I feel so blessed to serve a community that wants to be together through thick and thin. We pray, laugh, play and grieve together. And we hope for a world that knows God’s love through Jesus Christ.”

Pastor Karen Treat

Weekly services are Sundays at 9:30 a.m. Services are also livestreamed on the Church’s Facebook page.

15730 S Afton Boulevard
Afton, MN 55001
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Originally founded by Swedish immigrants, the members of Memorial Lutheran Church have gathered by the river to proclaim the love of Jesus Christ since 1882, evolving into a vibrant and diverse community of compassionate individuals. Despite many changes over the years, their dedication to serving God's people with purpose and love has remained constant. Memorial Lutheran Church is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and they believe that God’s grace and boundless love is a gift available to all people through Jesus Christ. They welcome all from every age and background to come and see and experience love through Christ.
Weekly services are Sundays at 9:30 a.m. Services are also livestreamed on the Church’s Facebook page.

Children and Youth Ministry
At Memorial Lutheran Church, children are warmly welcomed to participate in the service. While they are given opportunity to grow in their understanding of God’s love at “Jesus and Me” (JAM) when they leave during the sermon, they are welcomed back at the sharing of the peace and Holy Communion.
Confirmation classes are available for children in sixth and seventh grade along with other youth and intergenerational activities that are available throughout the year. They gather after Sunday worship for fellowship and learning about God’s love revealed in scripture, creeds, prayer and relationships. “Our hope is youth know God’s deep love for them in and through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. They know wherever life takes them they are always loved and never alone.”

Music Ministry
Memorial is blessed to have a rich culture of music. The choir, bell choir, and Sunday morning worship music at Memorial Lutheran are led by Music Director Serena Bentley, who is seminary-trained in sacred music. Throughout the year, guest musicians also contribute to the weekly Sunday services, as well as for special events like Advent Vespers and Easter week services. The Church hosts concerts and guest speakers throughout the year, including musician Jonathan Rundman on Nov. 9, 2024, and Joe Davis, poet, activist and speaker on Feb. 12, 2025. A highlight of the year is the Advent Vespers, scheduled for Dec. 8, which intertwines beautiful music with contemplative readings.
Pastor Karen Treat has been serving the congregation of Memorial Lutheran since April 2023. She grew up in Albert Lea and met her husband, Ed, at Holden Village, a Lutheran Retreat Center in the middle of the Cascade Mountains, in Washington. Ed attended Lutheran Seminary but retired from parish ministry and is now the Director of Center for Addiction and Faith. Pastor Karen practiced nursing for 15 years but went on to receive her certificate in spiritual direction from Christos Spirituality Center and her Master of Divinity through Luther Seminary. She is ordained through the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Having served congregations of varying sizes, Treat treasures the intimacy of her current congregation.
“I was a pastor at a large church in the Southwest metro but my heart has been to serve a smaller worshiping community. I feel so blessed to serve a community that wants to be together through thick and thin. We pray, laugh, play and grieve together.” She adds, “And we hope for a world that knows God’s love through Jesus Christ.”
As a recent transplant to the community, Treat comments on the future plans of her congregation.
“When I came to Memorial, they were recovering from Covid. Not the disease itself, but the effects of Covid. Most churches are regrouping after Covid and wondering where God is leading them,” Treat said. “The same is true for Memorial. And they are excited about what that might mean. The community of Memorial wants to live out their vision: to be a beacon of hope in our community and beyond. Welcoming all to come and see and experience love through Christ.”
She said Memorial Lutheran desires to live out the words of Jesus and be the light guiding others to Christ.
“This requires prayerful discernment on an ongoing basis,” Treat said. “We know the world is aching in so many ways and although we are a small church and we do have the capacity to help using our gifts and strengths. God wants us all to live a life of abundance, currently, we are building a ministry to support and educate those living with addiction and mental illness. It is for those living with and those loving friends and family living with these health challenges. Basically, it’s for all of us.”
She mentions that they have been named “the Little Church on the Hill.”
“That’s nice and all but we want to be the church (the body of Christ) that lives in the plains and valley, next to the river and in the city and we worship in the beautiful building on the hill. The first church building had a staircase that went to the street. It’s long gone, and we are considering building another reaching the city streets. We welcome all to come and see…and experience as we gather each week, energized in creative authentic worship to go back out and be the Love we’ve been called to be and do.”

Memorial is pleased to offer its space for hosting events organized by other groups. They have hosted Homegrown National Park, which offered a forum on Native Gardening, Afton Community Arts Studios classes through Afton Community Arts Studio, and additionally participates with the Afton Area Business Association and a local Boy Scouts of America troop that meets weekly. In response to the rise in chemical use disorders and mental health challenges, Memorial is forging partnerships with local services to support and educate their members and the broader community, including Alcoholics Anonymous that meets at the Church on Saturday mornings at 7:30 a.m.
Memorial Lutheran Church believes they are called to serve so they continue to show the love of Jesus not only in word but in action. They have a long history of supporting community non-profits, including Hope for the Journey Home, Neighbors, Inc. and Valley Outreach and they support the ELCA churchwide through their benevolence. Memorial members meet religiously every Monday at 9:00 a.m. to sew threads of love quilts that support both local shelters and Lutheran World Relief. The church also has a generous endowment funded through members and gives away thousands annually to local and global nonprofits. The staff and congregation of Memorial Lutheran have a message for the local community. “We invite all to “come and see” and experience God’s love at Memorial. We believe God’s grace, God’s unfathomable love, is available to all people as a gift through Jesus Christ. All are welcome. Questions and doubts included.”
For more information on Memorial Lutheran Church including services, upcoming events, and children’s ministry events, go to their website at memoriallutheran.org or call 651-436-1138.