Our Church History: 175 Years in the Making
1848 - 2023
Gathering information from our 175-year history began in 2019 when Pastor Ron Jansen, his wife, Becky, and Jill Phegley began to sift through stacks of paperwork, records, notes, photos, and books from our church files and archives.
Jill continued that work with help from Diann Scherle to organize and prepare for our history book that now covers all 175 years.
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Information boards, memorabilia, and congregational artifacts were on display in our mini-museum just inside the east entrance to the church.
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Weekly Highlights
Each week we highlighted, in chronological order, information from one or more years of our congregation’s history beginning in 1848.
Monthly Highlights
Members of the Anniversary Committee planned special monthly activities throughout the year featuring 175 years of baptisms, confirmations, and weddings. Other activities focused on students of our Christian Day School, veterans, chairmen, fried chicken dinners, chicken soup dinners, Sunday School students and teachers, and the cemetery.
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Each month new banners commemorated a different aspect of our congregation's history. Amanda Roedl and her daughter, Kaley, designed and made the banners.
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On Sunday, November 5, 2023, we celebrated God's blessings on our 175 years as a congregation with guest speaker, Rev. Timothy Scharr, president of the Southern Illinois District, Missouri Synod. Also in attendance were former pastors, Rev. Thomas Handrick and Rev. James Leistico. Rev. Stephen Lane was not able to attend, but his wife Suzanne came to visit. After the worship service, members and guests visited and enjoyed lunch and dessert in the Fellowship Hall.
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Special thanks to Anniversary Committee Members: Nancy Kruse, Marlene Ling, Jill Phegley, Amanda Roedl, and Diann Scherle
