Pastor Craig Larson will be installed at Desert Hills Lutheran Church in Green Valley on Sunday, 12/4/2022 at 3pm. Bishop Hutterer will be preaching. Reception to follow.

Rostered ministers are invited to process, color of the day will be blue.

Rostered ministers who will be taking part in the procession are asked to confirm with Mary McNichols, Director of Congregation Support, at 520 648-1633 or mcnichols@dhlc.org.

A coffee and cookie reception will be held following the ceremony in our Lokken Fellowship Hall at Desert Hills Lutheran Church, 2150 S Camino Del Sol, Green Valley, AZ 85622

Pastor Craig Larson was born in Minot, North Dakota; graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN; and attended Luther Northwestern Seminary (now Luther Seminary) in St. Paul, MN. He was part of the first ELCA graduating class in 1988. Pastor Craig’s first call was to a two-point parish in North Dakota, St. Olaf of Rural Turtle Lake and Our Saviors of Mercer. He served there for five years. Listening to God’s call, he came to Arizona to serve at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Lake Havasu City for eight years. Pastor Craig was then called to be a Mission Redeveloper of Trinity Lutheran Church in southeast Tucson for five years. His most recent call was at Mount Zion Lutheran Church in west Tucson for the last 15 years.

Pastor Craig and his wife, Suzanne, are looking forward to joining Desert Hills Lutheran Church and getting to know the congregation. They have been married for over 16 wonderful years and have resided in the Tucson area together. They have two daughters who also call Arizona home which allows for a short drive to visit. Their oldest daughter, Andria, and her husband, Thomas, live in Mesa with granddaughters, Paige and Natalie. Pastor Craig always has fun spending time with them, and the little ones keep him on his toes. Pastor Craig and Suzanne enjoy vintage shopping with their youngest daughter, Monica. Monica keeps them busy with home improvement projects at her home in central Phoenix.

In their down time, Pastor Craig and Suzanne enjoy road trips through the Southwest and discovering the best local spots in each town that they visit. His mom and sisters still live in North Dakota along with their families. When he visits home, they enjoy the North Dakota State Fair, and every few years, they travel to Minot for the Scandinavian Festival, Hostfest. Pastor Craig is a lifetime Minnesota Vikings fan. (Some years are easier to be a fan than others.)

Pastor Craig looks “forward to us all continuing our faith journey and looking for the adventures that await us in serving our Lord!”