We welcome Pastor Larry Hand as our Interim Pastor here at Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church.

Pastor Larry has a multitude of experience and is excited to be joining us here to lead us in worship and help us through this transitional time.

You can find Pastor Larry on site at SOJ on Wednesday’s and Sunday!

Home Groups are small group Bible Studies doing life together! It's an opportunity to develop the spiritual dimension & relationships outside of the group settings. Groups are comprised of 6 to 12 people, and are of all ages. Some groups welcome children and other family members.

Each meeting includes fellowship, food, and Bible study. This is an opportunity to grow spiritually and in relationship with your group.

If you are not currently in a home group, contact a Home Group Leader or send email to homegroups@sojchurch.org

Here at Spirit of Joy we have many opportunities for youth of all ages to get involved in ministry. For high school and middle school youth we offer different service events, confirmation classes, youth group activities on Sunday evenings, and a high school summer trip all led by our Youth Director Randi-Kate Canoy Suhr.

For our younger students we offer Sunday School during our Sunday services, Kids Klub on Wednesday afternoons after school, and Vacation Bible School during the summer all led and coordinated by our Children’s Ministry leader Denise Dimmitt.

To learn more or get involved email: admin@sojchurch.org

The Mens Fellowship of Spirit of Joy welcomes you to one of our weekly bible studies or breakfast. It’s always a great way to start your day by catching up and connecting with your fellow brothers in Christ.

The Mens fellowship pair with our Youth to help them fundraise money for youth trips or for other youth scholarships.

We welcome new faces and new ideas from men of all ages in the church.

Music is at the heart of our worship services at Spirit of Joy.

The music ministry for SOJ involves both the preparation of weekly hymns, contemporary praise songs, anthems, and our twice annual Cantata! We are always eager to utilize anyone who can provide a positive contribution to our weekly services through music. We usually rehearse on Thursday evenings. If you are interested in learning more please reach out to brycemharrison@gmail.com!

Spirits of Grace is a warm and welcoming ministry to all the women of all ages of Spirit of Joy. The mission of our women’s fellowship is to help build one another up through our faith through volunteer events, fundraising, and bible studies.

We are always looking to welcome new faces and new ideas on how we can connect with one another and with our community by sharing the love of Jesus Christ and doing the work of God through our own hands.

Spirit of Joy is home to Chapter 115 of Prayers & Squares, a non-profit world-wide prayer ministry started right here in San Diego County in 1992. We meet every Tuesday at 9:00 A.M. to create pocket squares, lap squares, and lap quilts for those who need prayer for any reason. Embroidery floss ties hold the quilts together.

The idea behind these quilts is simple, yet powerful. A heavy thread is used to take stitches through the quilt layers, and the ends are left free to be tied with a square knot.

As each knot is tied, a silent prayer is offered for someone in special need - someone who has asked us to pray for them. The quilt is then given to that person. What makes each quilt so special is not the pattern, color or workmanship, but the fact that prayer is symbolically tied into each one. These comforters are a statement of faith, and a testimony to our belief in God and in the power of prayer.

Click here to print a request form or Pick up a form in the Church Office.

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40

As Christians, we are called to be the body of Christ in the community. A quick drive through town or a look at the daily news will tell you, there is no shortage of need in the world. The Social Ministry task force at Spirit of Joy seeks to be the hands of Christ in the community providing comfort and relief wherever there is need. Our projects include serving Open Door Meals to the less fortunate on a rotating basis with other churches in town. We serve dinner every four months. Each year we participate in Operation Christmas Child, filling shoeboxes with small treasures to be sent to children around the globe who might not otherwise get to celebrate Christmas, as well as the Share Your holidays food and clothing drive to support the Ramona Food and Clothes Closet. In addition, the task force highlights charitable organizations each month in the newsletter so church members can find an organization important to their families. There is no shortage of need in the community, so if you see an area where we can help, please call the church office and let us know.

Open Door Meals is a volunteer opportunity that is branch off of our Social Ministries.Open Door Meals is a great opportunity to serve. Ramona churches organize and schedule meals at the Ramona Grange every Monday evening. Spirit of Joy hosts/serves Open Door Meals four times a year. The Youth, the Men’s Fellowship and the Women’s Fellowship are responsible for one (or two) Monday(s) in the year. It consists of a hot and healthy meal, including salad, bread and a dessert. We are always looking for an extra pair of hands to help out.

Open Door - History & Background

The Open Door ministry in Ramona was founded in approximately 1993 by Bob Denny and others.

Their goal was to share the love of Jesus and provide a weekly nutritious hot meal to needy Ramonans. They soon realized that the need was greater than could be met with a weekly meal. So they established In His Steps Recovery Homes to provide a residential program that could better serve those with greater spiritual and physical needs. Some of those early residents, who are now committed followers of Christ, are still involved in supporting the Open Door Ministry.

Since October, 2008 the Ramona Grange on 7th street north of Main has been the home of Open Door. Free meals are served every Monday from 6-7 P.M., followed by a Bible Study.

Food is prepared and served by many different churches throughout Ramona. Currently Spirit of Joy serves one Monday every three months. This responsibility rotates between Spirits of Grace, Men's Fellowship, and the Youth Group.

In Matthew 25:34-35 Jesus said, "Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in."

When you help serve a meal at Open Door you'll realize that this ministry meets a valuable need in our community. This is a wonderful opportunity to also serve the King in a meaningful way.