Feb. 10, 1974 – The Evangelism Committee of Trinity Lutheran Church in Springfield hosted a pot luck dinner and invited Bolivar Lutherans. Ankroms, Selveys and Jeannie Griffin attended. Pastor Heilman had stated that he would come to Bolivar and preach if we could find a location to have services.
Feb. 1974 – Several meetings were held at the Selvey home to discuss plans for holding church services. Pruitts, Ankroms, Selveys, Griffin, Whites, Gabels and Pastor Heilman were the planners. Since no vacant buildings were available, services were held at the Selvey home.
March 17, 1974 – The first service was held at the Selvey home at 7:30 with Pastor C. W. Heilman serving us. With several families from Trinity worshipping with us we had 41 in attendance. Leslie Gunderson, Trinity, served as our pianist. Trinity gave us hymnals, folding chairs, and a podium. The Selveys had a piano. Joe and Sharon Hackley, members of Trinity, were regular attenders at our worship services and were always around for our support.
Sept. 1974 – At this time we started having S. S. at 6:45 p.m. with several children in attendance. Pastor Heilman was also leading us in an adult Bible Class. By this time the Heithold family had joined us and Kathy Heithold was one of our S. S. Teachers, along with Mary Ankrom and Marcia Pruitt. Pastor Carlson and Pastor Kause had started helping out by preaching when Pastor Heilman couldn’t be here.
Dec. 29, 1974 – Our first Christmas program was held with 8 Youth and teenagers participating.
April 25, 1975 – We moved to 1423 West Broadway, which was an older house which had been used as a church by another congregation. Frequent visitors to our Sunday night services were Tom and Erna Moore, K. C. who spent holidays and some weekends at their resort home on Pomme De Terre Lake. Since we had worshipped for over a year in the Selvey home with no expenses (Pastor Heilman served us free) we were able to save enough money to purchase an organ.
June 22, 1975 – We bought our Hammond organ. The Selveys were acquainted with the Lutheran Church In Siloam Springs Ark. and they were in the process of building a new church, they offered our church their altar, podium, baptismal font and pews. The Selveys went down and got the furniture and it fit beautifully in our little church house.
June 29, 1975 – The Mission Board sent word that Pastor Schnelle of Springfield would be our new Minister on a part time basis. He would live in Springfield and serve Faith, a Mission Congregation there.
Sept. 7, 1975 – Pastor Schnelle was installed at Faith to serve both congregations.
October 23, 1975 – Fall was a busy time with meetings held to discuss future plans. The name Zion was picked for our church name. Temporary officers were elected to serve until the Constitution was drawn up. Everett Purrington, Pres. Gene Ankrom, Vice-Pres: Mary Ankrom, Sec. Ron Selvey, Treas. Roy Bruce, Charles Brooks and Arthur Heithold, elder: Donna Selvey, evangelism and publicity.
Nov. 27, 1975 – Our first Thanksgiving Service was held at 9:00 a.m. Donna Selvey began playing the organ as Leslie Gunderson was unable to come now that we were having morning services. Jr. and Adult Confirmation classes were begun.
March 14, 1976 – Work was being done on the Constitution and it was approved by the voters on March 14th.
March 17, 1976 – Election of Officers was held and the temporary officers were elected with Mrs. Emma South elected as S. S. Supt. Roy Bruce as building and grounds and Mr. Tom South Evangelism. Charter Members were Mr. and Mrs. Gene Ankrom, Janet and Roger, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Brooks, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Bruce, Mr. and Mrs. Delmar Gabel, Mrs. Jeannie Griffin and Bryan, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Heithold and Kathy, Mr. and Mrs. Everett Purrington, Everett Jr., Cecil, Scott, Robyn, RayJean, Curtiss, Fred, and Mary, and Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Selvey, Roger, Peggy and Cammie, Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Myers, Mrs. Wylie South.
April 11, 1976 – Emma and Donna Jacobs, twin, infant daughters of Jake and Connie Jacobs were the first babies baptized at Zion.
