The First Assembly of God family dedicates its new Family Life Center on Sunday, May 16, following morning services.

Pastor Lane Simmons said the new addition adjacent to the existing building on North Conecuh Street adds an additional 8,800 square feet to the facility.

&uot;This represents a $300,000 investment in our church family,&uot; Simmons said while showing the new building.

&uot;Our construction has taken just about a year to complete.&uot;

The new facility houses a gymnasium that will convert to a large fellowship hall for dinners and such events, a full-service industrial kitchen and a food pantry.

&uot;Our pantry will be used to store food that we distribute the community through our food bank program,&uot; Simmons said.

&uot;We are part of the Montgomery Area Food Bank and this will be a great boost to our ministry.&uot;

Something very special inside the new building is located upstairs, which Simmons is excited about.

&uot;We will have our ‘Children’s Church’ upstairs in their own sanctuary,&uot; he said.

&uot;They have a stage area for puppet shows and much more.

We think we’ll be able to handle about 50 children.&uot;

Trina and Ashley Simmons and James Sexton did the special drawings on the walls.

Also, the youth minister, Keith Simmons, will also have his own office adjacent to the Children’s Church.

A new conference room completes the upstairs.

Rev. Simmons said he hopes the new center eventually opens for the church family to use for public functions.

The youth will now have a safe place to play basketball, fooze ball and other programs.

&uot;This is something for our children to do besides the normal stuff,&uot; Keith Simmons said.

So many at the church will spend the weekend working to get every in tip-top shape in time for Sunday’s dedication services.

&uot;We would like to invite everyone to visit us and join us for the dedication,&uot; Pastor Simmons said.