Grace on the Web

Every church has a vision it works toward. If you walk into a church on Sunday morning and no one greets you, the vision of that church is to be a club where non-members are not welcome. If a church is always talking about giving donations or raising funds, the vision of that church is money. If a church is proud of the fact that attendance is increasing, the vision of that church is “bigger better”. In recent years we have discovered God’s vision for the people of Grace Covenant Church. It has nothing to do with being a club, money, or size. Here is our vision, the goal and value that guides us as a church:

"We will do whatever it takes to reach lost people and together grow with them into fully devoted followers of Christ."

“We will do whatever it takes” means we are willing and glad to use our God-given gifts and abilities to bring God’s Good News to our community and world. “…reach lost people” means we believe what the Bible says that a person without a relationship with God is missing out on the best that life can offer. “…together grow with them into fully devoted followers of Christ” means we are committed to, and invite others to join us, as we learn from God’s Son, Jesus Christ, how to live hope-filled and meaning-filled lives. If you’re curious as to where this vision came from read in the New Testament in the book of Matthew, chapter 9, beginning in verse 35 and reading through chapter 10, verse 1.

We believe the Bible tells us the Truth about God and ourselves. The Bible, the Old and New Testament, are the authoritative Word of God and the only perfect rule for faith, doctrine and conduct.

We believe it is necessary to choose to enter into a personal relationship with God. When a person puts their trust in God's Son, Jesus Christ, they enter into a living relationship with God that brings forgiveness and gives new purpose to life.

We believe the church is made up of believers in Christ. The church is a community of believers in Christ whose common faith provides motivation to worship God and work towards bringing God's Good News to people.

We believe God is at work in and through us. God, by His Holy Spirit, gathers the church into being, empowers witness, guides its mission, and supplies the talents and gifts that are needed to honor and serve Jesus Christ.

We believe Jesus Christ gives us freedom to be responsible with our lives. Jesus Christ, through His death and resurrection, has delivered us from the power of sin and death, and moves us into an entirely new experience of obedience and life. We use this freedom to live responsibly before God, allowing for differences of opinion and practice within biblical guidelines.

We believe it is important to work with fellow Christians. We are a member church of both the Northwest Conference of Covenant Churches and the Evangelical Covenant Church of America, the denominational family to which we belong.

The church was first organized on September 13, 1891, under the name of The Scandinavian Christian Mission Church, and Rev. E. J. Palm of Upsala served as its first pastor. It was organized to serve the spiritual needs of the Swedish speaking people in the community. Eight men were taken in as members of the church. At this first meeting it is interesting to note that a lively discussion took place concerning the requirement for membership. One man took the stand that it would be best to begin a parish "according to the Word of God," that is "to be baptized." From the minutes of the meeting it appears that this man was not one of the eight members taken into the church, nor did he ever ask for membership.

Their first communion service was held November 1, 1891, in the home of one of the officers. By December of the first year, the sum of $400.00 had been subscribed toward a new church building and work was begun. One laborer was hired at $1.75 per day and the balance of the work was donated. While work progressed, worship services and Sunday School were held in the local school assembly room. Communion services were observed the first Sunday of each month. June 5, 1892, the new church was dedicated. It was a frame building located on 11th. St. Southwest. June 16, 1892, the North West Association at the annual meeting at Buffalo, Minnesota, was asked to accept the church as a member.

The Secretary, Carl Erickson, makes the following statements in his yearly report for 1892: "When we look back upon the Mission activities for the past year in Little Falls, we can truly burst out and say: ‘Even until now has the Lord helped us.’ Although we have not seen a great revival in our midst, yet God has saved a few souls during the year. Our desire and prayer is that others may be won for the Lord during the coming year. On the whole everything has gone gloriously through in spite of the Devil’s attempts to take us captive in partisanship and dissensions.

