TIVERTON — Congregants, guests, and interested members of the public will celebrate a groundbreaking for the new and long-awaited addition to Amicable Church, at 3736 Main Road in Tiverton at 10 a.m. on Sunday, July 16.
The ceremony will begin with a brief blessing service in the sanctuary, followed by a formal groundbreaking, and a celebratory cookout, rain or shine.
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TIVERTON — Congregants, guests, and interested members of the public will celebrate a groundbreaking for the new and long-awaited addition to Amicable Church, at 3736 Main Road in Tiverton at 10 a.m. on Sunday, July 16.
The ceremony will begin with a brief blessing service in the sanctuary, followed by a formal groundbreaking, and a celebratory cookout, rain or shine.
"The groundbreaking will initiate a nine-month project that has been in the planning, definition, and design stages for more than five years," said Reverend Bill Sterrett, the church's pastor.
"The addition will make the building more physically accessible to all," he said.
The Sunday ceremony will include children of Amicable Church, who will help to break the ground for the new addition, that will abut the north parking lot, replacing a section of the current building there. Actual construction work on the project will begin the following day, Monday.
"The renovation of the church continues the stated mission of Amicable, which is to make the structure itself as welcoming as the spirit that imbues it, by removing all physical barriers," the Reverend said.
"It will provide enhanced facilities such as an elevator lift, handicap accessible restrooms and an easy entrance to the pastor’s office," he said.
Rev. Sterrett said the message of welcome is “much more powerful when we are willing to stretch our resources and ourselves in order to truly mean what we say. When our building is accessible to all, then all are truly welcome.”
One of the church’s important tenets, the Reverend said, is “no matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here.”
The Tiverton firms of Messier Construction and Sixteen on Center, a design/build firm, are working with the church on this project.
The new area will have a larger ground-level north lobby entrance with a lift and stairs leading to the lower level, as well as to the upper hall and sanctuary.
Two lower level bathrooms will be completely renovated and one made handicap accessible; a handicap accessible bathroom will also be added at the upper hall/sanctuary level.
With the additional space provided by the new building, the church once more will be able to maintain a community polling place, support community blood drives, as well as continue services to the community.
The church provides services to the community that include meeting space for both Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts; the Tiverton Garden Club; Al-Anon; the Tiverton Historical Society; the Greater Tiverton Community Chorus, educational CORE programs, and a thrift store.