More room to grow

The Village Bible Church on Bliss Road at Route 47 in Sugar Grove will dedicate its new 17,000-square-foot, $2 million addition this weekend.

There will be an open house from 4 to 5 p.m. Sunday, followed by a 6 p.m. service.

The new addition includes classrooms, a nursery, a kitchen and a full-sized gymnasium.

The new construction is quite an accomplishment for the non-traditional church that is home to about 650, an increase from about 300 members in the early 1990s.

Only two years ago, leaders believed they would have to move outside the village in order to expand.

The costs of construction and getting water and sewer service from the village -- necessary to be within the fire protection district -- appeared to be too expensive. The church had been on well and septic.

But in the spring of 2006, the Fox Metro Water Reclamation District made an offer that church pastors and elders couldn't refuse.

"They told us that if they could use our property to run sewer lines to Waubonsee Community College, they would hook us up for free," said Pastor Keith Duff. "We ended up paying for the water hook-up, but Fox Metro also re-paved and widened our driveway after they dug up our property. It saved us about $350,000.

"Our septic field was in front of the church," Duff added. "Getting rid of it gave us more space for the addition. At that point it felt like God was calling us to stay."

Church members must have agreed, as they donated cash, time, talent and materials to make the new addition a reality.

Duff says the church raised $1 million in donations and pledges from church members, and took out a loan for the other $1 million.

The church tore down the original metal structure built in 1974 to make room for the expansion. The church sanctuary, built in 1991, remains intact.

The church hired a contractor to build the exterior of the addition and install the plumbing. Church members took over almost all the interior work.

"It was an interesting journey," Duff said. "In July of last year we started working on the interior. Our members did the flooring, the ceilings, the woodwork and the electrical work. They donated materials."

Duff said that going to the village with the design of the church before it was built was a challenge.

"I had heard a lot of negatives about dealing with the village," he said. "At first they said we couldn't build because of wetland preservation. Then they said it could be done in a way that would allow us to save the trees.

"When we went with our design, they pushed back with suggestions. But we ended up with a much better structure than we originally planned. Our brick color design and roof lines match."

The church will offer use of the new full-size gymnasium to the community.

"We're excited about the gym," Duff said. "It's a natural for our junior and senior youth groups and it gives us a change to add new things for adults. We want to start volleyball and basketball leagues for adults.

"We may charge the community a small fee to use the gym to help with maintenance," Duff said. "But our design isn't about money. It's wherever God leads us in our ministry."

If you go:

What: Dedication of new addition.

Where: Village Bible Church, Bliss Road and Route 47, Sugar Grove

When: Open house is from 4 to 5 p.m., dinner (reservation needed) is from 5 to 6 p.m.; dedication and recognition service is from 6 to 7 p.m. Sunday

Call: (630) 466-7198