English worship service in Riga (Next worship service in November 1st) 

Welcome to the website of Sant’s John Lutheran Evangelical Church in Riga. This congregation is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Latvia. We preach Christ crucified for the forgiveness of your sins. The Word of God has been preached in Latvian language in this church for more than 430 years! We are very proud of the fact but, nevertheless, this is also one of the few congregations were you can hear the Gospel in English worship service in Riga.

To hear the Good news, to view a very beautiful church and to listen a very good organ play — that is English worship service in Riga at St. John’s! We conduct English worship service twice a month in every first and third Sunday at 12:30. It is not hard to find our church. It is located in the center of Old Town in Riga. Between the shopping centre “Galerija Centrs” and St. Peter’s church (with the longest church tower in Riga) at Skarnu Street 24. Entrance is through a small street between Skarnu street and Jana seta.

In English worship service in Riga at St. John’s you can expect traditional lutheran liturgy. We believe that in this way the Almighty God serves us with His Word, His sacraments, His absolution of our sins, His promises, and His presence. Traditional and also confessional Lutheran understanding is different from supposing that “worship” is something that we do for God, or that it is a time for self-improvement tips or striving to be “relevant” to a non-Christian culture. Together with the angels, archangels and all the saints in heaven we worship the Lamb who is upon the throne. Jesus Christ makes us worthy of participating in such exalted worship by clothing us in His righteousness.

First we came to idea about English worship service in Riga in the Easter of 2019. We are considering this as an answer to calling that Lord Jesus called His Church to do — to distribute His Means of Grace, gifts of His victory over sin, death and hell that He accomplished at the cross almost 2000 years ago. One of the Means is Lord’s Supper — Christ’s flesh and blood for forgiveness of your sins that is distributed also in every English worship service. You can learn more about Lord’s Supper here. Because Lord’s Supper is a confession of the faith which is confessed at the altar, any who are not yet instructed, in doubt to the Supper’s meaning are called to learn everything that is necessary prior receiving His flesh and blood. More about instruction you can learn here. You are welcomed to this English worship service in Riga even if you are not instructed and confirmed Lutheran, but Lord’s Supper is not just a display of hospitality, as St. Paul wrote: “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?” (1.Cor.10:16)

Also a Baptism is considered as a Means of Grace that we are glad to share because of the calling of Lord Jesus: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Mt.28:19-20) Here you can learn more about Baptism.