Lincoln Lutheran Welcomes The Rock Lutheran
Three new students started school at Lincoln Lutheran in August with a couple of things in common: they share the same last name and they are all members of The Rock Lutheran located in Seward, NE. Ben, Ella and Gretchen Moll are the second set of triplets to attend Lincoln Lutheran and the younger siblings of Warrior alumni Emmi (2014) and Zach (2011). Parents Tim and Sara Moll are founding members of The Rock Lutheran Church located in Seward, NE and were instrumental in connecting the young congregation with Lincoln Lutheran.
The Rock joined the Lincoln Lutheran School Association as its newest Mission Partner in August. Mission Partners represent area congregations who support Lincoln Lutheran’s mission of Christian education and seek to foster an environment where families would consider Lincoln Lutheran for their children. Other Mission Partner congregations include Peace Lutheran, Waverly and Immanuel Lutheran, Lincoln.
In just ten years, The Rock has been blessed to move from an idea to a quickly growing ministry. “It all started in August 2005, when a group of families started talking and praying about the idea of a new church in Seward. Meetings led to Bible studies which led to larger groups and eventually to Sunday worship,” shared Tim Moll.
The Rock began regular Sunday worship in October 2008, and became an official member church of the LCMS in March 2009. Pastor Mike Meyer was serving as an Associate Pastor at Trinity Lutheran in Fremont and accepted the call to serve as The Rock’s first pastor in February of 2010.
According to Tim, founding members had great support from area leaders. “We didn’t really have a mother church, but Pastor Scheich and others at Christ Lutheran were a great resource to us. Our worship style is modeled similar to Room 211 worship at Christ. Dress is casual, the music ‘rocks’ and messages are based on 2-4 week series.”
The Rock has been renting space for worship, but will be moving into a permanent facility very soon. A three-story building in the old Seward Middle School complex was generously donated by the developer. The congregation is finishing up renovations to use the space for worship and other activities. “It’s an incredible gift as we will end up with approximately 30,000 square feet on three floors,” said Tim.
The name The Rock comes from Psalm 40:2, “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” The mission is to reach out to those who have become disconnected or were never connected to the church – focusing on those people who, for whatever reason, may not be comfortable in a more traditional church setting. Everyone needs a “firm place to stand”. The church worships around 150 weekly, and is blessed to have approximately 300 people who are either members or friends of The Rock.
To learn more about this exciting ministry, visit www.therockseward.org.