New Bethlehem church finally to rise up

By SANDRA CONCHIE
Bethlehem Community Church, an offshoot of St Peter's Presbyterian Church in Tauranga, hopes to start building the first stage of its new community complex in Moffat Rd next month - subject to a building permit.
Reverend Jim Wallace said the 0.8 hectare site at 183 Moffat Rd, opposite Bethlehem Motor Inn, was bought in 1963 with the aim of building a church and community facilities at some future stage.
The church was granted final resource consent in October for 35 years.
The church congregation currently meets for Sunday worship at Bethlehem College Chapel.
Rev Wallace said the church's new community complex would be built in three-four stages and he is hoping to get sign-off on a building permit for its $1.2m stage one in the next six weeks.
If that happens, earthworks would begin at the end of June, with construction expected to take nine months.
Stage one includes a community lounge with seating for up to 120 people, a break-out area, a children's Sunday school area, large foyer, kitchen and office space.
Stage two - a church hall with seating space for 250-300 people, with a price tag of another $500,000 - may be much further down the track, he said.
Rev Wallace said stage three and four which may be many decades away and which may include other buildings, has not even been costed yet.
But, even before the design plans were drafted, the church undertook a major community needs survey within the Bethlehem triangle, he said.
Rev Wallace said the most common themes were the need for a community house, a drop-in centre, meeting rooms, and playground area, which are all part of the church's own vision for this community complex.
"We want to build a community centre where we can start to address some of the major concerns out there in the community."
Rev Wallace said the centre could offer a meeting place for friendship clubs, homework centres for children, run programmes for young mothers, hold ante-natal and parenting classes, run seminars on coping with stress and include a counselling centre.
"It has been a long time coming but it is really exciting, as once the complex is complete it will be a major asset for the whole community of Bethlehem," Rev Wallace said.
Apart from a generous grant from the Bay Trust, the Bethlehem Community Church congregation has contributed most of the money toward the building project.
The church is continuing to look for sponsorship and support from the rest of community to complete the asset, Rev Wallace said.