St. John's Lutheran Church was organized on June 14, 1884, with the first church service held in the kitchen of Mr. Karl Haefke. Later, this congregation met at the courthouse and then purchased the old Baptist church. During these years, a rotation of area pastors served the fledgling congregation. 

In 1903, Rev. Karl Linsenmann became pastor of St. John's. During that year the congregation purchased three lots on the corner of Grove and Gordon streets and built a schoolhouse there in 1907. Pastor Linsenmann then led the congregation to build a church building on the Grove Street site in 1909.

A Christian day school was led by the pastor two days a week. Due to a state law requiring ten consecutive half-days of attendance, and because the students needed to travel four to twelve miles to school, the school went on a thirty year hiatus.

In 1946, Mr. Herman Glawe and Mrs. Helen Stanford were brought in to run the newly reopened school. During that first year, the school had seventy-one students. During the late 1940s and early 1950s, a new church facility was designed by Alden B. Dow and built at the current location. In 1959, the voters' assembly of St. John's approved the relocation of the school from the Grove Street two-room schoolhouse to the rooms around the church on a temporary basis.

The school continued to grow and added more rooms to the building in 1963 and 1985. In 1969, the congregation initiated the preschool program, and the school took over operation of this program in 2006.

In 1979, St. John's became the first school in the Michigan District of The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod to be accredited. The school continues to be accredited by both National Lutheran School Accreditation and the Michigan Association of Non-Public Schools.

Christian Education and Day School Timeline

1895-1898  Rev. Gustav Mueller teaches children.

1900  Separating the school from the church building was approved.

1903-1913  Rev. Karl Linsenmann instructs children at St. John's two days per week. 

1903-1911  Rev. Linsemann also instructs the children of St. Michael's (Hubbard) two days per week. The children were taught half of the day in English and the other half in German. The children attended public school the other three days.

1907  One room cinder block schoolhouse built on Grove Street lot.

1913  State law was passed that children had to attend school ten consecutive half days per week. Parochial schools throughout the state were either expanded to five days or closed. Classes were held at various times on Saturday and Sunday to instruct the children.

1918  Lutherans joined other church bodies to defeat a ballot proposal to prohibit parochial schools.

1946  A second room and basement added to school building, and day school is opened.

1960  School moved to church classrooms on a trial basis

1963  Church building addition of four classrooms and an office is completed.

1984  Three new classrooms, a kitchenette, and a fellowship hall (gym) addition are completed.

2006  Operation of the preschool is taken over by the school.

2012  School growth in lower grades prompts discussion of added staff and space.