RockFish Church - Raeford - North Carolina
By: Jennifer Walker-Journey

In the small town of Raeford, North Carolina, just miles from the Fort Bragg Military Reserve, one church is making a notable statement with a welcoming demeanor and a highly technical new facility. And, the community is all ears.

The story of RockFish Church traces back to Manna Church in Fayetteville, North Carolina, a church that first opened its doors 35 years ago. Through the years, Manna has enjoyed tremendous growth in its community. As a regional member of Grace Churches International, an organization whose mission is to spread the glory of God by planting churches both nationally and internationally, Manna set out to follow this mission.

Its endeavor has proven successful. Since beginning this process, Manna has planted hundreds of churches internationally, including 600 in Brazil, as well as several in communities near its home base of Fayetteville. Among these are Brick City Community Church in Sanford; Grace Church in Chapel Hill; Manna Church in Lumberton; and RockFish Church in Raeford.

RockFish was initially established as Raeford Christian Fellowship in 1991, just 15 miles from its mother church. It later changed its name to Manna Church. As Manna Church grew, so did confusion between the two like-named churches. The Raeford church soon changed its name to RockFish to reflect a nearby community as well as to honor the Christian symbols: Rock and Fish.

Raeford, located in Hoke County, is an attractive location, says Dan R. Stanley, Ph.D., senior pastor at RockFish.

"Due to the military base realignment plan, about 40,000 troops will be entering this area over the next several years," he said.

In 2006, RockFish was 292 members strong, holding two separate services. It had exceeded 80 percent of capacity in its current building. A new facility was desperately needed if the church was to embrace the growth it anticipated.

But there was a challenge. Conventional means of financing simply were not within reach, given the size of the membership and the requirements for down payment, Pastor Dan said. He turned to a fellow pastor from Grace Churches International, who told Pastor Dan about Arks.

Arks, which is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, is a national leader in church building. The organization helps churches and Christian groups of all sizes build or expand their facilities. As a ministry-minded design-build company, Arks also offers construction financing some churches need.

One specialized service Arks offers is Build to Minister (BTM), a turnkey service that brings together the best Arks has to offer, from financing to development to construction services – all under one roof.

"Through our creative financing included in the BTM program, churches are released from the burden of building, truly get the most facility for their stewardship dollars, and grow their ministry more quickly," said Melvin Gill, vice president of the BTM program at Arks. "BTM also enables churches to build equity and pay off loans sooner."

Arks was an answered prayer for RockFish.

As a new church began to move toward reality, Pastor Dan and his family took a bold step toward that vision. While searching for land, property became available in an area that was ideal for impacting the people the church was trying to reach.

"With the support of the church through housing allowances, my wife and I used our assets to obtain a piece of highway commercial property," he said. "The gentleman selling the property was excited about the vision of the church and sold the land for an extremely reasonable amount."

In March 2006, ground was broken for the new RockFish Church. It was designed to be a metal building with 15,000 square feet. It would include a worship center with seating for 500 and a 60-foot stage area that could accommodate not only the worship team but also drama and dance ministry.

"Technology is the language of this generation, which prompted us to utilize video, lighting, and audio to present the timeless message of the Gospel," Pastor Dan said.

To further maximize the acoustical results, the side walls of the worship center were built to lean in and the back wall was curved.

The church was designed to feel casual and inviting as well as entertaining. Coffee kiosks offering complimentary coffee are set up in the foyer, and volunteers man a Welcome Center at the entrance. The foyer floor also was made of epoxy resin that is waxed to produce a very clean shine. Overall, the facility was designed to be functional in multiple ways throughout the week to support the ministries of the church.

 "Everything is dedicated to offering guests and members an opportunity to connect and grow in relationships with each other and Christ," Pastor Dan said.

Arks also signed on to do the construction management of the project, overseeing the church's builder of choice and ensuring the project stayed within its timetable and on budget. As a result, the project was completed just 13 months later.

Arks was an answered prayer for Pastor Dan. Since moving into the new building, RockFish has seen its membership more than double, and new visitors come weekly. Last month, the church added its third service.

"We have seen around 800 in service on Sunday," Pastor Dan said. "Without the help of Arks, we would not have been able to make this very important transition."

Arks is a ministry-minded design-build company that helps churches and Christian organizations of all sizes and financial ability to build or expand their facilities, www.arks.org.

In a Nutshell

Church: RockFish Church

Location: Raeford, North Carolina, in Hoke County
 
Project Goal: Build a casual yet technologically advanced church in anticipation of a growing military population

Size: 15,000 square feet

Cost: $1.7 million

Challenge: The small church had trouble getting financing and pulling together the down payment for the church it wanted to build.

Solution: The specialized Build to Minister financing program designed by Arks helped RockFish build the church of its dreams.