THE CHURCH HAS A NEW NAME!
The Congregational Church of Silver Lake (which has also been referred to
as The Church by the Water Tower) now has as its new name - GRACE BIBLE
CHURCH. The church, which was officially established in 1891 and composed of
people whose heritages were either directly or indirectly linked to
Czechoslovakian descent, was initially called the Bohemian Free Reformed
Church of Silver Lake. In 1975, the church officially adopted the name
Congregational Church of Silver Lake.
In recent years, members of the congregation saw the growing need for a
name that more accurately reflects its Bible-based beliefs. Some unfamiliar
with the church automatically assumed that the church was associated with a
particular denomination. From the onset, and up to the present, one of the
basic requirements for church membership has always been that one "must
be born again" in accordance with Jesus’ charge in John 3:7. The church
operates under its own congregational form of government which has as its
foundational premise that the Bible is inspired by God and without error,
therefore, God’s Word is to be the final authority in all matters of faith
and life. Those who request church membership must confess to personal faith
in Christ and also agree to a basic statement of faith. Current members and
friends of GRACE BIBLE CHURCH come from such diverse denominational
backgrounds as: Congregational, Lutheran, Evangelical Free, Baptist, Catholic,
Methodist, and Reformed.
The name GRACE BIBLE CHURCH was eventually chosen after a congregational
meeting in February in which a large majority voted to change the name.
Members and friends of the church were then invited to submit potential names
for a future vote. All in all there were a total of 50 possibilities. With
much prayer asking God to place the name He wanted on the church - and through
a series of votes by members of the congregation - GRACE BIBLE CHURCH was
selected. The church is presently in the process of taking care of legal
matters associated with the name change - and plans are being made for a
special day of celebration in the future.
GRACE BIBLE CHURCH maintains a commitment to conservative theology - but
also seeks to creatively use both modern technology and contemporary ministry
methods to serve as a witness to the world. Some of these unique ministries,
outreaches, or worship services include: "First Light" Radio
Broadcast, Dial-A-Bible Story (320)327-2843, Fishing Festivals, Game Feeds,
writing seminars, Living Water Puppet Ministry, parade float, Fairbooth
Outreach, Ice-cream Cone Giveaway, Bible distributions, Sea-Side Service,
Women’s Fellowship, Spring and Fall Mission Conferences, Women’s Bible
Study, an evangelistic sign on busy Hwy 7, etc. Those wanting to learn more
about GRACE BIBLE CHURCH are invited to visit the church’s growing website
found at http://silverlakechurch.org. GRACE BIBLE CHURCH is located in Silver
Lake next to the city water tower.
