Praise in the Park

In the late 1870s, settlers in the Oakwood area sought a place for worship and prayer meetings, and Lake Oakwood served for baptisms and tent-covered services until churches were built as time and finances allowed. The Preston Christian Church, three miles north, led by Pastor A. R. Larson and supported by the Stone, Loomis, Fish, Overocker, Cotton, Appel, Goodfellow, Kinney, Shalley, Bonhoff, and James families, dedicated its first building debt-free in November 1914 at a cost of $1,900. The church has held regular Sunday worship services since 1939, and in 1992 the congregation began its outreach ministry of "Praise in the Park" Sunday services at Oakwood Lakes State Park, held every Sunday from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

South Dakota · United States