Community Christian Church donates pews

Community Christian Church recently had a chance to donate its pews to Bethel Community Church west of Fort Scott. (Submitted Photo)

For the first time in 30 years, Community Christian Church's auditorium is getting a facelift.

The area, where worship services are held each Sunday, will get new pews, carpet, a larger stage and upgraded light and sound, Pastor Kevin Moyers said. Funds for the project were raised by the church, which has a little more than 600 members.

"We had a goal of $150,000, and we've been able to raise that," Moyers said. At first, church members worked on the project, but now the church is using Rick Bohlken from Bohlken Construction in Fort Scott on the venture, which Moyers hopes to have completed in March.

Dozens of volunteers took part in the effort to move the seating. Community Christian is renovating its worship center and Bethel Community is constructing a new multipurpose building where the pews will find a home.(Submitted Photo)

Community Christian Church started in 1973 and will be 39 years old in February. There have been a number of renovations around the church, just never to its worship center, which was added around 1981. Services are now being held in the gym.

"We have volunteer crews every weekend to set up and tear down chairs. ... This last week was our first service in the gym, and it went very smoothly. People were pretty enthused at the upcoming change," Moyers said. "People are excited about it and willing to be flexible."

Recently, the pews from Community Christian were donated to Bethel Community Church. Moyers said Community Christian had advertised the pews on a couple of websites, however, there was no interest. "But somehow word got out to the church at Bethel ... that we were getting rid of our church pews, so they contacted us. We were thrilled to connect with them," Moyers said.

Renovation work is being done at Community Christian's worship center.(Submitted Photo)

Dozens of volunteers from both churches helped load, unload and transport the seats from Fort Scott to Bethel, located just west of town on U.S. 54.

"It was a big help to them and it was a big help to us. It was a pretty huge job to get those pews out of there. ... We had a place where we were going to store them if no one wanted them, but it was going to be very short term. It was very nice to have somebody local that wanted them. ... We provided a work crew, and they provided a work crew. They were gone in about two and a half hours. It was absolutely amazing how smooth it went -- and how fast," Moyers said.

"It was God's hand," Moyers added. "I think he was just reaching out. Everybody felt good about it. ... They just thanked us over and over again, and you could tell how happy they were."

Greg Stine, pastor of Bethel Community Church, said his house of worship is building a new 6,000-plus -square-foot multipurpose building, which has been under construction for two years. Stine hopes to see it finished sometime this year.

The pews will be used in that structure until it's completely done and chairs can be substituted. It is used regularly for teen events and some special functions, but Stine said it's not service ready.

Like Community Christian, Stine said Bethel Community is using a lot of its own congregation for labor, although they did hire someone else to hang the Sheetrock. Framing and installing of countertops in the kitchen, laying tile and all the electrical work was done by church members, Stine said.

Members also gave financially to the project.

"It's been a great thing for our church. ... There's a level of commitment there, not only giving of the finances but their effort," Stine said.