As one looks back to the organization of the church, it is interesting to see what the community was like. In 1891 the Little Falls Industrial era began with the opening of the Pine Tree Lumber Co. Other industries followed and schools and churches were constructed. The city had a period of rapid growth. The 1890 census shows a population of 2,354 and a Directory published in 1892 gives the population as 4,699. The large sawmill was the main reason for the rapid growth. At its peak they employed 400 men in its saw and planing mills, 100 men in the sorting sheds and a larger crew in its winter logging camp. The Pine Tree Lumber Co. was regarded as the biggest mill in the United States. Most of the early members of the church were employed by the Pine Tree Lumber Co. Some of these men had little farms six or seven miles out in the country, yet they worked at the saw mill.

The work in the church continued until May, 1893, when the church was leased to a Lutheran group for a rental of $5.00 per month, but the church retained the right to use it once a month for a visiting pastor ministering. September 11, 1893, the church building was sold to the Bethel Lutheran Church and moved to 4th. St. S.W. In the Bethel Lutheran records it was reported the value of the church property was $900.00 and on this the debt was $625.00. In 1903 the Bethel Lutheran Church sold the building to the Presbyterians and later on the Swedish Baptists had the church building as well as some other groups.

On May 28, 1895, the church obtained the services of a pastor from St. Paul, Minnesota, for two months and used a leased hall for their services. During the previous year they had met once or twice a month and had visiting pastors. It seems the group still felt uncertain about the future of the church, but they were trusting the Lord for guidance and direction.

On September 2, 1895, the church was reorganized with 18 members and had visiting pastors serve them. By 1896 the membership had increased to 20, and on May 8, 1898, the group joined the Mission Alliance and changed the name to Swedish Christian Mission Church of Little Falls. They were served by visiting pastors, but the work gradually died down, until in 1902, when it was resumed again and a hall in the "Old Courthouse" was rented for $5.00 per month. They joined with Flensburg and Randall in calling a pastor, and he was to serve Little Falls one Sunday and two Thursday evenings each month, at a salary of $50.00 per year. He served until the spring of 1905.

In October, 1906, the church as a group joined the Congregational Church. In April, 1907, the church purchased a Norwegian Church building at 2nd Street and 4th Avenue N.E. for $600.00. On April 18, 1907, they were incorporated as the Scandinavian Mission Church of Little Falls with Rev. Blomberg as pastor. In the spring of 1909, they severed their ties with the Flensburg Church, and they and Randall were served by a student. In March, 1910, a pastor was called, and they also asked for admission in the N.W. Home Mission Society. Again the church became inactive, and it was not until October, 1921, that activities was resumed. The following members were then taken in: Mr. and Mrs. C. G. Anderson; Mr. and Mrs. Albert Anderson; Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Anderson; Mr. and Mrs. Carl Englund; Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Hedin; Mr. and Mrs. Emil Carlson; and Mrs. Matilda Streed. Mrs. Streed was the only person who had been a member prior to the inactivity of the church. No new pastor is indicated until January 1923.

The City of Little Falls had also gone through changes during the early 1900’s. The city had grown rapidly, apartment houses had sprung up, a southern syndicate, already heavily interested in Little Falls real estate, build a first-class hotel for $68,700. At that time it was considered to be one of the finest in Minnesota. With the increase in population brought about by the mill, other industries came in such as a cigar factory, pickle factory, horseshoe factory, paper mill and flour mill. People had started building in the outer areas thinking the city would expand a great deal. The Northern Pacific Railroad put its main line on the west side of the river, after having it on the east side, so it could better service the mill. Trolley and gas lines had also been planned. In fact, some tracks had already been put in. However, the Pine Tree Mill closed in 1919, and even during the last few years of the mill’s existence, the number employed had steadily decreased. Some of the men in the church were left without a job so they moved on to Minneapolis.

About this time, there was another business that brought a number of Scandinavians into the area. This was the Landahl Land Agency. Many people were lured here by hearing of rich little farms that were available.

