What's in a name?

How did Ironridge Church get its name?

That’s a great question! In the process of coming up with just the right name, we turned down a lot of, well, bad ones. When we started Ironridge, we had a group of 10 people who formed the “Launch Team.” This group of people was responsible for starting the church.

One night in a group meeting, we re-visited the question, “What will we call this new church?” We had tried, on several previous occasions, to come up with a name worthy of all the work we were putting into the start of this new church. We mulled over such names as Epiphany, Level Ground, Level Edge, Epic, Excel, The Journey, Crosswinds, Crossroads, Foothills, The Answer, The Question, The Problem, Heartland, The Road, Traveler’s Road, Reflective Glory, Common Ground, Groundwork, Way of Life, New Way, and on and on and on. Some of the names were creative, some crazy, others were weird, but a few were just down right nauseating! Then, in a moment of inspiration, we went to the internet and hit a source of knowledge greater than the man behind the screen in The Wizard of Oz. Google. Yep, we Googled Waukon and we discovered that it was started around the iron mine that was just north of town. After finding out that bit of information, a verse came to mind. Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." This was how Ironridge Church came to life!

The name fit and carried the strong image of what a church could be if it was built on Christ. There was the name and the soul was added in a Michael W. Smith song called Live the life. The chorus of this song says:

For the world to know the truth

There can be no greater proof

Than to live the life, live the life

There’s no love that’s quite as pure

There’s no pain we can’t endure

If we live the life, live the life

Be a light for all to see

For every act of love will set you free.

Although that was three years ago, I feel we are just getting started. God is inviting us all along on an incredible journey. One that will result in change we never thought possible. One he says will bring us unspeakable joy. I am excited to be a part of it with you.

Welcome to Ironridge. Welcome home!

Marlan