Oceanside Lutheran Church welcomes a new pastor

Oceanside Lutheran Church has a new pastor as Reverend Alex Raabe has joined the parish.

Raabe moved to Oceanside from Austin, Texas and said he is excited to join the parishioners at the church and to be a part of the Oceanside community.

“My biggest hope is that OLC will continue to be a place where people can feel a sense of community and belonging no matter where they are on life’s journey,” Raabe said. “We have worked hard to dismantle thinking that places people in categories like ‘us’ and ‘them’ and want to continue to be a place where all are welcome.”

Raabe grew up in Ohio and graduated from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago in 2014.

As a way to usher Raabe into the community, the church is hosting a coming home celebration on Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. during worship, which will include a meet and greet luncheon with Raabe and his husband Chris at the parish hall behind the church at a 11 a.m. At the luncheon, there will be an opportunity for attendees to write their hopes for the Oceanside community on ribbons that will hang along the fence next to the sidewalk between Davison and Fairview avenues, near the Oceanside Library.

“The hopes will then be carried by the wind and our work as we continue to make Oceanside a great place to live and work,” Raabe said.

To RSVP for the event, email olc2007@gmail.com. The event’s description reads, “OLC is a spunky congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America where all are welcome regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, race, developmental abilities, faith background, political leanings or economic status.”

Raabe said he is looking forward to getting to know the community. “I’m excited to work with our neighbors of all denominations and faiths to create a better life for the citizens of Oceanside,” he said, “and I’m looking forward to doing God’s work with the people of OLC to serve our neighbors and proclaim the gospel through words and actions.”