A Brief History of Redeemer Covenant Church
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
THE HISTORY OF REDEEMER COVENANT CHURCH began in November of 1899, when twenty-two Swedish immigrants signed the charter establishing the Swedish Evangelical Mission Church of Camden Place, located in northern Minneapolis. The church outgrew the building on 42nd and Emerson Avenues North, and the decision was made to relocate to the Brooklyn Center area at the intersection of Highway 100 and Osseo Road. Groundbreaking services were held for the new church in 1955 - the Brookdale Covenant Church.
Brookdale Covenant Church grew and in 1961 authorized a new church project to begin in Brooklyn Park. Property was purchased at the intersection of Osseo Road (Brooklyn Boulevard) and Douglas Drive. A Sunday School outreach was begun in the Park Brook Elementary School about six blocks from the site. Letters of transfer from the parent church to the new work were requested and on February 28, 1961, twenty-five members from Brookdale Covenant Church were commissioned for the fledgling church in Brooklyn Park.
On Sunday, March 4, 1962, amid a severe winter blizzard, forty-four enthusiastic people gathered to sign the charter establishing a new church in Brooklyn Park -- Redeemer Covenant Church. On Sunday, August 26, 1962, the first service was held in the new church building. Several building programs have added to and changed the look of the original little church: 1962 -- the Sanctuary, Fellowship Hall, Pastor's Study, Kitchen and East Wing; 1966 -- Memorial Room and Basement; 1973 -- East Overflow Area included enlarging the Choir Room, added classrooms and overflow areas for the first Sanctuary; 1974 -- New Sanctuary, also redesigned former Sanctuary and added Church Office and Pastor's Study; 1978 -- Christian Education unit which included Confirmation Rooms and bathrooms; 1983 -- Multipurpose Room and Sunday School Complex; 1986 -- Central Hallway from Sanctuary to Multipurpose area; 1997 -- the R&R (Repair and Restoration) Task Force -- refurbishing of the Sanctuary, sound system, Multipurpose Room, classrooms, hallways, and bathrooms.
On October 25, 1987, one hundred members of Redeemer Covenant Church were commissioned at a Sunday service to begin a daughter congregation in Maple Grove.
In 1976 -- AWANA ministry began; 1990 -- Stephen Ministry was started; 1989 -- our first Homecoming; 1994 -- we moved to two different styles of Sunday morning services: 8:30 Worship (traditional) and 11:00 Celebration (contemporary); 1998 -- our Summer Children's Ministry Program was initiated; 2000 -- was the birth of Disciple U (previously known as Sunday School) ; 1998 -- was our first annual Taste of the South -- (today all the proceeds go for Covenant Pines scholarships so all kids can go to camp); May 2001 -- the HIP club began as a outreach to Junior High students in our neighborhood. Redeemer celebrated its 40th anniversary with a banquet on May 17, 2002, and music reunion on September 8, 2002.
The vision of the founding members remains the same in the hearts of the members today: to reach pre-Christians with the good news of Jesus Christ, to exalt God through worship and celebration, to develop believers, to encourage community, to equip men and women for missions, and to develop leaders. Over the years many young men and women from Redeemer have chosen to serve as pastors and missionaries.
We are A Community Learning Compassion & Worship Centered on Christ!
