Holden invites Villagers across the globe to come together through participation in Holden Evening Prayer. Help celebrate spring and rebirth by holding a service in your community during the week of April 26, 2026.
This year we’re recognizing the 40th Anniversary of Vespers ’86, the beloved service composed by Marty Haugen. Haugen wrote Holden Evening Prayer during the winter of 1985–1986 during a musical residency at Holden Village. A simple Lutheran vespers service that follows traditional form while using contemporary and inclusive language, this service has become beloved by many.
Even though geography may separate us, by singing and saying the same words together on the same day, we connect in spirit. May the prayers for peace and justice of the extended Holden community rise up like incense. Plan a gathering and add your event to our map of events around the globe!
You are invited to participate on any date or time during the week. Be creative in finding a venue! A family room, church, community center or senior housing. Use this form to share the date, time, and location for your event, so that we can post this information on our website and anyone in your area can join. Let us know if you’re going to livestream so we can share the link with others!
Keep monitoring this page for a list of participating congregations. You’ll also be able to view an interactive map. All information provided on the form will be public to anyone who accesses our website. If after submitting the form you need to make changes to your event, please email communications@holdenvillage.org.
2315 N Coast Hwy, Newport, OR 97365
Wednesday, April 29th at 7 p.m, (PST)
Dungeness Valley Lutheran Church
925 N Sequim Ave, Sequim, WA 98382
Wednesday, April 29, 2026 – 5:00 p.m. Soup Supper, 5:45 p.m. Service
7400 Woodlawn Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98115
Saturday, May 2 at 6-8 p.m.
14201 Church Rd, Bow, WA 98232
Wednesday, April 29 at 7 p.m.
1250 W 18th Ave, Eugene, OR 97402
Wednesday April 29th, 5:30 p.m. Potluck Soup Supper, 6:15 p.m. Vespers service
18101 Fir Island Road, Mount Vernon, WA 98274
Lent (Feb 25th, March 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th at 6 p.m.)
Holden Village Bed & Breakfast
21081 S Lakeshore Rd, Chelan, WA 98816
Saturday, May 2nd, 5:00 p.m. Potluck followed by Holden Evening Prayer
10021 NE 124th St, Kirkland, WA 98034
Wednesday, April 29, 7:00pm
1215 Thomas St, Seattle, WA 98109
Wednesday, April 29 from 7:30 – 8 p.m.
Lutheran Church in the San Juan Islands, Lopez Island Branch
312 Davis Bay Rd, Lopez Island, WA 98261
Saturday, May 2 at 5:30 p.m.
3125 5th Ave S, Great Falls, MT 59405
Wednesday, April 29, 2026. 6 p.m. Soup Supper 7 p.m. worship
2106 S Cushman Ave, Tacoma, WA 98405
Sunday, April 26 at 4:00 p.m
4301 Browns Point Blvd, Tacoma, WA 98422
7763 E Long Look Dr, Prescott Valley, AZ 86314
Wednesday, April 22nd 6pm MDT
Shepherd By The Sea Episcopal-Lutheran Mission
38958 Cypress Way, Gualala, CA 95445
Saturday, May 2nd at 5 p.m.
Bethlehem Lutheran Church Twin Cities Minneapolis (ELCA)
4100 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55409
Sunday, April 26, 2026 5pm (CDT).
291 1st St SW, Wells, MN 56097
(Lent) Wednesday, February 25 at 6:15 p.m.
1401 15th St W, Hastings, MN 55033
(Lent) Mar 4, mar 11, Mar 18, Mar 25, all at 7 p.m.
University Lutheran Church of Hope (ELCA)
601 13th Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
Wednesday, April 29 at 6:30 p.m.
1430 South Blvd, Evanston, IL 60202
Friday, May 1 at 7 p.m.
Our Saviour’s Evangelical Lutheran
815 S Washington St, Naperville, IL 60540
Tuesday, April 28 at 7 p.m.
Suamico United Methodist Church
3266 Lakeview Dr, Suamico, WI 54173
Tuesday, April 28th, 2026 at 5:40PM
Circleville Ohio community. The Gathering Place
303 S Court St, Circleville, OH 43113
Sunday, April 26 at 6:30 p.m.
St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
1224 Melrose Ave, Melrose Park, PA 19027
Wednesday, April 29, at 7 p.m. (EDT)
No events currently planned
Home of the Knerr Family
KM3 Via a Circasia Quintas del Bosque Casa 13, Circasia, Quindio, Colombia, South America
Sunday, April 26 at 7 p.m.
Lutheran Campus Ministry – Edmonton
11733 87 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T6G 0Y4, Canada
3787 Cedar Hill Rd, Victoria, BC V8P 3Z4, Canada
Spirit of Life Lutheran church
375 W 10th Ave, Vancouver, BC Canada
Lent (March 5 and 19) 6 p.m. supper, 7 p.m. Holden Evening Prayer
If you’re planning a service, Holden Village is providing suggested readings.
Participants are welcome to use any number of these readings or use your own.
If you or your congregation need copies of the words and music for Holden Evening Prayer, a variety of options are available from the online Holden Village store. You can purchase a single copy, full score sheet music for piano or other instruments, and more.
Holden Village has a legacy of creating liturgical music that reflects the Village’s commitment to inclusive, contemporary language. Vespers 23 is a continuation of that theme and was developed with the support and feedback of the 2022–23 Holden winter community.
While traditional vespers often centers “light overcoming darkness,” this service intentionally honors twilight, dusk, night, and darkness as sources of blessing and renewal—moving beyond harmful light/dark binaries that have been used to wound, especially communities of color. It weaves themes of creation, justice, and the holiness of all bodies, drawing on fresh translations from original-language scripture and inspiration from biblical texts.
Holden Village is a community where your questions are valued and encouraged. Most programs led by visiting teaching faculty occur during the summer months. However, Holden also invites faculty to teach sessions for special events and retreats throughout the rest of the year.
View upcoming summer faculty.
