If you had stood at 1740 Van Dyke Street in 1999, all you would’ve seen was an old, abandoned, dilapidated big box store. Yet what the Woodland Hills building committee saw was a glimpse of what could be.
Built directly on the border between St. Paul (the city) and Maplewood (the suburbs), this location confirmed a growing sense that God was calling Woodland to be a bridge, connecting people with God and with one another across racial and socioeconomic lines.
But what about that $7 million price tag? Well, through intensive prayer, generous giving, and a miraculous and unexpected source of financing, Woodland was able to secure the building. In addition, against the odds, the Maplewood city council allowed the property to be removed from the tax rolls. From there, renovations kicked into gear.
And then, 25 years ago today, on February 17, 2001, Woodland held our first service in this once broken-down, decaying building. The impossible was reality.
As Paul Eddy, our Teaching Pastor, says, “Recognizing this 25th anniversary reminds me of that series of unlikely events that, with God’s clear guidance, allowed us to procure this building. And now, a quarter century later, we see the fruit of God’s faithfulness in the many ways our building provides a home for our church family and a base of ministry to our surrounding community.”
It’s true, this building is not only a base for Woodland to serve the community, but for numerous other organizations to do so as well. Did you know that our building is used every day of the week? We have eight on-site partners and three churches we share this space with!
Greg Boyd, our Senior Pastor, says, “Soon after we acquired the property, the Lord gave us a clear direction about becoming a ‘one stop shop’ for people in need. It has been absolutely amazing to see how the Lord has been bringing that about over the years. Through God’s direction and the tireless work of countless people, this property has been ‘a gift that just keeps on giving’ to the community around us.”
25 years ago, we thought that acquiring the building was a big leap, but we didn’t realize God had even bigger plans!
Janice Rohling, our Executive Pastor, says, “When we moved into the building, we had ideas about how we might be able to use the space, both for our congregation and for the community. But it’s humbling to look back on how the last 25 years have unfolded. Turns out we weren’t dreaming big enough; God surprised us time after time, and far outpaced our ideas for how we might serve our church family and neighbors.”
We can’t wait to see what God does in the next 25 years, so… stay tuned!
Woodland Hills staff then
Woodland Hills staff now
Congratulations, Woodland Hills Church! We appreciate the vision this group of faithful followers has fostered and for how the leaders have followed God’s leading.