Lakeville's Newest Church Goes Country For Christmas Program

By Julie Saffrin

This article appeared in the Minnesota Christian Chronicle on December 7, 2002

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Celebration Church begins its annual Branson-style "Country Christmas Celebration" in December at the church's brand new, 1,000-seat "ministry event" center just off I-35 in Lakeville.

The event promises something for the entire family with over 70 performers, including Paula Dunn (The Old Time Gospel Hour) and local Christian artist Mark Williams.

"I hate it when people leave a performance and say, 'Well it was good - for church," says Allan Miller, Celebration's events director. "So many people think Christians can't have fun when the church world should have it as good as possible. That's what we're all about, to be our best for God."

Miller joined Celebration's staff four years ago from Branson, Missouri, the live entertainment capital of the world. While working at Branson's Grand Palace, he was introduced to Lowell Lundstrom, head pastor of Celebration. Lundstrom invited Miller, producer of many award-winning shows in Branson, to join the newly birthed church. "We're such a big event-oriented church," Miller says. "It's a non-threatening situation to have people come see a production to ease their hearts and have them hear the gospel."

Lundstrom's daughter, Londa Hentges, concurs. "We believe you've got to get people in the seats before you can tell them what you want to. That's always been my dad's philosophy," says Hentges, Fine Arts Director in charge of Sunday worship at the church. "All those years on the road it was entertainment evangelism. And even though we're now in a church full-time, there's still flavors of that everywhere here."

During his 40-year ministry with Lowell Lundstrom Ministries, Lundstrom held inter-denominational citywide crusades in arenas and stadiums throughout the upper Midwest, traveling with his brothers and their families. "We were the Christian Partridge Family," Londa says, "We were brothers and sisters, cousins, uncles and aunts. At the peak there were three buses, trucks and trailers, traveling full-time in ministry."

Celebration continues to be a family affair, with Lowell's brother, Leon and Ronda, his wife, acting as care pastors. Lisa Lundstrom, Lowell's daughter, is director of the children's program.

Being in the Twin Cities has brought Lundstrom back to his birthplace. During World War II his father built rifles as a tool and die maker at Dunwoody Institute and his mother was an executive secretary on the top floor of the newly opened Foshay Tower. Lowell was born at Minneapolis' General Hospital, with the family moving back to the family ranch in Sisseton, South Dakota soon afterwards, due to his father's severe emphysema.

As co-pastors, Lundstrom and his wife, Connie, formed Celebration Church in 1997, holding its first service in the Burnsville High School auditorium. Already it is the third largest Assemblies of God church in the state.

"Reader's Digest took a poll and found out that 95 percent of people say church is boring," Lundstrom says. "What word could I use that was the opposite? 'Celebration' seemed to be the right word to name our church."

The congregation soon outgrew the high school auditorium, and the Lundstroms saw the potential of some prime real estate situated just off I-35 near County Road 50 in Lakeville. The space was converted and an additional 35,000 square foot, $7,000,000 expansion was begun. "There are 18,000,000 people who drive past here every year," Lundstrom says. The church bought the surrounding land and the church campus now has 23 acres. If all goes to plan, the recently built church will someday function as a youth center with a new worship space constructed on the campus.

"It's really a multi-racial church with every age group," says Sandee Feyereisen, editor of Lifeline, Celebration's newspaper. Hispanic Bible studies are offered and member Sandra Castillo translates the 11:00 a.m. service from English to Spanish. "Recently a member of the church worked with state and federal authorities to help a Cameroon, West African refugee find political asylum," says Feyereisen. "That woman is now a member of our church."

It is important to Lundstrom that the church do all it can to be above reproach and because of it, Lundstrom makes himself accountable to six different advisory councils. The constitution mandates that the church books be audited yearly, and should the church dissolve, the proceeds will be given directly to the foreign missions department of the general council of the Assemblies of God.

Besides the countless connecting points the church has to offer for youth as well as adults, Celebration offers Alpha courses, fellowship groups based on areas of interests, a quarterly luncheon for the business minded, and Job Club, a bi-weekly meeting for participants to develop skills to prepare for a new job or a career transition.

Celebration intends to continue its foray into entertainment evangelism with its annual summer big-top Tent Event and the Easter musical drama, Beyond the Cross, as well as offer community usage of the property. The Junior Miss pageant already has the event center reserved. "Our auditorium is one of the biggest in the area," Feyereisen says. "We want to be a blessing to the community."

Celebration Church Website

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