Five years and five months after their official groundbreaking, the Hayden Lake Church held a church dedication service and burned the mortgage. In a congregation whose development can modestly be described as "remarkable" this marks another exciting chapter in ministry to the community in the lake district of northern Idaho.
Recounting the church history to those in attendance Ron Honner, elder, described a sequence of providential events that opened one opportunity after another for this church. The story starts in a Sabbath School class at the Coeur d’Alene Church led by Wayne Kablanow, pastor, where members began talking about planting a church which would be intentional in training members for evangelism and small-group ministry.
Initially, the group met for three years for worship services, potlucks and other meetings in a private home. The home was provided by a couple who purchased the home as an investment. As the group grew, they moved to a rental facility, but soon found they needed something better to serve their needs, and so they began a search.
In 2001, the group believed God led them to a 10-acre site perfectly located, but ambitiously priced for a group their size. A few months later, however, the land was completely paid for and funds were growing for a church building.
In the five years since the groundbreaking, the church has spawned another church plant in Rathdrum while growing to a congregation with more than 200 members.
The church symbolic burns the mortgage.
Hayden Lake Church members celebrate being debt-free during the church dedication service.
Platform participants lead the congregation in songs of praise.
Max Torkelsen II, Upper Columbia Conference president, speaks during the recent dedication service.
