Chilton Association church expands facilities

Jimmy Simpler knows Verbena Baptist Church, Verbena, may be small but there comes a time for expansion.
   
Simpler, who is pastor of the Chilton Association church, knew there was only so much remodeling and so many walls that could be knocked out before the church would need a new facility. The church was showing signs of growth and members were tired of being cramped duirng activities.
  
 It was that realization that Simpler said led to ground breaking for a new building Jan 7.
   
“We have been cramped for space for a while now,” he said.
   
Simpler said the planned 50- by 100-foot structure will serve as a fellowship hall and include classrooms for Sunday School and Discipleship Training. He added the building should be completed in the next few months. Also planned are a 12-foot awning and additional parking spaces.
   
Sunday School at the church averages 110 people, with worship at around 135 people.
   
Simpler said the present fellowship hall is small at 25 by 50 feet, but other projects forced the church to delay construction of a new facility. He said the church had to be creative in accommodating members when they attended events — taking out walls and whatever was needed for more room.
   
“It really hinders our fellowship, because we can’t do a lot of things as a church together,” said Simpler.
   
“We’ve expanded as much as we can and we’ve done just about all we can with our space,” he added.
   
Simpler said the church has wanted to build a fellowship hall for some time but needed to do remodeling first.
   
Improvements to the aging church demanded attention and carried a price tag that while they may seem insignificant to a large church, challenged the smaller congregation’s budget.
   
“It took us awhile to get over that hurdle, because that was about $95,000 worth of remodeling,” Simpler said.
   
The sanctuary seats 175 people and Simpler said it is not unusual for 150 people to show up some Sundays.
   
“When you average 130, you have days, obviously, that you have a lot more than that,” he said.
   
It is such attendance that makes Simpler believe the church may be expanding even more in the future. “We know that in the very near future, we’ll have to expand our sanctuary,” he said.