During the spring of 1924, Rev. A. B. Ost and W. O. Larson conducted a series of special meetings for about three weeks. These meetings were of great spiritual value to the congregation, and many people say these brethren were the ones who got the church really on fire for the Lord. They held many services in homes during these years too.

In August, 1924, a pastor was called to serve the Little Falls, Culdrum, and Darling churches. The first confirmation exercises were held in 1926 for four confirmands.

On January 3, 1929, the church decided to have one English service per month and one English Sunday School class for adults. On April 4, 1929, formal membership in the N.W. Mission Association was voted.

Rev. Alrick Olson, a son of the church, began his life-long ministry to the Northern Minnesotan Native Americans in the 1920’s.

The church had received $500.00 from the estate of a member with the stipulation that a basement be built. This was completed July, 1936, and the consecration of the remodeled church was held Sept. 3-6, 1936.

On December 14, 1937, it was decided to use the English language for Sunday morning services for a period of three months, which decision apparently was made permanent at the end of that time. In 1938 the church decided to have their own pastor, but invited Culdrum and Randall to worship with them. In April, 1940, Sunday School enrollment reached a peak of 141. A parsonage was purchased in 1940 located at 507 N.E. 2nd. St.

With the beginning of the Second World War the pastures seemed greener elsewhere so once again we saw a movement away from the community.

On August 14, 1941, the 50th. Anniversary was celebrated with the District Superintendent, Rev. Jacob Elving, as guest speaker. In 1946 remodeling work was done on the parsonage. On July 10, 1947, the name of the church was changed to The Evangelical Mission Covenant Church of Little Falls. In October, 1949, it was decided to build a new parsonage at 206 - 4th Avenue N. E. and sell the old parsonage. In May, 1950, Gilbert C. Anderson, a son of the church, graduated from North Park Seminary and entered into pastoral ministry in the Covenant.

In October, 1950, the church started a one-half hour Sunday Morning Broadcast on KLTF, Little Falls. In 1951 further improvements were made in the church building, and on May 20th the rededication of the sanctuary was held with Superintendent Elmer Larson and a gospel team from First Covenant, Minneapolis, in attendance.

In February 1953, a Minshall electronic organ was purchased. In January, 1958, a kitchen was built and some other remodeling done. In April, 1959, five full lots were purchased in Oak Ridge as a possible site for a new church. In September of that same year, the name of the church was changed to The Grace Covenant Church, and a new constitution and by-laws were adopted. In December of the same year, a tape recorder was purchased together with an amplifying system for the lower auditorium and nursery. In October, 1960, a new Conn organ was purchased.

The decision to build a new and relocated church followed many months and even years of prayer, discussion, and committee work. Following initial decisions to begin with some type of building program, the final vote to go ahead with the building program was made at the congregational quarterly meeting on January 27, 1966. This meeting also authorized the initiation of a building fund drive for the purpose of raising $20,000.00 for the new church building. Nothing remotely approaching this goal had ever been attempted before. After much prayer and soul searching, the matter was placed in God’s hands and direction. The drive ended on Palm Sunday, April 3, 1966, when the building and finance committee members canvassed the entire church membership and friends. When the final report was made that Sunday, over $24,000.00 had been given in cash and pledges. The evening service on Palm Sunday, 1966, was a service of thanksgiving and praise to God. Funding for the project was also supplemented by a $11,300 gift from the Covenant denomination through its home mission organization, Frontier Friends.

The plans to build progressed rapidly following our building fund drive. In April, 1966, the congregation approved the engagement of Mr. Alden Smith of Minneapolis as the architect for our new church. In July, 1966, the congregation approved the preliminary drawings which were presented by our architect and gave their approval to the completion of the building program in one stage.

September, 1966, marked a real highlight in the life of our congregation. Celebration of the church’s 75th anniversary took place Sept. 9 through the 11th. Rev. Jerry Johnson, a son of the church and former interim, plus many former pastors were in attendance, and an anniversary dinner was held at Lake Beauty Bible Camp. One of the highlights of the three-day celebration was the groundbreaking ceremony at the site of our new church.

