By NICOLE LOGGINS / Staff Writer

BIRMINGHAM – Riverchase United Methodist Church is adding two new worship centers for youth and children to its 17-acre campus.

Dr. Jim Savage, senior pastor at RUMC said the church does not have space for youth and children, even though those programs have seen continued growth over the past several years.

“The student worship center will have space for worship, small groups and recreation,” he said.

The separate two-story children’s building will have space for children’s worship, large group gathering and Sunday school classrooms.

This isn’t the first expansion for RUMC. A nursery, classrooms and gym were added in the last decade.

“We added an all new nursery and 48,000 square feet of classrooms about seven years ago, that included a gym,” Savage said. “It’s used by children, youth and adults.”

In addition to the new buildings the church is also adding additional parking.

“We’re going to have two new entrances and exits and additional parking, at least 100 new spaces, ” he said. “We’ll be adding overflow grass lots as well for big days, when we need it.”

Those grass lots will also double as children’s play yards when not needed for overflow parking, Savage stated.

The new entrances and exits will have left and right turn lanes to ease the traffic flow and reduce congestion in the parking lot during prime event hours.

“The steel and roof is up on the youth building and they are starting on the children’s building,” Savage said.

Construction is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

“It could be anywhere from fall to the end of the year, depending on the weather,” Savage said.