The Rev. Jeff Smith is pastor at Church Experience, which opened at new location at 127 E. Cunningham St. in Butler. Members gather at 10 a.m. Sunday on the second floor of the building.

The Rev. Jeff Smith has returned to Butler with an old vocation and a new church.

Smith, who served as pastor for 8½ years at Faith Fellowship Alliance before moving to Mercer County and an 11-year pastorship at Neshannock Alliance Church, became the new pastor at the Church Experience in July.

Smith said the Church Experience congregation is made up of some of the members of the defunct Intersection Church in Butler and newcomers. The church formed in January.

The church had been meeting at the Butler American Legion until recently when the Church Experience congregation was in the process of buying a vacant medical arts building at 127 E. Cunningham St.Smith said the church is currently holding its 10 a.m. Sunday worship services on the second floor of the building in repurposed exercise and dance studios.“We ran into this building in the past month and here we are. It's been a journey,” Smith said.The Church Experience began services in the Cunningham Street building this month.Smith said he joined with Church Experience when he began praying and asking God if there was work He wanted Smith to do.An online job listing connected Smith with Church Experience, a nondenominational church with six campuses in Florida that plans to expand to other states.“We are modern in style and biblically relevant and driven,” Smith said.At present, the church has a kid experience class for children up to the fifth grade that meets during the adult worship service. Plans include adding a student experience class for teens, and groups for women, men and combined prayer groups.“Now that we have our own building, we can do a lot more,” said Smith, adding the church plans to remodel the third floor to become the church in January and convert the present second-floor sanctuary into rooms for the child and student groups.Smith said he's gotten offers of help from other churches in painting and renovating the third floor.Smith, his wife, Tammi, and their five children — four sons and a daughter ranging in age from 13 to 20 — are living in Armstrong County while Smith commutes to the new church.Smith said it's been good to get caught up with old friends from his last stay in Butler. He said the downtown has changed in the years since he has been gone.“We are just really excited about what God is doing and excited to be in the heart of Butler,” Smith said. “And we can't wait to be a part of what the future holds.”Smith conceded there were a lot of churches in Butler already, but believes Church Experience can offer attendants something more.“There are plenty of churches in Butler, but ours is a life-giving, life-changing way of journeying together. Everyone matters,” he said. “Everyone matters and is loved by the Lord, and everyone matters and is loved by us.”

Smith and members of Church Experience are rennovating a vacant medical arts building on Cunningham Street. The church began services there this month.