Pastor Jose Luis La Torre

Our Mission:
Live God's Love in the World

Our Vision:
A vibrant urban church centered in enthusiastic and inspirational worship, grace-filled service, and rich opportunities for spiritual growth.

Our Core Values:

We do God's work by...
Growing in faith through worship, study, prayer, and fellowship
Risking innovation and spirit-led change
Anchoring ourselves in Christ's steadfast love, hope and joy

On Sunday mornings and evenings, St. John's offers adult Bible studies, small group discussions and other opportunities for Christian education. We focus on nourishing the mind, the body, and the spirit through prayer, contemplation, and engagement with the Bible.

Our recent offerings have included:

The Lutheran Course- a crash course for all Lutherans
The Social Issues Forum- a group dedicated to discussing the questions of our day from a Christian perspective
40 Days of Restoration- a church-wide Lenten Bible study
How to Read the Bible in a Year- a hands-on guide to creating a daily reading habit

We invite you to join us to deepen your understanding of the faith and to share your thoughts and views in civil. constructive and open conversations.



One Sunday each month the Hispanic community of St. John's offers Lutheran Tamales for sale. They are prepared by our members, a delicious dish, which reflects the cultures and identities represented in our community. Funds raised through the sale are used to support families in need and the Hispanic ministry of the church.


The Spanish guitar group meets Wednesday at 6:30 pm to rehearse songs from the Book of Liturgy and Singing and other Hispanic hymnals. The group is part of the liturgy and music team that lead the celebration of the Spanish-language Mass every Sunday. Bring your guitar and join us!


Share our spiritual journey, talk about our stories of faith, and explore together the mystery of God's love.

Why do we share our stories of faith?
Because when we talk about them we discover new meanings of God's presence in the world. God lives in the hearts of people; the Spirit is saying to our spirit that we are children of God and God is moving us to talk about what his presence means.

Once a week, a group of Christians gather together to share stories of our faith in the light of the Word of God. If you want to join us, come and do it!

Café Latino meets every Friday at 6:30 pm at Java City on the corner of 18th & Capitol in Midtown, Sacramento.


Altar Guild: Sharon Kipp

Art Festival: Marcy Mattson, Elfie Nadell

Building: Kathy Gillogley

Eucharistic Servers: Cheryl Young

Evangelism: Pastor Espegren, Amy Chance

Family Promise: Dan Maloney, Peter Brostrom

Finance: Michael Brassil

Global Encounters: Libby Bullock

Health Ministry: Cindy Carroll, Suzi Carson

Library: Phyllis Ehlert

Lutheran Men in Mission: William Sailer

Mision Hispana: Luz Miranda, Pastor LaTorre

Personnel: Ann Boynton

Property: Dan Maloney

Radio Broadcast: Tom Sebo

Social Ministry: Linda Fawx, Marsha Obenauer

Spanish Language Academy: Luz Miranda

Sojourners: Gordon & Lyla Hanson, Pat Oehler

Stewardship: Spence Gedestad

Sunday School: Bea Favre

Trust Fund: Margge Taylor

Ushers: Erik Bjerke

Women of the ELCA: Pat Oehler

Worship & Music: Pastor Sorensen,Steven Johnson

Youth: Pastor Espegren, Darren Zinzer


The goal of St. John's Spanish Academy is to help students learn how to speak Spanish. The classes are conducted entirely in Spanish to create a native language environment, a proven way to learn a foreign language.

The Conversational Spanish program consists of three levels: Spanish I Beginners, Spanish II Intermediate, and Spanish III Advanced. Each level is further organized into A, B, and C groups. Our classes last eight weeks.

Spanish I
This class is designed to provide students with a general understanding of basic Spanish. The course will focus on basic grammar and vocabulary essential to conversational Spanish. One of the teaching styles will be teaching by association to help the student master the basic expressions and grammatical structures of Spanish.

Spanish II
This course will add to the foundation established in Spanish I and develop new concepts essential to Spanish language fluency. The course will further tailor the students conversational skills by selecting relevant information, including a textbook, and situational settings to further strengthen the students' fluency and comprehension.

Spanish III
This course is designed based on a working knowledge acquired in Spanish I and II. The level of conversation will be more complex and elevated stressing fluency and cultural context. In addition, conversation will include current events both domestic and international affairs to further strengthen conversational fluency.


Delivered By: 
Pastor Scot Sorensen and Pastor Jose Luis La Torre
Date: 
05/11/2008

Mother's day sermon with emphasis on love in both English and Spanish.


12:58 minutes (17.82 MB)

LATORRE-JOSE-163.jpg
Pastor, Latino Mission Developer
(916) 444-0874 x17

Education:
San Marcos University: Lima, Peru, Degree in Law and Political Sciences (1993)
Evangelical Seminary: Lima, Peru, Professional Degree in Theology (1995)
San Marcos University: Lima, Peru, Masters of Philosophy (2003)

Biography:
I was born in Lima, Peru. I was ordained as a pastor on October 31, 1998. In February 1992 I was married to Luz Elena (Lucy), and we now have two children, Nicolas and Miranda. My last call in Peru was in the Lutheran Congregation Cristo Rey in Lima. I was involved in the theological education of new leaders, and also in Ecumenical Affairs among the Christian churches in Peru.

What do you do here at St. John's?
As Hispanic Mission Developer, I minister to the Hispanic Lutheran community in Sacramento. I lead the Misa Hispana worship service on Sunday mornings and host a variety of worship and fellowship activities for Spanish speakers.

When did you begin working here?
September 2005

What is your favorite food(s)?
Spaghetti and steak

What is your favorite book?
La Guerra del fin del Mundo (The War of the End of the World) by Mario Vargas Llosa

What is your favorite movie?
Henry V and The Dead Poet's Society

What is one thing you can't live without?
Chocolate