Lutheran Church Planned For Indian Trail Area

Prince of Peace Lutheran church plans to build a $2 million sanctuary in Pacific Park to take advantage of rapid Indian Trail development.

With hundreds of new homes and apartments planned for Indian Trail, pastor John Voswig thinks the new site will position Prince of Peace to take advantage of “diaper land.”

The congregation plans to build a church big enough for 450, far bigger than the current 300-person congregation.

“If we can get ourselves into a decent facility, I think we can fill the sanctuary,” said Voswig.

The church will move from its cramped site at 3909 W. Rowan by early 1998, according to Voswig.

Prince of Peace formed last year when Ascension and Calvary Lutheran churches merged. The five-acre Pacific Park site was owned by Ascension.

The consolidation has gone amazing well, Voswig said. Just 2 percent of the combined congregations left after the merger, far below the standard 10 percent dropoff, Voswig said.

The new church will be adjacent to a planned Spokane School District elementary school in Pacific Park. The church and school district have agreed to share a parking lot, Voswig said.

The church will sell its current facility late this year or in early 1997 to finance construction. The congregation may have to rent space for a year.

“We may be the church in the wilderness while it’s being built,” Voswig said.

, DataTimes