By GRAHAM BROOKS / Staff Writer

HELENA–After eight years and growing to more than 250 members, Christ Community Church and its congregation will soon have a new place to call home in Helena.

In recent months, the former building that housed Ovation Media has been transformed into the future home of Christ Community Church located at 2222 Shelby County 52.

Christ Community Church Co-Pastors Phil Chambers and David Cunningham, members of the church and contractors have been working to get the church open and ready by Sunday, April 1, for Easter.

Both Chambers and Cunningham have been pastors for more than 20 years and their friendship dates back to college.

“We met at Samford in 1987 and went to Samford together and then seminary and it’s been a 30-year friendship,” Cunningham said. “We also spent time in Australia together serving so we’ve had a long friendship.”

Since 2010, Christ Community Church and its members have met at the Hillsboro Clubhouse, Helena Elementary School and Helena Intermediate School before the construction of the new building they are set to move into in a couple of weeks.

By serving as co-pastors of Christ Community Church, Chambers and Cunningham share the duties of leadership, preaching and the vision of the church and roughly a year ago, the two decided to jump on the opportunity to purchase a building.

“We’ve been trying to look for different opportunities, whether it be land plus a building and we’ve just been keeping our radar up,” Cunningham said. “The reason behind it is because we want to communicate to Helena and the surrounding communities that we’re here and we want to put a stake in the ground and really communicate that.”

The new church will have a main worship area, toddler rooms, preschool rooms, youth rooms and more as Chambers and Cunningham described the church as having a wide demographic with the majority of members consisting of young families in their early to mid-30s and an active youth group.

“We’re denominationally affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA),” Chambers said. “If some people in the community can’t make it on April 1, we’re planning to have a community event on April 21 so people from the community can come out and enjoy a picnic and other festivities.”

Cunningham reiterated that Christ Community Church plans to be a church that doesn’t strictly serve as a church facility.

“We don’t want to be a church that’s just for the church, we want to interact with the community and be a blessing to the community,” Cunningham said. “Whether that’s just using our facilities or whether it be for birthday parties or wedding receptions, we’re very open to that rather than being a closed off church facility.”

The main service time for Christ Community Church is on Sundays at 10:30 a.m.

“Our brief purpose statement is making disciples who make much of Jesus in all nations so that’s kind of our aim,” Cunningham said.

For more information on Christ Community Church in Helena, visit Cccbham.org or on Facebook at Facebook.com/cccbham/.