Here at Light of Christ we seek to be a welcoming, accepting and enjoyable place to worship, learn and grow together. We are committed to following Jesus Christ, which means that we are a place where people can bring their joys, questions and concerns. We laugh together. We cry together. We serve Christ by serving others. We join our voices in song and prayer. We seek to be a faith community that bears witness to God's "YES" for the world! 

All are welcome in this place!

Our Vision

We believe that he became like us . . .

We believe that Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became like us in every way except sin, even experiencing death and the grave. The Creator became a human creature; the divine become human; the Word became flesh.

So that he might make us like him. . . .

We believe he became like us so that he might make us as he now is in glory. “We will be like him.” (1 John 3:2) That doesn’t mean we will become little gods. To “be like him” means, above all else, that one day we will be able to love as Jesus loves. We will love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and we will love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Beloved children . . . Beloved community . . . Beloved creation . . .

We believe that we are God’s beloved children living in God’s beloved community. God’s beloved community is one in which everyone is loved, cherished, and welcomed without exception. We are also inhabiting God’s beloved creation which God has entrusted to us to care for and nurture.

We believe in transformation -- God’s and our own.

Martin Luther, the founder of the Lutheran movement, once said this about our lives on this side of the grave. “This life therefore is not righteousness, but growth in righteousness; not health, but healing; not being but becoming; not rest but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it; the process is not yet finished, but it is going on; this is not the end, but it is the road. All does not yet gleam in glory, but all is being purified.” 
 

In the late 1960's several families in the Delano area were looking for a Lutheran alternative to the existing Wisconsin Synod congregation in Delano. Families from Rockford were thinking the same thing. A request to the American Lutheran Church (ALC) offices brought representatives to joint meetings in both communities. The result was a mission congregation with worship services being held in both Delano and Rockford.  Pastor Manuel Johnson was called to lead the congregation; a parsonage was purchased in Delano. Under Pastor Johnson's leadership and the faithful commitment of the members, the church grew and became an important voice in the community. When a member from Rockford donated acreage, a church building was constructed in Rockford and worship services were held only there...at Our Father's Lutheran Church.

In 1984, Delano members felt the need to have more of a presence in the Delano area. Pastor Johnson resigned to take another position and Our Father's Lutheran split into two churches. Light of Christ Lutheran was born. During those early years, worship services were held in the school and also at St. Paul's United Church of Christ.

Through the ministry of Mission Builders, the first building was completed in 1987. The congregation grew and needed additional worship space. On October 10, 1997, a new sanctuary that seats over 300 people was dedicated. In the fall of 2005, construction was completed on a wing containing offices and classrooms.

Today, Light of Christ Lutheran numbers over 1200 members, with one-third of these being youth and children. In 2017, there were 20 baptisms and 4 funerals. 

Throughout its history, God has indeed worked through the mission and ministry of Light of Christ Lutheran Church. Our mission statement, "Welcoming & Serving All Through the Unconditional Love & Light of Christ" honors both the congregation's desire to be Christ-focused and mission-directed.

Light of Christ Lutheran Church is a member of the ELCA, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Members can access the online member directory from the Member Portal. Once you are logged in, access the directory by clicking the "People" tab in the top blue menu.

If you can not remember your password, click the "Forgot password" link on the Member Portal login page to reset your password.

We are connected to other churches and church bodies. We belong to the Minneapolis Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is one of the most ecumenical church bodies in the county. We have full communion agreements with seven other national church bodies. We also help to support missionary work in Chile and Nigeria. We are also a member congregation of Love Inc, the Delano Ministerial Association and Delano United. We are committed to building bridges with all our sisters and brothers in Christ.

Click here to download our constitution.