Highlands Church breaks ground for education and multi-purpose expansion

12-03-2010
By Lew Turner
Special Contributor

Sunday, Nov. 14, 2010, marked a milestone in the history of Highlands Church, a United Methodist congregation in the Highlands area of Bella Vista, Ark. The congregation broke ground on a 7,200 square-foot education wing and a 1,300 square-foot multi-purpose addition.

Now in the final stages of design for the future needs of the church, construction will begin after just a few more details are resolved. The church expects the construction phase will last 10 to 12 months.

The Rev. Rex Darling, pastor of Highlands Church, is excited to see the project get underway. “Our needs for the future have been well defined and the growth projections are right on target,” he said. “It is important for us to meet the spiritual needs of our growing congregation, and to do that we must have an expanded facility.”

Since Highlands Church’s last construction project, a fellowship hall addition completed in 2002, membership has almost doubled. Demographics of the church support the need for more classrooms and additional administrative support space.

A building committee, established almost two years ago, has been working to develop the facility to support the projected growth. The committee contracted with Brennfoerder Architectural Services of Joplin, Mo., to develop the detailed master plan for the church.

The master plan calls for a second phase of construction, which will include a new Fellowship Hall.  The timing for the second phase will be determined by the growth pattern of the congregation and future funding.

Highlands Church currently offers a Saturday Celebration at 5:30 p.m., as well as a traditional worship service on Sunday morning at 10 a.m.

Turner serves as chair of the building committee for Highlands Church.