Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…
Trinity Lutheran Church 2024—we are Blessed to be a blessing. We are blessed by God and in response to blessings too numerous to count we seek to give back.
We give thanks for the history of our Church and this Sunday we will give thanks for the dear Saints who have labored here in decades past. Thankful for the past, we take our turn and faithfully invest in the future of a church that touches lives and touches the world.
On this All Saints Day, November 1st, 2024 we celebrate the 71st Anniversary of the founding of Trinity Lutheran Church in Freeland. Trinity was born in the imaginations of our 37 Charter Members. 37 people, 21 adults and 16 children, believed in the future of this place before Trinity existed.
Our roots can be traced to our Mother Church—Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church in Clinton. In the Fall of 1952, the residents of Freeland longed for a place to take their children to Sunday School. Before Highway 525 was constructed it was a long drive to Clinton. Renting space from the Seventh Day Adventists in Freeland, the Sunday School outpost began to teach the local children the stories and songs of faith.
One year later, on November 1st, 1953, Trinity Lutheran Church became an official worshipping community of the American Lutheran Church. A handful of families with little money, no land and no building stepped out in faith. For the next 24 years Trinity would share a pastor with the people of Saint Peter’s. There were five pastors who served this two-point parish: ALS Mathre, Floyd Larsen, Richard Knutson, Ken Olson and Wayne Bolling.
In 1955, with a building budget of $10,000 and lots of sweat equity, the people of Trinity Lutheran Church began building a small church on property donated by Austin Marshall. One cinder block at a time – one Saturday work party after another—a series of small donations allowed the humble church to rise and serve. The years ahead would be challenging and difficult—money was hard to come by—Trinity would spend decades trying to walk on her own feet.
In 1976, Trinity and Saint Peter’s parted ways. Pastor Bill Beck and his family moved to Freeland to serve as our first full-time pastor. In 1989, Pastor Jim and Felicia Lindus arrived with their two daughters and doubled the size of the Sunday School. The total church budget was almost $50,000. That included: staff salaries, operational costs, and benevolences.
The 1990’s was a time of dramatic growth. Karl Olsen and Robin Edgeman joined our staff and the church took flight. There was a major remodel and expansion, the parking lot was paved for the first time, TLC purchased 13 acres of property from Matt Nichols and Erl Bangston, and Pastor Daniel Erlander was called to serve alongside of Pastor Jim in 1995.
In 1996 Trinity would build the Sanctuary where we worship each week and a fellowship hall that currently serves as our office area. For five years our Sunday School Students would walk each Sunday to our previous building for classes.
By the year 2000 our small campus has grown to 24 and a half acres. In 2001, construction was completed on this building. We had added a full-court gym, Sunday School Classrooms, a new nursery, the Fireside room, a courtyard with a columbarium and a commercial kitchen. It is worth noting that throughout all our building programs, we have never borrowed money outside the parish. Our debt peaked at 1.7 million dollars on September 9, 2001. We celebrated Rally Day in our new facility just two days before 9-11-2001. Then in 2020 we entered a pandemic season. We had to figure out how to be the church in a world that had changed dramatically.
All told we have spent more than $5 million dollars on property and buildings since 1991. Even more impressive, from 2014 to 2024 we have given $3.5 million dollars to charities far and near. Blessed to be a blessing – we are here because others served, dreamed, and sacrificed on our behalf. Blessed to be a Blessing we now take our place in the rich history of God’s movement at Trinity Lutheran Church.
Could those charter members have imagined how the seeds of their faith would take root and touch the lives of so many? If Pete and Alice, Nora and Harry and Don and Bonnie Cameron could see TLC today they would give thanks to the God of miracles. 71 years ago, 37 Charter members stepped out in faith—the times were hard and the future was uncertain—the Trinity Miracle was given life. Caring for the TLC miracle is our calling now. Thankful for the Past— Investing in the Future.
Happy 71st Anniversary Trinity Lutheran Church!
One beggar, telling another beggar where to find bread, I am your,
Pastor Jim
If you would like to email Pastor Jim direct please send a note to: [email protected]
