Welcome to
Associated Church!

Moving from merely existing to living a life of abundant grace - that's the journey in faith! We invite you to share the journey of discovery with us at Associated Church!

 

What is Associated Church?

We are people of faith, joined together by an extraordinary, loving God. We respond to the God we meet in Jesus with faithful discipleship, expressed through deeper worship, richer nurture, and greater service.

This mission, and our vision to be a Warm and Welcoming Place to Meet God, open and inclusive to all, informs everything we do.

Deeper Worship

At Associated, you will find a traditional worship experience centered on music, singing, scripture, and prayer. We’re not afraid to try new things either on occasion, and we know that the most important thing is that our worship is not for ourselves, but for God.

We gather to offer praise to God, and God sends us out, equipped for lives of love and service.

Join us: Sundays at 9:30 AM - In Person or Live-Streamed

Richer Nurture

As disciples (students of God’s love), we have a deep connection with the Holy Spirit, and by that Spirit, God stirs us toward lifelong learning and fellowship.

Here at Associated, there are always opportunities to connect with one another and grow in faith and love, whether by sharing a meal or joining in our Conversations in Faith.

This is truly a community, some might say a family, but don’t let that scare you! We’re also an easy-going group of people.

Greater Service

Jesus taught that the greatest commandments are to love God and to love our neighbors (Matt. 22: 35-40). He also commanded us to love one another, as Christ loves us (John 13: 34-35). At Associated, we take these commandments to love seriously.

In 2020, we became a Matthew 25 congregation, adopting a designation of the PC(USA) focused on service to “the least of these” Jesus preached about (Matt. 25). We believe Christ urgently calls us to be a church of action, where God’s love, justice, and mercy shine forth and are contagious. In that spirit, we continually seek ways to be present and active in the community and world.

God is moving in this world. We have the privilege of using our time, talents, and treasure to be a part of that holy work.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • We hope! We admit, many of our members are older, but all are welcome here; and we do mean ALL, inclusive, full-stop.

    God calls us to be a Warm and Welcoming church. We know just saying that doesn’t make it true. Some people have had negative experiences with churches that use a phrase like “all are welcome here,” and understandably, that makes them wary.

    We truly do mean everyone is welcome and accepted here. It is not our place to offer judgement, and we will not shame anyone.

    We want Associated to be an inclusive, diverse community where all are welcomed . . . those who believe, those who question, and those who hope. We extend an explicit invitation to anyone to join us in our life and worship.

    Our church is open to everyone without regard to age, gender, race, color, creed, disability status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, family or family responsibilities, veteran’s status, or national origin or ancestry.

  • We believe in a loving, present God, and we believe that we meet and know God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. We believe that God is moving in and among us through the Holy Spirit, strengthening and comforting us. But, that’s just the beginning . . .

    While we share these bedrock beliefs, we are also a community of diverse belief. All of us are on a journey of faith, and though we may be in different places, we learn and grow together.

    Read more about what we believe here.

  • Worship at Associated is relaxed, but also traditional and familiar to anyone who grew up in a mainline Christian denomination. Of course, many people today did not grow up going to church, and church experiences are so much more diverse than they used to be.

    Our worship is Christ-centered and built on a foundation of scripture, music, and prayer. We often speak unison and responsive prayers together, and singing as a community is one of our greatest joys!

    A typical worship service last around an hour and includes, in no particular order: time for announcements, two to three songs, multiple prayers, a sermon, and an offering.

    We also celebrate Holy Communion on the first Sunday of every month; all are welcome to partake without exception.

    Sometimes we do shake things up with special services, more contemporary music, or even quiet, contemplation, but these services are usually set apart from our regular Sunday worship.

    Most importantly, we know that worship is for God, and not for ourselves.

  • Whatever you want! Well, maybe don’t go too crazy (unless that’s just your style!). Truthfully, we don’t care. When you come to Associated, you will see people dressed in anything from suits and ties to shorts and a t-shirt. The clothes you wear are less important to us than YOU are. We just want you to be yourself. God loves you as your are; so will we!

  • Of course! We love it when children participate in the church service. We don't mind hearing from the little ones. We encourage all parents to help their children participate in worship, but we also have activity bags filled with books, coloring pages, and other toys to help when they need another activity.

    If you feel that your kids need even more privacy during worship, we do have a nursery room, filled with toys and activities. It is not staffed, so at least one parent is asked to remain with their kids. Don’t worry about missing the service though, we will make sure a TV is available with our live broadcast from the sanctuary!

  • At Associated, you will be welcomed to church by warm and friendly volunteers who will greet you and help you find a seat or answer any questions you might have.

    In worship, we do have a time of greeting that we call “passing the peace.” People will want to get to know you! But, we promise not to embarrass you by asking you to stand, say anything, or otherwise be made to feel uncomfortable. Likewise, we have a time of offering where we pass an offering plate; please know that you are under NO obligations to give, and you will not be judged for it.

    Find a seat, experience a friendly atmosphere, let the Spirit move through you, and enjoy the service.

What can I expect?

Visiting a new church can be an intimidating experience, we’ve all been there. But, it doesn’t have to be! Before you take your first steps through our door, perhaps we can answer some of the questions you might have.

Other questions?
Send us a message, we would be happy to help!

“Caring, thoughtful people, a community dedicated to service, everyone is welcome!”

— Matthew

We Can’t Wait to Meet You!

Come visit us at Associated Church, 800 Havana Road, Owatonna, MN 55060

Driving Directions

From Highway 14:

  • Take the US-218 S Exit toward Owatonna

  • Continue south on Bixby Rd. until you get to Havana Road, turn left.

  • Drive just over two blocks; the church will be on your right. Use the first entrance to the parking lot.

From I-35:

  • Take Exit 41 for W Bridge St. and turn East into Owatonna

  • Drive on W Bridge St. until you cross the river and come to a stoplight.

  • Continue straight on W Main St. until you get to Lincoln Ave. S, turn right.

  • Stay on Lincoln Ave. S until you come to Havana Road, turn left.

  • Drive almost two blocks; the church will be on your left. Use the second driveway entrance, into the parking lot.

Parking

When you arrive at the church, you can park in our easy to access parking lot on the east side of the building, along Havana Road. Handicap parking is available along our driveway, right next to the building just a short distance from the main doors. On-street parking is also available on the west side of the church along Van Buren Ave.

 

“This Church is very helpful with supporting and helping people in need in or out of the community... Gotta Love Them”

— Wardell