First Lutheran Church of Venice

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

First Lutheran Church of Venice
Basic information
Location Venice, Los Angeles, California
Religious affiliation Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
District Pacific Southwest
Leadership Rev. Thomas R. Brewer
Website http://www.flvenice.org/
Architectural description
Architectural type Church
Architectural style Mission Revival
Specifications

First Lutheran Church of Venice is a congregation in the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS), located on the westside of Los Angeles. It serves the communities of Venice, Mar Vista and Marina del Rey, and is in the Pacific Southwest District of the LCMS. The church offers both traditional and contemporary services and runs First Lutheran School of Venice. The church was founded in 1944.

With 331 members as of 2006, it is the third largest LCMS congregation in Los Angeles and the largest in its circuit, which includes churches in Beverly Hills, Inglewood and Santa Monica.

Venice is home to a thriving artistic community, and church programs and activities draw on that resource. Since 2001, the church has hosted a Masters in the Chapel music series which has featured performances by artists from the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Baroque Orchestra and Los Angeles Master Chorale. The series was begun in the wake of the church's restoration, following a 1998 electrical fire which gutted the sanctuary. The church's pipe organ, which was designed in 2004 by the builder of those at Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, is also featured in the events.[1] Also, since 2002 the church has staged an annual production of A Christmas Carol, starring church member and Tony Award nominee Orson Bean.[2]

The church also features an external mural, Jesus Roller Skating with Friends in Venice Beach [1], created in 1997 by Father Maur Van Doorslaer [2], a Benedictine monk. The work has been described as being second in local popularity only to Venice's Ballerina Clown statue.[1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Goldman, Betsy. "Masters in the Chapel Concert Series: music to our ears", The Argonaut, 2005-12-08. Retrieved on 2007-02-12. 
  2. ^ "Local festivities begin countdown to Christmas", The Argonaut, 2006-12-07. Retrieved on 2007-02-12. 

[edit] External links

This article about a church or other Christian place of worship in the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
 This article relating to Lutheranism is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.