Church remodel aims to ease way to 'encounter Christ'

A new accessible entrance and buildout of a youth center are the focus of a significant expansion at a prominent church in Cloquet.

Journey Christian Church associate pastor Fred Goldschmidt called the construction an appropriate metaphor.

"We're making it easier for people to get in the door," Goldschmidt said. "As Christians, we want to make it easier for people to get involved with Christ."

The $420,000 project is being conducted by Ray Riihiluoma Construction of Cloquet and it's hoped it will be completed by Labor Day.

Located at the corner of 14th Street and Washington Avenue, Journey Christian receives roughly 400 visitors through its three weekend services.

Times haven't been easy for churches of any kind, Goldschmidt said.

"Statistics are not good for churches, in general - Covid decimated almost all churches," Goldschmidt said. "It hit (churches) harder than others. The bounceback has been significant from the middle of Covid, but compared to pre-Covid, a lion's share of churches are still recovering from that."

Journey Christian is fortunate to be doing well, the pastor said, crediting its buoyancy to a mission to make a difference in the world around it.

The church is popularly known for its interior "playland," which prominently faces the street. That space tends to be adored by younger children. The buildout of the lower level youth cxqenter is aimed at drawing people entering their teens.

"One problem in young people today is loneliness and isolation," Goldschmidt said. "With the youth center, we want to provide hope and community."

The church features a youth pastor, Ed Martin, who conducts his largest events every Wednesday in the large sanctuary. The youth center will engage smaller groups, including scheduled hangout times Friday nights. Impromptu after-school encounters are one of the goals of the youth center, too.

"The new space will be helpful in giving them space they can call their own," Goldschmidt said.

The youth center will feature the installation of color-changing LED lighting and a refrigerator. The space will do away with the old-school dividers commonly found in church basements and, of course, "there will be lots of charging ports," Goldschmidt said.

Meanwhile, the entrance off the rear parking lot updates accessibility in ways that go beyond the expectations of federal law.

"We're building a whole section outside in order to make a nice, gentle slope and entrance," Goldschmidt said. "We want to welcome people no matter who they are."

Journey Christian is an independent church.

"The most important thing we have is the love of God and forgiveness that comes from Christ," Goldschmidt said.

If the construction can aid that mission, all the better, he said.

"Buildings are tools to reach people," Goldschmidt said. "Everything we do is designed to help people take a step toward Christ."

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