Who We Are:
We Are
We are faithful followers of Christ with the teachings and traditions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church as our guide. We were established October 31, 1909 and remain a cornerstone of the community.
Pastor
Reverend Jon Beake
Reverend Beake was born in Ritzville, Washington, raised in Lind Washington, Sweet Home Oregon, and Bend Oregon. He graduated from Pacific Lutheran University with a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree hoping to teach art courses at a university. However, he ended up at Trinity Seminary, in Columbus, Ohio after working for a year and a half as a graphic artist in Tacoma, Washington. He served his pastoral internship in Baltimore, Maryland. While he loved living on the East Coast, Jon realized that he really loves the Pacific Northwest even more. (He considers himself a “West Coast Snob”)
Reverend Beake has served congregations in Culbertson and Bainville, Montana, Jackson Hole, Wyoming and American Falls, Idaho; slowly moving west - “Go West Young Man.” He has been the spiritual leader at St John’s Lutheran Church in American Falls since 2008.
He steadfastly leads his flock into the knowledge and truth of Jesus Christ.
“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.”
Ministry
We are very active in ministering to everyone in our community. We have 12 mission partners whom we support with time, talent, and treasure. Details can be found on our Mission Page.
Our Youth Group and Scout Troup are building the next generation of citizens.
Our members feed the community through AF Daily Bread, Meals on Wheels, Pancake Supper, Willow Bay Baptist Food Bank, and SEICAA.
Our building is used for community events such as Community Meals, Blood Drives, Weddings, Funerals, Scouts, and the Holiday Bazaar.
There is no facet of this community where we aren’t honored to serve.
History
Historic Church on North Pleasant Valley Rd.
The history of St. John's Lutheran Church stretches back over a century. There were two congregations started approximately the same time by German immigrants living 20 miles apart. As Idaho opened for homesteading it drew individuals and families from the Midwest as well as people who were fleeing oppression in Russia.
On Oct 31, 1909, the Martin Luther congregation was organized in Pleasant Valley. In May 1913, the St. John's Lutheran Church was organized in American Falls, Idaho serving the immigrants in the eastern part of Power County. Martin Luther and St. John’s operated separately until February 23, 1947 when the two congregations voted unanimously to unite under the name St. John’s.
We share our blessings with the community, the church, and the world. Our missions include such things as helping build a new church in Mountain Home, Idaho; sponsoring a Vietnamese refugee family, assisting missions in New Guinea, sponsoring Boy and Girl Scout troops, providing a facility for Red Cross Blood Drives, hosting the community American Falls Daily Bread meals, supporting Luther Heights Bible Camp, our annual Bible School, and the ELCW quilt projects.
Our story is the story of family. Whether we trace our beginnings to immigrant origins, or to a more recent membership, we are still his children, brothers and sisters in Christ.
St. John’s has been richly blessed over the years, from the original 56 members and their families until today. We ask for God’s Grace to grow and prosper and we look to God to guide our future.
May we be truly grateful and humbly thankful.