AUBURN - Hundreds stomped through the mud in their Sunday best during the Auburn Alliance Church's ground-breaking ceremony.
On Sunday, church members gathered near a hole in the ground where years ago their pastor's house stood.
Soon, construction crews will begin erecting the shell of the extension that will join the existing North Seward Avenue building. Now, construction equipment have torn up the property and pushed mounds of dirt around the property.
The ceremony was sandwiched between the church's two Sunday morning services so everyone had the chance to attend. The building's small size has forced the church to offer two services. The expansion will allow the congregation to attend one sermon together.
Pastor David Richter prayed during the ceremony and read an Ecclesiastes 3:3 passage. Once Richter reached the phrase “a time to build,” the crowd greeted it with cries of encouragement and agreement.
“We've talked about this, we've planned this. It's time to build,” Richter told the congregation, who stood on a tarp laid over the wet, muddy ground.
“I don't know how you feel, but I'm ready to build,” he added, causing the crowd to nod in agreement.
Assistant pastor James Main also lead the congregation through a prayer and held a golden shovel.
Main said the new building will help the congregation welcome more people to attend and help the church reach more people in Auburn.
He called the ground breaking the “beginning of the beginning.”
A 500-seat sanctuary will be added onto the existing building. The new wing will include classrooms and crews will add parking spaces around the new building.
Building committee chair Kevin Swab said the committee has discussed design concepts for five years, but the idea has been around for decades.
Dan Miller, supervisor of the Northeastern District of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, praised the congregation for having a vision for the future and already raising $400,000 to make the expansion happen.
The district office took less than two minutes to approve the church's expansion request, he said.
“Although we prayed on it, it was a no-brainer,” Miller said.
He warned the members they may experience disappointment and delays, but they need to have faith.
Swab agreed construction will have some hitches. His list of guarantees for the project included being “messy,” challenging and inconvenient.
But at the end of the day, it will be all worth it. The congregation has been waiting for this moment for years, he added.
Contractors will handle most of the work, but church members will volunteer throughout the project.
“It's exciting,” Richter said. “It's been a long time coming. This is almost unbelievable.”
Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311, ext 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net
Soon, construction crews will begin erecting the shell of the extension that will join the existing North Seward Avenue building. Now, construction equipment have torn up the property and pushed mounds of dirt around the property.
The ceremony was sandwiched between the church's two Sunday morning services so everyone had the chance to attend. The building's small size has forced the church to offer two services. The expansion will allow the congregation to attend one sermon together.
Pastor David Richter prayed during the ceremony and read an Ecclesiastes 3:3 passage. Once Richter reached the phrase “a time to build,” the crowd greeted it with cries of encouragement and agreement.
“We've talked about this, we've planned this. It's time to build,” Richter told the congregation, who stood on a tarp laid over the wet, muddy ground.
“I don't know how you feel, but I'm ready to build,” he added, causing the crowd to nod in agreement.
Assistant pastor James Main also lead the congregation through a prayer and held a golden shovel.
Main said the new building will help the congregation welcome more people to attend and help the church reach more people in Auburn.
He called the ground breaking the “beginning of the beginning.”
A 500-seat sanctuary will be added onto the existing building. The new wing will include classrooms and crews will add parking spaces around the new building.
Building committee chair Kevin Swab said the committee has discussed design concepts for five years, but the idea has been around for decades.
Dan Miller, supervisor of the Northeastern District of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, praised the congregation for having a vision for the future and already raising $400,000 to make the expansion happen.
The district office took less than two minutes to approve the church's expansion request, he said.
“Although we prayed on it, it was a no-brainer,” Miller said.
He warned the members they may experience disappointment and delays, but they need to have faith.
Swab agreed construction will have some hitches. His list of guarantees for the project included being “messy,” challenging and inconvenient.
But at the end of the day, it will be all worth it. The congregation has been waiting for this moment for years, he added.
Contractors will handle most of the work, but church members will volunteer throughout the project.
“It's exciting,” Richter said. “It's been a long time coming. This is almost unbelievable.”
Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311, ext 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net
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