120 years strong
Edina Morningside Community Church began as a Sunday school effort in Morningside in 1888, and celebrated its 100th anniversary of faith and fellowship in 2002. We have been in our present location, in the northeast corner of Edina and the heart of Morningside, since 1922. At that time Morningside was a separate community, and rejoined Edina in 1966. We are the oldest Protestant church in Edina, and we have the oldest continuously running preschool in Minnesota.
Evolving membership
As the Morningside neighborhood has changed and developed, and then redeveloped over the years, EMC has changed too. We have evolved from a “neighborhood church” to a “church in a neighborhood.” Today about a quarter of our member households remain within walking distance, and well over a third live outside Edina or St. Louis Park.
An intergenerational community
From our founding, the church has cared about serving and including all ages in the Christian life. Our congregation is still blessed w
ith a wide range of ages. As the Morningside neighborhood has aged and young families have become empty nesters, we have seen a reduction of school-aged children. However, we continue to serve children and youth through our Preschool and Theatre programs, and we continue to have a vibrant Christian Education program. About a third of our current families have children at home, and about a third are retired. We see expanding participation among retirees, who devote their efforts to the church and neighborhood through a variety of service efforts.