Lift

The Lift Story

Lift’s first "service" was Sunday night, September 9, 2004 in the apartment of Corey and Tanya Best, an American/Swiss family who had recently moved to Switzerland to be "tent-making" church planters of Lift. Ken & Kristin Eales, a South African couple, were also present that first evening along with four other adults and 5 kids. In January 2005 the "Lift Nights" were moved down by the Lake of Zug to the meeting room upstairs at Vorstadt 30. From the beginning, whether 15, 20 or only 7 people, Lift faithfully came together to worship God and open the Bible to learn from His Word. Stami (Evangelische Stadtmission Zug) a German speaking church across town was and is a great support church of Lift. By October 2005, the lower room was renovated at Vorstadt and Lift continued with Sunday night services now including kids teaching time (upstairs) during the message. The Ladies ministry had already begun having mid-week studies and a great 1st ever men’s retreat that October was vital in men (A-Men) being challenged to love and lead their families in faith and their own studies launched shortly thereafter. Missions (especially 3rd world) are important to Lift, even from the beginning, as we look to be a blessing to the Lord’s Kingdom, in and outside of Switzerland as well.

A few partnerships formed as Lift began to pray for and support ministries in Africa, India and Belize which we are still journeying with today. In the summer of 2006, Lift moved to morning worship service times at 10:00 am which quickly proved to be the right move in Lift’s identity as a new "church" in Zug and not just a "small group". Although from the beginning we had always seen ourselves as a church, we had previously been intentional to use the terms Lift Nights as part of Lift Ministries. From the summer of 2006 when changing to morning services we boldly proclaimed to our community that we were Lift- The International Church of Zug. Our prayer then and now is that we will be known as a place where Jesus and the Bible are still changing lives in a relevant way! Our Kids ministry got a boost in September of 2006 as CLUB Lift, a monthly kid ministry with games, Scripture and teaching began alongside the weekly "Sunday School" that continued each Sunday morning as well. By 2007 facilities became an issue as Lift was outgrowing Vorstadt and a great bridge into the community was formed as the Protestant Church of Zug allowed Lift to meet the first Sundays of each month in their Kirchgemeindehaus (Community Room). Late in 2007 the first broader leadership was formed, the Servant Leadership of Lift (Elders/Deacons), and by the Spring of 2008 Lift had officially been established as an independent "Verein" in Zug. Other highlights of 2008 were a second great year of Club Lift, the 1st ever ladies retreat in May, a men’s retreat in September and a couples study. The most recent blessing in Lift’s story is God’s recent provision of a full time "home" to rent for our church at Ibelweg 18! The future looks good… we read the end of the Book!