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Driven By
Grace:
A Short History of
Springs of Grace Lutheran Church
2006
Lutherans (ELCA) are in Full Communion with Presbyterians
(PC-USA), and Episcopalians
and the exposure to these sister denominations was a
blessing to Springs of Grace. We learned more about the similarities
that unite us
than the differences that divide us. But all the while we yearned for a
home of our own again, and realizing building on our property was still
out of the question, we looked at a building 2 miles up the road on
Highway 9. The building was once the home of the Old Country Store and
Bargain Host, names by which many area residents still use to refer to
our location.
Improvements to the facilities continued into the
next year and included an office, classrooms, nursery, improved
bathrooms, doors, and windows. By mid-year, the congregation decided to
move from our “caretaker status” back into our mission of “Inviting All
to Gather and Grow in Service to Christ”. The power of the Holy
Spirit
was at
work among us! A Mission Vision Committee was formed and we sought the
advice of the Synod and the American Missions Board. On October 21st
we accepted 8 new members, the first since leaving Giles Drive.
2007
Members of our Mission Vision committee had attended the “Growing
God’s Mission” event in December of the previous year and on January 14, 2007 we hosted our
own event with well over 50% of our members in attendance. At this working
session, we resolved to adopt our
Core Values and to apply them as we
moved forward in our ministry. Building on this progress, and after a
highly successful Stewardship Campaign, we began to think about steps
to find our First Called Pastor.
At our Spring Congregational Meeting
we took the bold step of agreeing to put all their assets (including
time, talents, and offerings) on the line to ensure we could bear the
clergy expense for at least the next two years. A call committee was
formed shortly afterwards and began to consider candidates, but it only
took one! On May 20th at a Special Congregational Meeting, the
congregation voted to call Judson Frick Merrell. Pastor Judson quickly
accepted the call and he and his wife Carrie moved to the area from
Columbia, SC to prepare leading us effective July 1st.
The “cliff hanger” - this brief history closes on the most exciting
time of our short life as a congregation. We have faced many difficult
crossroads in our past and persevered through them all. With Pastor
Judson’s fresh leadership, our congregation has a new look on our
mission and we anxiously await our new opportunity to Grow God’s
Mission out there in the Boiling Springs community!
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