Christ Lutheran groundbreaking Sunday

Whitefish church to start construction work on 43,000-square-foot facility

Christ Lutheran Church in Whitefish takes the first step in its journey toward a more spacious home on Sunday, with a 4 p.m. groundbreaking on a 43,000-square-foot facility.

The building will be located near the intersection of Montana 40 and Whitefish Stage Road in the Riverside at Whitefish development.

The church of more than 700 members has been running at capacity for the last four years, on Sunday mornings and during midweek activities, especially youth meetings. The current building at the corner on Kalispell Avenue was also holding the church back in meeting its mission statement goals.

"One of the areas that was really important was the opportunity for outreach in the community," said Dwight Wendschlag, the head of the Christ Lutheran design team. "We didn't want to just grow the church, but to grow in a way that it could reach the whole North Valley area."

The Rev. John Bent, senior pastor at Christ Lutheran, said it was not only a matter of outreach, but also providing for those who call the church home.

"It was like having a family and not enough room for the kids around the table," Bent said.

Community service was also a priority.

"Many of our programs have been inhibited because of size constraints," Bent said. "If someone is looking for a space for a big community funeral, it's been just frustrating as there is really no place in town. We have the potential of getting together 1,200 people between the sanctuary and the multipurpose room for special events.

"As the valley continues to grow, it's important to have places like that where large groups can come together."

Kevin Jester of Architects West in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, was asked to design a building with the distinctive look of a church, but one that also blended into its surroundings.

"We wanted it to be aesthetically appealing to the area," Wendschlag said. "When we gave the architect directions, we asked him to look at old lodges like the Glacier Park lodges and the depot in Whitefish."

The church is being constructed in two phases. The first phase will cost approximately $4.5 million, with about $1.3 million in pledges currently secured and money coming in from the sale of the current building.

Though there will eventually be a 600-seat sanctuary, a large multipurpose room will serve as the worship space during the initial phase. The multipurpose room will also be a place for banquets, seating up to 350 at tables, and also provide a place for dramas, music and recreational activities.

A new fellowship spot in the main entrance area will be an amenity the church lacks altogether now.

"Our intent is that it be an active communal space that will allow people to associate with each other between services," Wendschlag said. "In between services now, we are literally stepping over each other."

The kitchen will be a hub of the new facility, serving the church's extensive meal ministries.

A small chapel, which will provide a more intimate setting for weddings, funerals or even class discussions, will seat about 50. There will be a well-stocked library, administrative offices, a number of classrooms and a dedicated youth room, equipped with a sound system.

Christ Lutheran also runs a small preschool, and the new building will allow for growth in that area as well.