"Divine Makeover" in Seattle

(Above): During Construction (Below): After

SEATTLE — Rainier Avenue FMC made headlines this spring when it suspended services for three Sundays to finish a “Divine Makeover.” The incredible homestretch effort involved more than 500 volunteers from more than 30 churches and Christian organizations, and was the culmination of eight years of working to renovate a 1950s building that’s home to an ever-growing, multiethnic, multicultural, inner-city congregation.

Similar to an old-fashioned barn raising, the divine makeover concept is the brainchild of Jack vanHartesvelt, who has spearheaded five such “compressed build” efforts. Rainier Avenue’s Pastor Paul Olver is a board member of the city’s Coalition for Community Development and Renewal (CCDR), which declared the church to be “an anchor institution in this community” and designated it as a makeover recipient.

In addition to the Rainier Avenue congregation, three FM churches (Wenatchee, Timberlake and Seattle First) made significant contributions to the building fund, as did the Pacific Northwest Conference. First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue (Wash.), a CCDR member, served as the lead partner on the makeover, contributing the greatest number of volunteers.

During the three-week hiatus from its building, Rainier Avenue’s small groups continued to meet. On successive Sundays, the people attended services at partnering churches, House of Oaks Ministries (a daughter church in Tukwila, Wash.) and in homes (where assigned locations maintained the church’s intergenera-tional/intercultural makeup).

Despite all the hoopla over the makeover, Olver is quick to point out that the church is way more than a building. Rainier Avenue is a catalyst for bringing people together both here and abroad. They planted the Tukwila church, 11 more in Thailand, and cofounded Urban Impact to serve hundreds monthly through ministries that target economics, education and health. The nonprofit organization helps small businesses get started and issues microenterprise loans, runs after-school and tutoring programs at local schools, and welcomes more than 1,000 to Rainier Health & Fitness. A Christian Community Health Clinic will open this year.

This church’s remarkable story is a fine example of what can happen when the body of Christ works together, thinks creatively and opens its arms wide.