By JESSA PEASE / Staff Writer 

PELHAM— In order to accommodate current growth, RiverPoint Church in Pelham is undergoing multiple expansion projects. The church is adding to its parking lot and enlarging its lobby.

RiverPoint moved to its location in Pelham, 375 Bearden Road, in 2010. Pastor Bobby Lewis said they opened the building knowing it was phase one for them. They always planned to build a main sanctuary building as the second phase, but needed the additional parking first.

“It was actually a necessity. When we built the first phase of the building, everybody told us not to undercut the parking lot, and we undercut the parking lot,” Lewis said. “We started seeing the parking lot fill up before the sanctuary filled up, so we knew we were going to need more space.”

With the addition of parking spaces, Lewis said they also wanted a larger foyer that would allow the church to hold multiple services in one day. The new foyer will be about three times the size of the current one, and Lewis said they plan to start construction the week of July 27.

The other reason they chose to expand the lobby is because it’s working toward the next phase of the project: the main sanctuary building. The lobby will act as an attachment, and the front of the building will also be turned toward the road.

“We also wanted people to be able to see what’s in here,” Lewis said. “With that wooded area over there it’s kind of hard to tell what was in here, and the church from the road looks very small.”

Lewis said they have already broken ground on the parking lot, and they closed on the loan July 24. He said he hopes to have the project complete sometime in October, and they will most likely start offering multiple services next Easter.

“The exciting thing is that the growth is what caused the need for the additional building, and it wasn’t just a ‘build it and they will come’ type thing,” Lewis said.

For more information about RiverPoint Church, visit Riverpointchurch.org or call 621-0112.