BRIEF HISTORY

In 1987, Pastor Richard B. Geib was called to serve as the pastor developer of a new Lutheran congregation in Susquehanna Township. While the land for the congregation had been purchased in 1971, it wasn’t until 1986 that a decision was made to develop a new congregation on the site due to the rapid growth in Susquehanna Township. Pastor Geib began extensive door to door calling in the summer of 1987. By January 1988, a first service of worship was organized in what is now Thomas Holtzman Elementary School. Services continued in temporary quarters for a couple years and in May 1991, the congregation broke ground  for its new building, moving into the newly constructed building in November of 1991.

Throughout the early years, rapid growth necessitated the expansion of the congregation’s property. A house above the church named the Treehouse, with two acres of land, was purchased just a couple years after the building was constructed. A small renovation project expanded the worship space. The congregation purchased an office building on the corner opposite the church and named it the Branch Office. It houses the various church offices, confirmation class rooms, meeting rooms, space for the congregation’s arts and crafts ministries and youth ministry. Finally, 3000 square feet of classroom and storage space was added to the church.

The property includes several unique physical features including a large faceted glass Tree of Life Window, a historic church bell fabricated in the 1800s in Baltimore and rung for the first time at the burial of Ulysses S. Grant, eighteenth president of the United States, and a large pipe organ including chimes and antiphonal pipes constructed by engineer Robert Carbaugh with help from members of the congregation.

As the congregation grew, staff members were added. Currently, the congregation is served by the founding pastor as well as Pastor Catharine Senft Geib, administrative staff and programmatic staff members in music and youth ministry.