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By Diane Strzelecki
January 2010
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| Senior Pastor Scott Christenson blesses Rev. John Scott, kneeling, during his installation as mission developer for Lake in the Hills. Scott is leading the Palatine congregation in missions and evangelism and helping the church plant a mission in Lake in the Hills. | A four-year plan to do mission work in Lake in the Hills, Illinois, took a major step forward in late September when Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Palatine, installed Rev. John W. Scott as outreach pastor. Partially funded with by an NID Ablaze! Grant, the position places Pastor Scott as point leader for the congregation's daughter church planting efforts in Lake in the Hills, a growing community northwest of Palatine between Algonquin and Crystal Lake.
“I'm really excited to be a part of the new church plant,” Scott says. “There's something special about being involved with a congregation from its very beginning. I feel very blessed to lead Prince of Peace into the Lake in the Hills community so that people who were lost without Christ can be found.”
Scott's installation comes approximately four years after Prince of Peace formed a special ministry team to develop a long-range strategic plan that included the Lake in the Hills church plant. Soon after the plan was formally adopted by the congregation in June 2008, the church kicked off a capital fundraising campaign to support the projects set forth in the strategic plan.
In December 2008, Prince of Peace received an NID Ablaze! Grant of $135,000 to help support the addition of the new outreach pastor position. In addition, Rev. Paul Schuth, pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Crystal Lake, and Rev. William E. Stroup, pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church in Algonquin, have agreed to partner with Prince of Peace's church planting efforts in their neighboring community. Both pastors attended the installation and gave their blessings to Scott in his new ministry.
Already Pastor Scott is spending two days a week in the Lake in the Hills community laying the groundwork for mission work there. This community in McHenry County was among the fastest growing towns in the U.S. during the ‘90s, seeing a population increase of 400%. A special census in 2006 counted just over 29,000 residents – half under the age of 18. Community services have struggled t o keep pace with the growth, including in meeting spiritual needs. To date, very little mission work is underway by any Christian group.
Scott, a graduate of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, served as associate pastor at Faith Lutheran Church, Appleton, Wisconsin, before accepting the call to Prince of Peace. |
