Covenant News - Building Projects Under Way in Covenant Churches

Covenant News

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.

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