Led by the Holy Spirit,

the mission of Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church is

to provide a place to worship God,

to reach out to the community,

and to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ

Paul E. Hoffman

Lead Pastor

Words from Pastor Hoffman

It has been my joy to serve Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church as its lead pastor since 1996. My greatest joy in ministry is helping people to experience and live in the love of God. Our world is full of bad news, put downs, guilt, suffering, and pain. In the midst of that, it’s a wonderful thing to be able to share the news that there is a God who loves us and cares for us and wants us to find a sense of meaning, purpose and joy.

To be able to share that news of Jesus Christ in preaching, teaching, and planning beautiful and inspiring worship is a great vocation. I love my work, and I love this congregation. I am grateful that it is a group of Christian people who are committed to reaching out to our community through ministries like the Food Bank, by sharing our building with many community-based organizations, and through opening ourselves to newcomers.

I think the folks at Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church realize that we are not all perfect. We are a family of faith who share widely different styles of life, opinions, political views, and socio-economic backgrounds. However, when we come together, we are growing in our awareness that it is God’s love that unites us. We all have something unique to share, and we are all welcomed by Jesus to this adventurous life of faith.

In my own family, I have a wife and two post-high school children. When I’m not directly involved in my ministries in the church, I enjoy gardening, reading, travel, and music.

It is my hope to get to meet you soon. Come and visit us at Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church! I’m looking forward to meeting you and to introducing you to some other really wonderful people.