Dayspring Baptist Church, one of St. Louis’ oldest congregations dating back to 1877, marked the start of its building expansion with a groundbreaking ceremony on Sunday, August 28. The church, located at 1001 Municipal Center Drive in Town & Country, Missouri, is undergoing a $1.2 million, 4,200 square-foot expansion scheduled to be completed in Spring 2017.
During a special Sunday ceremony led by Dayspring Senior Pastor Chris Fillingham, members of the congregation and community looked on proudly while the ground was broken for the church’s addition. Children of the congregation were also called up to put on their hard hats and turn over the dirt with shovels. The celebration included live music from local jazz guitarist, Dan Rubright, a continental breakfast and activities for all ages.
“Groundbreaking for our expansion is an exciting time for our congregation, and the apex of an incredible process that began with a vision of needed space,” said Fillingham. “We are a vibrant congregation, and this is the next step of our journey as we follow God into the future.”
To achieve the vision, the congregation turned to the architects at St. Louis Design Alliance, who designed a 4,200 square-foot, environmentally friendly facility. J Hooker Construction is general contractor for the project. To fund the development, Dayspring raised money via their ‘Generation to Generation’ capital campaign.
The expansion includes knocking down the deteriorating house on the property (Delmar House). The new building, which will be attached to the church, will add 4,200 square feet of space to the ministry. The new space will include dedicated children education spaces, a small prayer chapel and additional office space. Expanded classroom space will facilitate more children, youth, and adult education programs, the prayer chapel allows for special services and space for community groups to meet, and the conference room and consolidated office space will provide a more productive area for those focused on the church’s administration and growth.
“Dayspring is not your typical Baptist church. Our core value is to be a community that follows Jesus with open hearts and minds. We are the kind of place where it’s safe to ask questions, struggle with faith, and embrace mystery,” said Fillingham. “Dayspring has a long history of practicing a warm-hearted hospitality and acting upon our deep concern for justice. For us, Christianity is not a set of doctrines to memorize, but a way of being and becoming. It is a journey of transformation.”
The 140-year old congregation (known as Delmar Baptist until 2013) moved to Town & Country 17 years ago from its location of 79 years at Skinker and Washington in University City, Missouri. For more information, call (314) 432-1960 or visit their website at www.dayspringstl.com.
Project Facts at a Glance:
- Project: Dayspring Baptist Church Expansion (1001 Municipal Center Drive; Town & Country, MO)
- Total Cost: $1.2 million
- Size of Expansion: 4,200 sq. feet
- Contractor: J Hooker Construction
- Architect: St. Louis Design Alliance
- Civil Engineer: Civil Engineering Design Consultants
- Construction Start Date: September 2016
- Construction Completion Date: Spring 2017