Our Story
How did Lake Spokane Community Church begin?
Our church began as a humble Bible study in the home of Naomi McDonald, just across the highway from where we gather today. In September of 1972, that small group built what was then called the Lake Spokane Community Church Center—later known as the Tum Tum Community Center—and officially organized as a church.
In those early years, various visiting pastors preached on Sundays, some for a few weeks, others for several months. One of the most impactful was A. Vincent Carr, who served until December 1974 when health issues led to his retirement.
In June of 1975, Bob and Ruth Silver arrived, supported by Village Missions, and became our first full-time pastoral couple. Average Sunday attendance at the time was about 25. Bob faithfully pastored our church for nearly 40 years, retiring in June 2014.
When Bob retired, Pastor Kevin Lewis—who had served as Associate Pastor for 13 years—became our Senior Pastor on July 1, 2014. He and his wife, Lynn, faithfully served our congregation until 2020, when Kevin followed God’s call into a new season of ministry. He is now serving as a Village Missions pastor at Four Lakes Community Church in Cheney, WA.
We continue to support both Kevin’s ministry and the work of Village Missions through our missions giving.
In 2021, Pastor Aloar Durheim, who served as Associate Pastor under Kevin since 2014, became our Senior Pastor and continues to shepherd the church today with wisdom and compassion.
🏠 Our Facilities
After outgrowing the original Tum Tum Community Center building, the congregation built a new, larger church next door—which is where we continue to gather for worship today. The original building was then sold and became home to the local Catholic Church, who worshiped there for many years. When they moved to their new, current location, they granted the building and property back to Lake Spokane Community Church in 2017.
Today, that building is known as the Lake Spokane Community Church Annex, and it continues to be a vital part of our outreach to the community.
The Annex now serves multiple roles:
🥫 Tum Tum Community Food Pantry – providing food to those in need
👕 Lake Spokane Clothing Closet – offering free clothing to the community
🎯 Youth Center – a safe and fun space for students to gather and grow
🤝 Village Missions
Village Missions has played a vital role in our story. When our church couldn’t afford to pay a pastor, they stepped in to help—sending Bob and Ruth Silver in 1975. We continue to support Village Missions today and are grateful for their ongoing impact in rural churches across North America. To learn more, visit villagemissions.org.