La Croix Church celebrates 35 years with bands, bubbles, baptisms

The congregation of La Croix Church in Cape Girardeau celebrated its 35th anniversary Sunday, Oct. 1.

Senior Pastor Ron Watts, during his sermon Sunday morning, talked about how La Croix first began. He said he and his wife, Linda, moved from St. Louis to Cape Girardeau in 1998 to start a new church.

"We put out an ad in the Southeast Missourian asking for help from anyone interested in helping us start La Croix," Watt's said. "Eight people responded."

Those eight people, plus Watts and his wife, set up a phone bank in the basement of Grace Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau. He said they called around 36,000 phone numbers.

"This was in the days of land lines in every home, before cellphones and caller ID, so about half the people we called actually answered the phone," Watts said.

Elisama Isalgue is baptized by Senior Pastor Ron Watts during La Croix Church's 35th anniversary celebration Sunday, Oct. 1, at Cape Girardeau County Park North.Danny Walter

Elisama Isalgue is baptized by Senior Pastor Ron Watts during La Croix Church's 35th anniversary celebration Sunday, Oct. 1, at Cape Girardeau County Park North.Danny Walter

From that effort, Watts said 210 people were at the first Sunday on Oct. 2, 1988, held in the Wehrenberg movie theater at West Park Mall, and they averaged about 118 people every Sunday for the first year.

Thirty-five years later, the church has grown exponentially and holds two services at two locations — the main campus at 3102 Lexington Ave. in Cape Girardeau and at 162 E. Missouri St. in Benton, Missouri. They also broadcast services live online at www.lacroixchurch.org.

Church members continued their 35th anniversary celebration Sunday evening during La Croix's annual Sunday at the Park event at Cape Girardeau County Park North.

Watts said they have been hosting the event for the last seven years, not only for their members but the Cape Girardeau community was invited as well. There was a stage with a band playing classic soul music as well as worship songs. There were also food trucks, a bouncy-slide and a giant bubble cannon that drew flocks of children to dance and play in a huge blob of soapy bubbles.

As the sun was setting Sunday evening, Watts and his fellow La Croix ministers baptized 35 people in two stainless steel water troughs. Watts said that in previous years they would wade out into the park's pond for baptisms, but the water was too low this year.

Brett Cheek, Spiritual Formation and Teaching pastor, baptized several people Sunday and said, in 35 years, La Croix has become multigenerational, and that day they were baptizing the children and grandchildren of some of La Croix's first generation of members.

Cheek said he has been at La Croix for 15 years and has seen the church grow in many ways.

"We try to learn from each generation, what they bring to the table, and remember what they have to offer is important," Cheek said. "A church, like a person, goes through a life cycle and has to figure out where they need to grow and focus on that."

Watts said, to him it seemed like yesterday that La Croix began and that it's been a "great journey." He said his hope for La Croix's next 35 years is for the church to stay true to the vision and mission God gave them.

"We are all about making disciples, inviting people who may not feel part of the church to come and follow Jesus," Watts said. "I hope La Croix will always have the same posture of openness and receptivity to people."