A megachurch based in Michigan has recently approved an expansion for its main building expected to cost an estimated $25 million

"The entire project is driven by our desire to better live out our calling to be Christ's church in this place," said Merrill. Church Coordinator.

"As our church and its needs have changed over time, the current facility has presented some limitations. We look forward to being better able to minister to the current needs of our congregation and community."Merrill noted that there were "eight different areas that will see significant change" due to the expansion.

These included "a reconfigured sanctuary" with more seating and improved audio-visual services, "a larger, enhanced fellowship hall", a "better quality" children's area that will be "much more secure", a larger youth area, more offices, to large corridor to help with the flow of worship traffic, a re-doing of the parking lots, and finally "a prayer garden, that will include both interior and exterior elements and will be a place of refuge and refreshment."

Known as "Grace Beyond" the campaign to make these plans into reality is expected by Calvary Church to take somewhere between 16 and 18 months, reported the Grand Rapids Business Journal.

"The addition to the main building will be about 38,310 square feet, expanding the sanctuary by about 300 seats," noted Mike Nichols of GRBJ.

"Erhardt Construction in Ada is serving as the project's construction manager, and Pasma Group Architects in Evanston, Ill. is the designer."

Merrill of Calvary Church also told us that this was not the first time that the megachurch had had to make major changes to its facility.

"Our church moved from a downtown location which it had outgrown in 1984, building the main portion of our current building at that time and then adding on some of the education portions a few years later," said Merrill.

Jim Samra, senior pastor at Calvary Church, posted a note on the Grace Beyond website where he stressed the importance of the project.

"As we enhance our building, we hope to draw people not just into the Sanctuary, but into places of fellowship and service and learning, that we might become like Christ in the context of the assembly and beyond," said Samra.

"We want our building to enable a fuller expression of what it means to experience God's grace."