Lake of the Woods Church, located at 910 S Trailside Dr in Mahomet, is more than the “church by the freeway.”
And on October 1, the congregation invites the Mahomet community to celebrate both the past, present and future with them as they reflect of 25 years of service.
The church, which formed in 1992 under the guidance of Sam and Betty Thompson, found its first home in the recreation center at Candlewood. As they outgrew the space, the congregation moved to the Eastwood Shopping Center before the current building that houses gatherings was erected in 1997.
In that time four pastors have led worship and services: the Thompsons, Kevin Foster and Eric Gustafon. Current pastor Dave Lutes has been leading the church for a year. He and his family moved to Mahomet from California a year ago.
“Being new in the community, we’re not well-known,” Lutes said. “We’re ‘the church off of the freeway,’ but that doesn’t mean a lot to people.”
“I want to help bridge that connection within the community. Not as a strictly religious order, but we want to serve.”
“We are looking for ways to be involved in the community. So hopefully something like this can help bridge that connection and we can be seen as being of service to the community.”
Lutes said since he has been the pastor, Lake of the Woods Church has worked with other area churches to host the summer vacation bible school and lunches at Candlewood. He hopes to get more involved with the Sangamon River Music Festival and work with public officials to help with leaves, snow removal or other needs.
The service on October 1 will begin at 10:30 a.m. It will include songs, stories from church members and a slideshow of the church’s history. Community members are invited to then stay for a catered meal around noon.
“It’s a celebration of what God has done over our 25 years of history,” Lutes said.
