History of Summit

With God, "All Things Are Possible!" Over the past few years, these words of Jesus Christ have been the motto of Alta's newest church, and a continual challenge for them to exercise their faith.

In the Fall of 1994 a core group of people from around the area began meeting to consider the possibility of starting a new Evangelical Free Church in Alta. The first public worship service was held at the Roxy Theatre on January 1, 1995, with 72 people attending. Within three years, the church was holding two Sunday worship celebrations at the Roxy and renting additional space for classrooms in several Main Street storefronts.

In 1996 the congregation opened an office across the street from the Roxy. The church was re-named Summit Evangelical Free Church of Alta in 1997, in recognition of Alta's status as the highest town in Iowa. The Lighthouse Youth Center was opened in 1998 as a place for kids to gather and grow in their faith.

Thankful for their steady growth and committed to their purpose of helping more people find a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, Summit Church took their greatest step of faith in the Spring of 2001. Construction of a 22,500 square foot ministry facility began at 1000 Main Street, on 12 acres of land purchased in 1997. The $2.2 million project was completed a year later, and the first worship celebration held on April 21, 2002.

Sunday morning worship attendance currently averages more than 450 people, with one-third coming from Alta, one-third from Storm Lake, and one-third from 20 other communities within a 40-mile radius of Alta. A heart-felt contemporary worship format, Bible-based preaching, a dynamic youth ministry, and a friendly atmosphere have often been noted as key ingredients in the rapid growth of Summit Church.

Since 1995, leadership has been provided by Senior Pastor Doug Corlew, with Youth Pastor Kevin Mahr directing the ministries to students from 1998 through June 2005 when he transitioned to Associate Pastor of Outreach. Associate Pastor Mike Scolare served from 2001-2002. Grant Mangold, Associate Pastor of Discipleship, joined the staff in 2003. Chad Johnson served the role of Associate Pastor of Student Ministries from June 2005 to July 2006. Pastor Dan Boeck joined the Summit staff as the Associate Pastor of Student Ministries in November of 2007.

As we celebrate history and look with anticipation to the future, Summit Evangelical Free Church shares the excitement about what lies ahead, having experienced first hand that with God, "All Things Are Possible!"

©2009 Summit Evangelical Free Church, Alta, Iowa - All Rights Reserved.