Expansion will double size of Center church
CENTER TWP — Community Alliance Church on Mercer Road will make major renovations this summer, including a new 900-seat sanctuary.
The $8 million expansion will add a nursery, a new drive-through entrance canopy and an elevator at the church's lower entrance.
"We decided the best thing to do would be to enlarge our sanctuary and radically alter our children's ministry area," said the Rev. Dennis Krajacic.
He said the church, which has 1,100 members, has been holding three services each weekend in its 550-seat sanctuary. The turnout for two of the services is near capacity.
The existing 29,543-square-foot structure will double in size with the addition of the new 24,000-square-foot sanctuary and 5,600-square-foot nursery.
The new sanctuary will have theater-style seating with a slight incline.
The church raised $6.7 million for the project during a six-week campaign in October and November, plus pledges accepted in December.
"We keep telling everybody it is a modern day miracle. That was an indicator for us, that people were behind us," Krajacic said.
The new sanctuary will feature an atrium cafe and an outdoor cafe for parishioners to gather between services.
"One thing we discovered is we have no place for people to gather. The hallways are always packed," said the Rev. Bob Thomas, executive pastor.
"The purposes of a church are to connect people with God and with each other. We hope to accomplish that," Krajacic said.
Additional parking also will be added to replace spaces lost when the new sanctuary is constructed.
"I almost couldn't believe it when I saw the artist's renderings. I was overwhelmed," Krajacic said about how well the project was designed.
Paul Yoe, a project manager with Cogun, a church design company, said two years of work have gone into the project's planning.
"We specialize in helping churches create and define a prime ministry space," Yoe said of the North Lima, Ohio-based firm.
Krajacic, who has been with the church for more than 12 years, said Cogun was hired to help develop a master plan for the church's next 20 years.
"They talked to everybody here, from the Sunday school teachers to the music instructors," Krajacic said.
The pond behind the church also may be moved to improve the property's stormwater management.
The extra space created by the renovation will allow the church to expand its already sizable community involvement. Sports teams, community organizations and even other churches use Community Alliance's gymnasium and sanctuary for events.
"There are not a lot of venues around here which seat that many people. We want to be good stewards for the people God has entrusted to our care," Krajacic said.
Construction will take place in phases, with the new sanctuary being built first, followed by the nursery addition. That should allow the services to be uninterrupted by the work.
Pending congregational approval and a loan to cover the remaining $1.7 million in costs, Krajacic said he expects groundbreaking to take place in early June.
