It’s a dance and ballroom studio during the week and now, every Saturday, it becomes a Sabbath sanctuary. On September 3, more than 300 people came to worship as the Beltsville church (Md.), launched its second campus, Tech Road, in Silver Spring, Md.
“This is a great location for people who don’t feel comfortable in a traditional church setting,” says Will Johns, associate pastor of the Beltsville church, and who serves as campus pastor for the new site. Johns adds that more than half the people who attended the grand opening were not from the Ammendale campus, the new term being used for what has been known as the Beltsville church for the past 60 years. Beltsville church now refers to both of these sites, as the sites will share a membership roster, tithe report and will represent one church at constituency time.
Tech road is situated in an industrial park just four miles from the Ammendale campus–close in geography, but big in mission potential. With worship services, which are very different in style, being staggered at each location, pastors are able to shuttle between campuses on Sabbaths and offer support. “We are also having Sabbath school after the church service, which helps us connect with new people more easily,” says Johns. Setting up a worshipful atmosphere in a ballroom takes a lot of work every week. The lights go up, screens get wired, the band gets everything hooked up – and then it’s still time to set up chairs and get Sabbath School rooms “draped” off by setting up piping and curtains. However, when more than 300 people showed up for the inaugural service, organizers said it was worth all the work.
This new campus fulfills a dream of Senior Pastor Tim Madding, who came two years ago to launch a church planting project; roles changed and he became lead pastor and church planting plans morphed into a multi-site campus. “It’s still the same vision,” Madding says. “It’s creating new places where new people can get to know and serve Jesus better.”
Join the Tech Road campus for worship at 2126 Industrial Parkway, Silver Spring, Md. Worship service begins at 10:45am, following by Sabbath school at noon.
story by Kermit Netteburg
