LYNNWOOD — Norwegian families came to Lynnwood when it was stump land.
The Great Depression ebbed, and gas rationing during the war forced people to stay put. Families couldn’t travel to the Lutheran churches that immigrants from Norway had established in Bothell and other neighboring towns.
A handful of women wandered through town. When they came across a mailbox displaying a name of Norwegian descent, they knocked on the front door. With enough people, they could start their own church.
So, they bought a piece of land. It cost $5 down and $5 per month. This was the start of Trinity Lutheran Church.
The congregation celebrated 75 years of service last weekend. Their story is one of forgiveness and rebuilding.
The church was set on fire in 1992. Serial arsonist Paul Keller later confessed to lighting dozens of fires around the Puget Sound area, including the one that gutted Trinity Lutheran.
Half of the church’s sanctuary burned. Its other buildings were condemned. At the time, the church was remodeling. Piles of wood were stacked around the property, adding fuel.
They had to rebuild from scratch.
Grace and Jaye Jarchow have been members of the church for 30 years. Their kids grew up attending Sunday service.
After hearing the news, they drove by the church to see where the flames had burned through the roof.
Jaye Jarchow said it was easy to feel outraged.
With time, members of the congregation visited the arsonist in prison. They told Keller they cared about him.
“We found the process of forgiving him changed us,” Pastor John Beck said.
The congregation was on the road for more than two years while the church was being rebuilt, Beck said. The Edmonds United Methodist Church shared their pews.
A new building was designed around the idea of inclusiveness.
“It gave us a new opportunity to expand,” Jaye Jarchow said.
The main sanctuary is structured like a concert hall. No two walls are parallel, which helps reflect sound. People pile into the pews with handmade quilts hung on the back for more than 50 concerts offered every year.
The church hosts preschool and day care through its Child Development Center. An alternative high school and Edmonds Community College also have used the rooms for classes.
Every Saturday morning the church welcomes about 150 to 200 folks in need of shelter. Breakfast, hygiene items, clothes, counseling services and haircuts are provided at no cost. Mobile showers and laundry units are available in the church’s parking lot.
School-aged children are invited to participate in a basic education and life skills class.
Congregation members and volunteers man a cold weather shelter at the Edmonds Senior Center. Doors open when nighttime temperatures dip below 34 degrees for four hours or more. People receive transportation, dinner, breakfast and a sack lunch, as well as a warm place to sleep.
Randy Elder joined the church for his wife, who is a member. He, however, is not a Christian.
He stayed with the church because of the people he has met.
“I have found this to be a resilient community who is trying to figure out how to give to others,” Beck said.
Caitlin Tompkins: 425-339-3192; ctompkins@heraldnet.com.
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