A growing Highland Park Baptist Church in Colbert Lauderdale Association broke ground March 2 for a new preschool and children’s ministry building.
Jeff Eddie, associate pastor for children and church administration at Highland Park, said he and Pastor Ted Vafeas expect great benefits from this building. “We view this building as a huge ministry for us. It gives us new opportunities to reach more children, do new things and improve on what we’re doing now.”
Located north of the worship center in the former back parking lot, the two-story building will host preschoolers on the lower level and elementary school children on the upper.
Increased space for children’s education and worship should benefit the community, and the new playground will lend itself to Mother’s Day Out and after-school programs Highland Park hopes to begin. “As our architect put it, the facility will be state of the art — a modern facility with the things we need to do our ministry well.”
Problem solving
Currently, Highland Park holds two Sunday morning services, two Sunday Schools and two Sunday evening services, and the new building should relieve the crowded worship center.
The youth are scheduled to occupy the former children’s building, and the adults will meet in the former youth building. “It will be a trickle-down effect to solve several problems at once,” Eddie said.
This building is the first step in an eight-phase master plan. Working with an architect, Highland Park developed a long-range plan adopted by the church that will be adapted as needed.
After analyzing the specific direction of church growth, new space for young children took top priority.
When this building is complete and paid for, Highland Park plans to start a second phase by building a multipurpose center. This center promises to be a transitional place for weekly worship as it will include a gym, fellowship hall, pulpit, baptistry and folding chairs instead of pews.
“We have several growth needs. Our short-term goal for this master plan is to get into one worship service,” Eddie said.
The third phase calls for a new worship center located on adjoining property facing Woodward Avenue. Other less specific phases include additional adult educational space, a new building for the youth group and a fellowship hall. The plans include a mall-type corridor to connect all edifices.
“With this building, we’ll have room to continue to grow, and we’re very excited about that,” Eddie said. Highland Park expects the children’s building to be complete within a year and a half.
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