Zoar Church is Your Church!

In the Bible, the village of Zoar was a place of refuge.  Zoar Church in Tofte was founded over 100 years ago by hearty settlers who believed in the power of the Gospel and found refuge with brothers and sisters in Christ who came alongside them in times of hardship. Life was hard on the North Shore then and it’s not always so easy today.  Come experience the power of the Gospel for yourself! We are a Lutheran congregation in mission for Christ, a place of refuge, and a beacon of hope on the North Shore. We welcome you!

Zoar Church was founded over 100 years ago by settlers from Norway who believed in the power of the gospel and the authority of scripture.  Today Zoar is a member of the LCMC – Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ.  LCMC is an association of nearly 900 congregations in 15 countries.  We believe that the local congregation is where the church becomes a concrete reality for God’s people.  LCMC congregations are free in Christ; accountable to one another; rooted in the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions; and working together to fulfill Christ’s Great Commission to go and make disciples of all nations.  At Zoar, we understand ourselves to be the church of the community and, like the LCMC in general, we welcome the entire community to worship with us, regardless of your heritage.  Along with Martin Luther and other Christian men and women before and after him, we affirm the gospel of Christ crucified.

Pastor Daren Blanck began his ministry at Zoar Church in August of 2015.  He grew up in central Minnesota, worked as a guide/counselor at Wilderness Canoe Base at the end of the Gunflint Trail, and is a graduate of Bemidji State and the University of Wisconsin-Superior. His education also includes studies at Wycliffe Hall-Oxford, Calvin College, and Trinity School for Ministry.  Ministry is a second calling for him.  He spent more than 20 years in education, including in Minnesota, South Korea, and Macedonia.  Daren is currently a student of Beyond the River Academy, a ministry training program affiliated with Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ.  His family includes his wife Michelle, son Elijah and daughter Sophia.