A growing presence in a growing community

Alleluia Lutheran Church, St. Michael, MN

In the last 20 years, the population of St. Michael, Minnesota, has doubled. Membership at Alleluia Lutheran Church in St. Michael has grown as well. This congregation that began by worshipping in the auditorium of the local high school, has now built a warm, inviting church home that will further establish Alleluia Lutheran Church as a vital, committed member of the community.

“Our church is growing with St. Michael,” says Sonja Buckmeier, one of Alleluia’s charter members, “and we’ve been able to provide a purposeful, meaningful outreach. This building has just helped solidify that we are a permanent piece of the community.”

Compared to the congregation’s most recent home, a 125-year-old former Catholic church, the new building better suits Alleluia’s contemporary style of worship. It’s open. More flexible. A right fit for the young families who have driven the community’s growth, make up much of the congregation, and prefer to raise their voices accompanied by a worship band rather than by a pipe organ.

Like Alleluia’s members, the congregation’s bustling food ministry, which has had to relocate several times in its history, will benefit from having a permanent home. Operating it will be more efficient and, Buckmeier says, “People will always know where to come, where to find us.”

The congregation knew where to turn to finance its building project. A Mission Investment Fund loan had enabled Alleluia to purchase the site years ago. “I don't think we really considered working with anybody else because we had such a good relationship,” says the Rev. Jacqui Thone, Alleluia’s pastor. “MIF was an easy choice. And we feel like we’re in this ministry together.”

Sue Schleif, Alleluia’s treasurer, also sees value in working with MIF that goes even beyond any accounting formula. “It was a financial decision obviously, but it was more than that. It’s their having faith in us, that our congregation is behind the church too. It’s about MIF helping us to meet our goal and to meet God’s calling for our church.”