The first organized worship service at Lake of the Woods (LOW) was held in the middle of November 1971. Early formalization efforts were difficult with many stumbling blocks; however, ten Christians (called the Founders) were persistent in their belief that every community should have a church. One of the Founders, Lyn Nowakoski, still lives at LOW. A constitution was drafted and signed by the Founders and 29 other members; thus, they all became Charter Members on April 28, 1974. These Charter Members came from many denominational backgrounds such as Baptist, Episcopalian, Christian Scientist, Roman Catholic, United Church of Christ Congregational, United Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Universalist Unitarian, making The Lake of the Woods Church very unique.

The members had two goals in mind from the beginning. The first was to have a permanent pastor. Reverend Glen Cannon was welcomed as pastor in May 1982 and after he resigned in 1994, Reverend Paul Marsden was named interim pastor. He served until Reverend Thomas Schafer was welcomed as Pastor on May 1, 1995. Reverend Brent Saathoff was welcomed as Minister of Education in May 1991, became Associate Pastor in 1995 and resigned in 1998. Timothy Corner served as Minister for Families and Christian Education from 1999 to 2004. Vincent Klug served as Minister for Youth and Small Groups from 1999 to 2004 and as Pastor for Family Ministry and Adult Education from 2004 to his resignation in 2006. Youth Pastor Adam Colson and Senior Associate Pastor Jim Smith joined our ministerial staff during the summer of 2006. Prayers and discussions continue in the search for a Family Pastor. A visitation ministry, an arm of the Shepherd's Staff, was started in 1999 as well, with Bob Jones and the Reverend Robert Regan heading the group. The Parish Nurse and Counseling Ministry were added in 2000. Pastor Kay Zello was welcomed in 2004 as a part-time Associate Pastor.

The pastors are assisted by other staff serving in valuable ways within part-time positions with worship, youth and children's ministries, administration and custodial roles. In addition, the Stephen Ministry, launched in 1997 provides confidential one-on-one Christian support, and ministry stewards. Six ministry steward positions were created by the Restructuring Task Force in 1997 to assist the elders in their day-to-day operations. We now have twenty-seven (27) ministry steward positions.

The second goal was for church members to have their own building. Originally they met in approximately ten different locations inside LOW, including some members' homes. After many disappointments when trying to lease land from LOWA, the members purchased four acres adjacent to Lake of the Woods. Because of a "grandfather" clause granted to the previous owners, the church obtained permission to cross the LOW perimeter strip as a part of the purchase agreement.

The beautiful church building was dedicated on September 13, 1987 and was almost completely furnished by gifts. The facilities encouraged many different activities and a growth in membership. Due to the need for more space to hold various meetings and Sunday School classes, a fund drive for a building addition was started on April 1, 1993. The new spacious construction was dedicated on June 9, 1996, and included Friendship Hall, a kitchen, new restrooms, seven classrooms, and an office. In 1999 renovations were made to again provide more space for new offices and small group needs. Based on a strategic plan developed by the boards of elders and trustees and the pastors, we expanded our facilities with the construction of a new 22,000-square-foot Worship/Education Center. The new building was dedicated in December 2004 and was opened in mid-January 2005.

We currently offer a blended worship service in addition to two traditional services and a contemporary service.

Over the years, many adult classes have evolved. The first was the Women's Guild, which was started in 1979 with a total of 13 members. Today over 100 women from several churches in the area are on the attendance roll. The Men's Bible Study Group was started in the mid-80's and now has 43 members.

In 1996, an outdoor area behind the former Fellowship Hall area, called "The Memory Garden," was finished and dedicated to provide a quiet place for meditation. It was financed completely by gifts and every year since its inception, the Women's Guild makes a gift to the Garden in memory of its members or members' husbands who have died during the year. A group from the Men’s Bible Study renovated the area and added a pathway of “Faith Bricks” in 2004 as a fundraising project for the building expansion.

Music has always been an inspiration and an important part in the life of the church since the summer of 1974 when Borgny Ostby played the piano and directed the choir of three voices, until today, with Paul Workman leading the 40+ member choir. Talented members make up the Praise Team for both the blended and contemporary services. The Children’s Choir, Handbell Choir and various concerts all contribute to our services and enjoyment.

Our church places heavy emphasis on missions and benevolence, giving about 15% of total donations for these purposes. In addition, we sponsored, funded and built a Habitat for Humanity home, as well as the "House that 100 Built" during 2000.

Membership numbers over 865 as of April 2005 and worship attendance averages nearly 600 per Sunday.

Pastor Schafer was honored in May 2005 for his 10th anniversary as our senior pastor.

In the spring of 1999, the church celebrated its silver anniversary with special services. The intervening years, since its birth in 1971, have brought more growth and blessings than the Founders could have ever dreamed.

Updated February 6, 2007