CONNOQUENESSING — When Pastor Keith Karns isn't preaching, counseling or doing other pastoral duties, his congregation can find him with a hammer in his hand and a tool belt around his waste working on its new facility.

“He's using many other skill sets beyond what I know the congregation expects,” said Andrew Karns, Keith's son.

Keith often helps with the construction of the new facility, Church of God at Connoquenessing, on Route 68.

“The location is ideal along the highway,” said Keith. “The highway sees a lot of traffic every day.”

The church purchased 20.6 acres in 2002 and started excavation for the new 14,000-square-foot building in September 2010.

The church purchased the property and is paying for construction with tithes and offerings.

“(There is) no other means of fundraising: no dinners, no rummage sale, no car washes, no candy bars,” Keith said.

Karen Collins of Middlesex Township has been a member of the church since she was born.

She was not surprised the church was able to raise the money with only tithes and offerings.

“That's what God desires, what he's required since Cain and Abel,” Collins said. “That's just the way you should do it. It's totally unnecessary to have all these fundraisers if you just abide by what God teaches.”

The church worked with Ligo Architects in Slippery Rock to design the building.

“We evaluated a lot of architects and tried to find someone who would meet our needs, be easy to work with and someone who was local,” said Andrew.

Andrew of Forward Township has helped his father and the church with the construction of the new facility.

The church is also acting as its own general contractor.

“Our timelines have been flexible and we've also be able to save some money,” said Andrew.

The about 120-person congregation has outgrown its current location on South Washington Street, Evans City, where it has resided since 1957.

“We don't have enough Sunday school rooms, parking, storage,” Keith said. “The fellowship hall is too small for the whole congregation to meet at once.”

The current church is about 4,800 square feet including the basement and upstairs. A separate fellowship hall sits behind the building for larger meetings.

The fellowship hall and sanctuary in the new building will hold the congregation and give it the chance to grow.

“Occupancy with pews is 225 people, but it has the ability to add another 40 people in the back,” Keith said.

Some of the new facility's amenities include more Sunday school rooms, a music room, libraries, nursery and larger fellowship areas.

Collins is one of the church's Sunday school teachers.

“I think it is important to have smaller Sunday school classes,” Collins said. “You can deal more with a smaller age group.”

The facility will also have a room to work on the church's two publications.

“One of them is more for an adult outreach, it's called the Gospel Light, and we publish a child's paper called This Little Light,” Keith said.

The new building's outdoor space allows for many possibilities including a courtyard, baptismal pool and 36- by 64-foot pavilion.

The pavilion was construction in 2006 and has already been used for weddings, showers, graduation parties and revival meetings.

The church will change its name from the Church of God at Evans City to the Church of God at Connoquenessing when construction is completed in the spring of 2012.

“The building is being used to proclaim the gospel message like we have for 60 years in Evans City” Keith said. “Different location, same message.”