TEEN CHALLENGE CHAPEL UNDER WAY

Construction of a chapel for Mid-America Teen Challenge commenced Wednesday with a groundbreaking ceremony on the center's 312-acre farm north of Cape Girardeau.

"It's thrilling. It's something we've wanted to do for many, many years," said Jack Smart, executive director of Teen Challenge.

"The overall emphasis of our program is spiritual in nature," said Smart.

The Teen Challenge center has a staff of 23. There are currently 97 students ranging in age from 16 to the early- or mid-40s.

Nationally, the program started out as a ministry to teenage gangs about 35 years ago, but it has been expanded over the years to encompass a wider age group, Smart said.

The Cape Girardeau chapel will be named for the Rev. Herb Meppelink, who headed the Cape Girardeau Teen Challenge for 17 years beginning in 1972, before moving to the job of national director of the non-profit religious program. There are 120 Teen Challenge centers nationwide.

For 24 years, Mid-America Teen Challenge has been helping men out of the quagmire of drugs and alcohol through a program centered around biblical teaching.

During that time it has had to make do with a makeshift chapel. "Since our inception, the chapel services have been held in the basement cafeteria," said Smart. "It's one of those deals where you push tables to the side and line up chairs and that sort of thing."

Mid-America Teen Challenge embarked on a fund drive in January to raise money to construct the chapel.

The center has raised slightly more than $100,000 toward its goal of $250,000. Smart said Teen Challenge plans to continue its fund drive even as construction proceeds.

"It may turn out that we do not have to have the full $250,000 to build it," he said.

Flooding along the Mississippi River this summer put a dent in the fund-raising effort.

"We kind of just backed off a little bit in fund raising," said Smart, explaining that Teen Challenge didn't want to solicit donations at the same time that groups were seeking funding for flood relief.

The approximately 7,000-square-foot facility will encompass two levels, including a finished basement. The basement will be of masonry block construction with the upper level consisting of frame with brick veneer.

The first-floor chapel will seat 252 people. Downstairs there will be two classrooms, a prayer chapel for the students, a storage area, and quarters for visiting evangelists and other visitors.

"While the sanctuary only will be used a few times a week, the basement area will be used almost every day," said Smart. "It's not just going to be sitting there; it's going to be a functional building."

An independent contractor, Pete Buellis, is building the chapel. "We expect it to be finished sometime next spring," said Smart.