LINCOLN CITY – There is a different and much larger look to the Faith Baptist Church at 5750 N. Highway 101 in Lincoln City.

A two-year $2.1 million expansion project is wrapping up to better serve the 350 churchgoers.

An expansion like this is kind of unusual in this economy, said Brian Robbins, Faith Baptist senior pastor. We really believe God has been with us, just because of the timing of this expansion and of the economy. We feel very blessed.

Robbins said the church has been using every inch of space for services and church projects.

We were running out of room, said Robbins. We have had a Sunday School class meeting in my office, a class meeting in an attic space upstairs and several classes taking place in our rooms downstairs.

A17,000-square-foot addition has been built onto the existing church offering a new community room and a new main worship center.

This new space gives us a chance to spread out, he said.

The focal point of this expansion is the worship center that will also serve as a multi-purpose area that includes a hardwood floor and a large area for sports activities including basketball and volleyball. The multi-purpose room will be used by the church youth groups and could also be made available to community groups. The room will also be available to the current Faith Baptist downstairs kindergarten to use as indoor recess space.

The front of the worship center has two large screens on each side of the new stage allowing church visitors the opportunity to closely follow the pastors sermons and song lyrics of the church music.

This expansion gives the church a much more open feeling, said Robbins. Our design team did a really good job straddling that fine line of combining a multi- purpose room with the worship space.

The expansion also includes a covered area at the new front entrance of the church protecting visitors from the rain.

The west side of the large gathering room directly off the front entrance of the church is built with large windows to allow light to stream into the building.

That area can now be used for people to gather before and after the church services, and can also provide room for Bible studies and other social events like weddings, said Robbins. We also offer a room next to the gathering area for nursing mothers who will be able to follow services but still have the privacy they need.

Four additional classrooms have been added in the expansion. A new playground will be added this summer to the 12-acre site. A commercial kitchen is still under construction. The church parking lot will also be repaved. The expansion is funded through a major church fundraiser held in 2010.

Future projects under consideration include a large worship building on the hillside adjacent to the existing church.

That is Phase 2 of this project, said Robbins. It will require us to make improvements to Highway 101 that include a turn lane.

But Robbins said there are no immediate plans to move forward with Phase 2.

We are going to take time to get comfortable in this space and pay off the debt of this project first, said Robbins.