“We’re right in the thick of it.”
That is how the Newton Church of The Way Pastor Steve Heerema described construction efforts currently underway at the church.
The Way broke ground on a new $2.5 million, 700-seat worship center on May 1 to better serve the more than 600 people who attend the church. The building will consist of a new worship center along with rooms for a nursery and additional classrooms. A new 154-space parking lot is also planned for the church.
“Things are kind of chaotic right now as far as space is concerned, but we have a plan and we’re making the most of what we have. For office space we are scrunched into small spots, but that is OK, it is part of the deal,” Heerema said.
The most recent crunch has come in the area of parking after construction moved to the existing lot used by the church. Heerema said right now people are having to walk several blocks to get to church.
“We are asking our regular attenders that are physically able to park further away so that our less mobile and handicapped have places closer to the church,” Heerema.
The next steps in the construction process include the floor being poured with the construction of the building to follow.
“The building will probably go up within the next month and the parking lot should be done before winter,” Heerema said. “From the outside perspective everything will look like it is done. Then we have all of the interior work to go.”
Heerema is still hoping for the expansion to be done by Christmas, but knows many factors will play in the completion date.
“We’re still hoping that the project will be completed and open for Christmas but we’re subject to the weather,” Heerema said. “We’re behind schedule now because of the rain — I don’t know that we’ll make our Christmas Eve desire.”
The late deadline for the project is Easter but Heerema hopes to be in long before then.
“Things change week to week and almost day to day sometimes, but they keep moving forward, so that is exciting,” Heerema said.
Contact Jamee A. Pierson at
641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or
jpierson@newtondailynews.com