Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, located in the Capitol Hill district of Denver, has had a long history of providing services to those in need.  When the technology boom ended in late 2002, the country’s economy slowed to a crawl.  As Denver’s unemployment rates began to rise, more and more people were coming into Our Savior’s looking for ways to support their families.  Most of the individuals seeking assistance at Our Savior’s had only minimal job skills and therefore would be unlikely to find new employment until they had completed some kind of additional job training.  Church members, aware that our state (and our country) was facing a serious shortage of nurses and other health care workers, created St. Luke’s Ministry to offer training for a career as a Nurse Aide, thus helping those in need of a steady job enter the healthcare field.

St. Luke’s Ministry, an outreach ministry of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, began providing Nurse Aide training in 2004.  Throughout its history, St. Luke’s has reached out to individuals such as single mothers, recent immigrants and those seriously under-employed.  St. Luke’s is particularly interested in recruiting potential students who have already worked in a healthcare-related field and who are looking to increase their credentials, pay and/or level of job security.

The old adage: “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime” well-summarizes the philosophy behind St. Luke’s Ministry training and support programs.  St. Luke’s offers individuals the training, skills and extra support they need to obtain a well-paid job, as well as the opportunity for further advancement in the health care profession. 

While St. Luke’s Ministry operates as a ministry of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, there is no religious component to our training.  Applicants to our programs come from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, and many of our applicants have no religious affiliation of any kind.

Why the name “St. Luke’s Ministry”?

Our program is named after St. Luke, the great physician of the New Testament (Colossians 4:14), beloved for the care and compassion he offered to all, particularly the poor.  St. Luke is considered the patron of physicians and other healthcare workers.