04 Feb Upwards in a New Activity Center

On January 23, Hillsdale UB Church (Hillsdale, Mich.) dedicated an Activity Center. Bishop Phil Whipple gave a challenging address to the congregation before they went across the parking lot to enjoy a celebration meal in the new building.

Special guests included State Rep. Ken Kurtz, State Senator Bruce Caswell, and Congressman Tim Walberg. Rep. Kurtz, a member of Hillsdale UB, gave the dedication prayer to close the service.

The Activity Center was opened just in time to accomodate the explosive growth of the Upwards basketball/cheerleading ministry. In just its second year at Hillsdale, the number of children increased by over 100 and the number of teams grew from 19 to 30. Every Saturday, several hundred people pour in to watch the Upwards games. The majority do not yet attend services, but new families have been added to the congregation.

Even though Hillsdale County has had unemployment rates ranging from 15 to 20 per cent the last few years, an anonymous church member provided a check for $150,000 to purchase the building debt-free.