The congregation of Riverside’s Eden Lutheran Church plans a service Sept. 24 to celebrate the church’s 135th anniversary.
Before that, the church will be open for Riverside’s Doors Open event Saturday, Sept. 9, and church members will participate in a God’s Work, Our Hands event Sunday, Sept. 10.
Eden Lutheran Church was formed in 1888 by Swedish immigrants who, after crossing the desert, thought the Riverside area was like a Garden of Eden and so named the church Eden, according to a news release.
The current building was designed by a member of the church and was built in 1952. The gothic-style building has a Thorvaldsen statue of Christ above the altar.
During the Doors Open event, the building will be one of more than 20 historic sites in Riverside open to the public. The church will be open 2-4:30 p.m.
For the God’s Work, Our Hands service project on Sept. 10, church members will help at Luther Glen Farm in Oak Glen, a Lutheran camp that needs work following the rains from the recent tropical storm.
The church also plans a Taize worship service at 7 p.m. Sept.11, open to the community. The Taize worship service, which originated in Taize, France, is a contemplative, candlelit service with meditative music, readings and silence.
Bishop Dave Nagler of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Pacifica Synod, will preach at the church’s Sept. 24 anniversary service, which will be followed by a celebratory event in the fellowship hall.
Eden Lutheran Church is at 4725 Brockton Ave. Sunday services are at 10 a.m.
For information, go to edenlutheran.org or call 951-684-3336.
