History of Stonebrook Community Church

HISTORY OF STONEBROOK COMMUNITY CHURCH

January, 1972 Stonebrook Community August, 1974 The church ordains its first pastors—Rob Church begins when 50 students come to Irvine, Gary Kellogg, Larry Clemente, and Dave Bovenmyer. Iowa State from the University of Kansas August, 1972 As a result of the outreach to to share the gospel during their winter Madison, Stonebrook plants its first church in break. Within weeks, approximately 200 Madison. In 1975 the church relocates from students are meeting in the Union. September, 1974 The church publishes a weekly Madison to Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Today, campus newspaper entitled the Life Herald. The paper Cedarcreek Community Church has approxi- is distributed free on campus for four years and fea- mately 400 in average attendance. tures a Christian perspective on local and national issues as well as testimonies that share the gospel. March, 1972 Over spring break, the church goes on its first outreach when approximately 70 students travel in two school August, 1972 Stonebrook’s first buses to Houston, Texas, to marriage occurs when Jim McCotter, preach the gospel at the univer- one of the church’s founding pastors, December, 1974 Stonebrook hosts the sity there. marries Barb, a woman from the first national ski conference in Morrison church at the University of Kansas. Colorado.

1972 1973 1974 1975

September, 1972 Stone- The April, 1972 brook plants it’s second first retreat is held church in Minneapolis, Min- in April of 1972 at May, 1975 The fourth nesota when Jim Coleman the 4-H camp in church is planted in and Gary Kellogg move there Madrid, Iowa. Guelph, Ontario, with their families. Approximately 70 Canada by Rob Irvine students from Ames August, 1973 Stonebrook starts its and John Fairchild. attend and are third church in Columbus, Ohio, Grace Community joined by the stu- when a team led by Dennis and Church now has an May, 1972 the first summer leadership dents from Kansas Thelma Clark and Mike Keator average attendance of training project is held in Madison Wis- who started the moves to Columbus from Ames. This 200 and has since consin. Approximately 30 students from church several church is started at the end of a sum- started a church in Ames spend the summer in Madison along months earlier. mer outreach in which 20 teams go Hong Kong. with about 90 students from Kansas and out to 20 cities to preach the gospel other campuses across the nation. for the summer. Since its beginning, Linworth Road Community Church has planted 9 daughter churches and 11grand-daughter churches. churches is approximately ??? September, 1976 The Student, a national, weekly student newspaper is started by the church leadership. The paper is published for four years and May, 1984 Stonebrook starts its eighth church in Des includes articles analyzing current events from a Moines, when approximately ten families move to Des Biblical perspective, articles describing how Christ Moines. In 1985, Tim Rude and his family move to Des has changed the lives of individuals, and articles Moines to pastor the new church. Today, Walnut Creek defending the Christian faith. The paper’s name is Community Church has an average attendance of 1,000 later changed to Today’s Student and eventually people. reaches a circulation of five hundred thousand on April, 1980 Stonebrook over one hundred campuses. moves its meeting location from the Memorial Union to the University September, 1984 Stonebrook leases Inn on South Duff Ave- space at 715 South Duff Avenue. The May, 1978 During the summer of 1978, Stone- nue. During the next few location is not ideal. The building is brook sends out teams to all 99 counties in Iowa to years, the church meets hard for visitors to locate and sits be- distribute People to People, a specially prepared in various locations, tween two businesses that almost look gospel newspaper. Many people come to Christ, including the Scheman like junk yards. But church members including our very own Elaine Roys who gives her building. remodel the inside to be attractive and life to Christ while listening to a gospel presenta- the church has a place to call home and tion on her front porch. continues to grow.

1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1984 November, 1984 Stonebrook plants its May 1979, Stonebrook’s sixth church is started ninth church in Iowa in Gainesville, Florida by Rick Whitney and Sam September, 1977 During the City when Duane and summer of 1977, Stonebrook Lopez. Later, Gary Osborn moves to Gainesville June, 1981 the church leases Jolene Laugerman and sends out over 200 people on to help pastor the church there and in 1985, Gary space on the east end of 5th twenty teams to preach the moves to Tampa, Florida to plant a church there. Street in downtown Ames, a team of church gospel on campuses across the Today the Gainesville and Tampa churches have but fairly quickly Stonebrook members move there. country. One of these cam- an average combined attendance of about 300 outgrows the facility. In 1994, this church puses is Michigan State Uni- people. relocates to Cedar versity, where Stonebrook Rapids. Today the plants its fifth church. Dave, church has an average Dawn and Daniel Bovenmyer attendance of 200 move with a team of others to people. East Lansing to help start this November, 1979 Stonebrook plants its seventh church church. Riverview Church in San Clemente, California when Craig Coria, Jim goes on to start five other McCotter and other leaders move there with a team of churches with a combined total church members. Later, the church moves to San attendance of over 1,000. Diego, and today Mountain View Community Church has an average attendance of about 100.

