Easthaven worshippers settle into new church

The main entry to Easthaven Baptist's new church building on Whitefish Stage Road has two features that are hard to miss.

The centerpiece is a large fireplace, surrounded on four sides by lodge-style furniture, set in a conversation pit.

"We didn't want people to feel this is a cold, sterile place," the Rev. Daniel Lambert said. "It's warm and welcoming."

And children aren't left out of that welcome. On one side of the entryway, a glass wall reveals a large children's play area, complete with colorful slides, tubes and walkways. Lambert said the church got the setup at a bargain from a facility in Pennsylvania selling it on eBay.

Only four full-time carpenters and a few skilled workers, such as plumbers and electricians, were employed in the building of the 42,000-square-foot facility, which opened about two months ago for services.

The rest of the labor was provided by church members and around 800 volunteers, who came to Kalispell from around the country for one- to two-week stays over the past year to help with the project.

Lambert estimates the congregation saved around $1 million by taking on so much of the work. The project took about 14 months from groundbreaking to opening.

The new facility seats 600, on comfortable padded chairs, in its sanctuary. The old building on U.S. 93 North was 16,000 square feet with a sanctuary that seated about 320.

The new auditorium has been nearly full most Sundays during its one service, Lambert said. The church will go back to its two-service schedule in a few weeks to accommodate more worshippers.

The new Easthaven facility also has a small chapel that can seat 200. It is currently used for youth group activities and the Wee Ones Worship children's program on Sunday mornings.

The chapel is attached to the gymnasium, which serves as both a recreation area and dining hall.

The current Sunday worship service at Easthaven is at 10:30 a.m. Two services will be offered on Sundays, at 8:15 and 10:30 a.m. beginning Sept. 18.

The church is located on the west side of Whitefish Stage, just north of Reserve Drive.

Reporter Heidi Gaiser may be reached at 758-4431 or by e-mail at hgaiser@dailyinterlake.com.