The Young People's Christian Association at Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana, began outreach work in the Wawasee, Indiana, area in 1947. For years, services were held in a local country club, and the group was known as the Lakeside Chapel Sunday School.

The Maple Grove Mennonite Church helped build a meetinghouse on the east side of Lake Wawasee that was dedicated on 17 July 1955. The Wawasee Lakeside Chapel expanded and remodeled its building in 1961.

In 1969, Harlan Steffen introduced "boat-in" services on the lake during the summer months. Other activities of the congregation included an Elder-Council for leadership, the founding of a Habitat for Humanity chapter in Kosciusko County, and the establishment of both a food pantry and a half-way house for women.

Because Wawasee Lakeside Chapel had not participated in the Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference for many years, by mutual agreement, the affiliation ended on 31 March 2021. It continued as an independent community church.

Bibliography

Author(s)	Samuel J Steiner
Date Published	August 2024

"Dedication services...." Gospel Herald 54, no. 50 (26 December 1961): 1107.

Hoover, Helene. "Wawasee Lakeside Chapel Withdrawal." Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference. 2021. Web. 28 August 2024. https://im.mennonite.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/2021-Congregational-Updates.pdf.

"Our Mennonite churches: Wawasee Lakeside Chapel." Gospel Herald 56, no. 42 (22 October 1963): 935. [with photo]

Preheim, Rich. In Pursuit of Faithfulness: Conviction, Conflict, and Compromise in Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference. Harrisonburg, Va.: Herald Press, 2016: 312.

Smucker, John R. "Wawasee Lakeside Chapel participants gather for reunion." Gospel Herald 85, no. 9 (November 2004): 6.

Wenger, John Christian. The Mennonites in Indiana and Michigan. Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 1961: 232-233.

Additional Information

Address: 10419 North Turkey Creek Road Syracuse, Indiana 46567

Telephone: 260-856-2533

Website: https://www.wawaseelakesidechapel.org/

Denominational Affiliations:

Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference (Until 2021)

Mennonite Church USA (Until 2021)

Pastoral Leaders at Wawasee Lakeside Chapel

Name	Years of Service
Visiting Students & Pastors	1947-1953
Herbert L. Yoder (1929-2021)	1953-1961
Jason S. Martin (1927-2007)	1961-1965
Harlan W. Steffen	1965-
Brad Cox	2004-

Wawasee Lakeside Chapel Membership

Year	Members
1955	4
1960	25
1970	76
1980	160
1990	188
2000	192
2007	200

Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article

Wawasee Lakeside Chapel Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church), Syracuse, Indiana, founded in 1947, is a mission church under the Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Mission Board and is located on the east side of Lake Wawasee. In 1958 it had 15 members, with Herbert L. Yoder serving as pastor.

Cite This Article

MLA style

Steiner, Samuel J. "Wawasee Lakeside Chapel (Syracause, Indiana, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. August 2024. Web. 29 Aug 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Wawasee_Lakeside_Chapel_(Syracause,_Indiana,_USA)&oldid=179540.

APA style

Steiner, Samuel J. (August 2024). Wawasee Lakeside Chapel (Syracause, Indiana, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 29 August 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Wawasee_Lakeside_Chapel_(Syracause,_Indiana,_USA)&oldid=179540.

Wawasee Lakeside Chapel (Syracause, Indiana, USA)

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