Sunday marks the day of a bittersweet event. Pastor Chris Holck will preach his last sermon as pastor of the Faith Evangelical Free Church in Austin.

Holck, his wife Kathy and children, Brent, Josh and Laura, moved to Austin in June 1991 with the purpose to serve a small congregation, consisting of just eight families.

"We have seen lot of changes and growth here," Holck said. "The joke is that they (the congregation) created a search committee to come and interview me. When I met the search committee, I didn't realize that they were the entire church. I thought they were samples of the church!"

Wearing a humble smile, Holck relates that in his wildest dreams he did not expect the impact his work and leadership would have on this church. The congregation outgrew the building, forcing them to think bigger. As a result, in February of this year, the congregation moved to their brand new facility right across the street from of the original church on 12th Street SW.

"We've grown a lot even since we moved into the new building," Holck said. "New families came and it keeps growing." He added that the average number of worshippers each Sunday is around 450, and the membership number has grown to 600 or more.

Does a new building mean that much to the growth of a church? According to Pastor Holck, the old saying, "If you build it, they will come," does not always ring true.

"In this case, our ministries were in place to have programs for children and teens. If you have the right kind of ministries, I think it's true -- they'll come," he said.

In addition to Sunday preaching, those ministries include youth programs such as Sunday school, AWANA clubs, and a teen music group used in worship. Holck believes that a thriving church must help build solid family ties and healthy marriages. This has been accomplished at the church with the assistance of two full-time pastors, one part-time worship director and an administrator assistant -- all trained for leadership in family ministry. The church offers a mixture of contemporary and traditional style in worship, thus attracting both younger and older people.

Building a new worship facility and paving a parking lot are not the only changes that have taken place since the Holcks joined the Austin church family. Many new families have been added and many lives have changed for the better.

The bond with supportive Christians and the positive peer interaction within the youth programs were bound to boost the integrity and virtue in having family and friends with Christian values.

"That's the business I am in -- to help people change. I'm the primary preacher, but there is much lay involvement; without it, many of the programs could not exist. We have a saying here: 'On this ship there are no passengers, only crew,'" Holck said, meaning that they need and want everyone involved.

The Holck family's involvement did not stay within the church walls. Kathy has been working in the Early Childhood-Family Education program of the Austin school district, the children have been involved in the school music and athletic programs, and Holck himself has been part of the Austin Rotary Club.

"Austin has been very good to us," Holck admits, smiling. "I can't help but thank God for His work in it. He has sent families, He has motivated people, He has changed lives. He brought many people to us that are quite different now from when they first came."

Holck also wants to thank Austin for being so helpful and influential in raising his family, and for being so good to allow them to be accepted into a new ministry. After following God's calling to minister in South Minneapolis and then Austin, they are now answering the next one, which is in Spirit Lake, Iowa -- not too far from Holck's childhood stomping grounds. His next church, also a Evangelical Free Church, is larger in structure, but has a smaller congregation than the Austin church.

This ambitious pastor will once again have his work cut out for him and yet, by trusting God to call and inspire people to come, and trusting that the Holy Spirit will take over where Holck's abilities stop, the chances for success are unlimited.

Nini Johnson can be reached by e-mail at newsroom@austindailyherald.com