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Building Projects Under Way in Covenant Churches
SELAH, WA (June 7, 2004) - Selah Covenant Church, a congregation of 270, is in
the midst of a $2.3 million building project, which includes a new
sanctuary and education wing, among other things. That project is among
a number of projects under way in various local congregations of the
Evangelical Covenant Church.
Selah is awaiting final permit approval before beginning work in the
coming weeks, although architectural plans are finished, said Jim Faith,
a parishioner working on the project. National Covenant Properties will
assist with financing. The church recently purchased 7.8 acres of
property from a local school district as it continues to move forward
following an August 2001 fire that destroyed the church's annex building
(that hosted Christian Education activities) next door to the current
sanctuary.
Founded in 1908, Selah Covenant has a worship attendance of around 300
and is located in a town of 6,000 in central Washington. Following the
fire, the congregation decided to move to an area school for a time to
have both worship and Christian education classes at the same site, but
have since re-settled back into its longtime residence.
Following is a listing of current projects taking place in four of the
Covenant's 11 conferences and region, gleaned from the more than 250
local church newsletters received each month by the Department of
Communication.
ECCAK
- Wasilla, Alaska: Mat-Su Covenant Church's building addition project
is well on its way to completion as a front door and windows have been
installed and plumbing is in process. The building addition will include
a Christian education wing, youth room, classrooms and office space. It
is hoped the church can move into the first floor of the building this
fall - about 6,000 square feet of usable space. The second floor needs a
sprinkler system and additional plumbing and will probably be delayed
for a while, said associate pastor Scott Sagle. National Covenant
Properties has assisted with financing and the church has completed
fundraising drives to raise additional money. Mat-Su Covenant is located
in a town of 35,000 located about 40 miles north of Anchorage. The
church has an average attendance of more than 100 under the pastor Tom
Luchsinger.
MIDSOUTH
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Westmoore Community Church hopes to begin
its massive building project this fall, said ministry operations
director Rodney Beavers. The expansion is estimated at around 30,000
square feet and includes additions to its existing sanctuary and a new
multipurpose facility and classrooms, among other things. A capital
campaign has been ongoing, with almost $1 million pledged (over a
three-year period) in the past 12 months.
NORTH PACIFIC
- Clackamas, Oregon: Eastridge Covenant Church hopes to break ground
for a new building in July - a building permit is being sought - and
National Covenant Properties will assist the congregation with
financing, said pastor Dwain Tissel. A capital campaign has netted more
than $1 million in pledges over a three-year period. The church received
written approval from Clackamas County last fall to build a
32,665-square-foot church on 8.8 acres. The suburban Portland
congregation hopes to build a multipurpose building capable of seating
800 people for worship service, including classrooms and office space,
an outdoor amphitheater and a 268-space parking lot. Eastridge Covenant
Church was organized in 1993 and has an average worship attendance of
775, according to Tissel. The church is using a local junior high for
worship services.
- Eugene, Oregon: Valley Covenant Church voted to raise funds for a
new building project and will begin a capital campaign in September,
said pastor Stephen Bilynskyj. Three classrooms, a new office, new
parking and youth space are primary concerns for the church with its
expansion, which will be about 3,300 square feet. The expected cost of
the project is estimated at $450,000. The church hopes to break ground
next spring.
- Lakebay, Washington: Lakebay Community Church is in the midst of
obtaining a facilities use permit to get a driveway into the property,
said a church representative. The church had purchased 7.8 acres of land
for a new facility in April 2000 and the congregation has already paid
off that cost. The proposed multi-phase project would include a
sanctuary, a 6,000-square-foot youth center, office space and
classrooms. The church received $80,000 from the North Pacific
Conference. The congregation is in the third year of a five-year
matching fund drive that will ultimately add up to $100,000 of
additional funding. Chuck Wahlstrom has been the pastor of the
congregation of 140 since it became a Covenant church in 1994. The
church is located on the Puget Sound in a rural area that is part of
Pierce County.
- Pasco, Washington: Desert Springs Covenant Church has begun a
capital campaign after recently purchasing 6.5 acres of land in west
Pasco. The congregation will host a Pledge Sunday in June and will
celebrate the property purchase, said a church representative. The
congregation of 50 has been meeting in a local middle school since 1998
under Dan Tourangeau.
PACIFIC SOUTHWEST
- San Andreas, California: San Andreas Community Covenant Church
(SACCC) has been working on retaining walls as it started a
10,000-square-foot building expansion project in March. The church is
adding classrooms, handicapped accessible facilities, a lift/elevator
office space and a large activity space. The church is also adding a
required fire road and parking spaces. Concrete was poured for part of
the foundation of the building with help from parishioners and others,
said pastor Rob Satterberg. Some added work was needed to stabilize the
facility and Satterberg said that volunteer help would be integral to
some of the initial work. National Covenant Properties will assist with
financing, although the church has raised a significant amount through
pledges.
- Santa Barbara, California: Montecito Covenant Church's building
project is well on its way as much of the building has been framed, said
a representative of the contractor doing the job. Much of the rough
electrical and plumbing work is also en route to being completed and a
"rough shell" of the building is finished. The construction project has
been going on since last October and it is hoped that the project could
be finished early next year. Montecito Covenant had celebrated the
groundbreaking of a proposed $4.25 million worship center/office
building project on September 7.
For more information about church building projects throughout the
Evangelical Covenant Church, regularly visit this online Covenant news
report at www.covchurch.org. To submit information for consideration in
the online report, call 773-478-4631, email newsdesk@covchurch.org or
send by regular mail to Covenant Communications, 5101 N. Francisco
Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60625.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
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