Rev. 22:16

"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."

Pastor: Kerry Gibson

Phone: 881-2640 (Office)

881-3437 (Fax)

881-2545 (Home)

493-9143 (Pager)

MORNING STAR COMMUNITY CHURCH HISTORY

If you know Jesus Christ personally, you want to know Him more. That's what a small group of believers in Red Feather Lakes wanted in early 1981. Tim Arensmeier traveled from Fort Collins to teach the Word. This small group experienced the reality of Matthew 18:20: "That if two or more meet in my name, I am in the midst of them."

This early group met at Linda and Pete Tippett's home, across from the High Country Club. There were six or eight then. Some who met were: Connie Covington, Hazel Higgins, Audrey Robinson, Shirley Hawkins, Cathy Carter, Rose Worth, Barb and Ford Blake, Al and Gwin Bludau. Linda and sometimes Al Bludau played music. She would accompany and we would sing praises to the Lord.

Tim met with us until he had to leave the area. Then Mark Canady, a Village Missionary from Livermore, started leading our group. He had a real burden for this area and saw its potential. Our fellowship continued to grow. We finally moved to the Potbelly Restaurant.

We grew to love and depend on Mark and his wife, Bonnie. Many would stop by to "check out" our group meeting in the lounge. Bill Rogers started attending our study after coming to the Lord. Bill worked at Hank's Ranch, a halfway house for wayward boys.

In 1982, we started discussions with the leadership of Chapel in the Pines to see if we could meet there over the winter. After much discussion and several meetings, it just did not work out. This wasn't in the Lord's plans. We do have a good rapport with them, for which we are grateful. We appreciate their support of our children's outreach.

We continued to meet and pray at the Potbelly until the summer of 1982. We moved to the fire barn when the Potbelly got busy. That summer we even had our very first Vacation Bible School. Mark and Bonnie would sing and play the guitar. What a blessing they were! Debi and Stephanie Robinson, Bill Rogers and his boys came.

When winter came, it was so cold we went back for midweek services at the Potbelly. Bill Rogers got permission from the School District to use the old school (which later became the first Morning Star Church building). We met there through the cold months of early 1983, until the building became too busy in the summer with community activities.

Mark suggested we name ourselves and start taking offerings. We did and called ourselves "Red Feather Community Bible Church." We were about ten or twelve strong by then. Mark said we needed to feed body and spirit so we took turns bringing coffee and refreshments. Mark would arrive at 8:00 a.m. and then go back to Livermore for his own service. God Bless Him!

Again, we moved back to the fire barn until it got too cold. Hank and Elsbeth Bauer offered their guest cabin for a place to meet. How we thanked God for them! Bill Rogers, Steve Robinson and Millie Williams would build a fire. We would meet to praise God and study His Word. We'd have a potluck once a month and stayed there most of 1984 and 1985. At this time, Bill Rogers was working for Pete Tippet at his Real Estate office in Red Feather.

Dr. DeYoung came up to look at some property. Bill showed a cabin located in downtown Red Feather Lakes just east of the Cafe. The doctor bought the building for his own retreat, and told Bill that it was available to any organization. Bill could hardly wait to bring this news to our Body in Christ. Of course, we rejoiced! This was a more permanent place to meet. We continued to pray and praise God.

By this time, the Broyles were attending. Marilyn had a real burden for the youth in our community. She started an After-School Club. They would meet after school at the doctor's cabin, one day a week. How the children loved this! Cathy Carter played a portable piano and Mark Tabor played his guitar. We would sing, praise and pray; we had a great fellowship. What a special love for each other we had!

While using the cabin, we contacted Village Missions about having a missionary pastor. Apparently God wasn't ready and Village Missions refused the first request.

After growing and praying some more, we again contacted Village Missions. Our money had grown and we were so hungry for a resident shepherd. Ray Cheyney, Village Mission District Representative, met with us. He said they would do what they could.

As always, God had perfect timing. We received a letter telling us that Pastor Rusty and Brenda Tien and family would arrive in July 1986. We hurried to find a place for the family to live. The first place was Eagle's Nest, on the west end of Hiawatha Highway. The School District gave us permission to use the new school for Sunday services. Al Bludau built our first pulpit and built a cross that we would put on a pole Sunday mornings.

How special this beginning was! Al played a portable piano during services. On October 5, 1986, we had our first congregational meeting and changed our name to the Morning Star Community Church. Bill Rogers thought of our name. The first Deacons were: Bill Rogers, Al Bludau and Ken Hooker; Treasurer: Audrey Robinson; Financial Secretary: Shirley Hawkins; Secretary, Gwin Bludau: Sunday School Superintendent: Steve Robinson; Social Director: Debi Robinson.

