History

Currently Woodcrest Church is home for nearly 400 families, which represents over 1,000 people. Woodcrest  families come from the cities of Eagan, Inver Grove Heights, Rosemount, Apple Valley and many other Twin Cities suburbs.

Our story began as a vision of Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie. Excited to start a new church where people could be introduced to Christ, Jerry Schommer accepted the call to plant a new church in May, 1992. Woodcrest first met for launch team formation in the Community Room at Marquette Bank, adjacent to Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie. Beginning in September, 1992, pre-launch worship services were moved to Pinewood Elementary School in Eagan. The first public service (Celebration Sunday), which introduced Woodcrest to the Dakota County community, was held on October 11, 1992.

As Woodcrest began to grow, the limitations of the Pinewood Facility became more evident. The gymnasium did not provide the welcoming environment for inviting friends and neighbors, and most of the children's classes met in the school's hallways. Additionally, the effort of setting up the facilities was grueling. These issues led Woodcrest to search for improved ministry facilities.

In 1994, a lease was negotiated with Rosemount Community Center. This facility allowed Woodcrest to continue offering improved ministry opportunities. But the arduous set-up and take-down routine began to take a toll. In October of 1996, Woodcrest Church members approved the purchase of the land that is now the home of Woodcrest Church. Once again, God's leading was clearly obvious, as He removed many obstacles to the purchase and provided the means to complete the deal. In 1997, Woodcrest had its first outdoor service on its newly-purchased land.

On Sunday, December 17, 2000, the first worship service was held in our current church building. Due to the rapid growth of the Woodcrest ministries, additional offices and classroom space were built in the spring of 2002. Woodcrest attendance has tripled since we have moved into our current facility–and it continues to grow.

Jerry Schommer continues as Senior Pastor, celebrating 16 years of ministry on May 1, 2008. As you can imagine, his family has grown since those early days of planting a church, with the addition of a daughter-in-law in 2006. Currently Woodcrest is in a building program adding a Generations Wing of 15,000 square feet, which will be home to the Children's Ministry and Student Ministry. This addition will bring the facility size to 35,000 square feet. The new addition is scheduled to open around October 1st, 2008.