Little Church on Madison to Grow Much Bigger
Posted on Dec. 2nd, 2011
Pastor Joey Lang of Grace Baptist Church is excited about the plans for a ground breaking ceremony for their building on Madison Street just east of White Drive. The tiny little church doesn't hold the congregation, it never did. It was used in a parade several years ago and now it has become a landmark on Madison Street. The new home for Grace Baptist will be a 12,500 square foot building patterned after another church in Missouri. The building will be built by Strickland Construction and it is anticipated that it will be ready for occupancy in July or August of 2012. The Ground Breaking Ceremony will be held this Sunday, December 4, 2011, at 3:00 p.m.
Pastor Lang said, "This is a new design, different from the conceptual drawing that was done several years ago. It will have a modern look with an open foyer, coffee bar, and a sanctuary with a stage." The permanent building has been 13 years in the making. Pastor Lang stated, "Constructing a building shows stability, that we are serious, and that we are here to help to meet people's needs. We are referring to the new building as our headquarters because we go out to the community, not a home, which implies that we stay put in the building."
The Church has a "Grace in Action" program that provides service to the community. In the past they have worked on various projects including a clean-up of the Gardner Aquatic Center and the very popular trunk or treat event. I asked Pastor Lang about a new mission the church might take on with its new facility, he said, "We are not a church that meets on Sundays, we want to be a church that meets needs. We are willing to serve and we are looking for a mission that will serve the entire community. We are assessing those needs and looking from input from the community on what those needs are."
Even though Grace has been in the Community for 13 years, I asked why Gardner needed another Baptist Church. Pastor Lang stated, "God puts different churches in communities because there are different people in communities. Everyone needs to find a place where they feel comfortable studying the word of God."
Grace Baptist Church is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention and it currently meets Sundays at Nike Elementary School. Sunday School is at 9:15 a.m. and the Worship Service begins at 10:30. There are several mid-week bible study programs focused on different groups within the congregation. According to Pastor Lang the church has an average Sunday attendance of about 120. He said, "We welcome all to join us as we make Jesus famous in Gardner."
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Sandy wrote on 12/5/2011 2:25 am
We moved here about 16 months ago, and it was Pastor Joey and the church members who offered to help us move into the neighborhood, after briefly meeting him just once. Since then, we've had the privilege of getting to know him and his wonderful family, the friendly members, and participate in Bible Studies, church services, pot-lucks, the Easter-egg hunt, Super Summer for the teens, VBS for the kids, the Trunk or Treat, and so many other functions. We've made such good friends and have learned so much about God's love for us and are still getting to know Him better, through His Word.
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