Chetek Lutheran celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary in 1908. Still  a Scandinavian church -- really, a Norwegian church -- in a Norwegian community, neither the congregation nor anyone else could have expected the changes which were awaiting them. Over the next three decades change seemed almost the rule. English replaced Norse at the home and in church. Members began to think of themselves as Americans first -- and as descendants of immigrants second. In 1922, the congregation decided to conduct half of its services in Norse and half in English. By 1930, when Pastor Lund (pictured at right) had retired, regular preaching in Norse was a thing of the past.

In 1917 an event of great significance in the life of Chetek Lutheran     occurred, when the congregation voted to join the new Norwegian Lutheran Church of America (after 1946, the Evangelical Lutheran Church). The N.L.C.A., which would become a part of The American Lutheran Church in 1960, was the result of the merger of the three largest pre-1917 Norwegian synods in the United States, and represented a breakthrough in the cause of Lutheran unity in this country. The merger eliminated many of the barriers that had existed among the Norwegian-Americans, and encouraged Norwegian and other Lutherans not simply to discuss the Gospel among themselves, but to proclaim it to the the entire country. (Chetek Lutheran had joined the Norwegian-Danish Conference when the congregation was organized; in 1890, with the rest of the Conference, the congregation joined the United Norwegian Lutheran Church in America.)

In the early 1920's a severe depression settled over the American farm economy and in 1930 that depression grew to include the entire nation. In the midst of these difficult times, in 1934, only a year after the congregation had celebrated its Golden Jubilee, Chetek Lutheran lost its church building to fire.

The fire broke out on April 25, 1934. On any other day, it might have been contained, but on that particular spring day, the city of Chetek had decided to repair its water tower. The day was hot, the fire department ill-equipped, and when the water was turned on, there was no pressure.

For the next four years services were held in what was called the basement church. Only in 1938 was a brick sanctuary, part of the present structure, completed. It was consecrated on May 7, 1939. Completion of the new building (pictured at left), today comprises the eastern half of the sanctuary. It was in large part financed by the work of the women of the congregation. Through many church suppers and other money-raising activities, the Ladies Aid accumulated funds in those days when a dollar may well have been worth a dollar, but when a dollar was difficult to get in the first place.