OUR HISTORY
 
In 1976 Northern Pinellas County was being scouted for a possible Lutheran mission church. As a result of this search, in January of 1977 six and a half acres of cow pasture were purchased by the American Lutheran Church (ALC) at the current site for the Lutheran Church of the Palms. In December 1977 Pastor Timothy Nehls and his family moved from Charlotte, North Carolina to start this new congregation. With three people in attendance, Pastor Tim held the first service on January 1, 1978 at the Howard Johnson Motel on US 19 and Klosterman Road.
 
This young congregation broke ground for a new building on September 3, 1978. By Easter Sunday 1979, the first service was held at the newly completely facility on Nebraska Avenue with 224 in attendance. Lutheran Church of the Palms was officially dedicated on September 30, 1979. More recently the entire interior of the church underwent a renovation to make the space more flexible, comfortable and more suited to encouraging greater community as well as fostering music and arts events. 
 
The Palm Harbor Youth Recreation League approached Lutheran Church of the Palms about using some of the Lutheran Church of the Palms property for ball fields. In 1979 a lease was signed, and the Palm Harbor community has been enjoying these fields ever since and they are still being actively used for sports by the recreation league. 
 
Our congregation voted to build an education center for activities and a long-range plan for a preschool. A new 11,000 square foot education building was constructed. 

Thanks to the generous donation from Robert and Alice Barlow, a preschool for 2, 3, and 4 year olds was started in 1992. Judy Garrity was named the director of the school in April 1993, a position she held until her retirement in 2013. Melissa Graham began serving as the director of the Barlow Education Center beginning in the Summer of 2013. Sandy White retired in 2024 and now Dawnielle Burrow serves as the director. Our preschool continues to blossom and now offers a full;y subscribed VPK program as well. 
 
A church endowment fund was established in 2007 thanks to a donation from the Frank and Hazel Tymeson estate. This donation also included funds for a small chapel which was completed in October 2008.
 
After 31 years of service to the Lutheran Church of the Palms and 40 years of service to the Lord, Pastor Tim Nehls announced his retirement. On December 7, 2008, Lutheran Church of the Palms celebrated its 30th anniversary. As part of this celebration the Tymeson Memorial Chapel was dedicated and the education building officially renamed the "Timothy W. Nehls Education Building".  In October of 2024 we celebrated the church's 45th Anniversary which celebrated our community ministry partnerships. 
 
Pastor Greg Hager was called to serve in “Word and Sacrament” on March 15, 2010, becoming the second called pastor of our church. Since Pastor Greg’s arrival we have welcomed God’s renewal of our mission.  With renewal came the addition of many new members and an open heart for “missional” ministry.  To meet the needs of our community, youth group has expanded, music ministry has grown, worship has been enhanced, mission has become focused, ministries have branched out, technology has modernized, facilities have been upgraded, and the sky is now the limit of what we can do in God’s grace.  After serving eight years here, Pastor Hager retired July 1, 2018. We were fortunate to call Pastor Kelly Pensinger who lead us through Covid and helped us to establish new technologies and ways of worshipping. 

We are currently in the process of calling a new Pastor.  All ministries, activities and visioning for the future continue as we seek to grow in God's Love and find ways to better serve our community and each other in Christ. 
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