About Us

Established in 2000, Living Water Lutheran Church is a warm, vibrant, energetic, welcoming, missional community of faith in the Pinnacle Peak area of north Scottsdale. Situated in the beautiful Sonoran Desert in the shadow of Pinnacle Peak, we are a gathered and sent people grateful for God’s grace and excited about sharing the good news of Jesus Christ by our worship, words and deeds.

We are life-long Lutherans and people brand new to faith. We are children, caring, young adults, families, empty nesters, young retirees, seniors and saints of all age. We are native Arizonans and transplants from all across the country. We are those who prefer a more traditional but still creative form of worship featuring hymns and liturgy, and those who worship best in a more casual setting with praise music and a band. We serve our neighbors near and far in a variety of ways. We love to get together for fellowship and have fun. We are growing in our faith and in our knowledge of God’s word. We are God’s people in this place, joyfully worshiping, gratefully serving, generously sharing and warmly inviting our neighbors to join us.

Living Water is a member congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

What We Believe

Living Water is a Christian church, meaning that we exist because of the good news that God loves us so much that he gives us his Son, Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We are centered on the person and teachings of Jesus Christ and the grace that comes our way because of his life, death, and resurrection. We believe that the Holy Spirit is active and alive in our lives and in our world, calling and equipping people to be Christ-followers today.

As a Christian church within the Lutheran faith tradition, we are built on the foundations of Lutheran worship and faith. We confess that a person is saved by grace through faith alone and not by any works. We believe the Bible is God’s Word and is the norm and authority for faith and life – the true standard by which all other teachings and doctrines are to be judged. We understand ourselves to be grateful and undeserving recipients of God’s blessings including forgiveness, purpose, peace and eternal life. Responding to God’s grace, we joyfully live out of faith in the whole of our lives, in worship, service, stewardship, faith development and most of all in love of God and all our neighbors.

The names of our denomination and church are is inspired by Martin Luther, the Augustinian monk who called for a return to biblical truths, a focus on grace, and a church for the people during the Reformation of the 16th century. Although Martin Luther was a fallible human like all of us – both a saint and a sinner, to use Luther’s own words – we find his focus on God’s grace, the Bible, worship of Word and Sacrament, and other teachings to continue to be beneficial for Lutherans today.

Our History

LWLC was founded as an ELCA mission church and held its first worship service on Christmas Eve in 1997. It was officially organized in March 2000 with a charter membership of 150. This community of faith, which moved to its current location on Happy Valley Road in 2003, now consists of 308 baptized members (as of 2020) and continues to grow.

In keeping with its mission – “To be and make disciples of Jesus Christ” – LWLC seeks to create a community which welcomes all people, shares the experiences of God’s grace, grows in faith, and is sent out into the world to care.

  • December 24, 1997 – First Worship at Terravita Activity Center
  • January 4, 1998 – First Sunday Worship Service & Baptism of Julie Decker
  • October 4, 1998 – First Sunday Service at Grayhawk Elementary School

  • March 26, 2000 – Organization Sunday – 150 people signed the charter
  • March 26, 2000 – Congregation issues a call to Pastor Tim Selbo
  • June 2000 – Installation of Pastor Tim Selbo
  • February 2001 – LWLC agrees to purchase land from Grand Canyon Synod to build
  • October 2002 – Groundbreaking ceremony on Happy Valley Road
  • April 13, 2003 – First service in sanctuary on Happy Valley Road
  • October 12, 2003 – Dedication of sanctuary with Rev. Paul Youngdahl (am service) & Bishop Neils (3pm dedication)
  • July 24, 2005 – LWLC issues a call to Pastor Marcia Kifer
  • November 20, 2005 – Installation of Pastor Marcia Kifer
  • July 13, 2008 – Pastor Tim Selbo accepted a call to Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls, SD
  • January 2010 – Pastor Dave Thomas begins his ministry at LWLC
  • March 28, 2010 – Installation of Pastor Dave Thomas
  • September 21, 2010 – Pastor Marcia Kifer accepted a call to Shared Lutheran Ministries in Texas

  • October 30, 2011 – Installation of Ardie Senft at LWLC
  • January 2013 – Pastor Dave Thomas resigns
  • January 19, 2014 – A call is issued to Pastor Mark Rossman
  • March 9, 2014 – Pastor Mark Rossman begins his ministry at LWLC
  • March 16, 2014 – Installation of Pastor Mark Rossman
  • June 2015 – Retirement of Ardie Senft
  • January 29, 2017 – Special Congregational meeting was held to approve Associate Pastor Shari Bernau, which passed unanimously.
  • March 16, 2017 – Pastor Shari Bernau’s first day of work
  • March 19, 2017 – Installation of Pastor Shari Bernau’s and first Sunday at Living Water

Membership

NEW MEMBER CLASS
We have several new member classes throughout the year. Contact our office to find out when we will have our next new member class.

If you do not have a church home, we pray that God is leading you to just the right congregation where you can serve and through which you can use your gifts and talents to serve others in Jesus’ name. We’d be thrilled if you were led to join Living Water. We offer Information Classes three to four times a year on Sunday mornings for those who want to learn more about becoming a member. You can find out when our next Information Class is being held by filling out our online form or contacting the church office at (480-473-8400 or office@lwlcaz.org). We hope to see you at the next Information Class!

We receive new members by transfer, affirmation of faith or baptism for those who have not yet been baptized. You’ll learn more at the Information Class about this. We also offer Full and Associate Membership status. For those who are winter residents in Arizona, Associate Membership enables you to keep your membership at your “home” congregation while enjoying a membership at Living Water as your church home for the months you are here.

We celebrate when our family of faith grows through new members. On New Member Sunday we welcome our new members with a short but important service of blessing during our worship services. Our Sunday morning fellowship is a party for new members that day, too. We are so excited when new people join us in God’s mission through Living Water – we really want to make the day special for you!

MEMBERSHIP CHANGES
If you have a new address, phone number, email, etc, please fill out our online form and we will get your information updated. Thank you!