It didnt take long for Canyon Lake United Methodist Churchs
new Christian Life Center to turn into the hub of activity church
officials hoped it would become.

We knew if we built it, people would come, said Richard
Wahlstrom, a longtime church member and the chair of the churchs
project steering committee.

The center, which opened a year and a half ago, is part of an
ongoing bundle of projects the church plans to raise money for this
year, said the Rev. Eric Grinager.

A capital campaign to raise $1.4 million started this month and
will conclude in February.

The first priority on the list is paying off the debt for the
building, which includes three classrooms, a kitchen, bathrooms and
a large multi-purpose room that serves as a dining room and gym,
and can seat 220 people for weddings, award ceremonies and other
activities.

That includes the first floor, Grinager said. It has provided
the church with more classroom space and the luxury of having all
main activities on one floor. Before construction, the dining room
and the kitchen were in the basement.

But that was just phase one of the plan, he added.

The second floor of the building, which is not completed, is
also on the list of projects. The second floor, constructed above
the first-floor kitchen and classrooms, will offer another 2,500
square feet for classrooms.

The church also hopes to update the current church facility,
which was built in the 1950s, and construct a new driveway.

The driveway will come up from Canyon Lake Drive about 100 yards
east of the current driveway, Grinager said. It would be
constructed on the current hill and come directly to the
building.

Church officials hope to finish the projects during the next
three years, but none of the work will begin until the debt is paid
off, Grinager said.

Pay the debt – thats our first goal, he said. Then well
finish the other projects.

If the church is not able to raise the money in three years, it
would have to re-evaluate the projects, Wahlstrom said.

Theyre all important and thats why we hope we meet our goals,
because then we could do them all, he said.

In the meantime, the heart of the Christian Life Center is up
and running, attracting church members and community groups.

It wasnt that way at first, Grinager said.

Part of the challenge was that it was on a pay-as-you-go
basis, he said. The church opened the center, but the kitchen
supplies were not purchased for another nine months.

Thats when the building really started getting used, he
said.

Since then, the church has held its weekly Sunday school classes
and Wednesday night meals and activities there. It also has hosted
wedding receptions, blood drives, mission events and meetings.

Were using it in ways that were never imaginable before
construction, Wahlstrom said.

Its been a great community outreach, Grinager said.

The nearby Montessori school uses the multipurpose room for its
gym classes on Tuesdays, Stevens High School used the room for an
end-of-the-year banquet and several local organizations have used
the building for events and meetings.

He expects to see even more use during the next three years as
the church continues to move on its list of projects.

Its going to facilitate opportunities to serve our neighbors,
he said. We will have more flexibility to offer more things to our
congregation, but also beyond that.