SEASIDE – It was once the office for the Seaside Signal Newspaper, a print shop, a dentist office, a Christian Science reading room, and now it will be the new location for the Welcome Home Church of the Nazarene.

The church purchased the building at 852 Broadway, and with the help of volunteers, church members are remodeling the facility.

“We had rented this space from the Schafer family for two years for our church,” said Mark Watt, lead pastor. “When they passed away we decided to buy the building. We completely gutted the place and added new walls. We will have a drop ceiling and also a sanctuary with candlelight. This building has 2,700-square-feet and it will fit our needs just beautifully.”

The church had been renting Rebecca’s Lodge at 12th Ave., and Holladay Dr., on Tuesday nights for about six months.

“But we quickly out-grew that space, and needed a space to call our own,” said Watt. “That’s when we started looking and found this place.”

Organizers established the Welcome Home Church of the Nazarene almost three years ago. Today, the church has about 35 members.

The mission of the church is to reach out and help families to become united.

“We want people to know that they have a safe place to come,” Watt said. “It is a place where they can just feel welcomed and at home. That’s why we named it Welcome Home Church.”

Among the volunteers that worked over last weekend to help in the remodel were members of the Sheridan Church of the Nazarene.

“I had heard that this church was being set up,” said Rita Adair of the Sheridan church. “I’ve always wanted our youth group to help do a care project, so I asked some people in the church if they wanted to help. I was surprised to see that 12 kids turned out to help us.”

The youth group helped paint a new children’s room at the new church.

Alax Watt, 10, Mark Watt’s daughter, said the theme of the Children’s Room is The Dog House.’ It stands for Disciples of God (DOG). It is a room that will offer children’s activities and Bible quizzing.

“We drew a picket fence with some flowers around it on one wall,” said Alax. “On another wall we painted paw prints with everyone’s names, that way if they come back they’ll remember what they did here.”

Alax said the volunteer painters worked hard.

“We got a lot more done than I thought we would. It was lots of fun,” said Alax.

Adair believes the Seaside project helped the youth group learn how to better serve others.

“They all worked very hard,” she said. “I am proud of each of them.”

“We have two more church groups that will come in October and November to lay down the new carpet,” said Watt. He hopes the remodeling will be done by the end of the year.

Despite the construction work, the new church is holding regular services each Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

“We clear up the work projects and get the space ready for services so that we can accommodate the church members,”

Watt said. “Tuesday night we rearrange it again for the youth group to meet here. On Wednesday night we make room for the dinner and Bible study group.”

The new church also has established Father’s Closet’, a clothing exchange to help any family in need.

“We don’t take in anything that has holes in the knees,” said Watt. “It is nice clothing that is all donated by other churches and members of the community.”

The motto of Welcome Home Church of the Nazarene is helping people find freedom.

“We believe everybody in life has a purpose and calling,” Watt said. “We want to help people find that purpose and calling and have a family while they do it.”

To find out more about the new church, call Watt at (503) 739-1000.

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