By: Matt Robertson
In 2010, New Life Christian Church started out on a journey to expand their ministry facilities. Prior to doing so, New Life sought out advice from the local community on what folks in the area could use, the same response kept coming up: we need more stuff to get kids off the street. Pastor Brett Andrew’s didn’t want the typical church building that often sits idle for the majority of the week, but a building that would function almost 24/7 for the needs of the community.
So, in 2011, New Life took on the audacious task of purchasing a beer distribution warehouse and converting it in to a Sportsplex called the nZone. The nZone opens its doors to the community 7 days a week and hosts a large number of leagues, camps, classes, and wellness programs. New Life Christian Church has also been utilizing the facility for worship on Sundays by converting one of the gyms and making use of the children’s areas and gathering spaces.
As with most church projects, the needs back in 2011 were greater than what the budget would allow at that time and various aspects of the project were phased for future development. One such phase was a gathering cafe which the church was able to complete in 2014. nZone wanted to continue to serve the community’s needs with the new “Loading Dock Café” a place for people to meet for dining, socializing, and recharging after working out. The café was designed with a modern look using corrugated steel panels, stainless steel accents, and a “high-energy” color pallet of bold, orange and green. Each day, the cafe serves a variety of breakfast items, sandwiches, smoothies, sports drinks, and coffee. The “Loading Dock Café” is furthering nZone’s mission to serve the needs of the local community with a family friendly environment for all ages to develop physically, mentally, and spiritually every day of the week.
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