Rev. Dr. Martin Hall is all smiles these days. Ask him to describe First Congregational Church’s new addition and you’re sure to see his pearly whites.
‘The main gym is big enough for full-court volleyball, half court basketball,? said Hall, pastor of the church, 5449 Clarkston Road, east of Sashabaw Road. ‘We can use the room attached for a coffee shop, a kitchen for the kids, and the walls fold back for events in the gym.?
Upstairs is a balcony-like room, with couches, TVs, video games, and foosball table, with posters and banners draped about.
‘We’re still moving in,? he said. ‘It’s a place for kids to hang out and chill ? we approach our youth programs as community programs. They’re not just for our kids.?
The addition’s official dedication, with ice cream social, is set for the church’s fall kickoff day, Sept. 7, after 10 a.m. worship service.
Groundbreaking for the 5,300-square-foot addition was in October.
‘It has been a dream of the church for almost a decade,? he said.
About three years ago, when Hall became pastor, interest in the project was renewed. The church Vision Team spent a year examining goals and dreams, speaking with almost 200 members of the congregation.
‘This project grew out of that ? it reemerged as a true dream of the congregation,? Martin said.
Last summer, the church started a capital campaign, rising about $250,00 of the $700,000 cost.
Harold Leever provided seed money of about $250,000, in the name of his brother, the late John Leever, a member of the church, congregation members raised about $250,000, the rest is financed through Clarkston State Bank.
It is the sixth building project since 1999, built one segment at a time, Hall said.
The addition’s gym and meeting space will be used for youth programs and community activities such as blood drives, voting, and health fairs.
‘The church has always been very involved in the community,? Hall said.
A Cub Scout pack and Clarkston Chiefs cheerleading squad will also use the space for practice
‘They asked to use the space. We said OK,? Hall said.
The son of a minister, Hall received a Bachelor’s degree from the College of Wooster, Ohio, in 1996, Master of Divinity Degree from Princeton Theological Seminary, New Jersey in 1999, and his Doctorate of Ministry Degree from McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago, in 2007.
He served a two-year internship at the Congregational Church of Bound Brook, N.J. and as pastor of Pine Hill Congregational Church in West Bloomfield, where he served until arriving at First Congregational Church in April 2005.
He and his wife, Sharon, have two daughters and a baby on the way.
First Congregational Church, which was founded in 1831 in Pontiac and moved to Independence Township in 1992, is also getting set for Labor Day. The church hosts a Labor Day Fair and Car Show after the parade in downtown Clarkston.
‘We have a float in the parade, then we’ll come back here,? Hall said. ‘The fair has evolved since we opened. We’ll have about 3,000 people. It’s a huge program.?
The fair is set for 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday, Sept. 1. For more information, call the church at 248-394-0200.