By Richard Kerns
rkerns@newstribune.info
Tribune Staff Writer
WESTERNPORT – First Assembly of God Church in Westernport hopes to break ground by the end of the month on site preparation for a new multi-purpose building that will provide basketball and other recreational opportunities for area youth.
Pastor Greg Hammond said Tuesday that he hopes to turn dirt for construction of the 70X100-foot building within two weeks.
“I'm looking at breaking ground by the end of this month if the good Lord helps us out,” Hammond said.
Dubbed the GAME Center, even the name of the new building will reflect the Christian mission of the Westernport church, located on Maryland Avenue just past the red caboose off of Md. Route 135: G stands for Global, A for Apostolic, M for Ministry and E for Exponentially.
“It works for exactly what we're doing,” Hammond said of the acronym, noting projects as diverse as building a church in Haiti and visiting Washington, D.C. on mission trips. “Here at home, this building is going to be our primary source to accomplish our mission. We can feed the hungry, clothe the naked out of this building, as well as give local youth a place to hang out.”
First Assembly already maintains an extensive outreach ministry, hosting programs for men, women and youth, young mothers and those in need of clothing or food, but the new building will allow Hammond to concentrate on serving young people throughout the Tri-Towns area. While the building will be able to accommodate dinners and other large church gatherings, first and foremost it will be a place to play. The pastor envisions regular after-school and evening programs for young people.
“Basketball is going to be a big draw, we hope,” he said. “We're really hoping we can draw kids like magnets.”
The building will also provide a venue for community outreach programs, like free dinners. First Assembly just hosted its annual Thanksgiving dinner, and the nearly 200 people in attendance were scattered throughout the church's downstairs offices and children's play rooms.
“We had people all over the place,” Hammond said. “It's going to be nice when we can all sit together.”
The volunteers who help cook the meals will also appreciate the new expansive kitchen in the multi-purpose building. The kitchen in the church is so small, it's slated to be converted into a clothes-storage area with the opening of the GAME Center.
The new building, a steel structure, will be sited on land near the Maryland Avenue ballfield that was conveyed to the church by the town of Westernport. The church-owned parking lot behind First Assembly will link the existing church to the new building.
That entire section of Westernport is vulnerable to flooding from the nearby Potomac River, but the building site is naturally elevated, leaving it about 3 feet out of the floodplain, and allowing the church to avoid countless bureaucratic hurdles to building in such an area. Some would say the elevation was good fortune. Hammond sees it otherwise.
“That area is like an island above the flood plain,” he said. “I like to think God said 'I'm going to lift this above the flood plain.' In my heart of hearts, I think God had all that in mind for this building.”
The church also caught a break with the building itself. Hammond had been in touch with the company that makes such buildings, and officials contacted him when another order fell through. As a result, the church obtained its building for about 50 percent off the regular cost.
The building will be erected by Keyser-based Mineral Fab, which will also prepare the concrete slab for the structure. That's the work which is slated to begin this month. Delivery of the building is scheduled for Jan. 11, and Hammond said it should take just a week to 10 days to erect the structure.
Completion of the building can't come too soon for Hammond and the entire congregation, which has been shepherding the project toward fruition for several years.
“We're getting really pumped for this thing,” Hammond said. “If we don't break ground soon, we're going to bust!”
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By Richard Kerns
rkerns@newstribune.info
Tribune Staff Writer
WESTERNPORT – First Assembly of God Church in Westernport hopes to break ground by the end of the month on site preparation for a new multi-purpose building that will provide basketball and other recreational opportunities for area youth.
Pastor Greg Hammond said Tuesday that he hopes to turn dirt for construction of the 70X100-foot building within two weeks.
“I'm looking at breaking ground by the end of this month if the good Lord helps us out,” Hammond said.
Dubbed the GAME Center, even the name of the new building will reflect the Christian mission of the Westernport church, located on Maryland Avenue just past the red caboose off of Md. Route 135: G stands for Global, A for Apostolic, M for Ministry and E for Exponentially.
“It works for exactly what we're doing,” Hammond said of the acronym, noting projects as diverse as building a church in Haiti and visiting Washington, D.C. on mission trips. “Here at home, this building is going to be our primary source to accomplish our mission. We can feed the hungry, clothe the naked out of this building, as well as give local youth a place to hang out.”
First Assembly already maintains an extensive outreach ministry, hosting programs for men, women and youth, young mothers and those in need of clothing or food, but the new building will allow Hammond to concentrate on serving young people throughout the Tri-Towns area. While the building will be able to accommodate dinners and other large church gatherings, first and foremost it will be a place to play. The pastor envisions regular after-school and evening programs for young people.
“Basketball is going to be a big draw, we hope,” he said. “We're really hoping we can draw kids like magnets.”
The building will also provide a venue for community outreach programs, like free dinners. First Assembly just hosted its annual Thanksgiving dinner, and the nearly 200 people in attendance were scattered throughout the church's downstairs offices and children's play rooms.
“We had people all over the place,” Hammond said. “It's going to be nice when we can all sit together.”
The volunteers who help cook the meals will also appreciate the new expansive kitchen in the multi-purpose building. The kitchen in the church is so small, it's slated to be converted into a clothes-storage area with the opening of the GAME Center.
The new building, a steel structure, will be sited on land near the Maryland Avenue ballfield that was conveyed to the church by the town of Westernport. The church-owned parking lot behind First Assembly will link the existing church to the new building.
That entire section of Westernport is vulnerable to flooding from the nearby Potomac River, but the building site is naturally elevated, leaving it about 3 feet out of the floodplain, and allowing the church to avoid countless bureaucratic hurdles to building in such an area. Some would say the elevation was good fortune. Hammond sees it otherwise.
“That area is like an island above the flood plain,” he said. “I like to think God said 'I'm going to lift this above the flood plain.' In my heart of hearts, I think God had all that in mind for this building.”
The church also caught a break with the building itself. Hammond had been in touch with the company that makes such buildings, and officials contacted him when another order fell through. As a result, the church obtained its building for about 50 percent off the regular cost.
The building will be erected by Keyser-based Mineral Fab, which will also prepare the concrete slab for the structure. That's the work which is slated to begin this month. Delivery of the building is scheduled for Jan. 11, and Hammond said it should take just a week to 10 days to erect the structure.
Completion of the building can't come too soon for Hammond and the entire congregation, which has been shepherding the project toward fruition for several years.
“We're getting really pumped for this thing,” Hammond said. “If we don't break ground soon, we're going to bust!”
