During the summer of 1978, seven families felt the leading of the Lord to become involved in a closer Christian fellowship.  A fellowship which placed more emphasis on the great commission and the inerrant Word of God.

This prompting led to meeting weekly in the homes of the individuals for study and prayer.  In these meetings, discussions evolved to the point that consideration was given to starting a new church.  At the time it seemed a bit formidable to think in these terms with such a small group of people, however, the possibility of this seemed to be more and more confirmed.  After much deliberation and prayer, it was decided to contact the synod of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren for a possible affiliation with them.  Discussions were held with the Home Mission Department and a decision was made to become a Home Mission congregation of that body.

It was decided to move from the informal setting of people’s homes to a more formal meeting format and location.  The Merrick Room of the Le Sueur Community Center was rented and Sunday School and worship services began.  Supply pastors were obtained from the synod.  The first pastor, Timothy Ysteboe, was called in February, 1979.  The Word of Life Lutheran Brethren Church charter was signed in July, 1979.  In the summer of 1980, the First Lutheran Church of Le Sueur decided to build a new facility and Word of Life purchased their church on Second Street.  Pastor Craig Jennings replaced Pastor Ysteboe in September, 1985, and served until July, 1991.  Pastor Dan Christenson replaced Pastor Jennings in September, 1991, and served until December, 1996.  Pastor Mark Tungseth accepted a call and moved to Le Sueur in September, 1997, and is the current pastor.

During the sixteen years of worshipping at the Second Street Church, the Lord continued to bless the work.  It then became evident it was going to be necessary to make extensive changes to the existing facility or give thought to building a new facility.  The church had grown to an attendance of over one hundred and it was impossible to minister properly to all the children in the congregation.  Going to two services each Sunday solved the problem of worship service space but the problem of Sunday School space persisted. (What a great problem!)  After much prayer and evaluating possible alternatives for adding to the existing facility, a site selection committee evaluated over a dozen potential sites, and a ten-acre parcel on Kingsway Drive was purchased.  A building committee was formed, an architect was retained, a local builder selected, and construction on the new facility began in the spring of 1995.

In February, 1996, we moved into a beautiful new church facility.  The Lord has been faithful.  He continues to honor the work.  The church family has grown to an average Sunday attendance over 200.  We have a very active youth ministry and the Lord has entrusted many children to our care.  We have a music ministry that is a great blessing to us all.  Our people have a good understanding of God’s calling on their lives, and are developing a greater awareness of the full meaning of ministry.  The inerrant Word of God continues to be preached in Spirit and in Truth.  The full counsel of God is heard.  New people have come to faith and believers are challenged to mature in the faith.

In the spring of 2007, we completed work on our Christian Education expansion wing.  We now have an expanded and updated nursery, library, larger classrooms and youth room complete with sound system, games, and refrigerator.

As we look to the future, we know the need to remain focused on the Lord.  We acknowledge the need to be dependent upon Him.  We want to be obedient to His will.  We praise Him for His protection, for His directions, and for His mercy and grace.  May we continue to glorify His name in the days and years ahead.

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