(Note: the blue horizontal menu bar directly above lists the subsections of the "Introduction." Be sure to read each of these subsections before moving on to the next primary section, "Getting Started.")

Introduction

Why, out of all of the things that individuals and congregations might do, do they choose to write their local church histories? A number of answers come to mind.

Just as there are certain moments in our individual lives that encourage us to stop and think—moments such as birthdays, New Year's Eve, and wedding anniversaries—so congregations have milestones. Most obvious are anniversaries of special events. Founders' Day, anniversaries of ordinations, or moving into a new building provide gentle prods to remember.

Major milestones like a centennial anniversary call for more recognition. They remind us of the accumulation of stories, events, and lives that make a congregation what it is. They push us to think about what the next 100 years will be like, and they send us back into our past in order to understand better who we are and what has happened to us.

Midwest church, early 1900s