As Pastor Mark Ivey gazes out his office window, Christ Alive Church is going up before his eyes, one steal post at a time.  It’s everything his church has worked for since he gave the church’s first sermon in 2001.

The framework started going up two and a half weeks ago on 10 acres off U.S. 321 Business just past South Newton Elementary School. The 11,100 square foot building will serve as the church’s first sanctuary, capable of seating up to 300 people.

The church is currently holding services for its 200 plus members at the Adrian Shuford YMCA in Conover, where it has met for the past four years.

“When you are not in a permanent facility, people say, ‘Are you for real?  How long are you going to be here?’” Ivey said.

In addition to the sanctuary, the church will feature a drive-through area where people can drop off people at the front door.  Inside, there will be Sunday school classrooms for the children and adults.  Ivey said the most interesting feature will be a café called “He Brews” that will provide a place for people to eat and socialize before and after Sunday services.

He plans to utilize the café to create Friday Night Fire, a program for teenagers where they can come to the church and eat a free breakfast and listen to Christian bands play.  The concept was inspired by a trip to IHOP one night when he saw dozens of teenagers eating breakfast at midnight.

“I thought, ‘Why can’t we do that here,’” Ivey said.

Ivey said eventually the church will extend the building to make a new sanctuary and the first phase of the building will become a center for children and teenagers.

“We’re trying to build for a future generation,” he said.

The church spent most of 2003 and 2004 searching for a piece of land, before buying the first 7.5 acres in February 2005.  Soon after, the owner of the home on the neighboring property asked if they wanted to purchase her 2.5 acres and house.  Ivey said they quickly turned the house into the church offices, which they intent to keep separated from the church itself.

Ivey expects the church to move from the YMCA to the new church in October, almost exactly a year after ground was first broken on the project.

He said Christ Alive is a contemporary church.  It’s not a church filled with stiff suits and ties, but rather a more relaxed and casual place, Ivey noted.

“We emphasize taking off the religious mask and just being real,” he said.

The church meets at 10:30 a.m. at Shuford YMCA in Conover.