With ground broken, renovations to Grace Evangelical Free Church are becoming a reality for church members.
Jefferson City issued a building permit in December for contractors to begin excavation on a $1.6 million expansion and renovation of the church at 3011 Ten Mile Drive, church spokeswoman Lynne Shively said.
"Our church moved into the current building in 1991," she said. "We had hoped at some point to build a new facility."
Although they wished for a new facility, members wanted to concentrate on the church's mission to serve people locally and globally. They didn't want to spend money on a new building.
However, the church continued to grow, and the building continued to age. So many people began attending services, the church had to schedule two each Sunday.
About 10 years ago, members began planning for the growth and saving.
There just wasn't enough room anymore. And parts of the existing building aren't handicap accessible.
"We felt like we couldn't accomplish our missions because the facility is so run-down," Shively said.
James Stark, owner of Stark Construction Services, said he's been working with the church since about 2010.
"They've been having growing pains and working on building plans," Stark said.
He added there were discussions about looking at entirely new sites, but the best plan boiled down to staying at the 3-plus-acre site where the current church stands.
Rimiller Architects LLC, of Jefferson City, designed the 8,000-square-foot addition to the church. The two-story structure will include a much larger sanctuary on the top floor with a kitchen, multipurpose room and classrooms below.
"We will have an elevator for access to the bottom floor," Shively said. "That's a really important thing for us. We have a few members who want to participate more."
The new sanctuary will be tall, Stark said.
"We'll tie the architecture into what's existing," Stark said. "We'll use similar materials - red brick. It sort of overlooks (Missouri) 179, so it will look nice."
The existing church will be converted to offices and classrooms. Plans also call for removing some nearby structures, expanding parking areas and installing more outdoor lighting.
Church members have already seeded an area with wildflowers to provide a pollinator field to draw butterflies and bees.
With the expansion, the church will be able to host weddings and receptions, which size prevented in the past.
Important parts of being a member of a church are feeling at home and feeling like the church is filling your needs, Shively said.
"You can't do it without a facility," she added. "We are by no means building a fancy facility. We are building a useful facility that we hope will please God."
She said church members feel like a welcoming family.
"We feel that when we have a more welcoming facility," Shively explained, "other people will come and enjoy the stewardship."
The church hopes the expansion is completed in late summer or early fall.