Churches around town meet in homes, trailers, schools, movie theatres and even strip malls. But for NorthPark Community Church, their strip mall days are over. On May 17th, the 2000 family congregation moved into their permanent home at 2831 Kelly Johnson Parkway in the Rye Canyon Business Loop (up the street from Wal-Mart). On Sunday evening, June 7th at 5:30 pm, they will be inviting all of Santa Clarita to celebrate with them at their official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. The evening will be attended by city officials including Assemblyman Cameron Smyth, Mayor Frank Ferry, Mayor Pro Tem Laurene Weste, Santa Clarita Council Members Bob Keller, Laurie Ender, and Marsha McLean. Additional dignitaries include City Manager Ken Pulskamp, Assistant City Manager Ken Striplin, and representatives from the offices of Buck McKeon, Michael Antonovich, and Tony Strickland.
The ceremony will be followed by dinner provided by Bristol Farms and tours of the 47,000 square foot facility.
The church will use their new facility not only as a place of worship, but a resource to the community including weddings, banquets, ceremonies and sporting events. The facility features a grand staircase with intricate scrolled ironworks, 2 elevators, an atrium, 16 classrooms, several multi-purpose rooms, a 700 seat sanctuary, an outdoor courtyard and patio pavilion. In the 3 short weeks the church has been open, they have held services for over 1000 people and hosted both a wedding and a funeral. It is the second largest church building in the SCV.
Senior Pastor David White says, “I have spent most of my life here in Santa Clarita-I’m a hometown guy. I love this community and the people who live here and wanted to find a way to give back. The people in town need encouragement in times like these; we can offer them a hug and a handshake, some great events for kids and families, and a special place to gather. Whether it’s a wedding, funeral, banquet or sporting event, we want to open our doors to the entire community as a resource and encouragement.”
NorthPark has been reaching out to the community for the 15 years they have been in existence. They have served as a meeting center for Boy Scouts, A.A., groups for young mothers and mentoring programs. They have also served as a recital hall for SCV musicians and have been a Polling Place for elections over the past 5 years. Their new facility is built to host even larger groups in more locations throughout the building and on the grounds. Future plans for development include a baseball diamond, lighted fields, a coffee house and banquet hall.
NorthPark Community Church is a Christ-centered, Bible-believing, Relationship-focused church where they love God and people. They offer 4 Sunday services and various activities throughout the week.