History
Spirit of Life Presbyterian Church, located at 14401 Pilot Knob Road in Apple Valley, Minnesota, was officially chartered by the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area (PTCA) at an outdoor worship service in September 1996. But, the history of this faith community started a few years earlier, when the Presbytery discerned a need for a new church development in Dakota County. A search was initiated for an appropriate property. The site at 14401 Pilot Knob Road had been used as a church by another denomination, prior to being put on the market. With its existing building, paved parking lot, and large tract of land, the PTCA felt this was an ideal property, in an ideal neighborhood, to develop a new Presbyterian Church. It was purchased. An organizing pastor was hired, a steering committee was formed, and promotional and marketing processes were set in motion to pull together the nucleus of this emerging faith community. Its first worship service occurred in November 1995, with a standing-room only gathering of over 200 people. For the next 10 months, the charter members, with their organizing pastor, worshipped together, created an organizational structure, and prayed to discern God’s will for the name and mission statement for this new faith community – culminating in its charter as Spirit of Life Presbyterian Church in September 1996. In September 2006, we celebrated our 10 year anniversary with a pig roast, and fun and fellowship activities for all ages.
In its short history, Spirit of Life has had only two long-term pastors: the organizing pastor, and his successor. Our ministry has been assisted on its journey by associate pastors and youth directors, and various pulpit-supply pastors. Spirit of Life has also been blessed over the years to have a succession of gifted music directors. In October 2010, we welcomed Rev. Gene Orr to provide interim pastoral direction, as we begin our search for our third long-term pastor.