Holy Communion? Jesus is the host at the Communion Table. All are welcome to take communion, all ages, all church affiliations, all not affiliated, members, non-members, friends, enemies, strangers - Jesus welcomes all to his table! All people are invited to share Holy Communion with us regardless of what denomination you belong to or which congregation you attend, or even if you are not a church-goer at all, you are welcome to the table with us. Holy Communion are the physical elements that together with the words of Jesus that are signs of God's grace and love for us. Anyone who wishes to receive these signs of God's grace are welcome to eat and drink the bread and wine at Salem during Holy Communion.
There are no age limits and no First Communion classes that you need to take before having Holy Communion at Salem, you will find children as young as 6 months participating in Holy Communion. If you wish to not take Holy Communion, to can remain in your seat and let others walk past you or come forward to receive a blessing instead.
Serving Instructions what to expect: For the bread and wine at Salem we offer bread, gluten-free wafers, red wine and white grape juice so that all are able to partake. Follow others in two lines towards the front, you will receive first the bread/wafer hearing the words "The body of Christ broken for you". An appropriate response is "Amen" or "Thank God" or saying nothing. Eat the bread. Then you will receive a small cup of wine/juice hearing the words "The blood of Christ shed for you". Same previous responses are appropriate here too. Drink the wine/juice and leave the empty cup in the crystal bowl next to you before returning to your seat down the side aisle, or main aisle if the side aisle doesn't work for you.
Children's Sunday School Sunday School at Salem happens during the end of worship. Children pre-school age through 6th grade are invited to participate in Sunday School - whether its your first time or you are a weekly attender! Children younger than pre-school age are welcome in Sunday school but if they very young we ask a parent or teen to go with them for one-on-one attention. (Ask other parents or Pastor Beth, we have teens who would love to watch your children and take them to Sunday school!) Children are released after Holy Communion, during announcements, before the end of worship. Sunday school finishes at 11:15. Sunday school takes place during the school year from September to May with occasional days off usually around school breaks or holidays. For more info contact Salem. Sunday School teachers are volunteers: parents, teenagers, and other adults. If you wish to volunteer to teach or help with Sunday School once or repeatedly, contact Pastor Beth and Salem.
Snow/Cold Cancellation Procedure If the Barnum School District cancels school or closes early, activities at Salem will also be cancelled. For Sunday worship, if the show and ice are too difficult for safe driving the decision will be made by 7am. All cancellations will be posted on our Facebook page. You may also call the church to ask.
How can I become a member at Salem? Contact Pastor Beth and check out our Become a Member page.