• Mission Statement• Church History |
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We want to be your hometown church.
I grew up in a small community. And one of my fondest memories was my participation in our home town church. We attended the nearby Presbyterian Church as a family. We walked to church every Sunday, attended worship, Sunday school, and were active in youth group. My home church was the place where I was accepted unconditionally. It was where I felt safe to be myself. It was where I learned about the love of God, had my faith nurtured, and my needs met.
That is what I think about when I consider the mission of St. Paul. We want to be your home town church. To me, St. Paul is the community of faith that is safe for you and yours. What ever is going on in the world, whatever adversity one may be experiencing, what ever sorrow or pain, we do not lose faith. Each of us is invited to share life and one’s gifts with one another. It is here that we are guided, sustained, and energized in our faith. Surrounded by the love of God and others we experience a community of compassion, love, and strength.
We work hard at nurturing the faith of our youth, and in showing the love that Christ shared in accepting others. We believe that today, God in Christ continues to give us the power and love to shape our lives, and shape us into people of faith and hope, a people of service.
Our mission statement is powerful:
-We are a community of believers in Jesus Christ. Our lives are sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit and are lived out in the service of God.
- Believing all people are children of God, at different stages of spiritual growth, we welcome everyone.
- Our mission is to nurture, enhance, and communicate our spiritual relationship with God through Worship, Music, Christian Education, Fellowship, and community service.
We invite you to be a part of the St. Paul experience. We want to be your home town church!
Pastor John
A Brief History of St. Paul Presbyterian Church
A small but dedicated group of 44 persons approached the Des Moines Presbytery on November 20, 1959, asking permission to establish a Presbyterian church in the Johnston area. Permission was granted, and on December 5, 1959, the first worship service was held in the old Johnston Lions Club building on Merle Hay Road with approximately 100 in attendance. On January 1, 1960, the Sunday School was started. Official organization of the congregation by the Des Moines Presbytery was held on February 28, 1960, in the Johnston High School. Membership in the new church totaled 74.
Westminster Presbyterian Church in Des Moines was the main support of the fledging congregation, supplying pastors for the pulpit at the Sunday morning service, the hymnbooks and the communion-ware.
Ground breaking for the first unit of the building program was held on November 25, 1962, and on May 19, 1963, the new sanctuary was dedicated.
On Easter Sunday 1984, groundbreaking ceremonies for a new addition to St. Paul Church were held. The ceremony set the stage for construction of a building that houses eight classrooms, fellowship hall, kitchen, and offices. Dedication of the new addition was held October 14, 1984.
The parking lot was paved in 1986. A new Rogers pipe organ was installed in 1989. St. Paul fielded award-winning softball teams from 1984 through 1992 when the league disbanded. Four members of St. Paul have been named as Johnston’s Citizen of the Year. St. Paul has staged a live nativity since 1994 in conjunction with Johnston's luminary display to celebrate the Christmas season.
A full-time youth coordinator became part of the staff in 1997 to put emphasis on the youth program of the church. The after-school LOGOS Mid-Week program for children and families began in the fall of 1997. A grand piano was purchased in 1997 and remodeling to the front of the sanctuary, including a stained glass window installed in the fall of 1998.
Members in 1959 & 2005: Betty Christensen, Kay Law, Marilyn Law Coonley, Ken and Ellen Krueger, Jim and Jean Gilbert, Mert and Jeanne Hansen, Jason and Margaret Beck, Joe and Arlene Shore, and Mildred Rastovac.
