The History of Hillcrest
Our start in 1945, as Northside Baptist Church
On January 12, 1945, 12 people gathered in the home of Rev. William Grant to start a new church they decided to call Northside Baptist Church. Rev. Grant wrote down for us, the reason for this group starting a church, and he offered it as a prayer for the future generations, “We sincerely pray that the Northside Baptist Church shall ever be true and faithful to her Lord, and shall ever proclaim to a lost and needy world the pure gospel of Christ.” Sunday, January 14th, the first service was held in a garage on North Minnesota Avenue. Two weeks later, they moved across the street to a better garage. Just one week later, on Feb 1, 1945, the group met to purchase two lots at Spring and Brookings to build a basement church of 30X30 with dreams of making it 30X60. They scrimped and saved and had to take out a loan for $980 dollars. They still didn’t have enough so Pastor Grant sold his car to buy building materials. They still could not finish the project so they only built three walls and a roof and used a tarp for the fourth wall until they could afford the last wall. In just two short months, Northside Baptist Church held their first service in the partially completed basement on April 1, 1945, Easter Sunday, with an attendance of 14 people. It downpoured the night before and when they got to church, they had to bail out the water with buckets before services could begin. It was less than desirable but it was theirs! |
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Trials
Our history is filled with challenges. Some of them seemed insurmountable but through prayer, faith and hard work, they persevered and we are the benefactors of it today.
Our history is filled with challenges. Some of them seemed insurmountable but through prayer, faith and hard work, they persevered and we are the benefactors of it today.
- While digging in June, two men got buried up to their chests in a trench that was to hold the water line and Ray Handel was there to keep the sand from covering their heads until the fire department could arrive to rescue the men.
- As the basement was completed, termites immediately began eating the new wood. As a result, metal frames were put in their place.
- As construction of the upper section was completed, a rain in 1959 collapsed the new Fellowship Hall walls.
- Pews were made from raw 1X12 boards.
- The church was under constant construction from expanding its facilities for 24 years
Need for even more space
Through the trials, the church grew. Will Dean was the first person to come to Christ through the ministry and over a thousand people have come to Christ since then. By 1971, space was a problem, attendance had grown to 120, and the church started talking about relocating. 10 years later, a new building was built and you’re sitting in it today. Since it was no longer on the Northside of town, a name change was needed and suggestions were submitted with four names coming before the church for a vote: Stoney Hollow, Morningside, Hillcrest and Melanie Lane...Stoney Hollow Baptist won the vote but a month later they came back together for a revote and Hillcrest got the majority of votes. The proposed cost for Hillcrest was $290,000 but it actually cost $343,500! The first service was May 17, 1981. |
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The Family Life Center (FLC)
Nine years later space became a problem again. A building committee was organized and in 1993, 211 Hillcrest members approved the new FLC, which included a gym, new kitchen, and classrooms on two stories. In June 1993, Hillcrest launched a capitol campaign and had $143,000 committed over three years. That August the building was started and on Sept 11, 1994 the FLC was dedicated. |
Hillcrest is in no way the fanciest church in Sioux Falls or the coolest or the most up and coming. Our building is old but it’s ours. As a result of the 73 years of faithfulness we are 100% debt free and the moneys given here can go directly to ministry and reaching a lost world that is in desperate need of the hope that can be found in Jesus. Together we continue with great care, the ministry that has been deeply sacrificed for and wept for. Each and every week we proclaim the truth, worship our savior and serve our community in the hope that through the power of the Holy Spirit, we will reach a lost generation with the only real truth there is. We have been handed a gift that was secured with the sacrifice of Christ and with the Body of Christ.
God has used those humble beginnings to create our humble future. We have grown from 10 to 300+!
God has used those humble beginnings to create our humble future. We have grown from 10 to 300+!
Copyright © 2022 . Hillcrest Church . 4301 E. 26th St., Sioux Falls, SD 57103 . 605-371-0546 . hillcrest@siouxfallschurch.com