OUR HISTORY
How we became Bluff View Church
The building that now houses Bluff View Church was once home to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Back in 1898, the SDA Church purchased the land from the Connor Lumber Company and established a thriving community known as Bethel. Over the years, a church, school, boarding house, nursing home, and surrounding neighborhood grew and flourished together.Their original early-1900s church building served faithfully for decades until, in the 1970s, it was repurposed and replaced with the current brick building that still stands today. Eventually, however, the SDA congregation in Arpin came to a close, and the church doors were shut.
But God wasn’t finished. Behind the scenes, prayers had been rising for years — prayers for a new church to come to Arpin. And in God’s perfect timing, He opened the way. Remarkably, the very land where Bluff View Church now stands had remained under the same ownership since 1898 — until God’s plan unfolded.
We’re still inspired by the words of their former pastor, Elmer, who boldly declared:“More is not accomplished because more is not attempted.”Bluff View Church stands today as a testimony to God’s faithfulness and the power of prayer.
In 2017, Pastor Stacy noticed the original Assembly of God church building on Peach Street was up for sale after sitting empty for years — and she felt a clear call from God to purchase it. The Remus family stepped out in faith and transformed the building into a place for ecumenical prayer, teaching and worship.
From this vision, The Sozo House was born — a space where believers from different backgrounds could gather in unity to seek God’s presence. Regular evangelistic outreaches soon followed through Time to Revive, leading to new connections and open doors.
It was through these relationships that future ministry leaders began to emerge, setting the stage for what God was preparing to do next. connect for the future vision.
The Fall of 2021 brings Sean Feucht with Let Us Worship to Marshfield and it is a welcomed relief after Covid lockdowns. More deeper relationships are formed, and a desire to see God work in the lives of the lost in Central Wisconsin
In 2021, Jay Holbrook launched a food pantry in Arpin, using a small building next to the closed SDA church. He called it the Bread Barn — a place where people in need could find help and hope. As visitors came for food, many began asking the same question: “What about that church next door? Is it ever going to open again?” Sensing God might be stirring something, Jay approached his pastor, Zach from The Mill Church in Stratford, to explore the possibility.
After much prayer and encouragement from Pastor Zach, the group sensed God’s leading to step out and start a new church. But one big question remained: where would they meet? Arpin had no public school, no community center — not even a space large enough to hold a small group of people.
And then came the sign! In October of 2021, the brick SDA church building suddenly went up for sale. Remarkably, it had been 123 years since the land had last changed hands — and at the very moment a building was needed, God provided.
In November 2021, an informational meeting was held inside the not-yet-purchased church building to gauge interest in this new endeavor. The room was filled with support, excitement, and anticipation. By December, momentum was building, and the desire to launch a new church was growing stronger by the day. At a leadership meeting later that month, Pastor Andy shared the church plant guidelines, which recommended meeting just once a month for a year before officially launching. Before he could finish, Wanda Pince spoke up, flustered and wide-eyed:
“But Andy… we’ve already told our pastors we’re joining this new church — and now we don’t have anywhere to go!”
That moment captured the heart of what God was stirring: the hunger, the urgency, and the sense that this wasn’t something to wait on — it was time to move forward.
The very first service of Bluff View Church was held on January 9th, 2022 at 10:30am! A local congregation St.Johns, had graciously allowed Bluff View to have their services in their building, until the remodel of the newly purchased SDA building was complete
Meanwhile, we finalized the purchase of the former Seventh Day Adventist church and jumped straight into preparation mode. The rallying cry from Jay Holbrook quickly became, “If we want to be in by Easter, we better get off our kiesters!” What followed were eight intense weeks of nearly round-the-clock work. New flooring went down, a ministry platform and altar were built, the sound booth was constructed and wired, fresh paint brightened every corner, a new kitchen and office spaces were added, and classrooms and bathrooms received much-needed updates.
Then, Easter Sunday finally arrived — and what an incredible celebration it was in our new home! What started as a small gathering of just 40 people at our very first service at St. John’s has grown into a flourishing church family. God has been faithful, and the growth has been so steady that we’ve already had to purchase more chairs just to make room for everyone He’s bringing
January 2023 brought record-setting attendance — both adults and kids were filling every corner of the building. At times, we had more than 40 kids packed into just three small classrooms! Recognizing the growing need, the church voted at the Annual Business Meeting in February 2023 to build a new sanctuary and renovate the existing building for an expanded kids’ ministry.
Our existing property was just over two acres, and while we could make the building itself work, parking quickly became a challenge.
To complicate matters, the owner of the neighboring land had plans to develop a massive campground. In April 2023, we approached him about purchasing a couple of acres, but he told us it wasn’t part of his plan. We began seeking God’s direction, fully trusting that He had led us to expand our sanctuary for a reason. Then, just over a month later, the unexpected happened — the neighbor called and said, “I’m moving to Oregon, and I’ll sell you the entire campground and all the land you need.”
Construction officially began in September 2022 after an unexpected setback when our original general contractor backed out of the project. Instead of losing momentum, volunteers from within the congregation stepped up in a big way — committing to build the entire structure and finish it out themselves. Pastor Andy set a bold goal: “We’re going to be in by Christmas.”
Most people laughed, wondering how a group of volunteers could possibly get it all done in time. But what seemed impossible to us became another opportunity for God to show His faithfulness.
A picture from Christmas 2023!
Lord, we are humbled by our beginnings and stand in awe knowing that everything we’ve experienced is only by Your power and grace. Lives have been transformed. Many have come to know Jesus. Broken families have been restored. Marriages healed. Parents and children reconciled. Addictions surrendered. Hearts mended. Hope renewed. Through every season, God has been faithful, and His power continues to move among us.
Now, as we stand here, we pause to reflect and look ahead. We celebrate all that God has done — yet we know deep in our hearts that He’s not finished yet. God has done amazing things — but we believe the best is yet to come. We’re praying for greater impact, deeper community, and wider reach as we continue to follow where He leads.
Join us in writing the next chapter.