About Us
We are the dual parish of Grace Lutheran Church (Alma Center, WI) and St. John Lutheran Church (Black River Falls, WI). Each week we gather together for Christian fellowship and receive the abundant gifts that our awesome God gives us in His Word and Sacraments. Visitors are always welcome.
Grace and St. John Lutheran Churches are founded on the truth God has revealed to us in His Word, the Bible. We teach that God’s Son, Jesus Christ, is the focus of the entire Bible and that His death and resurrection rescue us from sin, death, and the power of the devil, and give us forgiveness, life, and salvation. We believe that our right relationship with God comes by divine grace alone, through faith alone, and on account of Jesus Christ alone.
Both congregations can trace their beginnings back to the late 1800s, when area Lutheran pastors and missionaries proclaimed the Gospel, administered the Sacraments, led worship services, and instructed youth in the homes of parishioners. Grace Lutheran Church was formally organized in 1908, and Saint John Lutheran Church in 1909. Ever since, each Church individually and together as a Dual Parish, has been committed to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their communities and throughout the world.
Grace and St. John Lutheran Churches are founded on the truth God has revealed to us in His Word, the Bible. We teach that God’s Son, Jesus Christ, is the focus of the entire Bible and that His death and resurrection rescue us from sin, death, and the power of the devil, and give us forgiveness, life, and salvation. We believe that our right relationship with God comes by divine grace alone, through faith alone, and on account of Jesus Christ alone.
Both congregations can trace their beginnings back to the late 1800s, when area Lutheran pastors and missionaries proclaimed the Gospel, administered the Sacraments, led worship services, and instructed youth in the homes of parishioners. Grace Lutheran Church was formally organized in 1908, and Saint John Lutheran Church in 1909. Ever since, each Church individually and together as a Dual Parish, has been committed to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their communities and throughout the world.
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Both Grace and Saint John Lutheran are member churches of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), a family of 2 million Christians, gathered in more than 6,000 congregations throughout the United States. We refer to our union in Christian fellowship as a “Synod,” which means “walking together.” LCMS congregations accept the Scriptures as the inspired and inerrant Word of God and subscribe unconditionally to the Lutheran Confessions as articulated in the Book of Concord of 1580. We regard the doctrinal content of these Confessions as a true and binding exposition and interpretation of Holy Scripture, and on that account as authoritative for all pastors, congregations and other rostered church workers of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. To learn more about the LCMS, click here.
Our Pastor – David Shudy
Pastor Shudy was born and raised in Appleton, WI. Prior to entering pastoral ministry, he received his education in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and worked in the chemical industry for a few years. After receiving his Master of Divinity degree from Concordia Seminary in Saint Louis, MO, Pastor Shudy was Ordained and accepted the Call to serve the Dual Parish of Saint John Lutheran Church and Grace Lutheran Church. Since the summer of 2018, he has been privileged to serve both congregations with God’s Word and Sacraments. His Master of Sacred Theology (STM) thesis, What God Has Joined Together: The One Threefold Purpose of Marriage, can be accessed here. One of his favorite Bible verses is Romans 5:8, “God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” and he will gladly share this Good News with everyone he meets in his pastoral ministry.
Pastor Shudy is married to Jennifer—also a Wisconsin native—and God has blessed them with five wonderful children: Madalyn, Walter, Allison, Katherine, and Olivia. They enjoy spending time together reading, playing, gardening, and doing things outside. They are thrilled to live and grow together in Jackson County, and to participate in the congregational life of both churches!
Pastor Shudy is married to Jennifer—also a Wisconsin native—and God has blessed them with five wonderful children: Madalyn, Walter, Allison, Katherine, and Olivia. They enjoy spending time together reading, playing, gardening, and doing things outside. They are thrilled to live and grow together in Jackson County, and to participate in the congregational life of both churches!