About Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church is a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synond (WELS).
Our Mission
Our mission at Mt. Calvary is to teach the absolute truth of God's Word, baptize in the name of the Triune God, and share our faith in Jesus with our community and the world.
Worship Times
Our Worship Services are on Thursdays at 6:30 pm and Sundays at 8:00 and 10:30 am, with Bible Class and Sunday School at 9:15 am.
Our Past
It was June, 1937 when a young seminary graduate received a call to serve as pastor of a Lutheran mission in the Village of Kimberly. Wilmar Wichmann began by knocking on doors in search of Lutheran families looking for a church home. as well as any unchurched residents in the area. In September of that year, the congregation was organized with 19 families as members. During that first year they worshiped in the Kimberly Village Hall. Membership grew steadily in those early years with many of the baptisms being adults. On New Years Day in 1940, the footings were poured for a church and two-room basement schoolhouse on the corner of First and Pine St. in Kimberly. (seen above) Many had their doubts in those early years, wondering how it could be possible to build a church, a school, and support a pastor and teacher with 110 members? It was not only possible, but it flourished! “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His mercy endures forever.” In 1954 the parsonage was added, and three years later the construction of our school building was complete. In 1965, through the gift of a bequest, an additional two rooms were added to the school.
In January of 2005, Mt. Calvary dedicated its new facility in the Town of Harrison.
Our Present
We currently serve over 500 members with eight full time called workers, a part-time church/school secretary and part-time staff minister. Mt. Calvary offers many opportunities for service and involvement for the entire family through several boards, committees and organizations. Here are a few of the groups we currently support:
- Christian Women’s Society…meetings, trips and dinners to enjoy fellowship
- LWMS… Lutheran Women's Mission Society. A support group that meets to learn more about our missions and how we can help
- Lutheran Boy and Girl Pioneers
- Mother/Toddler group
- Music ministry… Senior Choir, Praise Team, Handbell Choir, Voices for Jesus Junior Choir and instrumentalists
- Youth group
- Senior breakfast group
- Many family activities -including summer picnic, church camping, cookouts and potluck dinners, bowling, golf outing, Christian Parent Teacher Association gatherings and more...
In Our Future
Our mission as a congregation and a group of believers is to make full use of the gifts God has blessed us with, putting all our efforts into spreading the good news of the gospel messages. In partnership with St. Luke Lutheran and Bethel Lutheran, we are committed to supporting a Christian Day School, providing a quality education for our children while enriching their daily lives with the Word of God. We are intent on reaching out to those in our community, while continuing to nurture the faith of those who have already heard the message and believed. Keeping families in the Word builds strong relationships and an even stronger trust in God. We hope to continue to welcome new families into the fold, sharing the comfort and peace we have through Jesus!
A time to grow…
The Lord has richly blessed and sustained our congregation for over 69 years. He has also laid before us a tremendous opportunity. Returning to God what is His through our gifts of thanks will help enable us to realize our goal of adding a worship sanctuary in the near future. Information is available at church regarding our capital campaign and how members can join us in this commitment by making a pledge or by contributing on an individual basis.
Our Pastor
Jesse Johnston grew up in Beverly Hills, Florida with his parents Kay-Lynn and Peter Johnston. After attending grade school at St. Paul’s Lutheran School, he attended Luther Preparatory School in Watertown Wisconsin. From there he went on to Martin Luther College in New Ulm Minnesota. Jesse has a younger brother who is starting his vicar year in Covington Georgia, and he has a younger sister at Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee. His mother is a preschool teacher and his father is a CPA. About three years ago, Jesse married Jessica Janke.
Jess spent most of her childhood in San Jose and Modesto California. She also attended Luther Prep School and Martin Luther College. For two years, she taught Kindergarten at St. John’s in Jefferson Wisconsin. During Jesse’s vicar year, she assisted with preschool and taught reading at Beautiful Savior in Cincinnati. Jess has two younger brothers, Peter and Erik, who are both studying to be pastors. Jess also has an older sister Jenny in San Diego California. Paul Janke, Jessica’s dad, is currently a pastor at St. Martin’s in Watertown South Dakota, and her mom, Carol, is a substitute teacher.
For fun, the couple likes to hike and camp together. Jess also enjoys reading. In his free time, Jesse likes to fish and backpack. Their son, Micah, was born in Cincinnati on July 25th. Jesse, Jessica, and Micah are looking forward to installation and ordination at Mt. Calvary in Menasha on June 26, 2011.