Living Hope Lutheran Church and School expanding

Shakopee Valley News

For 15 years, parishioners of Living Hope Lutheran Church have been worshipping in what they refer to as a "sancti-nasium."

It's a regular gymnasium, with a platform and chairs set up when there's a service.

With an upcoming expansion, worshippers will get to attend services in a regular sanctuary and there will be an addition to the existing Lutheran school on the site.

"We want to have an inviting atmosphere so that we can warmly invite the neighbors to worship with us and join us," Pastor Scott Spaulding said.

The school currently has two sites — in the Shakopee location, with grades preschool through fourth grade — and in Bloomington, with grades preschool through eighth grade.

Students generally move to Bloomington after they are done with fourth grade in Shakopee.

The expansion will help accommodate a growing Shakopee, Spaulding said.

"We want to be able to grow with the community, with all the new expansion that's going on," Spaulding said. "This is just fulfilling a plan we've had, dating back to 2002."

The church will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Sunday, during the worship service at 10 a.m. with a cake reception afterward.

The expansion is slated to be finished by Easter, Spaulding said.