History of Faith
History in Progress
The congregation of Faith began with a few families gathering with a desire to worship together in the Lutheran tradition. On January 16, 1955, the first services were held in the Mt. View Cottage #8 owned by Al and Dorothy Dust with 29 worshipers present, led by Rev. Arthur Lossner. The fledgling congregation soon attracted more worshipers, and by May 1955 it was apparent that larger quarters would be required. Arrangements were made with the VFW, and from July 1955 to April 1957, worship services were held in the VFW hall at Lake and Center Streets (now the Senior Center building).
Acquiring a permanent place of worship was a matter of thought and discussion from the beginning. This was accomplished by the generous donation of land by the Breitenfeld family, a building loan, and labor donated by the congregation. The groundbreaking for the original building occurred in August 1956 and the first service was conducted in the basement of the unfinished building in April 1957. The sanctuary was completed and dedicated on November 9, 1958.
The small building served the worshipers well through the 1970’s. The congregation resolved to build an addition for Sunday School and office space, and on March 19, 1980, held a groundbreaking ceremony. The addition was completed quickly and was dedicated on September 14, 1980.
As the congregation grew over the years, it eventually became apparent that a larger facility would be necessary to continue the ministry of Faith. Much discussion took place, and comparisons were made of different plans. Finally, on March 16, 1997, the emotionally difficult decision was made to sell the property and build a new church facility at a new site. Groundbreaking for the new building occurred on April 18, 1999. The building was completed and the first worship service was celebrated on February 27, 2000, with the formal dedication on March 5, 2000.
Groundbreaking for new church facility April 1999.
Our current ministry includes worship, Christian education, community service, and fellowship opportunities, preschool for 3, 4, and 5 year olds, and youth ministry. We are working at establishing preaching stations and expanding Bible study opportunities to outlying areas of Teller and eastern Park county in the coming months.
Faith’s many dedicated pastors:
Rev. Arthur Lossner: January 1955 – August 1956
Rev. Daryl Schmidt: December 1956 – December 1963
Rev. Gerhardt Huebner: January 1964 – June 1966
Rev. Daryl Schmidt: June 1966 – June 1967
Rev. Walter Wilkens: July 1967 – June 1971
Rev. Roger Krueger: January 1972 – May 1981
Rev. Craig Patterson: February 1982 – October 1992
Rev. Marvin Suhr: November 1992 – September 1993
Rev. Kevin Kosberg: October 1993 – June 2001
Rev. Neal Groeling: February 2002 – January 2008
Rev. Mark Reiner: June 15, 2008 – May 2021