Church stretches out

July 26, 2007 07:07 pm

— Workers are putting the finishing touches on the new First Church of the Nazarene at 2700 E. Peak Blvd.
Grand opening is planned for 10:30 a.m. Aug. 12. and Mayor Wren Stratton will be a special guest.
“It has taken a lot of hard work,” the Rev. Rodney Durr said. “We have had a great team putting everything together and getting it ready.”
The church was founded in Muskogee in 1922, and had been located at 500 N. F St. until parking space and the growing congregation forced the church to move out of its original location and into a building on Okmulgee Avenue. The congregation has been meeting at that location for the last two years.
Durr said the church’s total cost, including furnishings, signs, water, sewage and parking, is about $825,000. A Forward in Faith campaign kicked off in late 2005, providing most of the funds necessary to construct the new building.
The multipurpose room can be found in the center of the building, with moveable chairs and ample space to get around. The ceilings are also higher, creating better acoustics and sound for churchgoers.
“We’ll use this room as our sanctuary, and just move the chairs out of the way when we need to,” Durr said. “I think the flexibility of the space is great, and so far the congregation is impressed by how much better they can hear me.”
The parishioners will find flat-screen monitors located in the main hallway, and in the “ladies lounge,” so that while taking care of other things or babies in the building, people still will be able to see and hear the sermon.
The Hope Foundation of Muskogee, an organization that focuses on autism and other similar disorders found in children, will share the 19,635 square feet of space in the new church. It will be a center for children 18 months to 18 years to receive occupational therapy, according to foundation spokeswoman Christi Kellogg.
Patty Daniel, therapist for the foundation, said the plan is to eventually include a program for speech and physical therapy and hopes for a day care center for children with special needs in the future.
“We will work with the kids and refine skills they need to function on a day-to-day basis,” Daniel said. “We just want to help them understand their world a little better, and help them process information so they can do what any other kid can do.”
Durr said he is excited about the possibilities the church’s building can create for people in Muskogee.
“Right now there’s not much available in the way of therapy for special needs children,” Durr said. “This can really help a lot of families struggling for care for their children.”
He said they chose the Peak location because it had high visibility and easy access, making it easier for people to attend from anywhere in town.

Reach Travina Coleman at 684-2901 or tcoleman@muskogeephoenix.com.

Photos

The multi-purpose room located at the newly built Muskogee First Church of the Nazerene has removeable chairs and ample space for members to move around.