Calvary Lutheran Church History

Date	Event
1933	Three families expanded Sunday evening hymn sings to a formal group.
1934	Thirty-five people attended evening Worship Services led by Rev. Dorrance Jensen, Pastor from Wooddale Lutheran Church. The Church became known as the Cahill Branch of Wooddale Lutheran Church. They met in a school, paying $1.00 per night rental fee.
1936	Purchased a parcel of land at 70th Street and Cahill Road for $50.00. Ground broken for this first Lutheran Church in Edina.
1938	Congregation organized and incorporated as Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cahill. The first worship service was held in the newly completed building (17’ X 36’) with 36 members.
1949	Church Choir was organized.
1955	First parsonage built with a contribution of $21,500.00.
1956	Building plans begun, congregation of 350 people.
1959	Ground broken at 6817 Antrim Road in Edina.
1960	Laid cornerstone of new church; later known as the Fellowship Hall and Education Wing.
1969	Ground broken for a new sanctuary.
1970	Laid cornerstone for Calvary Lutheran Church.
1979	Dedicated new Jan van Daalen Organ.
1988	50th Anniversary Founders Worship Service.
1990	Hand bell Choir organized with a set of two-octave handbells.
1992	Dedicated new sanctuary Grand Piano, presented by Don Limbeck in honor of Walt Wietzke.
1993	Dedicated new Altar Railing, given as an anonymous gift; installed new sanctuary roof and established a sister congregation relationship with St. Catherine’s Lutheran Church in St. Petersburg, Russia.
1994	Established Endowment Trust Fund (perpetual and memorial) and a Committee to administer the fund.
1996	Approved covenant between Calvary and the Russian Evangelical Church. They began evening worship at Calvary; moving in 1998 to their own new church in Shakopee, MN.
1996	Dr. Konstantin Shperling, President of St. Catherine’s Church in St. Petersburg, Russia, visited Calvary.
1997	Initiated Video Ministry on Public Television; began first Annual Don Schlaefer Memorial Lutefisk dinner.
1998	Kitchen remodeling project completed; celebrated 60th Anniversary, began first Annual Advent Carol Festival.
2000	Installed new roof, Fellowship Hall and Education Wing.
2002	Backyard play set installed.
2004	Patio project begun, installed air conditioning in Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall.
2005	Completed Phase 1 of Memorial Garden.
2006	“Blessing of the boiler” as a new boiler for the church was installed. Church secretary Bonnie Kittell made a mission trip to Kenya.
2007	Dedication of the Memorial Garden. Sunday School created a quilt for the Sister Congregation of St. Catherine’s in Russia.
2008	Dedicated the new Evangelical Lutheran Worship hymnal and celebrated the 70th Anniversary.