Trailhead Church Building To Serve
Author: Kelley Gobbs, Trailhead Church
Trailhead Church Building to Serve
Trailhead Christian Fellowship Church was packed full this past Sunday with over 240 people attending the Sunday morning worship service. April 2 wasn’t just an ordinary service, as the church was celebrating the groundbreaking of their long-time-coming expansion project. Trailhead has been fundraising extensively for the past 2 years and has reached a point to be able to build the shell of the expansion building.
A large group gathered outside in a spring snow squall after Pastor Mark Roelofs delivered an enthusiastic sermon message. The sermon was centered on the Bible passage Psalm 127:1 “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders' labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain”.
First to dive the shovel into the dirt was Doris Hossfeld. She is a long-time Broadwater County resident and member of Trailhead Church. She represents the older generation, who paved the way and laid the groundwork for the church. She and many others have seen the church change and grow into what it is today. Doris has served at Trailhead for many years and still attends regularly, actively involved in hospitality and group bible studies.
Following Doris was Jordan Shearer. He and his wife Anna have two boys, Weston and Wade. Jordan represents the numerous families who gather at Trailhead to do life together, study God’s Word, and fellowship on a regular basis. Jordan was born and raised in Townsend and devotes his time to farming, ranching, volunteer firefighting, and chasing his two boys.
The last to turn over the ground was 4-year-old Waylon Nix. He is the son of Landon and Dani Nix of Winston. Waylon represents the children and the youth of the church. Waylon is active in AWANA and Sunday School every week, with his younger sister, Ruby, in tow. The youth and energy at Trailhead are remarkable and Waylon is no exception. The groundbreaking ceremony represented the vast diversity at this church, where both young and old come together, consistently for a common goal.
Chuck Blair and Glen Van Zee, both active members of the church, are taking the lead on the project, which has been in the planning stages for quite some time. They have contractors lined up and scheduled, using mostly local area contractors to complete the shell. They mentioned the timing is ideal, as material prices have decreased since the original estimate. The church has numerous talents within the congregation too, from electrical to plumbing to HVAC to other skilled laborers. They hope to leverage and use everyone’s skills to keep costs low and finish in a timely manner. It’s safe to say everyone is excited to get their hands dirty.
After the brief and touching ceremony, the group gathered inside for a delicious potluck lunch, complete with homemade dishes and cake.
Trailhead started as a local group of four couples meeting in a home in 2001. That group grew to 20 people who met at the Rod and Gun Club on Canton Lane. Soon after, the need for a church building became apparent with the congregation growing to about 75 people. In 2007, the current Trailhead building was built with the help of Trailhead members and Mennonites from Pennsylvania. Over the years, God has called more believers to Himself, the body has grown, and the church building needs expansion.
Currently, Trailhead serves over 90 families every week through various bible studies, ministries, Sunday school, small groups, fellowship, and Sunday service. Every Wednesday night, Trailhead hosts over 40 Junior High and Senior High students for youth group and dinner. Trailhead added AWANA this past fall, a well-known ministry focused on providing Bible-based evangelism and discipleship to children. Around 80 kids from the community attend the program every Wednesday evening. Others in the Broadwater County community use the facility for large gatherings, funerals, weddings, 4-H Club meetings, and as a Red Cross emergency shelter.
The expansion project includes a 7,200-square-foot building, complete with a large, revamped kitchen, several classrooms, new bathrooms, office space, storage, and a gymnasium/multi-purpose room to help meet the needs of the growing church and the growing community. It will be built on the south side of the current fellowship hall.
In Matthew 16:18 Jesus promises to build His church, and He says the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Jesus is faithful to His promise – His Church is being built all around the world. Trailhead Christian Fellowship Church is a local expression of the worldwide Church, and Christ has been faithful to build us as His Body– even to this day. The congregation is excited about how He continues the building process– for His glory and for the good of His people.
Trailhead Christian Fellowship Church invites you to join them, every Sunday morning at 10 am. For more information and to follow the progress of the expansion project, please visit our website at https://www.trailheadchristianchurch.com. There you will find ways to get involved, volunteer, or contribute.
