Frequently Asked Questions
Is Five Points Lutheran Church five congregations working together?
So many people ask that when they hear our name for the first time! Five Points Lutheran is one congregation within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. The origin of the name “Five Points” is traced to the mid 1800’s when a cheese factory was founded on this ridge and as the Norwegian farmers brought their milk to factory “five” cow paths came together. The cheese factory had a small store that went with it! Descendants of one of the early managers of the cheese factory are active members of the church to this day, six generations of Olsons!
Small rural church, how small is small?
Sunday worship attendance averages 50-60 with over 40 active families. Small for us is a gift! We pride ourselves as church on a first name basis where following Jesus and loving our neighbor takes priority. Remember the original small band of 12 disciples and look what happened!
Aren’t rural churches declining?
60% of churches in America have attendance rates of less than 100 members every Sunday so, size wise, Five Points Lutheran is with the majority of churches in America. At this point in time, it’s true nationwide, the greatest growth is in unbelief, the Pew Trust Research shows that in 2009 72 percent of Americans believed in God, a 14% difference from the 1990 finding where 86 percent of Americans believed in God. Couple that with the finding that the average Christian changes denominational or institutional affiliation 2-3 times in their lifetime. At Five Points we think the church is changing, not declining, and we embrace the change! No where in the New Testament are their attendance figures, nor do those statistics evidence faith in Jesus or mission for his kingdom!
What do you believe?
http://www.elca.org/What-We-Believe.aspx
http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are.aspx
How long has the church been there?
We are in our 152 year of gospel life! The early settlers and founders of our church located in Richland County, Wisconsin, in the year 181. At that time a number of Norwegians, originally from Land and Vardahl came up from Wiota in Lafayette County, and settled in what is now Akan and Richwood township. Poor though these early pioneers were they possessed undying courage, trust in God, and a willingness to work! Their goal was to wrest an honorable living from the soil and to live God-pleasing lives. This work of church organization did not come as a result of missionary efforts put forth by the church of the homeland, but as the direct outgrowth of the spiritual life and Christian consciousness in the hearts of these new settlers in a new land. The directing agency in this remarkable development was the preaching of the Word of God among them by lay preachers (Haugean Lay Movement). In the spring of 1857 the neighbors got together with two of the best carpenters, Peter Peterson and Fred Jorgeson and financed the building of their first church – to be constructed of logs.
-Excerpts from “Five Points Lutheran Anniversary Book 1861-2011”