University Lutheran has a mission of ministry to the academic communities of Boston and Cambridge—so campus ministry is very important to us! Students represent about one-quarter of our members, and we support a variety of activities both at University Lutheran and on local campuses.
At University Lutheran
Our Young Adults and Graduate Students (YAGS) group meets frequently throughout the year. Many students also participate in the ongoing life of the church: as members of the Church Council, as deacons, in the choir, or in other activities that match individual talents and time. For ideas on getting involved, speak with a staff member or e-mail office@unilu.org.
The Harvard Square Homeless Shelter makes its home in our basement each year from November 1 to mid-April as well as for seven weeks in the summer. Directed by students from Harvard’s Phillips Brooks House, the Shelter welcomes more than a hundred student volunteers from colleges across the Boston area every season. See the Shelter page for information on volunteering.
At Harvard
Pastor Carrie Ballenger is Harvard’s Lutheran chaplain. Contact her to learn more about activities for students through the Harvard Chaplains.
Harvard Divinity School has strong support for Lutheran students. HDS Lutherans is an official student organization; see the Student Organizations page of the HDS website for information on its current activites. HDS also offers a course every spring about Lutheran thought and practice; visit the Harvard course catalog and search for “Lutheran” for more information.
At MIT
University Lutheran has close ties with the Lutheran Episcopal Ministry at MIT (LEM), which has been a cooperative venture of Lutherans and Episcopalians for more than twenty years. LEM offers weekly worship on Wednesdays in the MIT Chapel throughout the calendar year, with 5:15 pm services followed by supper. The ministry also offers a full program of activities, including guest speakers, classes, retreats, and opportunities for service. For more information, visit the LEM website or contact the Lutheran chaplain, the Rev. Andrew Heisen, at heisen@mit.edu.
At Northeastern
On Thursdays from fall through spring, NU students gather in the Spiritual Life Center (201 Ell) for worship and dinner at 5:45 pm. NU students also make regular visits to an elderly housing complex near Northeastern. For more information, contact chaplain Joyce DeGreeff (pictured) at j.degreeff@neu.edu, visit the ministry’s Facebook page or consult the Lutheran-Episcopal Campus Ministry at Northeastern website.
At Other Nearby Campuses
If you are too far away to participate in UniLu student ministries, another Lutheran congregation may be closer to you:
- Rev. Thomas Maehl, pastor of First Evangelical Lutheran Church of Waltham, is the contact pastor for Brandeis University and can be reached at (781) 893-6563.
- Lutheran pastor Imogene Stulken serves the Protestant Ministry at the University of Massachusetts Lowell; contact her at (978) 934-5014 or Imogene_Stulken@uml.edu.
- The First Lutheran Church of Boston (617-536-8851 or flc@flc-boston.org), a Missouri Synod congregation, also has an active young adult ministry.
Regionally and Nationally
Please see the Lumin website for campus ministry locations by state nationwide.