A BRIEF HISTORY OF

FAITH COMMUNITY LUTHERAN CHURCH

ZIMMERMAN, MINNESOTA

October 1993 – October 2013

 

It was October 17, 1993, when the first service of the newly organized Faith Community Lutheran Church was held at the Zimmerman Elementary School Cafeteria. From there the church has continued to grow. 

Pastor James Pape was the pastor of the new mission church, and he had been at work in the community for nearly a year prior to this first service.  The decision by the Minnesota North District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod to start this church was based on the fact that the Zimmerman area was growing at a very rapid rate in the early 1990s. The church’s mission was begun with the goal to reach out to the unchurched and de-churched people in our growing community.

After three years of services in the school cafeteria, the congregation was blessed to dedicate a new building on October 20, 1996.  The land and funds to build were received as a very generous gift from Lawrence and Merlyn Kreger. 

Shortly after the building was completed, Pastor Pape retired.  Rev. Lynn Machula served the congregation as vacancy pastor from January 1 through May 17, 1997.  Rev. James Walburg was called to serve the congregation and was installed as pastor on May 18, 1997, Pentecost Sunday. The church continues to thrive under his leader- ship as we celebrate this 20^th anniversary.

One person who had a big effect on the formation of Faith Community Lutheran Church was Doris Dols. Doris organized our church’s Sunday School program. She also established Women of Faith which is affiliated with the national Lutheran Women’s Missionary League of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Our church’s bell tower (designed and built by Len Palek) was dedicated in her memory on September 11, 2011.

Bible studies/fellowship groups (also called “small groups”) have been an important part of the growth of this congregation, both spiritually and numerically.  Groups specific to men, women and also couples have developed and provided faith growing opportunities.

Music has always been an important part of Faith Community. With a blended style of worship our Worship Team leads the congregation in the praise of God with the use of both traditional hymns and contemporary songs. Our many talented musicians and singers help us lift our adoration to God each and every worship service.

The youth group, now called Faithbound Youth, is one of our best assets.  It is made up of youth during their confirmation years and as they continue through high school.  From this group a youth choir, called New Direction, has evolved and has become an outreach arm of our Faith Community.   A favorite activity is attending Planet Wisdom with other youth groups every year in December.  It has been an opportunity to develop relationships with each other to grow in worship and faith. 

One community event that we have become known for is a Wild Game Dinner & Fish Fry.  Curt Hedtke, with the assistance of several others who love to hunt and fish, started this and the Lord has blessed it.  Proceeds have mostly been used to support the children and youth of the congregation, believing that they are the future of the church.  The number of people attending this dinner has increased each year; anyone who has game or fish they would like to contribute is welcome to do so.

Another way our congregation has reached out into the Zimmerman community is by having a weekly food giveaway called “Faith Pantry”. Under the leadership of Lisa Brix food is gathered from area grocery stores, and other donors, and is distributed every Thursday morning at our church.

God has led our community of faith into an emphasis on prayer. This emphasis has developed into having an annual day of prayer on a Saturday in November at which time we seek God's will for our church for the coming year. We have witnessed a growth in the work of God's Spirit among us as a result of this emphasis.

A symbol of our church from the very beginning has been wooded crosses given to all first time visitors. Bob and Jan Rolfe have personally crafted hundreds of these crosses over the past twenty years. All of us as members have our cross displayed in our homes. Visiting missionaries, and our own members on mission trips, have brought a cross from our congregation to various countries around the world including: Africa, Jamaica, China and Israel 

It is our constant goal to be a church where all people will feel welcome and will know that we seek to be in unity with God and with each other.

We are: “Growing Together through Prayer and Praise”!