Morningside Lutheran Church Celebrates 100 Years

2018 marks the 100 year milestone for Morningside Lutheran Church. The congregation officially kicked off the year-long celebration with special services on Sunday, February 4 with the theme “Press On” from Philippians 3:12-14.

Morningside Lutheran Church was formally organized on February 4, 1918. At that time a group of Lutherans living in Morningside and belonging to St. John Church and St. Peter Church, began having Sunday School and occasional services in a small church, known as the Evenson Memorial Chapel, located on South Alice Street.

In a few short years after its organization, the new congregation had outgrown the tiny chapel. In January 1922, it was decided to expand the building on South Alice Street. Construction on the expansion was completed in September and dedicated on October 1, 1922.

In the spring of 1954, with nearly 1,000 members and having outgrown the church on South Alice Street, the congregation made the decision to purchase the property where Morningside Lutheran Church is located today, at 700 South Martha street on a bluff overlooking the new Highway 20, known then as “Mayflower Hill.”

A ground-breaking ceremony for the new church was held on November 6, 1955, and the cornerstone-laying ceremony was held on June 17, 1956. In 1969, a new gymnasium was added to the church and the narthex was enlarged to encourage hospitality. Additional expansions were made to the church in 1976, and again in 1992 to accommodate the growing congregation. A preschool was established in 1968 and continues to serve children ages 3 – 5, providing a nurturing, high quality preschool education in a caring Christian atmosphere.

Affiliated with Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC), Morningside Lutheran is the largest Lutheran Church in the Siouxland region with over 3,500 members. Four worship services are held on Sundays; a traditional service at 8:00 a.m., a celebration service at 9:30 a.m., a contemporary service at 11:00 a.m., and a multi-cultural service at 2:00 p.m. A mid-week service is held on Wednesday evenings at 6:23 p.m. During the summer months, the 11:00 service moves to the Anderson Dance Pavilion along the riverfront.

Pastor Darrin Vick serves as Morningside Lutheran’s Senior Pastor along with Associate Pastors Tom Lovan and Paul Andell.