As children dug into the dirt with gold-painted spades, members of Providence United Methodist Church prayed, sang hymns and broke ground Sunday, July 22, for a $2.2 million church building.

Bishop Larry Goodpaster, presiding bishop of the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church, joined Providence UMC pastor Rev. Bob Sweet in leading the ceremony dedicating to God the 15-acre site on Jimmy Faulkner Drive.

The church was chartered four years ago and originally met at David’s Catfish.

They have been housed in a temporary rental building.

“We are building a 15,500-square foot multipurpose building,” said Harold Marrow, building committee chairman. “It will have a worship center inside and seat 350 people. We will have 12 classrooms, a kitchen and fellowship and church offices.”

Marrow added that the construction will start in September 2007 and should be occupied by September 2008.

The building is Phase I of a three-phase master plan. Future phases will include a sanctuary and an education building.

Currently, the congregation meets in a rented office building at 9543 Stagecoach Rd. in Spanish Fort.

Sunday School begins at 9 a.m. with worship following at 10 a.m.

Wednesday night services will begin in September.

For more information about Providence United Methodist Church, visit the website at providencemethodist.org or call the church office at 626-2510.