During the year of 1967 many of the church members were introduced to work projects at the new church. There were many work days and work nights as members painted walls, laid floor tile, and built shelves and cupboards.

In November of 1967 we saw the realization of our vision, our prayers, our planning, and our sacrificing. November 5, 1967, was the last Sunday in our old church building at 414 Second Street N. E. The next week was spent with the many activities of moving and putting on the finishing touches at the new church. November 12, 1967, was the first Sunday in our new church.

Dedication services began that week with a Service of Holy Communion on Wednesday, Community Night service on Thursday with Pastor Wogen, First Lutheran; Pastor Abbott, Assembly of God; Pastor Gray, First Methodist, all speaking plus receiving greetings from other churches in the community. Friday, Nov. 17th, was our night for Sunday School and Youth emphasis with former pastor, Rodney Holmberg, speaking. Nov. 19th was our Dedication Sunday with Rev. Carl Janson, Supt. of the Northwest Covenant Conference, as our speaker at the Morning Worship Service. Rev. Paul Anderson, Executive Secretary for Covenant Home Missions, was the speaker at the afternoon service of Dedication. Our membership at the time we moved into our new church as 77. During the year 1968 it grew to 88, and by the end of 1969 it was 97. Now that we were well established in our new church building, the emphasis was placed on outreach: A week of Deeper Life Meetings by Rev. David Larsen of Minneapolis, Friendship Home Visitation by laymen, booth at the County Fair, and many other activities. Pastor Wesley Swanson left us to go to Northbrook, IL, and Rev. Edwin Hallsten arrived in July, 1970, as our interim pastor.

In 1968 three acres of land adjacent to the north side of the church property was purchased for future expansion and the location of a new church parsonage. The old parsonage on 4th Avenue N.E. was sold, and a new parsonage was built and completed in the summer of 1971. Rev Edwin Hallsten served our church for one year, and a farewell service in his honor was held on July 11, 1971.

Rev. Tom Johnson was called to serve our church, and Installation Service for him was held on July 18, 1971. The new parsonage was dedicated and open house held on Sept. 12, 1971.

Mr. Burt Johnson arrived as Minister of Youth and Music during the summer of 1972.

In 1974 Pastor Tom Johnson and his wife Pat along with 11 members of the church traveled to the Holy Land during the months of Feb. and March. Dave and Judy Dolan from our church left for Chicago to attend North Park Theological Seminary in preparation for the mission fields. On Aug. 11, 1974, we held open house for our retired pastor, Rev. Victor Manlove, and his wife who were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. Pastor Tom Johnson left Little Falls in May, 1975. On June 1, 1975, Pastor Maynard Londborg began his interim ministry at our church. At the time he was on the faculty of Minnehaha Academy. However, a call was extended to him which he accepted. The Installation Service was held on Feb. 1, 1976. Pastor L. Wogen was called to be our visitation pastor. At the Covenant’s Annual Meeting held in Tacoma, Washington, in June, David and Judy Dolan, members of our church, were commissioned as Covenant missionaries to Taiwan.

Our open court was enclosed and became a very functional room.

On Nov. 13, 1977, at our annual Harvest Festival, a brief program on the history of our church and our 10th anniversary in our present location was present.

On March 5, 1978, the time of our morning service was changed to 10:30 a.m. Dedication of our new Allen organ was held on Feb. 5, 1978. On August 1, 1979, Pastor Andy Anderson arrived in Little Falls to serve as Intern Pastor for one year.

On June 1, 1980, we had a Fellowship Dinner at noon in church followed by a special church business meeting. It was decided to proceed with our building plans which included expansion of Fellowship Hall and Sanctuary with a walkout lower level and also added office space. Construction began that fall. Another exciting event that summer was the dedication and send-off of Tom and Ruth Pappenfus and their family for a one year short-term missionary service with the Covenant in Zaire, Africa.

