Former Car Dealership Becomes New Church

Siouxland Press, June 10, 2009

Former Car Dealership Becomes New Church: Brings New Services to Orange City

By Renee Nyhof

As visitors cross the spacious, carpeted entryway, they may still feel as though they entered an empty car dealership.

Yet, as they pass a nursery and a kitchen on their way to an area full of padded chairs that faces a stage with three large screens hanging above a cross, what comes to mind is a church.

But, the new sign outside the former Midland Ford-mercury dealership in Orange City located at 1005 8^th Street SE, reads “Community Center” more prominently above the words “Living Water Community Church.”

“The location is really both,” said Rick Droog, current chairperson of the Ministry Support Team for Living Water.

In fact, the church had its first official worship service in September of 2007. Yet, it was not until March of 2009 that the Classis Heartland recognized Living Water as an independent church belonging to the Christian Reformed Church of North America.

A statement by the church reads, “The church equals people more than the building. Living Water existed when it met in the Town Hall, Northwestern College or in the park.”

As a result, the building is a community center that happens to have a church meet in it every Sunday explained Droog.

“Because the goal of the church is to be an asset to the community, we call the building a community center because we want it to be used by the people in the community for a wide variety of activities,” said Droog.

Acticvities-in the building that can hold up to 325 people-include weddings/ wedding receptions, training classes, dances, youth activities, graduation celebrations, etc.

“We’d like for the building to be a place where people can grow and work together; in the building we can build community,” said Droog.

Yet, the community center wouldn’t exist without the church.

The plans that began the new church emerged from members of Calvary CRC, also located in Orange City, in June of 2007. The members were discussing the church’s need for more space; according to Droog, those discussions included having multiple worship services or a possible expansion project for Calvary.

Yet, another option Calvary thought of was to sponsor a daughter church. So, a committee began comparing renovations costs for Calvary versus starting a new church.

But, if a new church were to come to the area, how would it be different than all the other churches already in existence? That was the largest question the committee had to tackle according to Droog.

“We’re blessed in the county to have so many churches and people of faith,” said Droog. “Yet, there are people that don’t go to church, that don’t know Christ in the area. We felt that many churches still go by the policy that if they leave their doors open, the non-church goers will just come. So, we believed that if a new church were to start in the area, it would need to be more interactive with the community; we wanted to be a ‘Missional’ church.”

Droog described being “Missional” as not focusing on “bringing people in” to Sunday service. Instead, Living Water wants to be a church that has members who want to intentionally share their lives and faith with everyone and in all that they do.

Having such a great, functional building to fit the community’s needs, which fits with the church’s main goal, could be nothing but a blessing from God according to Droog.

“Our facility is more multifunctional than we could have hoped for,” said Droog. “I just have to say again that we hope it’s a great asset to the community.”

Currently, Dr. Thomas Wolthuis, a professor of Theology at Dordt College, serves the church on a part-time basis while the church continues to receive applicants for the fulltime pastoral position.

Sunday worship services are 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

For more information about Living Water Community Church, visits to the church are encouraged but the best contact is either Droog (737-2786) or Amy Vande Vegte (737-2342). Questions can also be e-mailed to [email protected]