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B 4 - The Oakville Beaver, W e d n e s d a y D e c e m b e r 10, 2003 `Edifice among the evergreens' By Mary Collett SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER As Oakville's Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Pastor Daniel Phannenhour and members of the parish simultaneously reflect fondly on the past while looking boldly to the future to mark this milestone event, commemorated as Fifty Years of Grace. Nestled behind an impressive array of towering coniferous and deciduous trees at the comer of Spruce and Reynolds Streets, the church is also known unoffi cially, but most appropriately, as "the edi fice among the evergreens." Rev. Phannenhour explains the impor tance of the unusual arfcoreal variety that flourishes on the church property and forms an integral part of its history. "When this church was built in 1958 the surrounding land was all open fields. So the contractor, Gus Dreger. who also built the area's subdivision, took one tree of each species and planted it on church property in order to preserve them." Today this relatively tiny plot of land hosts a wide variety of shrubs and trees, some unique to the region, including Kentucky Coffee, Locust. Black Walnut. Sycamore, Black Maple and Carolinian trees found only in this part of Ontario. Prior to the completion of the Spruce Street site, members of Oakville's first Lutheran congregation held sen.1 ices at the Masonic Hall, then located at Thomas and Church Streets. When the congrega tion was initially formed in 1952 there were 55 Lutherans counted in the town census. Today, their population numbers Chantal Ayotte · Special to the Beaver Rev. Daniel Phannenhour poses in front of G race L utheran C hurch. in the hundreds. The anniversary celebration has been long in the planning. Last January a parish committee, spearheaded by Leann Eberley. was formed to organize activities that would mark this historical event. These various activities ranging from fun fairs to musi cal recitals performed the dual function of promotion and fundraising. Intermittently, former pastors have returned to Grace Lutheran for specially designated Sunday remembrances. Rev. Roy Grosz, now retired and liv ing in Kitchener was the Mission Developer and first Pastor of Grace from 1953-1966. He has warm memories of that early hectic but rewarding period when the church structure was in its last stages of completion. "The final week of preparations lead ing to the church's official dedication was pandemonium," Grosz laughingly recalls. "Volunteers outside were frantically working to tidy up the site, while women laboured in the basement cleaning and stocking the kitchen." But by Saturday night, with the first services scheduled to commence the next morning. Rev. Grosz proudly reports that Oakville's then mayor. Mac Anderson who lived across the street, looked out his window and told him he saw there "a beautiful church." Both Revs. Phannenhour and Grosz are eager to credit Grace Lutheran's con gregation for the continuing growth and prosperity of this small but vibrant parish. Collective fundraising efforts have suc cessfully paid off the property mortgage. W a y to <z\o ! Acres International T he O akville B eaver jo in s U nited W ay of O akville in s a lu tin g A cres In te rn a tio n a l on th e ir o u ts ta n d in g U nited W ay fu n d ra is in g cam p aig n . financed the addition of an adjoining par sonage, furnished the church with a majestic pipe organ, and paid for a collec tion of handbells used by choir members. Oakville resident, Sonja Jensen, who holds the distinction as the first baby bap tized by the mission, relates her family's unique role in church fundraising. "My parents thought 1 should do something personal to thank the church for my baptism." Jensen recalls. "So when I was about four years old. I was dressed in my Sunday best and taken to the church along with the contenLs of my piggy bank. 1 found out later the money was used to purchase the accolytes' gowns." Long lime parish members Ron and Ann Bowman watched their two youngest daughters grow and flourish into caring and confident young adults, benefited by some of the church's many internal programs. "Encouraged and accompanied by the wonderful organist. Elwyn Davies, Stacey and Lindsay each blossomed as soloists, one on flute, the other on clar inet." Ann recalls. "Though both girls are away at university, this church continues to be the anchor of all our religious holi days." Ron, currently president of the parish council adds, "After 18 years, this church is still where the spiritual side of our lives is centred - it"s done a very good job on that score for all of us." Since its inception. Grace Lutheran has endeavoured to be a true community church in every sense of the word. It has hosted numerous Christian Unity Services with local churches of other denominations: parishioners frequently visit Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital to regale staff and patienLs with musical performances; volunteers assist at Kerr Street Ministries; and raised funds to fully sponsor a Vietnamese family's immigration to Oakville. Perhaps its most notable community contribution was the establishment of Grace House in 1973. a temporary resi dence for adults dealing with psychiatric, emotional, or psychological challenges, presently located on Cornwall Road and now operated by an independent board funded in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and the United Way. As worthy as these past achievements are, however. Rev. Phannenhour believes in looking ahead. 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