April 16, 1976 – Everett Purrington and Peggy Selvey were the first Youth to be Confirmed at Zion.
June 14, 1976 – Our first V.B.S. was held with Mary Ankrom as co-ordinator. Approximately 25 children attended.
June 20, 1976 – Mrs. Geneva Gains was the first adult to be baptized at Zion.
Oct. 20, 1976 – Ron Selvey had located 18.3 acres of land on Aldrich road for sale for $45,000.00 and he and Roy Bruce and Bob Burroughs were to check the possibilities of buying this land for our future church.
Feb. 10, 1977 – Due to health reasons Pastor Schnelle was not able to serve us anymore, at this time Pastor G. L. Thies of Redeemer will assist to our needs with area Ministers preaching for us on Sun., most of these ministers were from Concordia.
Feb. 28, 1977 – First Ladies Guild meeting was held with Donna Brown as Pres. Nancy Yunek as Vice Pres. and DeeAnna Burroughs as Sec. and Treasurer.
July 1977 – The purchase of the property on Aldrich Road is now a reality with Mo. District loaning us the $45,000.00.
Jan. 1978 – At this time we had 70 baptized members and 50 Communicants.
May 1978 – Mary Ankrom and Donna Selvey attended the District L.W.M.L. Convention in Cape Giraudeau and Zion was given a $10,000.00 grant to help pay for our property.
Nov. 5, 1978 – We purchased a used mimeograph machine for $850.00 with money Trinity Congregation had given us, at this time Ron and Donna Selvey started printing the bulletins.
Jan. 7, 1979 – Pastor Mark Stenbeck was installed at Faith and on Feb. 3, he was installed at Zion to serve both Congregations.
1979 was a busy year getting ideas and plans for our building program.
Oct. 17, 1979 – A meeting was held and architects were interviewed. Pellham and Phillips were hired. Also at this meeting we voted to call Pastor Clarence Stenbeck as our very own Minister.
Feb. 3, 1980 – Pastor Stenback was installed as our first permanent Pastor.
May 5, 1980 – Signing of our building contract with Country Side Builders.
May 12, 1980 – Actual locating of our new church on our site.
May 18, 1980 – Groundbreaking service. The prayers had been fulfilled, offered by so many during the waiting period.
June 7, 1980 – The first of many work days in which our membership were involved in tearing down old buildings . . . five buildings altogether.
June 14, 1980 – Dedication of 100 New hymnals donated by various members.
Sept. 20, 1980 – The first of many marriages, we pray will be held in our New House of Prayer. United Sept. 20th 1980 were Miss Janet Ankrom and Mr. Norman Nelson
Sept. 21, 1980 – When God closes one door . . . the door of our chapel on East Broadway, He opened the next door . . . our New House of Prayer on 600 East Aldrich. This church is now the end result of endless prayers, unlimited trust and firm confidence in the mighty acts of God, who through men raises up His Holy habitation for the children of men. Faith had moved mountains.
Oct. 12, 1980 – The first of many baptism we pray will be held in our new house. Baptism of Kellie Sue Rader daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Randall Rader was celebrated . . . in November our second baptism was Todd Benjamin Black son of Mr. and Mrs. Greg Black.
Jan. 11, 1981 – We dedicated our New church after several false starts due to the delay in the arrival of our church furniture. We wanted to present the entire House of prayer and its program to our Living Heavenly Father. Due to the problems uncontrolled by our successful bidder of our furniture contract this was not to be.
Our dedication services were January 11, 1981. At the morning service the speaker was the Rev. Dr. Paul Spitz, president of the Lutheran Church, Missouri District of St. Louis, Missouri. He was assisted by the Rev. Elmer Schnelle, former Zion pastor, of Kimberling City, Missouri. The afternoon speaker was the Rev. Carl Heilmann, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church of Springfield, Missouri. He was assisted by the Rev. Mark C. Stenbeck, pastor of Faith Lutheran Church of Springfield, Missouri a former pastor of Zion congregation.