About us

 

Spirit of Joy is a mission congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.  Our first worship service was held in what is now the Clemenceau Museum on October 3, 1993. 

 

Since that time, we have purchased 5 acres of land (Old Jerome Highway & Scenic Drive in Clarkdale), paid off the loan, and are currently raising funds to eventually build a suitable building on that property.  In the meantime, we are renters of worship space (at the 7th-Day Adventist Church in Cottonwood) and office space (a block southwest of 89A, just south of Mingus, at 240 Jennifer Lane).

 

We are committed to reaching the Verde Valley with the joyous news that Jesus Christ came to set us free from our sins and give us eternal life. 

 

Catch the Spirit of Joy

 

Please join us!  All are welcome to participate in worship, including the Holy Communion meal.  Visitors are not only welcome among us, they are expected.

 

Share with a Spirit of Joy

 

We are a congregation dedicated to giving of our time, our talents, and our finances.

 

We give locally to Old Town Mission, House of Ruth, and Central Arizona Food Bank.

 

In our region, we give financially to:  the Grand Canyon Synod of the ELCA, Lutheran Campus Ministry in Flagstaff, Rock Point Navajo Mission, Austin House, and Cottonwood Middle School.

 

Internationally, we support:  the Heifer Project, Lutheran World Relief, and World Hunger.  We participated in Voice of the Martyrs “Blanket and a Bible” project and supported an InterVarsity missionary in Belarus.  Additionally, we sell and use Equal Exchange coffee, tea, and chocolate which is fairly traded to benefit farmers in Asia, Latin America, and Africa.

 

We are also fully supporting a member of our congregation who is a student at Luther Seminary.

 

Our high-tech Prayer Chain shares prayer concerns via e-mail with prayer warriors in our congregation and friends around the world.

 

Embrace a Spirit of Joy

 

We are an active congregation offering a variety of opportunities for members, friends, and visitors:

 

MMOG- Men’s fellowship & Bible Study meets every Monday morning at 8:00am (coffee and doughnuts provided)

 

W/ELCA - Our active Women of the ELCA group meets for a monthly business meeting, a Bible study, and frequent opportunities for service.

 

 

Sunday Bible Study meets at the church at 9:45am.  All are welcome to this lively study and discussion group.

 

In the Faith & Film class on Sunday mornings, we view classic and controversial films and have some great discussion.

                                                                                               

We have an annual Church Picnic each October.

 

We enjoy Monthly Hikes during the 9 coolest months of the year.

 

Our Harvest Table is a way to share our harvest (of crafts or baked goods).

 

Small Groups meet for 6-8 weeks.  New groups are beginning in September, October, and January.

 

April 5 will mark our second annual “Help Build A Church” Golf Tournament at Verde Santa Fe.

 

The Joyful Noise Choir and our Praise Team make wonderful music.

 

History

 

Spirit of Joy was started as a preaching point October 3, 1993, with 20 families; these families primarily had been attending Christ Lutheran in Sedona. After a short time holding worship services in the Clemenceau School building, Spirit of Joy arranged to rent the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Cottonwood for worship services.

 

 SoJ had several interim pastors, starting with Pastor Bud Roufs of Sun City, attending to the congregation through May of 1994.  Pastor David Harr started June 26, 1994, followed by Pastor Jeff Johnson.  On October 1, 1994, Pastor Peter Rose-Kamprath arrived in Cottonwood to minister to SoJ; at this point worship size at SoJ was approximately 40.  Pastor Rose-Kamprath was installed as Pastor of Spirit of Joy on August 13, 1995. 

 

The Living Charter for SoJ was signed January 29, 1995, and the congregation was recognized as an ELCA congregation in the Grand Canyon Synod April 23, 1995.

 

Pastor Rose-Kamprath resigned, and interim Pastor Ed Peterson of Mesa began serving SoJ in November of 1997, followed by Pastor Scott Haasarud of Phoenix.  In 1999 the congregation called Pastor Bob Jones, and he began serving SoJ in May of 1999.  Pastor Jones resigned in the fall of 2004.  Pastor Rick Alpers served as a long-term interim for almost two years while the Call Committee was diligently seeking a full-time pastor for SoJ.  The Reverend Dr. Mari Larson was called, and she and spouse Gary Werbowski relocated from Minnesota to Cottonwood to accept the call.  Pastor Mari took over in mid January 2007.

 

SoJ purchased for $150,000 five acres of land in Clarkdale in 2000. This is a prime site for a church, and with some energetic fundraising the mortgage was paid off three years later.  A shopping center is under construction adjacent to SoJ’s property, and a June, 2007, appraisal of the church property came in at $700,000.

 

With encouragement from Pastor Marta Poling-Goldenne, Assistant to the Bishop/Minister for Outreach in the Grand Canyon Synod, Spirit of Joy embarked in late 2004 on establishing a Praise Worship service, which is steadily growing in popularity. Spirit of Joy has excellent music!

 

Type of Community:  Cottonwood is a rural mid-Arizona community, and considered a commerce center for the Verde Valley.  Towns/communities from which SoJ draws are: Cottonwood, Camp Verde, Verde Village, Jerome, Lake Montezuma/Rimrock, Clarkdale, and Cornville/Page Springs.  There is very little industry and few large employers in the area.  The majority of jobs are in low-paying service-related employment. There is a large and growing retired population in the Verde Valley, and most members of SoJ are retired or semi-retired. 

 

Total population of the above towns/communities totals 40,050, per the 2002 census.  Growth of this area (except Jerome) is generally exceeding any projections. 

 

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