Below you can read a bit of our history at Luther Place as well as our mission for the past several years.  However, we recognize today that God is calling us once again as we begin another chapter at Luther Place.  As we ask ourselves what God's vision is for this next chapter, we are forming a Vision Coalition.  This group will spend the next 6-9 months in dialogue, prayer, and Bible study to discern the vision and values of our church community.  The congregation will also be a vital part of this process.  We are looking for committed leaders of all ages, backgrounds, and lengths of time as members of this church.  If you'd like more information and/or wish to be considered, please contact the church office!

Luther Place Memorial Church was organized in 1873 as a memorial to the goodness of God in bringing peace to our nation and freedom to the enslaved following the U.S. Civil War.

Formally named Memorial Evangelical Lutheran Church, Luther Place received its common name after the congregation erected the landmark statue of Martin Luther in front of the church.

The composition and character of the congregation has changed over its long history. World War II brought thousands of young adults to Washington to assist in the war effort. Many stayed and joined the congregation. Often these families moved to the suburbs but maintain a commitment to Luther Place as their church home and join in witness to our urban community.

More recent members, drawn from neighboring communities in the city as well as from the larger metropolitan area, help create a vibrant blend of all ages, cultures, family circumstances, and life experiences.

Our mission today is deeply rooted in the ancient biblical concept of hospitality-"welcoming the stranger"-that brings mutual blessing to both guest and host. From our location at Thomas Circle, we are an urban oasis--surrounded by highrises, hotels, embassies, federal offices, neighborhood decay, and restoration.

We are a refuge and a sanctuary, a place where there is space for the visitor who passes by or who comes to stay.

By God's Grace, our volunteer ministries and our hospitality to homeless, neglected, and abused women and their families have become beacons of hope to people of faith throughout the Washington area and far beyond. The congregation of Luther Place believe ourselves to be guests in God's Creation and servants in and through this House, through N Street Village at Thomas Circle, and through the other ministries in which we engage.

These hospices for ministry work to restore Shalom in the midst of urban struggle. We welcome you and invite you to share the joyful responsibilities of being faithful "innkeepers" who are called to make room for others, and for God's presence here at Luther Place for:

• Travelers who pass through Washington, DC
• Commuters who earn their bread in the city
• Wanderers who are confused and have lost direction
• Homeless who are without shelter
• Poorly clothed who are without dignity
• Sick who need healing
• Lonely who seek communion
• Powerful who seek the "peace that passes understanding"

There is a special joy in being Christ's servant-hosts at Thomas Circle. It is to experience the holiness of the stranger who brings to us the gift of Salvation:

"I was a stranger and you welcomed me."

-Matthew 25:35

"When strangers sojourn with you in your land, you shall not do them wrong. The strangers who sojourn with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love them as yourself: for I am the Lord Your God."

-Leviticus 19:33-34

Our hope and experience is to find wholeness in welcoming the Christ in others, especially in those who have been cast out and come to Luther Place seeking to be recognized, accepted, affirmed, and to receive and give "new life."