Meeting in the school, we grew and praised God. We loved the Tiens, but much to our sadness, Pastor Rusty developed a health problem, so Village Missions transferred he and his family in November 1987. Our hearts were heavy, but we knew God had a perfect plan.

During 1987, the old elementary school building became available. This project started while Pastor Tien was here but was finished after he left. Thanks to Bill Franz's negotiations, the property was ours.

The Sunday after Rusty left, we had our first service in the new building. Again, we were praying for just the right man. God brought Jim Weber to us as an interim pastor. He served from November 1987 to January 24, 1988. Jim Weber was a photographer in Fort Collins and a retired minister. He and Dot came up to conduct Sunday services. How blessed we were! They were such a devoted couple! About this time, Bill Rogers left, to attend Multnomah College. What a huge gap he left!

Of course, we needed a resident pastor. Finally, the Mission notified us that they were sending Pastor Cal and Nancy Walter and son, Mike, in February 1988. Again, we needed living quarters. The McCallop house next door to the church became available. By this time, we had grown to the point that we needed more room for services. We organized a workday and opened the wall at the east end of the Sanctuary for extra space.

Easter Sunrise Sunday saw the first service in our expanded place. How we all worked, and praised God for our growth. The Walters were with us from February 7, 1988 to March 12, 1989, when we were again saddened to lose our Pastor. We had continued to grow under his leadership.

Starting on April 2, 1989, a Fort Collins High School teacher, Marvin Sandburg, his wife Lola and daughter Amy came up on Sundays to conduct services. We loved them and praised God for their willingness to come. Again, God was testing us, but we grew. They still come up occasionally to visit us.

August 16, 1989 we received word that Pastor Brian Wechsler, Carole and children would soon be here. Again, we needed to find a home. Doug and Debi Robinson's home was available to rent on High Country Estates Golf Course. The Wechsler's arrival date was October 15, 1989.

The Bludaus contacted the M.M.A.P. (Mobile Missionary Assistance Program), an organization of retired people who do volunteer work for Christian organizations. They first helped us restore our building. In 1990, with help from several M.M.A.P. couples and many volunteers from the church, we built a beautiful log home for a parsonage.

In July 1994, we celebrated paying the minimum level of salary support set by Village Missions and being debt-free. God gets all the glory for this great milestone in the life of our church. In October 1996, we broke ground for a new church. Most of the construction was done through volunteer labor and the help of M.M.A.P.’s. We moved into our new facility in December 1997. This new building greatly expanded our sanctuary, fellowship room and classroom capabilities.

Unexpectedly, in November 1998 our new church burned to the ground, due to a faulty wood stovepipe. The true church, the body, remained strong through this ordeal. Fortunately, insurance coverage was very adequate and the church was rebuilt. We conducted our first worship service in the new, new building October 24, 1999 and dedicated the building on July 16, 2000. At that time, we also shredded the mortgage and are once again debt-free.

God continued to bless us under the leadership of Pastor Brian and Carole. Our body has developed programs such as: Pioneer Club, Community Newsletter, Tape Ministry, Visitations, Share Program, Wednesday Ladies' and Men’s Bible Study, and Vacation Bible School. Several small groups and Bible studies now exist throughout our area.

In the Fall of 2000 Pastor Brian was offered a position as Executive Director of Village Missions. After much prayer and open doors it was obvious that this was God's plan so the Wechslers moved to Dallas, Oregon.

During February, 2001, Morning Star Church welcomed Pastor Mike and Jan Shields to be our new pastors. We are blessed with a very Godly man in Pastor Mike.

February 2003 found Pastor Mike and Jan feeling led of the Lord to go to Loma, Colorado to minister there as Village Missionaries. They will be sorely missed. In the interum Pastor Harold McGuinness has agreed to lead us as our pastor until Village Missions can find a permanent replacement for Pastor Mike.

Shortly after Pastor Harold arrived, his wife Joan developed some altitude sickness and had to move back to Nebraska. Pastor Harold sacrificed and continued to serve as our interim pastor through July 2004. The Lord will surely bless him for continuing on with when we needed him. During that time we found out that Pastor Kerry Gibson and his wife Janet had agreed to come to Morning Star as pastors.

Sunday August 15, 2004 was Pastor Kerry and Janet's first Sunday at Morning Star. They have stepped into the leadership of the church and we're off and running again. They are already becoming part of the community. Pastor Kerry was an EMT in Washington state and has passed the Colorado test and has joined the Red Feather Volunteer Fire Department.

I truly believe that this fellowship would never have existed without the unceasing prayers of many. My Grandmother prayed faithfully a very long time for me and this community to have a strong year-round Bible teaching church."  Praise God she lived long enough to know it.

Audrey Robinson