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Aitkin pastors prioritize 'backyard' ministry as congregation grows
Summary
Andrew and Victoria Jurgensen, lead and executive pastors at Aitkin Assembly of God Church, say a focus on local outreach, partnerships with the Chamber of Commerce and expanded programs helped grow their congregation from about 30–40 to roughly 175 attendees across two services.
Andrew and Victoria Jurgensen moved to Aitkin three and a half years ago and have since expanded their church’s local outreach and programming, saying their approach—centered on weekday engagement and community partnerships—helped increase regular attendance from a few dozen to roughly 175.
The Jurgensens, who lead Aitkin Assembly of God Church, told the Local Voices podcast they felt a shared sense of calling to Aitkin. Andrew Jurgensen described a vocational shift from a 20-year retail career at Walmart to pastoring after receiving a phone call about the town and discerning the move in prayer. Victoria Jurgensen said she experienced a personal moment of prayer after a ski injury that helped confirm their direction.
The couple split pastoral duties by function: Andrew said he "sets the vision" and focuses on community-facing work, while Victoria manages administrative tasks such as finances and scheduling so the church can operate day-to-day. "She's the nuts and bolts guy. I'm the hand shaker," Andrew said.
Their stated strategy emphasizes what Andrew called ‘backyard’ ministry—prioritizing local needs as the foundation for broader mission work. The pastors said they encountered a community in distress when they arrived, citing a snowmobile accident and several suicides, and that connecting with Health and Human Services, the Chamber of Commerce and local police became part of their early efforts to meet immediate needs.
The Jurgensens described notable attendance growth. "We started between 30 and 40 regular attenders," Andrew said. "We're up around about a 175 right now between two services." The church now offers two Sunday services at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., a Wednesday evening Bible study from 6 to 7 p.m., and a recurring four-week "Holy Spirit encounter" class.
Andrew also described involvement with the Chamber of Commerce’s events committee and later its board, and he said the church helped chair the community's Winter Wonderama event to expand family programming. On small groups, Andrew said the gatherings are conversational: "Let's get in the word together," he said, describing group time as a space to ask difficult questions and deepen relationships.
Victoria said she and Andrew are finishing the last step of a licensure process and expect to "walk this April," though the interview did not specify the year. The couple invited listeners to follow the church’s activities and agreed to return to the podcast for future updates.
The conversation aired on Coffee with the County as part of the Local Voices series.
