Restoration Church of Gaffney officially opened its new sanctuary Easter Sunday. The auditorium, which is equipped with state-of-the-art lighting and sound equipment, can seat up to 1,000 people. Each Sunday from pulpits across America, preachers often tell their congregations to build their lives upon the Word of God and use it as a weapon against the enemy.

Restoration Church of Gaffney, however, took it a step further.

Already forced to hold two services each Sunday due to the congregation's large size, Restoration Church of Gaffney Pastor, Rev. Joey Turner, announced a few years ago the church had plans to expand.

"It became to where it seemed we had two different churches," Turner said. "They were both under the same umbrella, but each service had its own distinct personality."

Even before preliminary blueprints for the project were drawn up, members of the church laid a sound foundation by writing Bible scriptures on any piece of the building's inner core they could find.

"The entire ministry gave this project to God; it was a total church effort," Turner said.

Nearly two years after starting the project, Turner and the rest of the Restoration Church family are ready to bask in their effort, and God's provision.

The church will dedicate its new 1,000-seat auditorium this Sunday. Associate pastor Tracy Stewart will minister at the 4 p.m. worship service.

Once a Lowe's hardware store, the building has been transformed into a glistening place of worship seen by all traveling Interstate 85.

"It's amazing to have the potential to seat 1,000 people," Turner said, "I get a fire in my bones thinking about it."

First used Easter Sunday, the sanctuary is equipped with state-ofthe art lighting, sound and much-needed space to accommodate the congregation's swelling size.

"It's truly a blessing to see what God's done," Turner said. "With this country's current economic situation, it's awesome to see God's hand guiding us through such a big project."

Already at home with a hammer in his hand, Turner was able to oversee the effort, which also included members of the congregation with experience in the construction business. The church also was able to use what Turner refers to as "creative refinancing" to negotiate a better interest rate on the project, saving additional money.

However, nothing would have been possible without the help of the congregation, who sowed more than $30,000 into the remodeling job as crews scurried to finish the job.

"During a 15-week period, the congregation gave over $30,000 beyond their regular giving toward the completion of the new sanctuary," Turner said. "There were nights where we were there pretty late, 'til around 2:30 a.m. But with the exception of certain things like plumbing that could not be done by one of us, this was done pretty much debtfree."

The church now meets Sundays at 10 a.m., bridging the gap between those attending the separate worship services. A midweek service is held Wednesdays at 7 p.m.