Text size: 
Apostolic Sanctuary reaches promised land with new church dedication
Posted Online: March 14, 2009, 12:00 am
Comment on this story |
Print this story | Email this story
Claudia Loucks, correspondent@qconline.com
|
SILVIS -- An exodus awaits enterers to the new Apostolic Sanctuary in Silvis. ''And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them,'' from Exodus 25:8 appears on the wall of the church's lobby area. ''That Scripture fits what we did,'' church pastor the Rev. Gary Randol said. The formerly known Jesus Church didn't have to move from its earlier Silvis site, ''but we felt this is what God wanted us to do,'' Rev. Randol said. ''This church is His mission and we are glad to be a part of it.'' Public dedication services for the sanctuary, at 1501 John Deere Parkway, Silvis, will be held March 20-22. The Rev. Kenneth Haney, general superintendent of the United Pentecostal Church International, will speak at the main dedication service at 7 p.m. Friday. An open house will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 21. It will include guided tours and refreshments. The Rev. Scott Graham, pastor of The Sanctuary in Hazelwood, Mo., will lead a 6 p.m. serviceMarch 21. The celebration will continue March 22 with a bilingual service at 9:30 a.m., led by the Rev. G. Alan Browning, Kentucky district secretary/treasurer and pastor of Greater Life Apostolic Church, Louisville, Ky., followed by a 3 p.m. "Honoring the Past as we Celebrate the Future" presentation, led by the Rev. Doyle Randol, Cape Girardeau, Mo., Rev. Gary Randol's father. The new sanctuary ''is a God thing,'' Rev. Gary Randol said. ''This building is not ours, we have built His Sanctuary,'' Rev. Randol said. ''God"s blessings have been upon us throughout this transition. Anybody who has ever been through a building program knows how difficult that can be on a church. But we have seen tremendous growth throughout this transition, and we want everyone to come and check us out and see what God is doing here.'' Its construction began in September 2007 and was completed at the start of this year. Services were held for the first time Jan. 7. The church"s main level houses worship space that seats 800 people. It also has a chapel that seats 125 people, a dedicated prayer room, choir practice room, office facilities, book store, nursery, guest reception area and restrooms. The lower level has a gym, locker rooms, fitness center, commercial kitchen and dining area, 12 classrooms, a youth sanctuary that seats 175 people, an area for puppet ministries and drama, a fellowship hall, youth activity room, Sunday school and bus ministry office area and additional restrooms. The church also has an elevator from the main floor to the basement level. The new 57,000-square-foot sanctuary is built on a 13½-acre hillside that overlooks John Deere Road in Silvis. It cost about $6 million, Rev. Randol said. Its former church building was sold to Wal-Mart in February, and was destroyed by a fire shortly after it was sold. ''Our new church and surrounding grounds stand out because they give the impression of sitting up on the mountain and looking over a valley,'' Rev. Randol said. ''It also well represents its status of being a ‘multi-cultural church. We have so many nationalities represented in the Quad-Cities, and it's our goal and our desire to be an open door to any nationality and to minister to their needs.'' The church has been affiliated with United Pentecostal Church International since the late 1940s, Rev. Randol said. It was called The Jesus Church for about six years and was The Whole Truth Tabernacle before that, he said. The congregation decided to change its name again to coincide with its new building, and The Apostolic Sanctuary was chosen by write-in vote. ''I want us to be apostolic, and that word comes from the apostles and what they did in the Book of Acts, which was getting outside of the four walls of the church building and ministering to the needs of the community,'' Rev. Randol said. ''That is what we have been attempting to do.'' ''Sanctuary'' means a place of refuge, he said. ''For our people, we want them to know when they come into the church, it is time to worship,'' Rev. Randol said. ''I also want people in the community who are suffering from alcohol and drug addictions, broken homes or other hurts and pains to know they can find refuge at our church. ''I want all who enter The Apostolic Sanctuary to know that God dwells among us here,'' he said. And ''sanctuary'' is easy to find. Just look for an eight-foot-tall electric torch in front which shines brightly from dusk to dawn each day. 
|
|
