Eastern Hills Wesleyan Church to open new addition
by KIMBERLY M. KARCHER Clarence Editor

This weekend will mark an end to a three-year-long project that has resulted in a "stunning" new $5 million addition to Eastern Hills Wesleyan Church located at 8445 Greiner Road, near Harris Hill Road.

Senior Pastor Karl Eastlack will officiate at ribbon-cutting ceremonies for the new wing at each of the three weekend church services, which are 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, and 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 25.

The 29,000-square-foot addition to the church's main campus brings the total square footage at this location to 104,000 square feet.

"This is a great accomplishment for the church," said Mark Nigro, executive pastor for the church, adding that the church broke ground in spring 2006 following a year of planning. "Everyone is really looking forward to utilizing all the new facilities. We've really worked hard to accommodate our members and all their needs."

The new wing includes a 24-hour prayer chapel, a 9,000-square-foot multiplex room for children and adult programs with theatre-style seating for 550 people, a commercial-grade kitchen, a bookstore, an atrium with cafe, and expanded nursery facilities featuring several classrooms and a nursing mother's room. According to church officials, the emphasis of the new facility is on families with children, as the nursery facilities have cupboards, sinks and plumbing positioned at heights appropriate for children, and the rooms are painted in "dramatic" colors designed to appeal to children as well as adults.

"We are basically doubling the size of our nurseries, which can handle children up to 4 years old," Nigro said. "At a certain point in time, we could no longer accommodate the children we already have, and we needed the space as we are continuing to grow."

Nigro added that the multiplex, or multipurpose, room will be used for a number of gatherings and events.

"This will help with our growing children's program," Nigro explained. "We are also looking forward to using the room for a gathering event for college-age and young adults once a month on Friday evenings. The room's size alone allows us to utilize it for so many things, including lectures, banquets and more programs than we've had before."

Nigro said the 24-hour prayer chapel will benefit the church's congregation as well as the community as a whole.

The addition also features a state-of-the art kitchen, which Nigro said will allow the church to create a sense of community during services.

"We'll be able to offer refreshments and select foods that can bring a sense of community togetherness and family when we are all here at the church enjoying a cup of coffee together prior to Mass," Nigro said. "We are truly appreciative for the support we've received from the town as well as the people throughout this process."

In addition to the ribbon cutting, the congregation will have a formal dedication service of the addition at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11.

The new wing was designed by Progressive Architects and Engineers of Grand Rapids, Mich., and built by GPS Construction of Amherst.