Officials and congregation members of First Church at Benton Heights are rejoicing in the miracles of the Christmas season as they celebrate approval of their new building project coming to N. Euclid Avenue in Benton Harbor.
This week Benton Charter Township approved the new building project of First Church at Benton Heights. The 7,100-square-foot Sprung building will be located at 990 N. Euclid, expanding existing programs and creating new ones for those living in the surrounding area.
The Pastor for First Church Benton Heights is Kevin Perthuis. He says, “The building will not only be a larger worship center, but will house many community and sporting events and programs.”
First Church’s new non-profit, New Heights CCDA, will operate their current Community Food Network, the Benton Heights Community Development Council, and some planned financial literacy courses from the new site, providing Benton Heights residents with relevant food and financial options. It also provides a community nurse and health education, thanks to a partnership with Lakeland Health.
A major component of the expansion is the partnership of the YMCA of Southwest Michigan, which also plans to bring several of its classes and programs to the building, allowing Benton Heights residents to participate in the Y locally. The After-School Reading Program is one example of a YMCA program that has flourished in Benton Heights. The new building will provide space for that program to continue to grow.
A Sprung building is actually a high performance tensioned membrane structure that (weather permitting) only takes weeks to build. Basically, it’s a fabric building and the first of its kind here in Berrien County. Groundbreaking is hoped to begin shortly after the new year, so stay tuned. In the meantime, it’s a very Merry Christmas for First Church at Benton Heights.
