FAIRVIEW — Although an 1800s church closed its doors in March, the building near Petrolia will not sit empty.

Harvest Community Church in Kittanning bought the former White Stone Christian Fellowship Church in May, and buyers and sellers both are satisfied with the deal.

"God really blessed us with this opportunity," said Fred Neal Jr., executive pastor at Harvest Community. "We felt led to be looking at a growth location because our Kittanning site is bulging."

Neal Jr. said Harvest Community's modest Kittanning location was housing a combined 600 people at its two Sunday services. Attendance was steadily growing.

"We had actually been talking about going to a second campus for a couple years," said his son, 28-year-old Fred Neal III, pastor at the new location.

Although Fairview was not among the original search locations, the Neals said White Stone's well-kept building and $15,000 purchase price signaled the sale was destined.

With the asking price considerably higher, board member Dave Straite said White Stone elected to sell to the church with similar values.

"They were also an independent, nondenominational church. Their doctrine was very closely aligned to what we believed," said Straite, 59, of Fairview.

"We had a couple other offers from individuals and organizations, but after a lot of prayer we felt strongly led to sell the building to Harvest Community."

Straite said he and his wife, Chris, joined White Stone in 1975, when it was called St. Peter's Reformed Church of Fairview, Butler County. The name was changed in 2003 to better reflect the group's style and mindset.

Straite said White Stone began the process of dissolution in March, when the church was put on the market.

The sale was finalized in May, about two years after Harvest Community began to search for a satellite campus.

Neal III had been serving as youth pastor at the Kittanning location. Continuing in that capacity, he hosted a vacation Bible school in August at the new site, with about 40 children attending.

"We were encouraged by that," said Neal III, whose publicity efforts included distributing invitations door-to-door.

Without a full-time pastor for four years, the former group had experienced a lapse in VBS programs and its Sunday attendance had dwindled.

"We probably had 12 to 15 families near the end," said Straite, noting church attendance once averaged about 115.

The Neals said the church is averaging about 50 attendees on Sundays, when services are held at 6:30 p.m.

"We think that's a good start," said Neal III. "We think that's great, actually."

The Straites are among a group from White Stone attending the new group's services.

Debbie Smith, 53, of Bruin also attends. A former member of Harvest Community, Smith had been "church hopping" since 2002, when a move to Bruin rendered the commute prohibitive.

"There are very few places I found that I was spiritually enlightened in the area where I lived, so I always returned back to Harvest," she said. "I was so excited when (I learned) they were going to put a campus in Fairview."

Smith said Harvest Community's small group programs help the growing congregation maintain a sense of closeness, evident in the Fairview population.

"The worship service is truly a good example of love and devotion to God. They don't just preach and worship, but it's extended to every member who's there," she said.

"The preaching that is being done is totally Bible-based," Straite added. "It does not veer very far ever from the scriptures."

The Neals describe the services as contemporary, with a live praise band on site. The preaching style is expositional, which means the sermons focus on books of the Bible instead of drawing from various ones to illustrate a topic.

Although the building is traditional in style, the services are "come-as-you-are" informal.

"The stained glass windows are probably the most formal thing we do," said the younger Neal, who holds a bachelor's degree from Valley Forge Christian College in Phoenixville.

The church also is in the process of buying equipment to broadcast services from one church to another. The technology will help supplement, but not replace, live preaching in Fairview.

"Now you have a church of 50 people with the resources of a church of 600 people," Neal III said.

In addition to meeting needs in its new neighborhood, the Neals say Harvest Community also will continue to focus on mission work, which has included service in Third World countries.

For more information, go to www.harvestpa.org.

<B>WHAT: </B>Halloween Faith, Family and Fun celebration for families with children in preschool through sixth grade. The event will include games, activities, music, food and candy.<B>WHEN: </B>1 to 5 p.m. Oct. 31<B>WHERE: </B>118 N. Fairview Main, Fairview<B>INFO: </B>Call 724-756-4321 or 724-548-5643 or visit www.harvestpa.org.