Spiritual growth surfacing

The Brainerd lakes area is growing and changing rapidly and faith communities aren't far behind.

• Photos

From 2000 to 2005 Crow Wing County's population increased by 4,583 people, with Baxter increasing by 1,845 alone.

To accommodate the influx, not only are office buildings, strip malls and housing developments popping up everywhere, but new churches are taking over area school buildings and community centers on Sunday mornings.

"The old model of church is changing," said the Rev. Carl Larson of newly formed Rejoice Lutheran Church in Baxter. "People are becoming more active. They used to plop down in a pew and hear the word, but it's becoming more of a Sunday through Saturday type of faith."

Brainerd Dispatch/Nels Norquist

The Rev. Hans Anderson, associate pastor, recently spoke at the newly remodeled Trinity Lutheran Church in Brainerd. A $2.5 million expansion and remodeling project was finished in October, giving the congregation room to grow. Brainerd Dispatch/Nels Norquist » Purchase reprints of this photo.

The Rev. Mark Bjorlo of The Journey North Community Church calls the lakes area "an opportunity-rich environment."

"This area can and has a lot of room for spiritual growth," Bjorlo said. "Some older churches are dying and new churches are springing up. There's a life cycle for some churches and that's not necessarily a bad thing."

But not all older churches are struggling. Some that have been established more than 100 years ago are suddenly being expanded and given facelifts to alleviate the sudden space crunch.

Is there more at work here than just a lakes area population boom? The Rev. Andy Smith of Brainerd's First Lutheran Church thinks so.

"The challenges the world faces right now, that's what faith speaks to, and I think people are searching for faithful ways of seeing how God helps us and our world in times like these," said Smith, First Lutheran's senior pastor.

War and poverty are two reasons Smith thinks more people are searching for a spiritual relationship with God causing what he calls a "surge in churches."

Smith has witnessed the surge firsthand. First Lutheran Church has been a staple in downtown Brainerd's history since 1882. Growth within the last 10 to 15 years forced the now-1,600-member church to expand.

Church leaders considered relocating to a growing Baxter neighborhood rather than build on to the existing church building. The idea quickly passed as thoughts of leaving the downtown Brainerd location after 124 years consumed them.

"We want to be a presence of revitalization of life, faith and vitality in downtown Brainerd," Smith said.

A new look

Additional photos of expansions, additions and non-traditional churches can be found in the Religion section.

First Lutheran recently completed a $2.1 million building expansion project that nearly doubled the size of the church, easing the space crunch the congregation once felt.

Many other churches seem to be bursting at the seams, resulting in building and expansion projects all around the lakes area.

Two years ago the church that was then called Brainerd Assembly of God moved from its business Highway 371 location to accommodate the growing congregation. The church changed its name to Heritage Assembly of God when it moved to the sprawling 60,000-square-foot new building at College Road and Berrywood Drive in Baxter.

Trinity and Bethlehem Lutheran churches in Brainerd have recently expanded and other churches are talking about doing the same.

Brainerd Area Catholic Churches have purchased land north of Brainerd in hope of one day building another church. The Rev. Seamus Walsh said 10 new families join the Brainerd parishes per month.

"I'm pastor of 2,400 households," Walsh said. "That's not the best way to meet the needs of the people."

Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Baxter is hoping to break ground this spring on an expansion project to accommodate its 1,500-member and growing church.

"Our congregation is experiencing being maxed out space-wise," said the Rev. Jennifer Wilson, associate pastor of Lord of Life. "This is a resort area and we're continuing to grow."

Many churches have a target audience they try to reach - for some it's young families while others may target people who don't regularly attend church. Buildings and their locations may affect whether people decide to attend church services there. Wilson said there are many "unchurched" people in the area and new churches tend to draw people who don't have a church to call home.

Several new churches have sprouted in the lakes area throughout the last few years with goals of reaching a largely unchurched group.

The Journey North Community Church, a church plant from Grace Fellowship in Brooklyn Park and Elim Baptist in Isanti, started in 2004 and currently meets at Franklin Arts Center in Brainerd. With 450 people regularly attending Sunday morning services, Bjorlo said The Journey North has seen a tremendous amount of growth among people previously not going to church.

"Our growth has surpassed what I ever anticipated seeing at this juncture," he said.

Bjorlo attributed the church's growth to people being hungry for a spiritual connection and their dissatisfaction with past church experiences. He thinks being a new church in a non-traditional church building helps attract those who wouldn't normally attend church.

"Buildings are a tool," he said, explaining the positive relationship between The Journey North and Franklin Arts Center and how the church has no plans to build.

Timberwood Church in Nisswa, a church plant from Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, hosted its first service Easter Sunday 2004 at the Nisswa Community Center. The Rev. John Just said Timberwood started in Nisswa because the area is growing quickly and there aren't many churches in the Nisswa and Pequot Lakes area offering contemporary styles of worship.

"We're meeting a need that exists in this community. Different people have different needs," Just said.

Rejoice Lutheran Church, meeting at Forestview Middle School in Baxter, was started about six months ago after Brainerd and Baxter Evangelical Lutheran churches - First Lutheran, Lord of Life, Bethlehem and Trinity - experienced rapid growth spurts.

"There's 9,000 Lutherans in Brainerd-Baxter and some churches were considered exceeding capacity so they decided to start another church," said Larson, Rejoice's pastor.

Larson said 33 percent of Crow Wing County residents don't regularly go to church and those are the people he wants attending Rejoice.

"People need what we have. There's a feeling in this nation we have to look somewhere for guidance. They're coming back to the faith community," Larson said.

HEIDI LAKE can be reached at 855-5879 or heidi.lake@brainerddispatch.com.