SHELBY — Just in time for Easter services, the Core Community Church staff and volunteers welcomed 400 people to its first service in its renovated facility on Seneca Drive.
“We told people from the beginning that this facility isn’t for us, it’s for our city,” Pastor Ben Carver said. “We love Shelby and want people to bring their doubts and fears and everything that they’re dealing with in life here, and encounter hope and church in a different way.”
The building, located at 18 Seneca Drive, is in the former Dowds Elementary School. The nursery and youth ministry spaces are in the former school while the auditorium and church lobby are located in an 8,000-square-foot new addition to the space.
Former Shelby school buildings to become church, community center
The building is a total of 37,000 square feet, more than six times the size of the former church building.
“Our congregation is about 250 people between the two services at the old facility,” Carver said. “And the great thing about moving over here is being able to communicate (that) we’ve got space.
“Part of our responsibility as Christ-followers is to be investing in people’s lives and inviting them to come experience Jesus, so we’ve got space for you to invite people.”
The church staff consists of Carver and four different directors for worship, kids ministries, adult ministries and student ministries.
Annette Musick, kids ministries director, implemented plans for new rooms to make church easier and more welcoming to families. The youth ministries hall includes a “comfort room” with space for parents to feed newborn babies and watch the service via a TV.
There is also a “gravity room” for children of volunteers to play after attending a service and a “sensory room” for kids with special needs.
Musick has been involved in children’s ministry for almost 30 years. She said she talked with Carver about ideas for these rooms before they moved into the new space.
Musick said the gravity room is geared more toward the church’s current congregation and volunteers, while the sensory room presents an outreach opportunity.
“We’re hoping to grow a ministry for people and families with disabilities in the future,” she said. “It’s great to have that space for any kid to decompress and then get more out of their Sunday School classes when they’re able to refocus.”
Core Community Church bought the Dowds Elementary School building in April 2021 and received the keys in June 2022.
“So from June until March, we’ve been working at a breakneck pace to open,” Carver said.
The church hosted work nights for people wanting to help paint, assemble furniture or hang TVs throughout the renovation process. Carver estimated the church had more than 100 volunteers each work night.
“We were really blown away by how many people showed up to put on work boots and gloves and dedicate hours to an investment in other people,” he said. “I think people really got behind our message of communicating hope into people’s lives.”
At the same time, CCC bought the Dowds Elementary School building, it also bought the Auburn Elementary School property. That property has transformed into a separate entity called “The Dream Center” that offers after-school programs and community outreach.
Carver said Dream Center volunteers have hosted cookouts, leaf-raking days and after-school programs. He hopes to expand programming when the center has more resources.
“We’ve talked about doing job placement services or adding a makerspace,” he said. “But right now, we’re not doing more than we can handle.
“The mission of The Dream Center is giving someone a hand up instead of just a handout. We’re offering that with the church too, but we understand the negative connotation and intimidation that sometimes comes with going to church.”
Core Community Church can be found online and on Facebook. The church hosts two 70-minute services every Sunday at 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.
CCC is also hosting a Saturday service Easter weekend on April 8 at 6 p.m.
0-5 years old: Little Safari (both Sunday services)
K-5th grade: Velocity (both Sunday services)
6-8th grade: Transit (10:45 a.m. Sunday)
9-12th grade: Inside Out (4 p.m. Sunday)
