Our Story

"Hosanna Church is a fellowship of people called together
by God's Holy Spirit. We confess Jesus Christ is Lord."

—Excerpt of the Living Charter of Hosanna! Lutheran Church, Written in 1980
Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power.
—Psalm 145: 4 (NLT)
Hosanna Church was founded in 1980 by a spry young pastor named Bill Bohline. He knocked on doors and invited a few families to join him in starting a vibrant, Jesus-centered, Bible-based, mission-minded, Lutheran church in the south metro. The new church would be called “Hosanna!”- a word of praise- that ignited the early members to worship God with joy and thanksgiving. Those faithful few could never have imagined what God would do…

Hosanna experienced rapid growth as the community transformed from cornfields to suburban homes. Hosanna’s reputation in the community also grew as a place of solid biblical teaching, vibrant worship, faithful prayer, and meaningful community engagement. Hosanna also expanded its heart to support local and global ministry partners primarily in Ethiopia, India, and Haiti. 
The Shakopee campus was “birthed” in 2014, and grew to house Hosanna’s expansive HEART Ministry and Heartland Outlet.
In 2015, Pastor Bill announced his retirement and the passing of the torch to Pastor Ryan Alexander who hailed from Seattle, WA. Under Ryan’s leadership, Hosanna has continued and expanded its legacy to be a church that humbly and boldly looks more like Jesus, including the addition of two new campuses. The Rosemount and Northfield campuses joined the Hosanna family by “adoption” in 2019, and their rich and faithful histories have been enfolded to make us more complete. Hosanna’s online congregation also continues to grow, with faithful worshipers dispersed across the state and nation.

We believe and celebrate that every person and family who calls Hosanna their church home is helping to write the ongoing story of God’s goodness and faithfulness to and through Hosanna Church. We believe The Lord led you here. Welcome home.

The History of Hosanna

JANUARY 1980
Founding Pastor Bill Bohline knocked on 1,200 doors to start a new church south of the river

MARCH 1980
First worship services were held at Orchard Lake Elementary with 275 people.
JUNE 1980
Worship services moved to Buck Hill Ski Chalet.

NOVEMBER 1980
Congregation officially organized with 180 members
SEPTEMBER 1982
New Christina Huddleston Elementary Commons became Hosanna’s new worship site

MAY 1984
First worship service in the new church at 15601 Maple Island Road in Burnsville
DECEMBER 1987
Building addition completed with a new sanctuary and education wing
JUNE 1992
Purchased 22 acres at 162nd and Ipava in Lakeville
APRIL 1996
Groundbreaking at new Lakeville site

OCTOBER 1996
Congregation moved into a beautiful 31,000 square foot building

OCTOBER 1997
Purchased the 33-acre “pumpkin patch” adjacent to our existing site

DECEMBER 1997
First year of Christmas Concerts

OCTOBER 1998
Grand opening of our 24,000 square foot Youth Activity Center
OCTOBER 2003
Community of Hope purchased land

JANUARY 2004
First service as Rejoice! in Northfield

JUNE 2004
Community of Hope began building construction
NOVEMBER 2000
20 years of ministry

FEBRUARY 2002
Funded church plant for Community of Hope Rosemount (1 of 4 churches to support COH)

OCTOBER 2002
Rejoice! received church plant funds from Hosanna! Church

MARCH 2003
First services in the new 26,000 square foot Worship Center
FEBRUARY 2005
Community of Hope’s first Worship service in new building

NOVEMBER 2005
25 years of ministry
JANUARY 2010
Current Rejoice! purchased Holy Cross site south of Northfield in Dundas

OCTOBER 2010
Hosanna separated from ELCA

NOVEMBER 2010
30 years of ministry

APRIL 2012
Rejoice! had first service in new worship center

JUNE 2012
HEART Ministry started
OCTOBER 2012
The Fountains Senior Living opened

MAY 2013
Lakeville Chapel opened

SEPTEMBER 2013
Lakeville Columbarium opened

MARCH 2014
Shakopee Campus opened

2013
First HEART Trip
2015
HEART Warehouse in operation at Shakopee Campus
OCTOBER 2015
Pastor Ryan Alexander installed as the new Lead Pastor

NOVEMBER 2015
Founding Pastor Bill Bohline’s last weekend preaching as Lead Pastor

SEPTEMBER 2017
Community of Hope completed building upgrade

JANUARY 2019
Northfield Campus Adoption

JANUARY 2019
Hosanna Church Rebrand

JULY 2019
Heartland Outlet opens
JULY 2019
Rosemount Campus Adoption

AUGUST 2019
Shakopee land sale to Taco Bell
SEPTEMBER 2020
Hope Fieldhouse opened

NOVEMBER 2020
Hosanna turned 40