During the fall of 1980, Rev. Wogen became unavailable to the church for visitation work. Rev. Melvin Lundeen began assisting as our visitation pastor. In January, 1981, Maxine Wolff was given the position of Music Director on a volunteer basis. Both Rev. Lundeen and Mrs. Wolff were later hired as part-time salaried staff by action of the April 21, 1981, Congregational Meeting. During that year a plan for Praying-Serving-Caring (P.S.C.) Groups was implemented to provide a fellowship group for each family of the church. They were organized according to the Covenant Women’s Serving Group rosters, but involved entire families.

On October 4, 1981, the church family celebrated the 90th Anniversary Observance and Dedication of the newly completed expanded church facility. Rev. James R. Hawkinson, Executive Director of Covenant Publications, spoke at both morning and afternoon services.

On February 24, 1982, a Special Day of Fasting and Prayer was held to address a financial crisis that had resulted from some unanticipated yet necessary cost overruns on the completed building expansion project. In the following months the congregation rallied to address the need with special gifts and internal loans.

A highlight of Summer ‘82 was the youth mission trip to the Covenant’s Mountain Mission in the state of Virginia. Many work projects were completed, and the youth presented a Vacation Bible School and participated in Sunday Services. Brenda Warnberg, a daughter of the church, also served as a short-term missionary in Ecuador that summer. Our first Fall Missionary Conference was held October 1-3.

September 13, 1983, marked the birth of Grace Covenant’s MOMS program, an outreach ministry, targeted at meeting the needs of mothers with pre-school children. The second Fall Missions Conference was held September 23-24. That fall also saw an end to the effective radio ministry Grace Covenant had sponsored with KLTF since 1950.

On October 9, 1983, an Appreciation Reception honoring Howard and Margaret Warnberg for their years of janitorial service to the church was held.

The Harvest Festival held Thanksgiving Week in ‘83 was the first of three consecutive years when special gifts received at each occasion totaled in excess of $20,000.

On March 2, 1984, a service of music and praise was held to dedicate our new grand piano for the sanctuary.

One of our high school youth, Sarah Bertsch, served in a mission project with Missions Outreach in Papua New Guinea during the summer of ‘84.

August 18-20, 1984 marked the Brainerd-St. Cloud District Covenant Centennial Celebration at Staples.

On July 1, 1985, Brad Iverson began his ministry to Grace Covenant as Youth Pastor. On September 8, 1985, the congregation hosted a Farewell Open House for Pastor Maynard and Loraine Londborg. The Londborg’s had accepted a call from the Covenant Church of Alaska to do church planting work.

Easter Sunday, March 30, 1986, Rev. Paul Anderson began ministry as Senior Pastor, with Installation Services the following Sunday officiated by Rev. Stanley Henderson, Conference Superintendent.

During summer ‘86, the youth groups participated in a mission project to Cass Lake Indian Fellowship. Sarah Bertsch also served in India on a short-term mission project.

During January ‘87 the CARE Group Ministry was implemented, a fellowship group structure that replaced the P.S.C. Group organization. The goal of this new ministry organization was to develop and nurture inter-generational fellowship in small groups, and to provide a place to assimilate newcomers into the church family. CARE Groups met in homes the second and fourth Sunday evenings of the month, and met together for Evening worship on alternate Sunday evenings at church. On January 25, 1987, several members of our church were consecrated to participate in the first annual week long Jamaica Mission Project led by Dick and Lois Hokanson.

Brad Iverson’s ministry as Youth Pastor ended with a farewell reception in Brad and Shanyn’s honor held on June 7, 1987. During that summer, Grace Covenant participated with the Northwest Conference’s summer Pastoral Intern program by calling Don Nelson, a North Park College student and member of the church, as our Summer Intern. Sarah Bertsch spent the summer in Africa on a mission project with Mission Outreach.

