Liberty Valley Church expands facility with 1,000-seat auditorium
by Samantha Lumpkin
Liberty Valley Church at 9871 Old 8 Rd. in Northfield has recently amplified its vision and its facility. Pastor Jeff Tauring said the addition of an auditorium to the previous church building has helped the congregation become more involved in the community.
This expansion coincided with the church shifting its focus from international to national missionaries. Previously, the church had missions in Bolivia and other overseas locations. Now with what Tauring calls “our nation in distress,” the church is solely focusing on helping and supporting the people of the United States.
“We are doing more things for the community such as donating $1,000 to the local VFW to memorialize a recently fallen police officer and initiating roadside cleanup on Route 8,” he said.
The construction of the new auditorium has increased the capacity of Sunday services threefold. The original church had an auditorium for a few hundred with two balconies, stage and adjacent kitchen while the new space can seat up to 1,000 people.
Building the new addition took 15 months to complete, Tauring said. In addition to the auditorium, new restroom facilities, a children’s nursery and information technology room were built. The new foyer has a stamped concrete floor and the entrance to the auditorium is adorned with two handmade doors, which Tauring crafted himself.
If needed, two balconies similar to the original church building could be built within the new space for additional seating. The first day of services in the new auditorium took place on the 4th of July. Six hundred members of the community were there to witness the improvements.
Church members are delighted with the expansion, according to Tauring. Previously, they would have to arrive 30 minutes early to insure they had a seat and often services were standing-room only.
While the biggest benefit of the expansion is increased seating for services, the children, music and addiction ministries also benefit from the larger space for their events and programs. The original church space can now be utilized as a dining area for church functions. Also, the “Time in the Vineyard” radio broadcast with Tauring is hosted onsite weekdays at 5:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on WHKW-AM 1220 “The Word.”
Seven people established Liberty Valley Church in 2005. Steadily over 19 years, the congregation has grown and necessitated expansion of church space. After two years in Peninsula, Liberty Valley Church transitioned to holding services in a Macedonia warehouse before settling in Northfield in 2015 with the purchase of the final 20 acres of Cyrus Eaton’s farm. One of the Eaton family’s original barns still stands, serving as a backdrop for the church’s garden, which produces fruits and vegetables to donate to those in need. ∞
Photo (above/main): The auditorium addition is on the right, connected to the original church with a covered walkway. Photo by Samantha Lumpkin.
The new doors on the auditorium addition
were crafted by Pastor Jeff Tauring.
Photo submitted.