About | Advent Olathe

Who we are

All people are created by God and share the same need for forgiveness, hope and healing. We invite and welcome all people to experience God’s love and grace.

We have a history of inclusion, aspiring to tell and exemplify God’s love for every human being.

Advent Lutheran Church is a member congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), sharing roots with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and Wisconsin Evangelical Synod to the 16th Century reformer Martin Luther. Of these three Lutheran expressions, the ELCA is distinct in our ordination of women and in offering Holy Communion to all the baptized.

We are a church that is always being made new, while at the same time deeply rooted in scripture and tradition. We confess the Triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Our preaching and teaching are based on Holy Scripture texts that are "appointed" for each Sunday through the use of the Revised Common Lectionary. We believe that actively participating in a community of believers helps to prepare members to be witnesses to God's love and grace in speech and in action. We don't claim to have all the answers to all the questions; we believe that conversation is the first step in fostering unity among all of God's children.

History of Advent

Advent Lutheran Church began with a few families from the area, most of whom were members of Faith Lutheran Church in Prairie Village. Since most of these families lived in southern Johnson County, they were encouraged by their Pastor, Verner Strand, to start a new congregation, and Advent was organized in October of 1982. We recently celebrated 34 years of ministry in this place.

We began our worship life across the intersection in Morse Elementary School, with our first pastor developer, the Rev. Robert Lundgren. Pastor Lundgren was succeeded by the Rev. Robert Hulse and the first unit and sanctuary were built in 1986. An education wing and fellowship hall expansion was completed almost exclusively by the labor of Advent's members in 1993, and in 2000 our current sanctuary and office space was completed and dedicated in February.