September, 1985 Stonebrook plants its tenth church in Fort Collins, Colorado. In May 1989, John and Carol Meyer move to Fort Collins to strengthen the church there. Summitview Commu- nity Church has now planted churches in Loveland April, 1994 Rising to New Heights, and Greeley, Colorado and in Salt Lake City, Utah. January, 1987 Pastors a three-year fund-raising campaign, Today, combined attendance for these churches Brent Knox and Mark begins. $360,000 is pledged with averages over 1,500 people. Darling move to Min- the hope of purchasing St. Cecelia’s neapolis to strengthen school on Lincoln Way just west of the church there. Sev- Grand Avenue. However, the eral dozen people from August, 1992, Stone- school is eventually sold to the Stonebrook move with brook plants its fourteenth Iowa Department of Transportation. them to Minneapolis. church in Aurora, Colo- September 1985, Stonebrook This church quickly rado when Terry Box and plants its eleventh church in grows from less than a his family move from Blacksburg, Virginia. New hundred to become our Ames to Aurora. Average Life Campus Fellowship is movement’s largest attendance today at Prairie now our movement’s largest church with services in Ridge Community Church campus church with over four locations with a is approximately 200 1,000 in average attendance. total average attendance people. of over 3,500 people.

1985 September, 1985, Stonebrook 1987 1990 1992 1993 1994 plants its twelfth church in Singapore when Tom Estad and George Tan move from January, 1993, June, 1990, Stonebrook’s Stonebrook Ames to Singapore. Joy leased facility at 715 Christian Fellowship has since forms a building South Duff is flooded committee and started a church in Kuala with two feet of water in Lampur, Malaysia. starts to look for a “hundred-year flood.” property to buy. After the clean up, the facility is remodeled to look even nicer than before. July, 1993 The 715 South Duff facility is again flooded, this time in a “500 year flood.” The four and a half feet of water inside the building gets almost everything wet—including October, 1985 Stonebrook plants its music equipment, computers, desks, files, chairs. Stonebrook thirteenth church in Henderson, Colo- abandons the South Duff location and begins to meet in the rado. Average attendance today at High School Auditorium after the school board opens up Valley View Community Church is school buildings for use by churches. approximately 125 people.

Summary Since its beginning, Stonebrook has started a total of 72 daughter, grand-daughter, and great- grand-daughter churches. These April, 1995 churches have an estimated aver- Stonebrook August, 2000 Stone- purchases five age attendance of over 25,000 Stone- brook’s Campus and three quar- June, 1998 people. brook’s first service group launches The ters acres of land in the new building Rock, an, on-campus at the intersec- is held amid much outreach to University tion of Bloom- celebration. students. The event ington and Ei- presents the message senhower. February, 2003 2006-2008 of Christ in a way that During a special Stonebrook effectively relates to fund-raising remodels and September, 2002 Stone- May, 1997 Stonebrook the culture of today’s campaign, Road launches Zeke’s, brook begins to use the begins its second three- youth. to Iowa City, a ministry out- new addition including a year fund-raising cam- over $129,000 is post for young large youth room for the paign, called On Eagles pledged to assist people, at 3329 fast-growing youth Wings. $540,000 is the new church Lincohway in group. pledged for the construc- in Iowa City. Ames. tion of a new facility.

1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2007 2010

June, 1997 A ground-breaking May, 2001 Ben Lennander May, 1999 Stonebrook ceremony and leads a team of ten students and sponsors its first sum- Pat April, 2010 Tim picnic are held singles to Lincoln Nebraska to May, 2003 mer overseas mission. Sokoll and Joe Borseth and Bob on the property. strengthen Harvest Community Eighteen members Abdo lead a team Hibbing lead a Church by starting a college spend nine days build- of 35 people to team of people to student group at the University ing homes in Hondu- Iowa City to start a Decorah, IA to of Nebraska. ras. Since then, Stone- church. The start LifeHouse September, 1997 Construction brook has typically church is named Church. They are begins on the building. Over the sent one or more mis- Mars Hill, refer- reaching out to next ten months, Stonebrook sion teams to Central October, 2001 Stonebrook begins ring to Acts 17:22 families in church members devote over ten America or Europe its third building fund drive. KJV where Paul Decorah and the thousand hours of volunteer labor each year. Foundation for the Future is only was preaching in surrounding area to the construction of the building. a one-year campaign, yet over Athens and “stood and to Luther $335,000 is pledged for the con- in the midst of College students. struction of an addition on the Mars’ Hill.” northwest side of the building.