A History of Calvary Chapel of Appleton

"Remember His marvelous works which He has done..." -Psalm 105:5

Within this generation, indulging in nostalgia has become somewhat of a national past time. When we think of the term "nostalgia", it usually brings to mind the most accepted and established usage of the word, that of "something to do with the past", a sort of melancholy, dream-like memory of some pleasant experience, or of a simpler or happier time.

But the word originally meant much more; a "strong desire to go home"; a "longing for something far away"; the earliest form of the word actually meant, "He returns".

Calvary Chapel has always been a forward-looking ministry that is centered around and maintains its perspective from the Biblical mandate to watch for our Lord's soon return, all the while occupying ourselves with the work of the kingdom until that Day. And yet we also enjoy remembering our beginnings and giving glory to Jesus for all He has done for us and in us. It is in this strictest sense of the word that we as Christians can indeed call ourselves "nostalgic", and for this reason we give you this brief history of Calvary Chapel of Appleton, Wisconsin. And should the Lord tarry, we believe we will see Him continue to do that which is beyond anything that we might ask or think.

The Days of Small Things

The work here in Appleton began just after Pastor Dwight returned from Bible School and following his marriage to Jane. In 1978, under the name, "Christian Community Fellowship", a Bible study group was formed with just a handful of people in what is fondly remembered as "the little white church" at 815 N. Richmond St., on what was then the corner of Richmond and Gilmore Streets (later renamed Winnebago Street west of Richmond.)

The small 150-seat church, often referred to as a "starter-church", was never intended to be a full-service building, but originally was an auxiliary building for the local First Congregational Church which was then located in downtown Appleton. Their downtown building was called "The Old Brown Church".

In 1888, before the days of the automobile or the availability of mass transportation, the easily accessible neighborhood meeting place made it easier for young families to walk to church in the event of inclement weather, or even the threat of wild animals. It also eased space needs for a congregation during the days of the fast-growing Sunday School movement.

Once vacated by the Congregational Church in 1912, It served as a transitional building for several other religious organizations. Calvary Chapel leased the cozy structure in the late 1970s and did some painting and upgrading to meet city codes. For the first two years, we met on Tuesday and Friday evenings for Bible Study. Sunday services began in July of 1981, and we soon found ourselves having 2 services - with the first group of fellowship-hungry worshipers having to exit very quickly to accommodate the later group. This was a difficult transition for our small fellowship initially, having been used to getting together as one each time we met, and now feeling a bit fragmented as we struggled with the inevitable to accommodate our growth. Although we knew that changes were unavoidable, and that staying for both services would defeat the purpose, there were times we could not help but wonder if the worship was maybe a bit sweeter at the "other" service, or perhaps we could use another helping of the Word before our week got underway. But our one claim to fame in that building is that we were the only fellowship to have ever filled it to capacity.

The Sunday School was located in the tiny basement where curtains partitioned the single room into 4 separate noisy but joy-filled classrooms. At the same time we recognized our need for a Sunday School for the children, the Appleton Public Library was moving to their new building from their old site on North Oneida Street. They were holding an auction to get rid of a lot of their oak tables and bookshelves, and Pastor Dwight decided we would be attending that auction to acquire some much-needed pint-sized furniture. In a staff meeting he indicated that not only would we be acquiring the tables, but that we would not spend over $90.00 to meet the need. The Saturday of the auction, on an unusually hot spring day, we acquired every item we set out to, within a relatively short time, and for...$90.00. The Lord had once again shown Himself strong to a group of relatively young believers.

The "Little White Church" was drafty in winter and stuffy in summer, but the acoustics were delightful and the fast-growing group of young believers was content to simply learn more of Jesus and grow in the grace and knowledge of Him. There is something so irreplaceably memorable and priceless to those who find themselves a part of the start of something that is simply born out of a deep desire to love and serve Christ and fed by the zeal of a heart that has been transformed, not born out of man"s might or fed by a program, no matter how well-intentioned. The early days of Calvary Chapel could not have been sweeter, nor could they have been the result of the latest demographics or the wisdom of the age.

Growing Up And Out

As the need for more space became crucial, the search was on for another facility. Pastor Dwight and John Gilmour, a local musician, looked at renovating a building at 742 W. College Avenue, the former "Pendulum" and "Rich Man, Poor Man" nightspots. The front half would be home to "Gilmour Brothers Music", and the back, a possible church. But the Lord had other plans, and directed us to open the first "Pilgrims" Cafe" in the rear of that building in October 1980; Calvary Chapel had its church office in the back room. Pilgrims' Cafe produced even more fruit for the kingdom as many people came in for concerts and often got to hear a clear presentation of the Gospel as young, talented musicians shared their gifts on weekend evenings. Calvary Chapel also began to see the natural progression of families being formed as the Lord brought several believers together in marriage at that time. With the addition of spouses and children, the need for a larger worship facility became greater.

In 1982, negotiations began with the owner of the former "Studio 9000" teen disco at 2136 E. Newberry St. In its many incarnations, it had been a dairy and a motorcycle shop as well. The present owner was asking $240,000 with a down- payment of $80,000, which to us was an exorbitant amount of money considering the size of our fellowshipÐand our budget.

We had only $16,000 available to put down and we desired a land contract. But the city wanted to shut down the disco, and we knew that if the Lord was in it He would see to it that we would acquire it. The owner called his bank, and to our delight he informed us that the amount we needed to secure the property was what we had, to the pennyÐ$16,000. Thus began a move and an extensive remodel from a disco to the worship and fellowship center you see today, with a few more changes yet to come in the future.

