Our Savior's Lutheran Church and School History
1221 W 17th Ave.
Longmont, CO 80501
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Our Savior's became a mission congregation of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod in August 1959. Pastor W. H. Siffring who was serving St. John's of Platteville, CO was the first pastor to serve the congregation. He helped organize a group of about 40 souls who had left the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod for confessional reasons in August 1958.
At the request of the mission board, Pastor Siffring moved to Longmont in 1959. Worship services were held in a chapel provided by Howe Mortuary in Longmont. Our Savior's was accepted into the membership of WELS with 26 communicant members. They purchased a one-acre site on 17th Avenue in June of 1960 on what was then the north edge of Longmont, population 11,500. Only farm places were north of 17th Ave. and Bowen Street marked the west edge of the town.
Construction of a chapel-parsonage was begun in April 1962. Dedicated in October 1962, the first building included the present parsonage that is east of the church and a chapel connected to the west end of the parsonage. The basement of the parsonage was used as a fellowship area.
The congregation began to investigate the possibility of building a separate church structure in 1966. On June 15, 1973, the synod approved granting a loan for the project of building a church and relocating the old chapel. Groundbreaking was the last Sunday in September. Before the building could begin, our chapel portion needed to be separated and relocated to make room for the new church. For the following fifteen weeks, Our Savior's members drove to Platteville for combined worship services each Sunday. The chapel that had been turned around north to south was reset on a new foundation that included a full basement. The upstairs of the moved building was then used for worship until the new church was completed. It was then converted into an education unit with office, bathroom and one schoolroom upstairs. The dedication service of the new church was held on September 22, 1974.
The congregation resolved to open a Christian Day School with eight students in the fall of 1977. Our Savior's membership was 100 communicants and 136 souls. The decision to end the Synod subsidy for the salary of the called workers was also made then. In 1978, the Lord led the congregation to purchase the house and property, 3/4 of an acre, on 1620 Bowen St. In 1979, the congregation finished the school basement to provide an additional classroom. In 1984, the church basement was temporarily used as a third classroom. By God's grace, as of January 1, 1984 Our Savior's became fully self-supporting and the twenty-fifth anniversary of this dedicated congregation was celebrated.
In 1985, a portable classroom was purchased and placed on site. Discussion of church narthex enlargement, balcony seating improvement and handicapped access into the church basement took place, but no action was taken.
The Lord blessed the congregation with a wonderful, previously owned three manual Rodgers organ in 1992. A classroom once again moved into the church basement that year, and planning for facilities expansion of this dual parish began in earnest.
There was a staffing reduction in 1995 to 3 teachers. In 1996, a fire hydrant and fire sprinkling the church basement in preparation for receiving a building permit occurred. In the summer of 1997, congregation showed its generosity of time and talents in the repairs of Parsonage 2 and in the construction of an addition to the school with Builders for Christ. The new and remodeled school dedication was on January 18, 1998. Following in the summer of 1998 was the parking lot addition and repair, and the purchase of another home and property. The church also committed to an elevator to provide handicapped access to the church basement for school lunches and functions through a church entrance addition. Our Savior's also had many memories of God's gracious care and guidance on the 40th anniversary celebration that year.
With the aid of several MLC-TWC teams since 2001, Our Savior's stepped up their evangelism outreach in the growing community of 80,000. Our Savior’s continues to offer Worship Services, Bible Classes, and Sunday School for all ages to help everyone to grow in the knowledge of their Lord and Savior from sin. Our Savior’s continues to nurture God’s little lambs with His holy Word in its Christian Day School and Preschool.
Where the Lord will lead, we do not know. Yet, we do rest assured that our God will never leave us or forsake us. May the Lord of the Church ever keep us in the purity of His Word, so that we may apply both Law and Gospel where and when it is needed. "…Not unto us be glory, Lord…but to your name be praise...all honor be giv'n For matchless mercy, forgiveness, and grace." |