The first organized Protestant worship services in Lakeway were held in late 1969 in the home of Mr. & Mrs. LeRoy Deaton at 307 Comet Cove. The group grew quickly and it was decided in January 1970 to begin services in a newly-completed addition to the Lakeway Inn, using rotating ministers from the Austin Conference of Churches. A Catholic group which met in another area of the Lakeway Inn soon moved into this same room.
By 1972 these two groups were conducting regular services and made the unique decision to become an interdenominational church. They requested from the Lakeway Company a site which had been platted and designated for a church. The company changed the location several times until finally the groups received the present site in 1973 with the stipulation that a building would be built by 1975.
Ground breaking ceremonies were held December 17, 1973 and on April 6, 1975 the first church building was dedicated. This building was enlarged in 1981 to its present size. The Educational building was constructed in 1983 and it, too, was enlarged in 1988.
On June 21, 1995, at the initiative of the Catholic Congregation, the Board of Trustees approved the separation of the two congregations to begin July 1, 1995. The separation process was completed at the end of the year 2000. The Catholics relocated as the Emmaus parish and built a new church on Lohman’s Crossing Road.
Because the average attendance at the Protestant services had increased by 47% since 1995, in the spring of 1998, after lengthy planning, a capital stewardship campaign was conducted. The For His Glory campaign successfully provided pledges from the congregation to build a new 17,500 square foot Fellowship Center, the first of two phases in the long range Building Program. The new Fellowship Center provided critical space for educational class-rooms, volunteer meeting rooms, Sunday School rooms, choir room, youth room, staff offices, athletic facilities and a much-needed, enlarged Fellowship Hall. As part of this Phase One plan, additional parking space was also added. Dedication of the new Fellowship Center, for His glory, was celebrated on February 27, 2000.
An undreamed of opportunity appeared in 2002. Through the grace of God, we were presented with the unique opportunity to be able to purchase 14.9 acres adjoining the back of our property.
Due to the ever-expanding and changing demographics of our church membership, in 2001 we added a third worship service each Sunday morning—a 9:30 contemporary service, with a Praise Band leading the congregation in contemporary worship songs. A fifth expansion of the Sanctuary was completed in the summer of 2003. Removal of the wall and doors between the existing Sanctuary and old Narthex and construction of a new Narthex area, featuring a beautiful stained glass design, opened space for additional seating.
In the fall of 2006, our Sanctuary received a new look with new lighting, new carpet and a new sound system, including video projection screens for worship services and special events.
In 2008, with membership continuing to grow at a rate of approximately 14% per year, the church functions were once again outgrowing our facilities. A new capital campaign, BUILDING OUR FUTURE—Trusting God was begun. This successful campaign raised the funds required to build a new Student & Children’s Center. Construction was begun in February 2009; the building was completed and occupied in January 2010.
At the same time, a fourth worship service was added. Generation 2 Generation is a contemporary service geared toward young families and meets at 11:00 am in the Student Worship area on the second floor of the new Student & Children's Center.
As our membership continues to grow, we are looking forward to reaching out for Christ by continually expanding our facilities, programs, ministries and services.
