HISTORY OF
TWIN FALLS REFORMED CHURCH

MAGIC VALLEY REFORMED CHURCH

In the Fall of 1973, 13 families started meeting in the West Point Grange Hall located between Wendell and Hagerman. The church was known as the Magic Valley Reformed Church, a mission station under the Reformed Church of America.

Jake Cloo was the Lay Pastor or Teaching Elder of Magic Valley Reformed Church and later the first pastor of Twin Falls Reformed Church. Gert Bothof was the Secretary.

Within three years the congregation had grown to 38 families and had outgrown the grange.

In July of 1976 twenty-three of the MVRC families made the move to start a church in Twin Falls. They began meeting in a church located on the corner of Second St. & Fourth Ave. (next to the public library).

TWIN FALLS
REFORMED CHURCH

The Twin Falls Reformed Church of Twin Falls, Idaho was formally organized on October 28, 1976 by the Classis of California.

Guest Speakers taking part in the organization of TFRC included: Rev. Chet Droog, Rev. Duane Tellinghuisen, Rev. Robert Van Earden, Rev. Van Nest and T.F. Mayor Paul E. Ostyn

CHARTER MEMBERS: Larry & Sari Baar, Ted & Anna Baar (Janice), Ted Baar, Jr., Bill & Gwen Bartels (Tina & Scott), Gary Bartels, Jim & Betty Bartels (Janet), John & Virginia Blom (John & Juli), Steve Blom, Harry & Flora Bokma (Joey, Adriana, Ellen & Peter), Bill & Antonette Bothof (Marsha & Alisa), Don Bothof, Barb Bothof (Donny & Daric), Gary & Gert Bothof (Larry, Steve & Lori), Hill & Ann Brandsma, Hugo & Mary Goedhart (Shirley, Arlene & Jerry), Henrietta Goff, Case & Adrianna Hoogland, Harry Hoogland, Jaap & Alie Hoogland (Ellen & Jackie), Hank & Esther Loman (Kenny, Lori & Paul), Henry Loman, Patti Loman, Yvonne (Baar) Loman, Lori (Blom) Mogensen, Roger & Mary Mulder (Darla, Brenda & Charlene), Pete & Jane Reitsma (Gadlo, Bert, Greg, Floyd, JoAnnita), Hans & Agnes VanderMeer (George, Dick, Theresa, Helen, Jennifer & Hans Jr.), Norman & Corrie Vierstra (Mike, Gertie, Marlene & Cheryl), Helen Werner, Lou & Linda Woltjer (Brian & Theresa)

Consistory men at time of organization:
Ted Baar, John Blom, Lou Woltjer, Roger Mulder,
Pete Reitsma, Larry Baar (Pastor Jake Cloo in the back).

In 1977 Pastor Donald Nienhuis became Senior Pastor. Brad Slagh was the Youth Pastor from 1982-1983. In July of 1984 Pastor Brian Vriesman came on staff as the Associate Pastor and Lori Mogensen join the staff as church Secretary.

In October of 1981 the church purchased land on the corner of Grandview Drive North and Pole Line Road. The church broke ground on the Grandview property in November of 1986. The Dedication service for the new church building was held in July of 1987.

Lori Ann Ruhter (Lee) joined the staff in 1988 as Director of Music Ministries. Also in 1988 a balcony was added to the sanctuary for more seating. In September of 1989 the church added a second Sunday morning worship service. In November of 1989 after the retirement of Pastor Don Nienhuis, Pastor Brian Vriesman became the Senior Pastor and Pastor Don Christensen was hired as the Associate Pastor. Chard Berndt was the Director of Youth Ministries of the church from 1991-1996. Connie Lancaster became the church Secretary in July of 1992 and later moved to Administrative Assistant. In the Fall of 1992 the church broke ground for the addition of the Event Center which included a new nursery, gym, library, kitchen and classrooms.

In September 1993 the Long Range Planning Committee recommended building a new 1500-2000 seat Sanctuary. In March of 1994 a third Sunday morning worship service was added. Pastor Vern McNear was on staff from 1994-2001 as Minister of Congregational Life. Kelley Golay joined the staff in September of 1994 as Director of Education and Missions. The congregation approved the concept of building a new sanctuary in December 1996. Mariann Griffith was part-time secretary from 1995-1997. Rick Wester was the Director of Youth Ministries from 1996-2001. Lori Mogensen rejoined the staff as secretary March 1997–May 2007.

In April 1998 the church had outgrown the sanctuary and move to the Event Center. Every Saturday morning many volunteers come to transformed the Event Center/gym into place of worship.

Kate McNamara was the Director of Children's Ministry from 1998-2001.

Pastor Zach Pryor, Minister of Small Groups from October 2000–August 2002.

In January of 2001 the church purchased sixteen acres of land to the west of the existing building.

February of 2001-2005 Mike Hutchings was our volunteer Administrator. In the summer of 2001 the following staff was added Pastor Don Christensen rejoined the staff as Minister of Congregational Life (2000-2003), Matt McConnell as Director of Youth Ministries (2001-Present), Melany Albers, Co-Director of Children's Ministry (2001-Present), and Kim Kokx, Co-Director of Children's Ministries (2001-2003).

In October of 2001 Twin Falls Reformed Church celebrated their 25th Anniversary!

In September of 2002 the church held a ground breaking ceremony for the new Worship Center.

(Members of the Building Committee(L-R): Lori Ann Lee, John Beukers, Bill Mogensen
Jim Annest, Dave Hamilton, Butch Quigley, John Werner, Dell Wuebbenhorst)

In June of 2003 Pastor Chuck Swoboda joined the staff as the Minister of Young Families and Small Groups. Debbie Morrison was a Co-Director of Children's Ministry from June 2003-June 2004. Tobie Helman joined the staff as a Co-Director of Children's Ministry in August of 2003 and later became the Director of Missions and Assimilation until 2007.

The congregation began meeting in their new Worship Center in September 2003. The formal dedication service was held on October 12, 2003. 2004-2006 Cynthia Stuhlberg joined the staff as a Co-Director of Children's Ministry.

(December 2004– Back Row: Tobie Helman, Cynthia Stuhlberg,
Lori Ann Lee, Lori Mogensen, Connie Lancaster, Melany Albers
Front Row: Pastor Chuck Swoboda, Pastor Brian Vriesman,
Matt McConnell, Mike Hutchings)

In February of 2005 Pastor Tim Rotman joined the staff as Minister of Discipleship.

2006 Pastor Brian Vriesman's title was changed to Lead Pastor. 2006 Connie Lancaster took on the role of church Administrator. July 2006 Lori Ann Lee went full time under the title of Director of Music and Worship. June of 2006 Tiffany Eden took on the part time role of Co-Children’s Ministry Director.