Our Savior Lutheran Church of Stevensville invites the community to join them in celebrating two notable anniversaries. The Church was founded 70 years ago to serve Lutheran families in the Stevensville area. Then 30 years ago the congregation approved a preschool to serve families of all faiths, offering quality early childhood education with a Christian emphasis. Over the years Our Savior Lutheran Church and Preschool have touched the lives and hearts of many families. Together, the two branches of Our Savior have offered 100 years of outreach and service.
Our Savior began when Bob and Frances Brown were determined that their children attend a Lutheran Sunday school. After locating other interested Lutherans, the Browns contacted the headquarters of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in St. Louis to request a pastor for a mission congregation in Stevensville.
In 1953, Reverend Harold Wood arrived to shepherd the new Stevensville congregation and another in Darby. Both were sponsored by Grace Lutheran in Hamilton. Over the years the pastors and congregation of Grace gave of their time, talent, and treasure, to support the fledgling churches. Once Rev. Wood fully established the congregations, pastors of Grace took over, preaching at all three churches. In 1977, Stevensville received a pastor of their own.
The Stevensville congregation began by worshiping in each other’s homes. The next step, an unusual choice, was the Sunday morning take-over of the bakery on Main Street. This space is now Valley Drug’s soda fountain. The next location seemed more church-like. The Lutherans rented worship-only use of the Catholic Hall on Buck Street, now Community Baptist Church.
With the congregation on solid ground, it was time for their own building. In 1955, that opportunity arose. Everett Curdy, a member of Grace, purchased one of Fort Missoula’s POW barracks at auction. As the building was far larger than he needed for a chicken house, he asked if Our Savior wanted the other half.
Synodical funds and the building fund purchased a lot south of the Catholic Hall. Volunteer teams began construction preparation. However, the crew’s enthusiasm was dashed when they realized the giant basement excavation was being dug on the wrong lot. The owner of both, Frank Sullivan, cheerfully traded deeds with the Church, telling the Browns that as a good Catholic, he really did not want to own a Lutheran church. Member volunteers resumed construction.
The Church flourished. By the late seventies, the 60-seat building was bursting at the seams. After rancher Bob Lewis, a member, generously donated several acres along Pine Hollow Road, the present facility was built in 1980. The congregation again flourished. A parsonage was built in 1994. The Church continued to grow, serving the community and the world by spreading God’s Word.
That same year, 30 years ago, member Jane Karr suggested that Our Savior could do something unique in Stevensville. On a smaller scale, Our Savior could do what larger Lutheran congregations do—educate. The Missouri Synod, in its first actions in America, built schools to train pastors and teachers. Present-day large urban congregations support schools pre-K through high school. Our Savior could start Stevensville’s first Christian preschool. And they did.
Oddly, the preschooler whose Sunday school education began this whole production returned to her home congregation in 1992. Kim Lawrence’s parents—the Browns—had educated her at a Lutheran college to be a Lutheran teacher. With Kim’s return, Jane now had all the elements set for a preschool. However, never doubt that from the very beginning, it was definitely the Holy Spirit’s long-term plan backing the Our Savior Lutheran Church and Preschool project, says Lawrence.
When classes began in 1994, the valley was booming with children. Through highs and lows, changes in population, and fluctuating economies, Our Savior students made friends, learned to learn, played, sang, built, and created. They discovered dinosaurs, practiced hands-on science, examined the world. They learned letters and sounds, realized that letters built words, that words built stories and books. They learned to listen to their teachers and understand what was expected of them at school. Our Savior students were well prepared to move on to “the big school.”
Beneath it all, says Lawrence, the most important concept students were taught was that God loved them so much that He gave His only Son and whoever believed in Him would have everlasting life. Teachers sowed the seeds. Working through God’s Word, the Holy Spirit takes faith from there, said Lawrence.
The two longest serving teachers are Kim Lawrence—Miss Kim, 11 years, and Joyce Andrade—Miss Joyce, 17 years. In longevity however, Connie Prellwitz—Miss Connie, blows both teachers out of the water. She was a parent in the 1994/95 school year and has been the Preschool aide for the last 29 years. Connie is especially good at presenting science to children.
At about the 16th year of Our Savior Lutheran Church and Preschool’s operation, the children of the first students became students. Two generations of Our Savior kids are all over the valley and beyond. Our Savior’s congregation is proud to have partnered with many families and been part of these children’s lives. They all pray that the seeds sown have flourished and grown.
Our Savior Lutheran Church welcomes the community to join in celebrating the 70th-anniversary with a service of praise and thanksgiving at 9 a.m. on June 30th. Because with Lutherans, there is always food in conjunction with celebration, after the service the congregation will serve a BBQ. Join them in celebrating the many years God has given them to serve Him. Our Savior Lutheran Church is located at 184 Pine Hollow Road. Proceed roughly 1.5 miles south of the Burnt Fork Market on the Eastside Highway. Turn east onto Pine Hollow. Cross the tracks and the canal. The church will be on your left, marked by three crosses.
Our Savior Lutheran Church is sponsoring a multi-generational class reunion float in the Creamery Picnic Parade on Saturday, August 3rd. They invite all present and former students to ride. RSVP by calling 406-777-5625, Monday through Thursday. Remember to call—they may need a bigger float! All are welcome to join in for services any Sunday at 9 a.m.