For more than 22 years, Living Rock (C&MA) Church in Norwood Young America, Minnesota, has been a “portable church” meeting in various public schools. Though grateful for how God has drawn them together as a tight-knit, Christ-centered family in an ever-broadening community, Living Rock leaders and attendees have shared a yearning to expand their ministry impact by establishing a permanent presence in their own facility.

The Birth of Living Rock Church

Living Rock Church (LRC) began as a planting of the Lord in 2002, when a group of families from Norwood Young America joined with other families from Parkside Church in nearby Waconia to pray and organize as an Alliance church plant. These families hired a young staff from Crown College, and Living Rock Church was born.

From the very beginning, LRC has valued biblical preaching, Christ-exalting worship, and fruitful ministry to children and youth, along with missions and outreach. For more than two decades, LRC has traveled in “tents” as a portable church, renting a few hours of public school space to worship and conduct its ministries. The “hobbits” of LRC move a mountain every week just to have Sunday and Wednesday ministry at the school,” notes Lead Pastor Roger Eng. “We give everyone—including children and students—a chance to serve. There is plenty to do.”

 

 

Impacting the Community Through Service and Outreach

Despite the limitations associated with meeting in a portable church, Living Rock has been anything but idle in serving the Norwood Young America community. In cooperation with other area churches, LRC sponsors a free Faith and Family Night the day before Stiftungfest, Minnesota’s oldest annual festival, which draws 10,000 visitors each year. LRC also hosts an outdoor VBS which, along with a thriving AWANA program and a vibrant student ministry, brings many new families to the church. In addition, LRC places a high value on investing in future leaders through mentoring and internships. Many interns and staff have been equipped and sent out to serve in other ministries.

 

 

 

LRC supports pro-life groups, Teen Challenge, and other faith-based community causes. Pastor Eng also serves on the board of the County Food Shelf and Community Education Advisory Board and is an officer for the township. And in its longstanding commitment to Alliance missions, the church is nearing its goal to designate 10 percent of its general fund to the Great Commission Fund.

 

 

A Bold Vision for a Permanent Ministry Home

With the current momentum of its ministries, the new facility will further extend the visibility, credibility, and impact of the church in the greater Norwood Young America community. In April 2024, LRC members voted unanimously to begin phase one of construction on the new worship and ministry center, which is now underway on the 16-acre property the church purchased in 2008. Phase two will add administrative office space and larger classrooms.

On June 30, 2024, the church and members of the community gathered on the land for the long-anticipated groundbreaking. Construction began shortly thereafter, with the initial walls being raised in October 2024.

“Our vision is to be planted, established, and flourishing in our own 16-acre ministry campus on Hwy 212, west of the city,” adds Pastor Eng. “This will give the church growing opportunities for ministry seven days a week, along with a highly visible and permanent meeting space for both the church and the community—as opposed to the seven hours a week in rented space we’ve operated in for the past 22 years.”

 

 

A Fruit-bearing Partnership with Orchard Alliance

“It’s been a joy to work with Orchard Alliance through this process,” adds Pastor Eng. “Over the past few years, our board and building committee have been fervent in prayer and planning amid increasing inflation and climbing interest rates. We continued working closely with Dave Graf, one of Orchard’s VPs, and followed Orchard’s advice as we budgeted for the project—but we hit a wall and couldn’t secure the funding needed.

 

 

On January 30, 2024, I called Dave, and he said we would likely qualify for a much better rate with Orchard than the banks were currently offering. Hearing this news, the board made a recommendation to the LRC body to move ahead in 2024. Orchard came alongside us and put the project in motion. But it’s the grace and glory of God—and His faithfulness to us—that keep us going. He has something amazing ahead for this body and has gifted us with much more room to grow our space and our gospel impact in this region.”