Original artist's conception of SummerwoodEarly grounds preparationPouring concrete for the apron area in front of what will be the stageInstalling trees.Building the stage roof.22,000 holes had to be drilled in the metal channels that would hold the 3,500 seats.Painting metal channels that will hold seats.Volunteer crewVolunteer crewYouth volunteer crewAdolf Sjostrom made and donated the Summerwood sign.Preparing for seat installation while the sound and light control room gets built in the back.Attaching seats. That's Associate Pastor Tim Dahlin on the right.Reuben Aldeen (left) with architect Earl Parlee.Summer Wood's first concert, June 8, 1980: Norma Zimmer from The Lawrence Welk ShowJune 22, 1980. At the dedication service, Reuben Aldeen presents the Summerwood keys to Church Chairman Paul Kingstrom.
As we anticipate the first of several outdoor worship services at Summerwood, let’s also take a look back 44 years and the first year First Free Rockford was located on our current site at Spring Creek and Mulford Roads. Ruben and Astrid Aldeen Keith and Karen...
Back in the 1970s and ’80s, First Free was launching a new Adult Community every five years. It was a way for newly married couples to find Christian friends and a sense of belonging. One of those communities was Agape, which started in 1973 with six couples: Tom and...
Pastor John Crocker, who served First Free Rockford as our senior pastor from 1992-2007, went to be with the Lord on May 31. He was 78. John was born in South Africa on Jan. 31, 1945, to English parents. The family moved to Canada in his teen years, and then John came...
My wife and I will be decorating eggs this week with our grandkids, using virtually the same method my parents and grandparents used. The smell of vinegar immediately takes me back to my childhood, dyeing hard-boiled eggs with those cheap Paas kits. Even today, you...
When First Free Rockford’s current building was constructed in 1980, architect Walter C. Carlson wanted to evoke our church’s Swedish heritage. Some of the most visible examples are the Chapel’s stained-glass windows. The windows were created by Indiana artist Richard...
On Oct. 31, 1517, in Wittenburg, Germany, an angry monk posted a long list of objections to teachings and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. Whether Martin Luther actually nailed those 95 Theses to the church door is open to debate, but his action launched the...
