CLC Flood 2024-2025
recovery and rededication
REDEDICATION OF CLC LOWER LEVEL & SHOWING GRATITUDE
As Christians, we are people of new life! This is true for Canton Lutheran Church (CLC), as we look to the future while recovering from the flood of June 2024.
On Sunday, September 28, we gathered for a festive worship service and delicious meal as we rededicated the CLC basement Fellowship Hall and lower level. Bishop Constanze Hagmaier, from the South Dakota Synod (ELCA), served as our guest preacher, and Zaya Gilmer from ELCA Lutheran Disaster Response joined as honored guest.
We give thanks for the many CLC people, congregations, and wider church who have supported CLC. What a delight to worship together, then share a meal in the freshly invigorated lower level, giving thanks to God for the ways God continues to guide us through storm, rain, and water and into new life.
Flood waters do not only define us. Baptismal waters define us, in God’s unending grace.
STORY OF THE CLC FLOOD
In June 2024 CLC had concluded an amazing week of Vacation Bible School for our children, partnering with our neighbors from Grand Valley Lutheran Church. And then the rain began to fall…and it did not stop for days… 18+ inches of rain fell on the Canton area in a 48 hour span.
Many parts of southeast South Dakota and northwest Iowa were devastated by flooding, including Canton and the surrounding rural area. This flood significantly damaged the lower level of the CLC building, including our main fellowship hall, main kitchen, and mechanical room. CLC has supported generation upon generation, all who consider this space and community sacred. This beautiful space serves as one instrument of God’s work in our community and world. This resilient group of faithful folk has survived and thrived beyond multiple challenges, including a major flood 10 years ago in the summer of 2014, ever buoyed by Christ’s love. We know that God remains with us in the flood and post-flood!
We are grateful for God’s presence in the form of our steadfast ministry partners. In particular the South Dakota Synod (ELCA regional office) and ELCA Disaster Response have been monumentally supportive! Love INC (Canton area church non-profit) and many regional ELCA congregations have shown hands of grace as well.
And physical building progress is being made: Through the strong effort and leadership of the CLC Building Committee electrical work is almost complete in the lower fellowship hall, framing work continues, new radiators for the lower level have been installed and the heating system is soon back online. Thanks to faithful leadership of members and staff we our building avoided greater crisis
OUR CONTINUED WORK:
-A significant grant was received from ELCA Disaster Relief, through the work of the SD Synod
-New radiators were installed in late fall 2024
-Electrical was redone in the lower fellowship hall
-CLC Visioning Task Force (formed by CLC Executive Council) held listening sessions, met with a church building consultant, convened a group of Canton community leaders, and listened carefully to congregational members
-CLC Visioning Task Force proposed recommendations to congregation, inviting people to forum in May 2025
-Drywall, mudding, taping, and texture is complete! Kitchen serving counter lowered to accessible height.
-Painting is complete
-New doors are installed
-Floor surfacing cleaned and resealed
We continue to listen for God’s dream in our congregation. We experience God’s love and care through our resilient members, supportive community, and broader church!
WE BIKED TO WORSHIP
On a Sunday in October 2024 a number of folk biked from Sioux Falls to CLC for worship.
25+ other bikers of all ages joined the ride at The Canton Barn and biked into town as a fun and active way of supporting CLC’s flood recovery and engaging in the Canton community. God continues to guide our historic, 156-year-old congregation (original building cornerstone 1908) into the next chapter of ministry and mission in our community and beyond.
Thank you for your support and prayers. Thank you especially to Spoke & Sport Bikes (loaning a bike to Pastor Jon), The Canton Barn (using their parking lot), Chief Leegard from the Canton Police, Parker from Dakota News Now for the 2 featured TV stories, the bikers (Melinda, Kari, Brendan) and drivers (Brent, Kasen, Dave), those who biked into town, and the many who donated to the cause. God is guiding us!
Between the GoFundMe page and other donations, CLC raised almost $12,000. Thank you for your generosity!
Join us again for this year’s “Bike to Worship” on Sunday, Oct. 5th.
