by Laura Freeman

Reporter

Hudson -- "As the building grows, my faith grows," said the Rev. Michael Conklin of Rejoice Lutheran Church.

The members of Rejoice Lutheran Church are building a church with the help of Mission Builders, an organization of volunteers who help build churches throughout the United States.

The foundation for the 7,000-square-foot building, with a 148-seat sanctuary, is done, and workers have been nailing together the framework for the walls. Conklin was waiting for a permit by Summit County before workers could raise the walls. It was approved July 15 and the walls are going up.

"It's a faith experience learning to trust God," Conklin said. "Especially when dealing with others like Summit County and the city. You have to be patient."

Permits aren't the only obstacle teaching patience. Conklin said rain put the project behind by several months. The trailers the 13 volunteers live in only moved onto the property at 7750 Stow Road July 11 after staying at a local KOA campground.

Conklin said Rejoice Lutheran Church members welcomed the volunteers June 29 with a short ceremony to commission them. They presented each volunteer couple with a prayer shawl knitted especially for them.

The Rejoice Prayer Shawl ministry began a few months ago, and the Mission Builder couples are the first recipients of the shawls.

Prayer shawls are knitted with prayer and given with prayer to offer the comfort and peace of God's love to the receiver.

Conklin said the 140-member congregation of Rejoice Church provides meals Tuesdays and Thursdays with a potluck dinner on Saturdays for the volunteers.

Conklin, who has been Rejoice's pastor for nearly three years, said the church has met at different locations in the city with Ellsworth Hill School the most recent.

"Without a building, we were going to be in perpetual loop and a drain on the resources of the community," Conklin said. "We want to be an asset."

Conklin said as a leader, it's difficult to let God take control.

"We want to be the hero, but God is always the hero. We have to step back and trust God," he said.

Tom Gillman, Mission Builders' group leader, said Mission Builders has been building churches since the mid 1980s and will have 160 projects completed by the end of 2008.

Seven trailers and 13 volunteers are on site on Stow Road. Gillman, who is from Michigan, said they arrived June 5 but are behind because of the rain.

"We stay until we're done," Gillman said. "The snow and cold are our only deadline."

Gillman said each church is different and said after his first project, he was hooked.

"I've met so many nice people, and you help to build a permanent place," he said. "You build a community."

Although most of the volunteers have no building experience before joining Mission Builders, one of them, Steve Schenk of St. Louis, said he had his own renovation business.

"God gave me the ability to be a good carpenter, and I want to hare it," Schenk said.

The wives provide nutritional and spiritual support during the building process.

Katie Gillman, who has been volunteering for 11 years, said the goal is to have the congregation work on their own church building. It's an investment in the future that they can point out to their grandchildren, she added.

Mission Builders volunteer Blanche Westereng said it's fun to make friends all over the U.S.

"We get about 60 Christmas cards from people we've met and made friends with," Westereng said.

Conklin said residents are encouraged to help, and donations are needed for seating, floor coverings and landscape work.

More information is available at www.rejoicelc.org.

E-mail: lfreeman@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3150