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60's
History
By the fifth birthday of the congregation, over 600 children
were registered in church school classes and membership had grown to 1,500.
Four worship services were held each Sunday so plans were made to construct
a new sanctuary with education and administrative facilities.
To build was a true venture in faith because at the time the
decision was being made, sixty families of the congregation lost their homes
and many others suffered severe property damage in tornadoes that hit the
community on May 6, 1965. The church became a food and clothing
distribution center and just eleven days after the destruction, the Board of
Administration unanimously passed a resolution to go ahead with the
expansion project.
Ground was broken for the $790,000 facility on August 1,
1965.
On November 27, 1966, the new building was dedicated “to
serve the Triune God, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.” The
majestic (8,000 square feet and 48 feet high) and yet intimate and warm
sanctuary was designed by Spitznagel and Associates of Sioux Falls,
South Dakota. It’s most impressive feature is a unique baldachin (56
feet by 32 feet canopy suspended over the chancel area) was designed and
built by Palmer Eide, who was head of the art department of Augustana
College in Sioux Falls. The symbols in the sand castings on the
baldachin focus on the Triune God and on the physical and spiritual
feeding of all of God’s people.
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