SARTELL -- It started with a plan and a little faith, now Abounding Joy Lutheran Church in Sartell is just a few weeks away from service in their new building.

Abounding Joy has been holding services inside the Boy Scout building for the last four years and Pastor Tom Wright says with their growing congregation it was time for a building of their own.

"We needed our own place and so we started designing this building about a year and a half ago, broke ground and now we plan to be in on May 3rd for our very first service," says Wright.

The new 10,000-square-foot church is located near Stearns County Road 120 and Amblewood Drive.

Members of the congregation are helping with the finishing touches over the next few weeks to get the new $1.7-million dollar building ready for the first service.

"We are moving in all of the equipment such as chairs, tables, bookshelves that short of thing," says Wright. "We purchased most of those items from another church that closed down about a year ago."

The new building includes a worship area for about 300 people, a large gathering space, and offices and classrooms.

Pastor Wright says the building is designed for growth in the future and hopes the residents see the building as a space for the community.

"We really are thinking of this building as a community resource. For the neighbors, for the community to have community meetings, picnics, if there is a blood mobile that needs a place to set up we are going to be a resource for them," says Wright.

Abounding Joy will hold an official community open house on May 17th.

Abounding Joy Lutheran Church is a few weeks away from their first service. (Photo: Alex Svejkovsky, WJON News)
Abounding Joy Lutheran Church is a few weeks away from their first service. (Photo: Alex Svejkovsky, WJON News)
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