| Updated: 6/08/2009 9:13 am |
Published: 6/07/2009 5:30 pm |
Sunday, a Little Rock church reinvented itself giving a whole new meaning to Sunday school.
Church leaders at 34th Street Missionary Baptist noticed Rightsell Elementary, just two miles away, was empty. So they bought it and moved in.
Children no longer fill the halls of Rightsell, so instead of letting the building stay empty, the church renamed itself and relocated, breathing new life into an old school.
"It still is a blessing because it still is a part of history. It's still part of a good community, and it's just moved on to bigger and better things," says church leader Karen Franklin.
Pastor Jeffrey Franklin wants the whole community to get involved. "Buildings like this in the community become havens for gang activities and drugs and things like that and so it's extremely powerful to us to be able to not only have a new church home, but to revitalize the part of the community that already exists," he says.
Church members hope former students return to check out the changes. "It'll be good to come back and even come attend the church and just look at history, just what it was and what it has become," says William Hatten.
By staying in the same neighborhood instead of moving to southwest Little Rock, which was another option, the church can reach some of its most important goals. "Our focus is on young people to get them off the street, get them in the church and help them to develop to be better and be better Christian and give back to the community," says Pastor Franklin.
The school was built in 1906. The church still has more remodeling to do in the basement and upstairs. Right now, worship is in the auditorium every Sunday.