The disco had the usual trappings-a plexiglass dance floor, a disco ball, no windows anywhere (to keep any light out, of course!) black and red shag carpeting, black walls and a red ceiling. The building was gutted, and a portion of the roof raised to accommodate a cathedral ceiling and skylights to let in some much-needed light. The project was begun in late spring and opened September 1, 1982.

In the absence of a Sunday School wing, what is now the Fellowship Hall was converted to Sunday School classrooms. We were able to maintain this arrangement for 2 years. In 1984 our first building project was begun with the addition of the Sunday School wing. Most of the work was done by the brethren in the fellowship. We put in a basement level, as well as a third floor which eventually housed the present offices. Pilgrims' Cafe was closed in 1984 as the Lord moved us to concentrate our effortsand finances for discipling and ministering to the many new families at Calvary Chapel.

After this addition was finished, we joined with a group of parents who desired to see a Christian School begun in the area. Jonathan and Nancy Menn were very instrumental in initiating the work. Though our desire was to use the new addition for classrooms for the school, we were informed that the hallways did not meet city codes, so the parents undertook an unusual ministry: taking turns putting up and tearing downtemporary classroom walls in the fellowship hall. They volunteered for Friday night tear-down, or Sunday evening set-up of the walls needed to enclose the ACS children throughout the week while still accommodating Calvary Chapel's ever-growing fellowship needs on Sunday mornings. All in all, it was a labor of love that many parents still remember helping with. In the years that followed, Calvary saw some general but much-needed smaller remodeling jobs: kitchen, restrooms, and other similar projects. In 1988 the front of the church building received a new look with the completion of the current stone facade.

In August of 1995, an expansion project was needed in the sanctuary. To accommodate our growth we removed a wall exposing the old tape lending library and prayer room. New pews were added and padded, the stage size was increased, the sound room was moved and we added new carpeting and a new ceiling.

In October 1995 we broke ground to expand the Sunday School area. The first night, while we hosted a Bruce Carroll concert in the sanctuary, we struck water and flooded the basement; but when the work was accomplished we were finally able to put an end to the frequent water problems we had previously struggled with. We took occupancy in July 1996 with a new hallway in front of the Sunday School, 3 completed levels for increased child care and Calvary Kids Club, a Youth Group meeting room, and some attractive landscaping. In 1995 we purchased the lot across from the Laundromat for roughly one-third the assessed value, and it now serves as much-needed parking.

Where God Guides, God Provides.

As we commemorate over 20 years of Sunday Worship Services, wedding anniversaries well into the double digits and high-school graduations, the Lord continues to bring the increase in our fellowship - and our birthday candles. His grace and goodness never more obvious, we watch in gratitude as He allows us the opportunity to help meet the needs of those who come though our doors hungry to learn His Word. Growing ministries such as the Youth Groups, College and Career, Calvary Kids Club, home fellowships, and the Singles Ministry all provide an opportunity to disciple and minister to all ages. And so with the growth, the need for more space again becomes a priority. After the last guest had been sent home well-fed from our 2001 Great Lakes Pastors" Conference, we broke ground for a building renovation that would further erase any evidence of our humble "disco" beginnings. With the city's approval to nestle as close as possible to the neighboring building, we sought the Lord for direction as to how best meet that need while being good stewards of the building He had already blessed us with many years ago.

The sanctuary became the focal point of a beautiful renovation that includes increased seating, a vaulted ceiling, a larger stage area, and a Welcome Center designed to provide additional space for an information booth, fellowship room to ease the crowding in the fellowship hall, and an open expanse to accommodate our growing regional Conferences. Designing a "wall of separation" between the old and the new, we were able to continue our Sunday Services in the existing sanctuary without interruption all summer long as the construction continued on schedule behind the scenes. Using the generous resources of time and energy provided by our church family, we opened the doors for the 2001 Great Lakes Prophecy Conference in early September 2001 to let the last city inspector out and the first of our guests in to our new surroundings.

They'll Know We Are Christians

How could we ever document and describe how we have seen God's hand over and over again, even in the small things, over the years? Pastor Bill Waters of Calvary Chapel Plainfield used to play with his band at Studio 9000. Jerry Kurrasch, an elder here in Appleton who oversees the tape ministry, at one time fixed motorcycles in the building when it was a cycle shop, right where the pulpit stands today. People we do not know sometimes come into the office and wax nostalgically about how they used to frequent the old disco and marvel at what it has become. One family told us the story of a family member they brought to the church. This person stopped in his tracks when he entered the sanctuary, he had dreamed of it and it looked exactly as it did in his dream, right down to the dove hanging behind the pulpit. Add all those who have come to Christ due to the faithfulness of this body, and then go out and impact their friends and family for the Lord, and we can only be grateful and humbled at God's working in our midst. There are probably many more stories that we may not hear until we are in heaven, and what a joy it will be to learn of the lives that Calvary Chapel of Appleton impacted for Christ by simply continuing on the path that He has set before us.

Every fellowship seems to have its own personality; it is often remarked that the people of CC Appleton are friendly, warm and obviously love the Lord and one another. If this is the legacy we leave in our little corner of the Kingdom, we are truly, deeply blessed of God. As we continue to live our lives in commitment to those God has given us to minister with - and to - we look forward to His direction and care for our growing fellowship.