Things at the Victory Life Church are on the move in a manner of speaking. The good news is that the move is to a much larger facility. The better news is that it’s right next door to their current location.
“We’re only moving two doors down,” elaborated Scott Debrecen, one of the two pastors of the church (along with his wife, Yvette).
The church is nearing the end of renovations on its new home. It will combine the space of two former businesses: High NRG Ladies Health and Fitness Gym and the Taphouse Pub.
“It also used to be called The Heights,” he joked. “We like saying that we’re tapping in to new heights!”
Work started a few months ago at the strip mall located at 86 McKenney Avenue. It was prompted by such a population growth in the church’s flock that necessitated more space for services. At the same time, it gave them the opportunity to look at other services that the church could offer with a larger venue.
The church currently occupies a 669 square metre space but it will soon be swimming in its new 864 square metre location. Its main feature will be a 250 seat sanctuary and auditorium complete with movable seating to make it more flexible in the types of functions that it can play host to.
It will also boast 4.8-metre ceilings, with an open concept interior coffee shop style design and large windows. There will be a welcome centre with a guest reception area, a secured children’s ministry with a reception desk as well. The new Victory Life will have a kitchen and coffee bar, nursery and nursing mom rooms (with a window overlooking the auditorium), and a multi-purpose lounge area in a sunroom.
“We’re utilizing every square inch,” he avowed. “There will be no wasted space.”
Work is ongoing with tradespeople still on site to get the last details taken care of. Debrecen estimated that the project is approximately 80 to 85 per cent complete. At the same time, the collection plate is being passed around in order to bring in the $380,000 that it needs to fulfill the project’s budget.
He said that he knows how supportive the surrounding community will be to welcome this larger church presence in the neighbourhood, especially since it involves the absence of the previous drinking establishment that was the scene of numerous reports of disturbances ranging from noise to public drunkenness to fighting. The community, he stated, is “pleased as punch.”
“I think it’ll be a very welcome addition to the community, just in the fact that [the bar’s] not there.”
The new Victory Life Church is set to open on November 24 – a Sunday, of course. A larger, more public grand opening is still being planned and will occur in the coming months, likely near the end of January or the beginning of February 2014.
