WISCONSIN RAPIDS – Construction continues at the new home of Immanuel Lutheran Church and School as the congregation prepares to move out of its current church building.
Less than a year after Immanuel broke ground on its land near Home Depot, the organization has the keys to its Mission Center, a space that will eventually also be available to the community for various events. Work continues to progress on the church building, as well.
The project itself has gone smoothly and construction remains on track. A mild winter allowed crews to continue work throughout the season, even while the spring and summer had more rain than anticipated.
Immanuel will move its worship services to the Mission Center next month, vacating the church at 160 Eighth St. N. The Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune recently toured the property and got an update on where the project stands now.
What does this project look like?
The first phase of Immanuel Lutheran Church and School’s building project is constructing an event center and church building. The church broke ground in July 2023 on the first phase and should be completed in December or January.
Immanuel aims to break ground on constructing the school in the next 10 years. Ultimately, Immanuel’s church and school will operate on one campus.
What’s a Mission Center?
The Mission Center will host Immanuel’s worship services starting Aug. 18 and will continue using the space for worship until the church is finished. Immanuel aims to fully move into the new church building in January.
The center will then be able to host community events starting in 2025, said Rev. Tim Ritter, Immanuel’s senior pastor.
Jonathan Blum, Immanuel’s facility administrator, said the Mission Center will be able to host a variety of events, ranging from warehouse-type events all the way to more formal events like wedding receptions. Family reunions, blood drives, corporate events and seminars will also be able to rent the facility.
Blum said one of Immanuel’s strengths throughout its history in the Wisconsin Rapids area has been its desire to serve the community, and while the current church space has historically worked well for worship, it has functioned less conveniently in serving the community. The new church building and the Mission Center will offer new opportunities and potential collaboration for future events and community service.
Why will Immanuel use the Mission Center for worship between its old and new building?
Immanuel will hold a final “Disposition Service” Aug. 16, closing the church on Eighth Street. The building will need to be closed as crews work to transfer some items to the new building, Blum said. Stained glass windows, organ pipes, the altar, pulpit and usable wood from pews are some of the items that will transfer to the new church.
The Mission Center will serve as Immanuel’s temporary home in the meantime.
What will happen to the current church property?
The Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools’ Board of Education voted in February to move forward with plans presented in a letter of intent from Immanuel for the school district to purchase the church property on Eighth Street. The school district intends to raze the church and upgrade the parking lot so Howe Elementary School can continue using the parking lot for staff members and parents.
When WRPS decides to move forward with upgrading the parking lot, the Board of Education will need to review those plans separately, as the upgrades will be extensive, according to Board of Education minutes from Feb. 12.
According to those meeting minutes, WRPS intends to purchase the property for $1, with the understanding the district would own both the church and parking lot and would pay to have the church razed and the parking lot upgraded for school use.
A project decades in the making
While property records show Immanuel has owned property near Home Depot since 2003, Ritter said the congregation has been talking about building for closer to 40 years. He said former staff members have shared that early discussions to build a new church started in the early 1980s.
Ritter said it’s exciting to finally see the project come to fruition. He said some members of Immanuel who thought they would never see a new church built in their lifetime have already had a chance to see the progress and walk through the site.
Ritter said the new church was built with the community in mind, and a big part of that is accessibility, he said. Some members haven’t been able to worship in Immanuel’s current church because of the stairs and other accessibility issues. Ritter said many of them are excited to be able to resume worship at a new facility where everything was designed to be open, airy, welcoming and intentionally on one floor.
History of Immanuel in Wisconsin Rapids
According to Immanuel’s website , the church was formed in 1881, with its first constitution dated in December of that year. Its constitutions through 1913 were written in German.
Immanuel’s first church facility was built on the corner of Eighth and Prospect streets in 1883, and the following year, Immanuel Lutheran School was formed with the pastor teaching classes in the church balcony. In 1886, Immanuel built a school at the back of the church. By 1909, Immanuel outgrew its building, and the organization built its current church facility at 160 Eighth St. N.
For more information, visit immanuelrapids.com or find Immanuel Lutheran Church and School Wisconsin Rapids on Facebook.
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Contact Caitlin at cshuda@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @CaitlinShuda .
This article originally appeared on Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune: Take a look inside Immanuel Lutheran Church's new Mission Center and church building as construction continues
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