A local congregation in Idaho Falls marked a major milestone this weekend as members gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new school building at Hope Lutheran Church.
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Roughly 100 people attended Sunday’s worship service at the church’s campus on 12th Street before participating in the ceremonial groundbreaking for the expansion project. The new 8,700-square-foot building will add six classrooms to the east side of the campus and is scheduled to be completed later this year in time for the upcoming school year.
Church leaders say the project represents years of planning and fundraising by the congregation, which has served the Idaho Falls community for nearly seven decades.
At the start of the service, Pastor Garen Pay reflected on the significance of the moment for church members and supporters.
“Thank you for being here to celebrate with us. This is a good day and was years in the making,” Pay told those in attendance. “We’re not the first to believe and call on the name of the Lord, and unless the Lord comes back first, we won’t be the last. This is a monumental day in setting the groundwork, literally, for being able to share this message for a long time.”
Construction on the new building is already underway and will expand the church’s educational facilities significantly. Along with six additional classrooms, contractors will remove interior walls in the current building to create a larger shared learning area dedicated to early childhood education.
The project aims to provide more space for students while modernizing facilities that have served the congregation for decades.
Church leaders say the improvements will better accommodate growing enrollment and allow the school to meet updated safety and classroom capacity regulations.
Hope Lutheran Church and School has a long history in Idaho Falls dating back to the 1950s.
According to church records, the first worship service took place on Aug. 18, 1957, at the YMCA under the leadership of Pastor Robert Thoelke. A year later, construction began on the congregation’s first dedicated church building on East 17th Street, which was completed in 1960.
As membership continued to grow, the congregation eventually outgrew that location. By 1979, the church had expanded to 659 members, leading to the construction of the current campus on 12th Street in 1981.
Jeanine Lange also played a key role in establishing the school during the church’s early years while the original building was still under construction.
Pastor Pay explained that several factors drove the decision to build a new facility, including an increase in the number of students attending the school.
The aging building, now more than four decades old, is also showing signs of wear and requires upgrades to meet modern educational needs.
During his sermon, Pay emphasized that while faith does not depend on physical buildings, dedicated spaces can help strengthen the mission of the church and school.
“Do we need grand temples made with hands to worship the Lord, who has promised to be where two or more are gathered? The answer is no. But can we use the gifts that God has given us to set aside reverent spaces for receiving God’s word? Yes,” Pay said.
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Following the worship service, the congregation gathered outside for the official groundbreaking ceremony.
A young boy carrying a cross led Pastors Garen Pay and Robert Carabotta, followed by church members and guests. The group offered prayers, sang a hymn and ceremonially turned shovels of dirt to mark the start of construction.
Rev. Jonathan Dinger, vice president of the Northwest District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, also attended the ceremony and shared remarks with the congregation.
“Groundbreakings are awesome! I love building buildings,” Dinger said. “May God bless you now and always.”
Church leaders say the new building will allow Hope Lutheran School to continue serving families in Idaho Falls for many years to come.
Once completed later this year, the facility will provide modern classrooms and improved learning spaces designed to support both academic and faith-based education.
For the congregation, the groundbreaking represents more than just construction—it reflects decades of faith, community support and a shared vision for the future.
Originally reported by Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com in East Idaho News.
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