Vision Statement
We are an imperfect church, made for imperfect people.
The Silver Bay Sychar Story
Sychar Lutheran Church was organized in 1953 in the brand-new mining community of Silver Bay. The opening of Reserve Mining Company brought many young families to this North Shore community. Job seekers from small towns and Midwest farms moved north to begin new jobs and new lives. Homes, schools, a shopping center, and churches sprang up.
At first, the Lutherans met in the "Beaver Bay School" (now the Green Door tavern.) The Catholics shared the space. A parishioner recalls, "The Catholics put up the chairs and the Lutherans took them down."
In 1955, the Sychar congregation held the first services (on Christmas Eve) in their new church located at the key corner of Banks Blvd. and Edison Blvd. (the current location). The church was complete with an insulated large glass windowed "Crying Room" at the back of the sanctuary to isolate many fussy infants and toddlers. In those days, Silver Bay was full of young children (52% of the population was elementary and preschool age). Sychar responded with Sunday School, children's choirs, large Confirmation classes, summer Vacation Bible School, camp opportunities at Camp Vermilion, and Luther League. At one time, high school students had a "Release Time" from public school to attend a religious class at their home church one morning a week.
The Church began its journey in Christ, the Living Water.
At first, the Lutherans met in the "Beaver Bay School" (now the Green Door tavern.) The Catholics shared the space. A parishioner recalls, "The Catholics put up the chairs and the Lutherans took them down."
In 1955, the Sychar congregation held the first services (on Christmas Eve) in their new church located at the key corner of Banks Blvd. and Edison Blvd. (the current location). The church was complete with an insulated large glass windowed "Crying Room" at the back of the sanctuary to isolate many fussy infants and toddlers. In those days, Silver Bay was full of young children (52% of the population was elementary and preschool age). Sychar responded with Sunday School, children's choirs, large Confirmation classes, summer Vacation Bible School, camp opportunities at Camp Vermilion, and Luther League. At one time, high school students had a "Release Time" from public school to attend a religious class at their home church one morning a week.
The Church began its journey in Christ, the Living Water.
Why the name Sychar for this congregation?
This is a letter that Pastor Tebert Hill wrote regarding the naming of Sychar:
There are probably many reasons why I suggested the name Sychar for your Congregation. Some of them would be subconscious, some would be definite. I am sure that the idea of using a portion of John 4: 4-42 for a Congregation name came to me long before I was called to the Parish on the Shore.
Possibly an incident out of my early ministry would help as an example of why my thought. As usual in some Congregations, Sunday School teachers were hard to find. A woman came to me and asked if she could teach in the Sunday School. Since this woman had shown little interest in the work of the Congregation, I asked, "Why do you desire to teach?" She answered plainly, "Possibly my son would take a greater interest in Sunday School and Church, if I would." I accepted her offer to teach.
The first Sunday she came to teach, the other teachers raised a storm. That woman teach in our Sunday School. This woman's reputation was not the best. She had been born in the community. Reared in the Congregation. No on was concerned about her or her Christian life. But she would not be accepted as a teacher. The Sunday School Superintendent came to me puzzled. What should we do? I knew what I would do. The texts for the next two Sundays was John 4: 4-42. The sermons were already forming. I suggested that the Sunday School Superintendent us John 8: 1-11 "The Woman taken in Adultery" as her Scripture text for the next Sunday morning. She was a little fearful. I told her to speak with her mother about it. The Sunday School Superintendent used John 8: 1-11 in Sunday School. I used the first part of John 4: 4-42 the first Sunday and the remainder of the passage the second Sunday as sermon texts.
This incident brought home to me how little we as Christians are willing to accept those who have wandered, and how little we will do to seek to restore those who wander. I think then there jelled the thought. How clearly in John 4: Christ shows His desire to share His Grace with all people. How to the unlovable and to the rebel Christ was willing to speak, to change, to bring to God. In the same text to find the unlovable and the rebel find God. Then go being used as a Witness of Christ to her whole community. Calling to the whole community to "Come and see; is not this the Christ?" The community saw; they heard; they believed.
It is not only what Christ says in John 4 that makes it so wonderful. It is the complete picture. Christ is weary, but when a needy soul arrives, Christ shares with her the full grace of God, even though she is a Samaritan, an enemy of the Isrealites. Christ leads this woman to faith. The faith in Christ drives her to witness. She is used of Christ to bring many to faith.
Sychar is the name of the village close to where this happened. It is the village where Christ came and spent two days of His ministry saving souls. I know no greater picture of the work of Christ and the work of the Christian in our world. If in our Churches we could have this individual meeting of Christ and the sinner. The change from sinner to saved. The saved going forth witnessing to the grace of Christ to all people. What a glorious Church it would be.
Many times in my ministry in Silver Bay people would ask, "Where does the name Sychar come from? What does it mean?" Even Pastors have asked. What a privilege to open the Scriptures to John 4: and tell again the love of Christ for all men. How Christ changes sinners to saints. How saints may be used for Christ for the increase of the Kingdom in bringing people to Christ.
I thought it very fitting to have the name of the village which had been the scene of this great picture of God as the name of a Congregation. Possibly it would be a living example of the Kingdom of God always before our eyes.
Teber Hill