KOLOA — Dain Spore chuckles as he recounts that old joke about going to the fights and a hockey game breaking out.
Kind of the same situation — nothing about fisticuffs — at Kaua‘i Christian Fellowship Church.
“This is a youth group and church broke out,” said Spore, a pastor of the 11-year-old church.
Rick Bundschuh, also a pastor of Kaua‘i Christian Fellowship, smiled at the comment.
“Our church started as a youth ministry that went berserk and became a church,” he said.
Today, Kaua‘i Christian Fellowship continues to grow — inside and outside the doors of its sanctuary — and the youth remain a firm part of its focus.
Workers broke ground in November on a 13,000-square-foot sports center that’s rising next to the nondenominational church at 2731 Ala Kinoiki Road.
From the road to Po‘ipu you can see it. Steel girders sprouting from the ground, workers and cranes building the skeleton.
People are stopping and asking, “What is it?”
Bundschuh is happy to answer.
“A sports center is a vision we’ve had since our congregation first moved to this property over 10 years ago,” he said. “We are so pleased to be able to provide this asset for our community of faith and for all our friends and neighbors around the island.”
They’re raised $1.1 million toward their campaign goal of $1.5 million.
When it’s done — and no one is saying for sure when that will be — the center will feature a college regulation court that can serve basketball games as well as volleyball and badminton events, as well as exercise classes and various sporting programs.
In addition, Bundschuh said one section has been built to serve as FEMA-approved hurricane shelter, “something we hope we never have to use. Plus there are breakout rooms for all the youth activities our church is known for.”
Serving youth is something church leaders say is part of their DNA. The church youth ministry, 120 strong, is increasing in size.
“We have a reputation for our work with kids and teenagers,” Spore said. “And this complex will be blessing kids and their families for a long, long time to come.”
For sure, Spore said, it will be a place where people will be active-physically and spiritually.
“They’ll be doing stuff to grow in their body, mind and soul,” he said.
While it sounds like they’re almost at their goal, organizers note it’s not exactly easy to raise $400,000.
“That’s a lot of Krispy Kreme doughnuts,” Spore said.
Bundschuh said building a gym has been a long-term goal. Progress has been rapid.
“It just so happened we were able to get this going a lot faster than we thought,” he said.
Good thing.
Bundschuh said there is a need for another sports center, for youth basketball and volleyball. In Kalaheo, for instance, the center is almost always in use.
“Try to get to play in there. It’s extremely difficult,” he said.
“We have a lot of folks in our family of faith who are deeply involved in team sports,” Bundschuh said. “We have former Olympians and many coaches in our church not to mention the kids who are all looking for a place they can play and practice. And we know that there are lots of teams and leagues all around the South side who are also looking for a place like this where they can meet.”
The sports center will also be a connector with those who might not be among the 400 or so who attend weekly services at Kaua‘i Christian Fellowship.
“We really attempt to integrate into the community, as opposed to being a bubble on the outside of the community,” he said.
The uses of the center could be many, including Zumba classes and rummage sales.
There’s more to come, too, once the center is complete.
“And when we get all done with this phase of the project we would like to add a concrete skatepark to the mix as our previous park was made with wood. It just didn’t hold up to the elements. With that final addition it should make everybody happy,” Bundschuh said.
Church leadership team member Joe McEvoy said the center could be completed by year’s end, but he noted that’s a “hopeful” target date versus a “realistic” target date.
“We can build it as fast as the money comes in,” Spore said.
“Realistically, it could be a couple years before it’s fully ready to go,” McEvoy said.
But none doubt it will be finished.
It was much the same when the church was being built.
“There were days the guys would come and say, ‘We’re going to have to stop work by the end of the week, we’re out of funds.’ Then somebody would pull into the parking lot and say, ‘How much is it going to cost to put that roof on there?’
Fifteen thousand, came the answer.
“They’d go to the car and write us a check for $15,000 and come back,” Bundschuh said. “We never stopped work. We’re very confident that’s how that’s going to be, too.”
The center is designed by architect John Underwood. Project director is Ira McRoberts.
McAvoy said Kaua‘i Christian Fellowship has a strong outreach with visitors, too. Since the church opened at its current site, around 2,000 yearly island guests call Kaua‘i Christian Fellowship their home.
“That’s really been a wonderful ministry,” McAvoy said.
Some have asked if the gym is strictly for the use of church members, Spore said.
The answer, is no.
“While we obviously will need the facility to accommodate some of our homegrown youth activities, our goal is to carve out a generous portion of time where the sports center is available to everyone,” he said.
Spore said bottomline, the center will help Kaua‘i Christian Fellowship fulfill its mission.
“I always tell my kids, a good day is when you’ve exercised your body, mind and soul,” he said. “Our goal is to be able to share the love of Jesus Christ with people as they’re getting exercise and doing something healthy.”
• Bill Buley is editor of The Garden Island. He can be reached at bbuley@thegardenisland.com or 652-0148.
