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Local News - July 2002 |
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First Baptist dedicates center By TARA MANJARRES, LTN Correspondent July 1, 2002 - Like proud parents showing off a new child, some 200 members of First Baptist Church of Lincolnton gathered Sunday for a dedication ceremony of a new Family Life Center. Sitting behind the church on Robin Road, the center is a 25,000-square-foot recreational and teaching facility that will help lead ministry into the millennium, said church pastor Dr. Dixon Free. “This is a facility that will bring the doers of Christ’s world together … . This building is about Christian living and not just about Christian talking,” he said. The two-story multi-million-dollar center has an indoor walking track, state-of-the-art basketball court, weight room, full-service kitchen/dining area, arts and crafts room and additional classrooms for the growing congregation. The center will enable the church to focus on family life for members and also open the doors to the community. It will serve other families — from all walks, those who don’t know Christ, and families who just need a place to spend quality time together, said church leaders. Everyone is welcome, said Neal Alexander, who headed up the Building Planning Committee. There are no admission charges. In addition to recreational activities, classes such as quilting, fly-fishing, basket weaving, calligraphy, watercolor painting and making Christmas ornaments are being offered. Some classes will have small fees to cover supplies. The center opens to the community in August and will operate daily. It is the first major construction project since the church built on its present site in 1979. The project was just a vision 10 years ago, but picked-up speed in 1998 when the church decided to move forward with the idea. Construction got underway last year. “It’s a tool to help bring people to Christ who won’t enter a church through the sanctuary doors,” said former First Baptist minister Dr. Bob Shepard who came to tour the center Sunday. “God is here,” he said. Being able to teach people about him through whatever means is the newest challenge of Christians.” Registrations for classes are underway. For more information, call 704-732-1101.
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© 2001 Lincoln Times-News |
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