By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

New Life Community Church hopes to move into a new facility on the former Chilton Medical Center property within two years.

Since the church purchased former Chilton Medical Center property in 2017, the structure has been torn down, and plans for construction are taking shape.

Starting March 24, New Life will be meeting in the family life center of Victory Chapel until the construction of its new facility is complete.

“We are very grateful to Victory Chapel,” Lead Pastor Chad Keeteman said.

He said the church appreciated their partnership and willingness to allow them to use the building.

New Life has wanted to relocate to Highway 145 for years. When the former hospital property became available, it was the beginning of the fulfillment of that dream.

“It has been in the heart of the church for years to be in that location,” Keeteman said.

The property is seen as a good place for the church because of its location and the visibility it provides on a major road into Clanton.

“The address is 1010 Lay Dam Road and kind of a key verse of scripture since the church was planted was John 10:10, which is ‘The thief has come to kill, still and destroy, but I have that you may have life and life more abundantly,’” Keeteman said.

The church is in the process of securing financing, hiring a contractor and selecting a design.

New Life will be renting the facility from Victory Chapel starting on Feb. 1, giving them plenty of time to set up from the first service.

Keeteman said renting this facility will increase the church’s morning service seating capacity to an estimated 500 to 600. The current facility seats about 360. New Life currently holds two services each Sunday morning with an average combined attendance of more than 500.

“It’s a fantastic facility,” Keeteman said.

There is also a playground that the children’s ministry can use.

As the church grows into these larger facilities, they hope it’s positive impact on the community will increase also.

“Every move that we make forward is a representation of that cultural footprint that we are leaving on this community,” Keeteman said.

Keeteman said the church wants to see positive change in Central Alabama to the point that there is a decrease in drug abuse and the number of children in foster care.

“We don’t believe that we can do that, but that the gospel of Jesus Christ, the power of God the message of God can do that, and so we are just simply the messengers,” Keeteman said.

New life Community Church was started in 2003, and moved into its current facility in 2009.