The Morning Star Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, located 71/2 miles northwest of Durham, is a case in point.
With a congregation of 120 people, Morning Star recently launched a building project because the congregation has outgrown the former facility.
"It was just getting too small," said Ransom Wiebe, Morning Star minister. "We didn't have enough room in our old church for Sunday school, and we also had a very small kitchen.
"Our social hall was also very small for events like weddings and things like that," he added. "We have quite a number of young couples that are having families, so it was just getting too small for us."
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Wiebe said it's been evident for some time the old facility was being stretched to its limits.
"We've been in the planning stages of the new church for about 10 years," he said. "Originally, we started talking about remodeling, and that evolved into the decision to build a new church.
"We thought for awhile we could utilize and improvise the old building, and then maybe add a social hall. But the cost of that would have come close to what we will be spending to build new, so that's how it came about to build a new structure."
Wiebe, who ministers to the congregation along with Bruce Dirks and Merlin Wiebe, said the first step was to form a building committee comprised of both men and women.
"The ladies were in charge of the kitchen part," he said. "They went and visited some of our other congregations to look at their designs.
"The committee got some church plans from other areas," he said. "We really tried to incorporate what we would be satisfied with and what would be workable."
But perhaps the most important piece of the puzzle was the committees contact with Ron Boese, a contractor and builder who hails from Pincher Creek, Alta.
"Ron built the Meridian Church in Hesston, so some of the committee visited with him there last summer," Wiebe said. "He has his own way of building."
Having secured the services of Boese and approved final building plans, the process was set in motion to replace the old 5,080-square-foot structure with the new 13,000 square-foot-building.
On Nov. 20, crews poured more than 200 yards of concrete for the foundation and floor.
Ten days later, three semi-truck loads of building materials arrived from Canada, along with five loads from Kropf Lumber in Hesston.
"We started actual construction on Dec. 1 and there were 55 men there," Wiebe said. "By the end of the first day, we had all the outside walls up."
Along with the Morning Star members, parishioners from nine CGCM churches at Moundridge, Hesston, Burns, Galva, Inman, Halstead, Hillsboro and other area churches worked like a well-oiled machine under the guidance of Boese.
"Ron divided the total number of workers into groups of six-to-10 and assigned a crew leader for each group," Wiebe said. "In the morning, when they started work, he gave the orders to the leaders about what to do that day."
Employing a two-way radio system, Boese kept in contact with leaders, offering solutions to any questions that may have arisen.
"We had anywhere from 45 to 70 men here each day," Wiebe said. "We had the building framed,constructed and shingled in nine working days."
Another integral part of the construction process was the group of women who supplied the workers with necessary fuel.
"The ladies had a big job of feeding all those people, but they enjoyed it," Wiebe said. "They provided a mid-morning break, a noon meal and an afternoon break for the workers."
Wiebe said the participation of people from every reach of the congregation make the project even more fulfilling.
"I know when we work together, and we can share together and get along really well, it really makes it feel like more of a project the congregation is involved in," he said. "The more people who have a part in this, the more who are able to better appreciate it."
Wiebe gives primary credit to a higher force.
"It's what the Lord has done for us," he said. "Our young people are staying here and have jobs in the area in construction and the like.
"We like to be family oriented and our position is we don't go out and get a lot of education as a whole, and it seems like the Lord has just blessed us," he added. "We give credit to the Lord and not to ourselves."
Currently, electricians and plumbers are working inside the structure in preparation for the day when the building is to be put to use.
Just how long until that happens isn't known.
"We really don't have a plan as to when we'll be in our new building," Wiebe said. "I guess maybe within a year's time we hope to be done, but that remains to be seen.
"We'll just take it one step at a time."
Wiebe said the idea of worshiping in a new church already leads to introspect.
"I walked in the building when it was under construction and I could hardly hold my tears back," he said. "I think we'll all really enjoy it."
Once completed, the new building will offer numerous improvements over the old building.
"We'll have a larger sanctuary with seating capacity of about 240 people on the main floor," Wiebe said. "Then we'll have a balcony so that would increase (capacity) considerably.
"The rest rooms were not wheelchair accessible before, so this will be a nice improvement also."
Once in the new structure, Wiebe said the congregation will decide what to do with the old building.
"Our old facility will either be sold and removed or it will be demolished," he said. "But it will be removed."
Until then, Wiebe said members of the congregation are thankful for the way things have progressed thus far.
"It just seems like everything kind of falls into place as we work together."
