Finding sanctuary: A building that used to lend books started conveying messages from the good book

The 8,000-square-foot building that once housed the Riverside Regional Library in Jackson sat vacant for more than a year.

On Aug. 1, the building that used to lend books started conveying messages from the good book when The Rock International Ministries converted the former library into a church.

The Rock International Ministries was founded in 2007 and was formerly located in a small facility on High Street.

"We were having Sunday school in the hallways," said Angela Miller, administrator of operations for The Rock. "Also, our pastor's platform was located just inside the front door, so if you were late for church, you had to walk in right next to the pastor, which made some people uncomfortable."

The new facility gives The Rock plenty of room for the congregation, and members have already seen the attendance grow.

Ruth Yount, center, helps Haley Salzmann, 7, left, and Jaleshia Green, 9, right, make a craft during children's activity time at The Rock International Ministries.

"Our children's ministry has really blossomed," said the Rev. Thomas D. White. "We do a children's service on Wednesday night for the younger kids where we feed them dinner as well, and then a youth service for 12 and up on Thursdays, and to see the excitement on these kids' faces is a real blessing."

White said church members went to the neighborhood where the building was and did an outreach program a few weeks before they moved into the old library.

"When we opened up the children's church, they came in droves," he said. "A lot of these kids had never really been involved in church, from what I can see. They had been playing around the building, and then when we showed up, it was exciting for them."

The Rock offers a meal to the children who attend on Wednesday night, as well as Sunday mornings.

"We never know where the kids are coming from, but they always have something to eat," White said. "We bus a van load of kids from Cape Girardeau, about 15 to 20 kids a week, and sometimes the parents are working, you know, and are one-parent homes, and we just want to make sure we feed them."

Miller said converting the former library into a sanctuary could not have happened without the volunteers. Removing old carpet, laying down tiles, installing new lighting and building the platform from where White delivers his message all came together just in time for the opening Aug. 1.

"Just getting the main part of the library into a sanctuary and ready was a huge challenge," Miller said. "As a matter of fact, we were nailing down the last board on the platform at 2:30 in the morning and our service was at 10:30 the same morning.

"There is still work to be done, but it's definitely God's house," she said.

White and Miller both said the church is about diversity.

"It's not a black church, but rather a place for anyone of any ethnic background to hear and celebrate the word of God," White said. "As the Jackson community continues to quickly grow, we hope to see more faces of any color in our church family."

Sunday services are at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., and midweek services are at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. The 12 and up youth service is at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, hosted by Youth Pastor Trenton Cruse.

Pertinent address: 204 S. Union Ave, Jackson