by Peter Bodley
Managing editor

An expansion and renovation project at a Coon Rapids church and school is nearing completion.

Construction on the $2.8 million project at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church and School began in July 2004 and is scheduled for completion in June.

The kindergarten through eighth-grade school moved into its new quarters of all new classrooms in mid-February.

Previously, the school had operated in rooms in the basem- ent of the church as well as in an old house on the church property that has been demolished, according to Rev. Steve Kurtzahn, pastor of the church.

In addition to the new classrooms, the school, which is affiliated with West Lutheran High School in Plymouth, has a new computer lab/library as well as a gymnasium, which also doubles as a cafeteria.

A new outdoor play struc- ture will also be installed as part of the project, according to Principal Jason Hahn, who is in his second year as Cross of Christ principal.

"We were so cramped before," Hahn said. "The new facilities offer a much better learning environment."

Right now, the gymnasium is also used for church services while the sanctuary is being expanded and remodeled, according to Kurtzahn.

The work on the sanctuary had to wait until their gymnasium was completed, Kurtzahn said.

The reason for the project was simply that the church and school had run out of room in their old quarters, he said.

While the school enrollment has remained stable in recent years at 75, the new classrooms and facilities will enable it to expand enrollment, Kurtzahn said.

The church was founded in 1963 and the school in 1977. This is the church's third expansion since it was originally built, Kurtzahn said.

With the expansion, the school space has grown to 35,000 square feet from 10,000 square feet and the church sanctuary is being expanded by 10 feet in width and 1,000 square feet.

More pews are being added to increase the capacity from 225 to 325 seats.

That's to accommodate a growing congregation, which now numbers 602 people, of whom an average of 250 to 300 attend each Sunday, according to Kurtzahn.

"The congregation has increased by some 50 people in the last two years," Kurtzahn said.

"Most of the congregation are families with kids in school. We don't have that many retired people."

And many of those families send their children to the church school, he said.

In addition to the expanded sanctuary, the project also includes new offices and conference rooms for the church.

Planning work on the project began in the fall of 2002 with fund-raising.

Funding has come from church members and from the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., of which Cross of Christ is a member church.

"The money was raised through cottage meetings," Kurtzahn said. "Church members gathered in small groups to go over the plans and make financial commitments to the project."

As well as the interior work, the project involves outside construction with parking lot expansion, landscaping and curbing, Kurtzahn said.

Kurtzahn has been pastor at Cross of Christ since June 2003, but he has been a Wisconsin Synod pastor since 1979, serving in Austin, Minn., Dallas, Texas, and Hendersonville, N.C., before coming to Cross of Christ.

It was, in a sense, a return home for Kurtzahn, who was born and raised in north Minneapolis.

And not only is Cross of Christ undergoing a physical expansion, it is also increasing its staff. A second pastor will be coming on board mid-May.

A dedication service for the expanded and renovated church and school will take place Sunday, Sept. 18. Rev. Karl Gurgel, Wisconsin Synod president, will be the guest speaker.

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