Robertsdale Church of Christ Pastor Andrew Itson

SUBMITTED PHOTO

ROBERTSDALE, Alabama — When you walk into Pastor Andrew Itson’s office at the Robertsdale Church of Christ you will find the typical items, family photos; shelves lined with books on religion, philosophy and, of course Bibles; certificates and awards; sports memorabilia and even a trophy or two.

You will also find several boxes of toys, children’s books and lesson materials, including Animal Crackers and Play Dough.

“Because we’ve run out of room, we’ve had to convert my office into a classroom for 2 and 3 year olds,” said Itson, who has served as pastor of the church for about 3 ½ years. “I think it’s great. It shows how much we’ve grown.”

After a short walk into the sanctuary and through a doorway, Itson opens the door to a room at least twice the size of his office.

“This will be our new 2- and 3-year-old classroom,” he said. “Quite a big difference isn’t it.”

In just the past three years, Itson said, the church has grown from a regular attendance of about 180 to more than 240.

“We were literally bursting at the seams,” he said. “We made an effort from the beginning to reach out to young families and to focus on community outreach and the response has been tremendous.”

The non-denomination church has been working for a while on raising the necessary funds for expansion, Itson said, and construction began about a year ago to add a 13,500-square-foot addition to the 5,000-square-foot facility, which will include a new sanctuary and needed classroom space for children and adults. The original structure will be used for a fellowship hall and additional classroom space.

“We will be able to seat about 400 people,” Itson said, “so it will definitely allow for future growth as we continue our community outreach.”

While construction was still underway early in November, plans were to be finished with the new facility by the middle of the month, Itson said.

The church will host a kickoff Sunday to open the new facility on Dec. 4, beginning with Bible classes at 9:30 a.m., followed by a worship service at 10:30 and a pot-luck dinner on the grounds.

“We invite everyone to come out and be a part of our church family,” Itson said, “even if it’s only for one Sunday, but we’re hoping you like what you see and decide to stay.”

The church is located at 18250 Pennsylvania St., just east of the entrance to Garrett Park. Bible study is every Sunday morning at 9:30 and Wednesday evening at 7 with worship services at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. every Sunday. For more information call the church office at 251-947-7128 or visit churchofchristatrobertsdale.com.