St. Paul's Lutheran Chapel

Teachings at St. Paul's

Being "Lutheran," our congregations believe and confess the canonical books of the Old and New Testaments to be the inspired Word of God and the only infallible rule of faith and practice.  We also believe and confess the three Ecumenical Creeds, namely the Apostles', the Nicene, and the Athanasian.  We believe and confess that the documents contained in the Book of Concord of 1580 are in agreement with the one scriptural faith.

Staff

Rev. W. Max Mons

Pastor Mons is originally from Middletown, New York. He holds a Bachelor of General Studies Degree concentrating in American History and Music History from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Following college graduation, Pastor Mons worked for a campus Christian group at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. He then went to work for the Neogen Corporation as a sales representative. He entered Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, in 1992 and holds two degrees from that institution: a Master of Divinity (1996) and a Master of Sacred Theology (2005).

His first call was to St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Luzerne, Iowa. He served there until July of 2001 when he accepted the call to serve as Campus Pastor at St. Paul's Chapel

In his spare time Pastor Mons enjoys playing trombone and handball. Pastor Mons and his wife, Christine, have four children.

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Worship

At St. Paul's, we use the traditional liturgy, cycling through the five orders of the Divine Service found in the Lutheran Service Book. It is called Divine Service because of the emphasis on the persons and work of the Triune God in the service. Services begin at 10:30 AM every Sunday and include the Lord's Supper.  There's no particular dress code; wear whatever is comfortable.

About 10:15 AM or so, the ushers will greet people at the interior entrance to the Chapel. You can get a bulletin (worship service folder) from one of them. If there are no ushers present when you arrive, look for a stack of bulletins on the pew just inside the Chapel entrance.

Prior to the Divine Service most people gather in the student center until about 10:25 A.M. It’s a great time and place to meet people and get your questions answered before the service. Pastor Mons is usually at the interior entrance to the Chapel at about 10:20 AM. You can feel free to talk to him then or catch him beforehand if you see him. He’s pretty easy to spot: he’ll be the one in the clerical collar.

The atmosphere in worship is a little formal but always friendly! Please don’t worry about “making a mistake.” If you get lost just ask the people around you for help. They’ll be more than happy to lend a hand. 

Our communion policy is printed out in the bulletin. If you have any questions, please ask Pastor Mons. He is more than happy to talk to you. Each Sunday we have many visitors who don't commune with us. Many of them remain in the pew. Some, however, come forward to receive a blessing.  If you wish to receive a blessing, please join the communion line and simply stand with your hands behind your back. This will indicate that you would like a blessing.

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History of the Chapel

St. Paul's Lutheran was established as an independent congregation in 1924. On December 7, 1924 Rev. Julius Friederich was installed as Institutional Chaplain, Missionary for the Iowa City area, and Student Service Pastor. He did the work of three men and history indicates that he did it well.

Also in 1924 the congregation purchased the current property at 404 E. Jefferson Street. After a few years, a combination Chapel, lounge and pastor's residence was erected for the cost of $35,000. This facility was dedicated on January 9, 1927. From there a small congregation grew and students began to call St. Paul’s Chapel their "home away from home."

St. Paul's Lutheran officially joined the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in 1942.

In 1959 the property of 410 E. Jefferson was purchased and developed into a parking lot for the Chapel.

Currently the Chapel is a subsidized mission of Iowa District East of the LC-MS.

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Affiliated Organizations