The first Annual Outdoor Summer Concert Series was held along our river front during the summer ‘87, a once-a-month Sunday evening musical event offered to the greater Little Falls community. Another musical "note" of significance was the Dedication Service for our new sanctuary Hymnals on June 21, 1987.

The Senior Adults Fellowship Group began in September, ‘87, which was and continues to be an effective monthly fellowship event of our church family’s seniors.

On October 27, 1987, Mark Chase was called as Youth Ministries Pastor. During November, Rev. Melvin Lundeen, Visitation Pastor, and his wife, Dorine, made a special visit to Quebec, Canada, to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of a church the Lundeens planted.

Dennis and Rose Bergstrazer, members of our church family and missionaries with Mission Aviation Fellowship, returned from service in Bangladesh and visited their home church in July ‘88. They were reassigned by M.A.F. to a mission station in Indonesia later that summer. Another son of the church, Don Nelson, left in August for a two year short-term Covenant Missions assignment to Japan. In April ‘89, Maxine Wolff resigned as Music Coordinator after many years of directing youth musicals, seasonal choir cantatas, and weekly Sanctuary Choir. During June ‘89 a team of Grace Covenanters went on a Mission Work Project to the Mat-Su Covenant Church of Palmer, Alaska. There they participated in renovating a large truck-wash building into the new worship facility which was served by former Pastor Maynard Londborg. The Warnberg’s traveled to Alaska later in the fall to lay carpeting in the new facility.

In April ‘90, Mark Chase finished his ministry as Youth Ministries Pastor of Grace Covenant. He and his family were honored at the annual youth sponsored "Soup & Pie" Supper.

Also in April, the Sanctuary Choir presented Grace Covenant’s Easter Cantata at St. Joseph’s Catholic church in Pierz as part of the congregation’s effort to reach out and minister to that area.

The May ‘90 Congregational Meeting voted to call North Park Seminarian Jeffrey Jones as Intern Pastor for one year. It also formed a Staff Needs Assessment Committee to recommend staffing to posture for growth as we move into the 1990’s.

During June ‘90 a second mission team was sent by our church to the Mat-Su Covenant Church in Alaska. Another group participated in a weekend mission project in May at the Cass Lake Indian Fellowship in Northern Minnesota.

In the fall of 1990, the CARE Group Ministry was replaced by a completely different adult ministry format focused around Adult Sunday School. Groups within the church were organized by "Life-stage" Congregations which meet weekly for Bible Study during the Sunday School hour and monthly for a fellowship event. The church facility and grounds also saw change in fall ‘90. In preparation for centennial celebrations, substantial improvement was done on the exterior of the building, including painting, new landscaping in the front, pavement of the rear parking lot, and improvement of our river front to create a park like setting.

Grace Covenant celebrated our Centennial during 1991 beginning with a special Advent ‘90 Devotional including meditations by members, friends, and former pastors of the church family. On Covenant Founders Day Weekend, Feb. 23-24, a special Heritage Banquet was held with North Park Seminary Professor Phil Anderson presenting insights from our Covenant history. On April 26-27, our church facility hosted the Annual Meeting of the Northwest Conference. Labor Day Weekend (Aug. 30- Sept 1st) was the grand culmination of the Centennial Celebrations, with former pastors, denominational leaders, and friends and members gathering for a "Mission Meeting" to dedicate our church family for a second century of ministry with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Harry Norr, who has in latter years been our acting "Church Historian", ended his Grace Covenant 90th Anniversary slide presentation with the following statement, true today as it was a decade ago:

"So our story comes to an end (for now). The history of Grace Covenant Church has been one of many and varied experiences. Starting as it did with a small group of warm-hearted people who wished to worship God and maintain a spiritual home for their children, they continued to function. Though sometimes it seemed as though their efforts were useless, yet from this beginning and the struggles there came forth the church as it is today.

With their faithful members and the sacrificial work with the Pastors who have served them, the Grace Covenant Church stands today as a monument to the faithfulness of God and his people."