by Jenna Trisko
news@thenewsleaders.com
The Waters Church in Sartell has been serving the area for almost a decade with a focus on youth and children’s programming, and in February the congregation continued its commitment by breaking ground on an expansion.
The $1.7-million project will add 13,000-square feet to the main facility at 1227 Pinecone Road N. and almost double the current space for youth-service programming and better serve the activities and needs of various area groups that also use the space. The addition is the third major renovation of the facility since 2010.
When Pastor Doug Vagle and his wife, Peggy, started the church with 12 people, they had three young children and said they felt a place of worship should not only be tailored to adults but to children as well.
“There are two big drives – to reach our kids in the next generation and ensure they grasp God is needed and relevant in their lives,” Doug Vagle said of the Waters Church. “We provide contemporary-style services and strive to make the gospel relevant.”
A third of the 1,000 attendees each weekend are youth, and there are five pastors and a preschool coordinator who are dedicated to the enrichment and programming of those children.
With each church service, a fully-staffed nursery and preschool are available, as well as youth services for two groups of school-aged children – those kindergarten through fourth grade and those fifth through seventh grade.
“The heart behind this expansion is to meet current space needs and prepare for more growth,” Vagle said of the youth expansion which is scheduled to be completed in the fall of this year.
Two youth services are also held on Wednesday evenings and include a full youth-music team, sermon and small-group connection time as well as kids programming for elementary-aged children.
Other activities such as children’s camps and retreats are available regularly so students can grow in their faith.
“We are so honored we are one part of this awesome faith community in Sartell,” Vagle said. “This is a huge team effort for the Waters congregation who recently raised more than $1 million in cash, pledges and professionally contracted services for the project.”
There are also designated group activities for individuals of all ages: meal delivery services, various Bible studies, yoga, crafting, a women’s book club, and a monthly designation burger group which brings men together to seek out the best burger joints in central Minnesota.
Regular church services are held at 5 p.m. Saturdays and 9 and 10:45 a.m. Sundays. If you would like to learn more about the Waters Church and its programs, visit www.thewaterschurch.net.
An excavation crew works on a new youth addition on March 14 at the Waters Church in Sartell.
