Church of Hope in Bowers is celebrating its 50th anniversary

Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bowers will celebrate its 50th anniversary on November 6.

While the church was actually formed in 1969, the current building was consecrated in 1972. The first service in the new building took place on November 5, 1972.

Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church is a partnership formed by members of the congregations of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, located in Lyons, and Trinity Lutheran Church in Bowers, which suffered a fire in 1966.

At 10:30 a.m., the celebration of All Saints’ Sunday and the consecration of the restored bells will take place in the “Hope” church.

In 2017, the church bells (one from St. Paul’s and one from Trinity), which were located on the beams above the church, were removed due to problems with structural damage. Longswamp Boy Scout Cole Geisinger of Troop 575 volunteered to lead the bell restoration project as part of his Eagle Scout project. He coordinated the repair of the bells and designed the display, and recruited other scouts from the troop to help with the project. After 160 hours of work by Cole, his family and other scouts, our bells are ringing again in their new home in front of the building.

After the morning service, there will be a coffee hour to celebrate and celebrate the hard work of everyone involved in restoring the bells of Hope Church.

At 16:00, the “Hope” church will hold a festive service on the occasion of the 50th anniversary. Pastor Thomas Rainsel, the first ordained and called pastor of Hope, will officiate. Several clergy, both past and present, will participate in the service. Following the service, there will be a reception at Janelle’s Restaurant and Catering Hall with dinner, reminiscences and fellowship.