Mission Statement and Core Values
Pilgrim Lutheran Church and School
In Christ’s love, we
gather, prepare, and send
all as leaders
for God’s mission in the world. (GPS)
As a learning and serving community, we
- Praise God with all generations together
- Invite everyone to be present together in Christ
- Lift up academic excellence with a heart
- Grow in prayer and in the Word
- Respond by advocating justice for the vulnerable
- Invest time, talent, and resources generously
- Mpower homes for faith formation
Church Leadership
Pastor Kristian Johnson
My family and I love it here at Pilgrim! I’ve been blessed to serve as Pastor here since November of 2012. Originally from Minnesota, I graduated from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN as a Music Major and received my M. Div from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. Before coming to Pilgrim, I served as a youth minister on the north side of Chicago for five years, and have spent significant time learning and serving among Christians in Tanzania, East Africa and El Salvador, Central America. I served my first call as Pastor of First Lutheran Church/Iglesia Luterana Mi Salvador in Inglewood (Los Angeles) CA for six years, and helped the congregation triple in size and start a ministry in Spanish. My hobbies include: tuba, basketball, camping, and traveling. I am blessed with an amazing family! My wife is also an ordained Pastor and serves as the Associate Director for Congregational Vitality for the ELCA. We are blessed with three kids: daughter Hope, son Emanuel, and son Xavier.