Sanctuary gets new life as community center

New Bethel Baptist Church unveiling renovations today

YOUNGSTOWN -- New Bethel Baptist Church is renovating its former sanctuary into a multipurpose community center.

The church will host an unveiling to the community today at 1507 Hillman St., the Rev. Kenneth L. Simon said.

"We'll be unveiling drawings, what it (the center) will look like and what purposes it will be used for," he said.

Simon said the former sanctuary is still under renovation.

"This is phase two of our expansion," he said. "The first phase was, we built a new sanctuary. Now we're converting the old sanctuary to a multipurpose center."

The center will offer many programs for the community to serve the young and families, and it will meet educational and social needs.

One of the programs will be tutoring through Youngstown State University, Simon said.

Another program will be mentoring. Simon said the mentors are trained by the Youngstown Police Department to guide young people in "the right direction" through the Community Initiative to Reduce Violence program.

The center also will provide a financial literacy program, which Simon said is taught by experts who will guide parents in family planning and budgeting for low-income families.

The center will host recreational programs such as summer vacation Bible school for the youth and the Christ Has Anointed Me Personally for Service program. Simon said CHAMPS is a six-month summer training and development program for children between the ages of 7 and 18.

"They visit nursing homes and go on field trips to expose them to things they normally wouldn't be exposed to," he said. "It helps to bring out leadership and opportunities in young people."

The center also will offer a senior assistance and resource center to coach seniors in health and medical awareness, how to handle insurance issues and estate planning.

The church will host education and religious organization conferences at the center as well as address educational and governmental issues through forums, town hall meetings and workshops, according to Simon. Workshops also will be hosted through programs the center will offer.

Other programs will include:

• Computer and technology training;

• Job-seeking skills training;

• Cultural education, experiences and expression;

• Parental training;

• Budgeting and financial training;

• Support groups;

• Health and fitness training, such as yoga and line dancing;

• Social events such as banquets, receptions, plays and parties.