In 1967, a small group of Christians started Crystal Lake Road Baptist Church in Burnsville, MN. At the time, the bustling church plant secured property on the outskirts of the small town, built a building, and purchased a single-family home for ministry use. The church grew in faith and numbers in God’s kindness, eventually expanding the original building to accommodate future growth.
However, the congregation faced numerous challenges as they sought to preserve their identity as a country church while the growing city replaced the open fields. In this struggle, CLBC faced a decline resulting in deferred maintenance and diminutive attendance. By all external metrics, CLBC became a church no longer on mission, simply seeking to exist. The small, dilapidated building nestled on a large property became dwarfed by condo units, a gas station, and the growing city of Burnsville—a prophetic depiction of the church’s plight.
In May 2018, this small assembly determined that something had to change—or the church would need to close. In God’s providence, an area church was actively seeking to help struggling churches become viable and would eventually provide substantial aid to CLBC. By September 2018, CLBC voted to receive two pastors to lead what would later be termed a church revitalization, building on the legacy and vision of the church at its best in days gone by.
God was kind to CLBC and allowed them to navigate the challenges that came with resuscitating a church. CPR sometimes bruises ribs, and CLBC felt every compression along the way. But new life was evidenced as portions of the building were updated,members were added, baptisms and weddings were celebrated, church polity was restructured, and a sense of mission was renewed. Fittingly, the church was renamed from Crystal Lake Road Baptist Church to Resurrection Church, a name that would testify to the recent work of God in the life of the assembly. More than that, the name would point back to the resurrection of Christ and forward to the great hope shared by all Christians.
On the heels of the 2020 COVID pandemic, the small congregation took a big risk as they committed to purchase and re-purpose a retail building across from the Burnsville Center Mall, rooting themselves at the center of the city and strategically positioning themselves for future ministry. After sixteen months of hard work, the church gathered for the first worship service in the new location on December 19, 2021.
We now see ourselves as a church replant, growing out of the legacy of Crystal Lake Baptist Church and rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We exist to glorify our Triune God, grow as followers of Christ, and go into our community, serving our neighbors and sharing the good news about King Jesus. Come, and join us in this mission. You will find a place where the Bible is taught, where you will be welcomed, and where you will be challenged to know, love, and live for God.