No Matter Who: Newly-Renovated Prairie Lakes Church Hosts Open House

DECORAH -- Prairie Lakes Church invites everyone in the Decorah and the surrounding area to an open house of their newly-renovated facility. The event will be held on on May 5 from 10 a.m.-noon. Service begins at 9 a.m., followed by tours of the building, a free taco bar, Sugar Bowl ice cream and games for the whole family. Formed in Cedar Falls in 2010, Prairie Lakes Church (PLC) is a non-denominational church. Their mission has since expanded to seven campuses across the state, with locations in Fort Dodge, Grinnell, Independence, New Hampton, Osage and Decorah. According to their website, the church's mission is "to cover Iowa with churches where no matter who you are, where you've been, what you've done or what's been done to you, God loves you, and you can look for God here." Northeast Regional Campus Pastor and Interim Decorah Pastor Cory Orr looks forward to establishing their "no-matter" connection here in Winneshiek County. "Our mission is a unique one," Orr said. "We are all on a journey, and we're a church who can help you on your walk with God, no matter what." PLC initially formed their connection with Decorah in 2020, when a group of established members moved to the area and wanted to extend the church's outreach. "Part of our vision is to launch the 'no-matter' mission throughout the state," Orr said. "We see our outreach as both big and little, to reach both the state level and smaller communities. God called us to come here to Decorah." Renovations on the PLC Decorah facility concluded in December of 2023. The project was accomplished with the help of Waterloo-based Peters Construction Corp, as well as several local contractors and volunteers. "It's been fun to watch people in the community start to reach out and use the new space," Orr said. "People can come in for public space use. It could serve a purpose in community that way, beyond just for PLC services." Prairie Lakes Church looks towards the future for growth of their organization in Decorah and beyond. "We are just on the beginning side of it in Decorah, establishing roots and living it out," Orr said. "Through one invite at a time, whether it's coming to a weekend service or helping us serve the community. Or, just coming to sit and talk, we will be invitational and encourage others to do the same." PLC Decorah is actively searching for a resident pastor. Inquiries can be sent to decorah@prairielakeschurch.org. The Prairie Lakes Church website can be found here.